Afrobeat is a dynamic music genre that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, blending West African musical styles with American jazz, soul, and funk influences. It features chanted vocals, complex rhythms, and vibrant percussion.

The roots of Afrobeat trace back to the earliest forms of Nigerian popular music, such as palm-wine music and highlife, which spread in the 1920s across Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. In Nigeria, palm-wine music evolved into jùjú, dominating the popular music scene for many years.

The genre took a significant turn when Ghanaian musicians fused West African regional music with Western jazz and calypso, creating a new sound known as highlife. This sound continued to evolve by incorporating more Western influences.

In the late 1960s, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, often called the Father of Afrobeat, added his unique style to the mix. His influence helped popularize Afrobeat among Nigerian youth from about 1970 to 1975, cementing its place in music history.