Davido Discusses Upcoming 'Are We African Yet?' Fest, Global Rise of African Music in Apple Music Interview

360PopBuzz November 16, 2023

Nigerian afrobeats star Davido recently joined Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 for an illuminating conversation ahead of his highly anticipated "Are We African Yet?" (A.W.A.Y.) festival this weekend in Atlanta.

During the interview, Davido touched on the inspiration behind the upcoming festival, describing it as a "music festival and cultural experience" aimed at uniting the African diaspora and celebrating African culture globally.

"We got to own our culture too. We can't wait for somebody to bring the idea and be like, 'Yo, Afrobeats is growing.' Let's go register African Coachella or something like that. I'm like, 'No, we got to do this ourselves because this is ours. So we got to own it,'" he explained.

Davido also discussed the infectious energy of Lagos, comparing it to cities like New York and Kingston. He emphasized how the perception of African music has changed dramatically in recent years.

"Now, I met somebody in the airport, he was like he grew up in America. 'And years ago, the narrative of being African was not as cool as it is now. Thank you. Now we’re proud. They can ask us, ‘Where are you from?’ And I’ll say, ‘I’m from Nigeria.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, I love Nigerian music, man.’ Or they’re like, ‘Oh, I love Nigerian food, man.’ So it is different from years ago," he recounted.

Additionally, Davido touched on finding healing through creating his latest album "Timeless," evolving from his early party-centric hits, and feeling like he's on a mission now as an ambassador for African music globally.

The wide-ranging interview offered fans an intimate glimpse into Davido's artistry and growth. With the highly anticipated A.W.A.Y. Fest this weekend spotlighting the best of afrobeats, Davido continues to push the culture forward worldwide.