We can tell ourselves that Afroswing had us bubbling up at each rave, sweating like wild dogs, busting a whine and seeing that one guy trying catch it but doesn’t work out lol and finally seeing our people, smiling together in one space, all chasing the feels and embracing the sounds that forcefully breathe freedom, vibes-just all mixed emotions. Afroswing took over the uk scene rapidly. There wasn’t any question as to what the music sounded like and how culturally influenced it was. You even had your white friends bussing out a move or two to “OT bop” on the way to school. But what I’m trying to say is, it finally felt like we had our own collective black British culture.
Whenever someone will say to me, “Britain doesn’t have any culture that sonically resembles your culture” it confuses me only because growing up in parts of London, mainly the district side, to me that felt like culture. Walking down the street and the road stacked fresh fruits and Vegs, “five bananas for a pound!!” Screaming down your ears. You’ve got your local barber and hair salon, owned by Africans from west, east, north, you name it. There’s so much more honestly, and to me that’s my British culture. Being black, growing up in the districts that sums up to be the Ghetto and really wanting to escape. But you soon realise how lucky you are. You realise how cherished these places can feel, especially when you have your people around you from your own countries and a system of music that transcends through African culture, black excellence and a major home base, here in the uk. Afroswing convinced us that life is greater than what it seems. Younger days and we had unlocked the opportunity to learn way more about the scenes and Afroswing is going to be our destination for today’s article.
Where it all began
Now if you know, I’m west African, Sierra Leone! “How de body” period! And growing up, going to hall parties and hearing P-square “beautiful Onyinye” lol I can already hear the “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” was such a statement. Hearing that song was the golden hour for the adults to run to the dance floor and praise the DJ, us kids sitting there with our party bags trying to figure out which sweet is the shit one and what toys we got. But deepening it, that music was embedded in us. We weren’t just sitting there and catching a vibe. We felt the music. The nourishment of how centric it felt to our ears. Afrobeats said “PARTY AFTER PARTY” & “remember your roots when you become more mature. But in the uk, there wasn’t a sense of belonging for the afrobeats scene. The only time it felt mainstream was during these parties or the drive back home. It felt too little to feel celebrated but comforting that our families understood the essence of music which the whites will call it “bongo drums”? It wasn’t a thing back then, to be a one & only fan of afrobeats. Until teenage years. So let’s take a trip down memory lane for my 02-05 babes.
