Kobiro: Afrobeats, Like Reggae, Has Come to Stay

Esther Oluku

In a celebration of African music’s ascendancy to global recognition and an optimistic forecast for the future, Nigerian-American artist Bryan Omoru, popularly known as Kobiro, has shared that the Afrobeats genre, like Reggae, has come to stay.

While tracing the evolution of Afrobeats, he noted that the genre has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade and stands a fair chance of remaining relevant in the future.

“Just the same way Reggae has had its longevity, I think Afrobeats is about to have a similar run. The genre, which originates from our side of the world, Afrobeats, Amapiano from South Africa, and Ghanaian music, is here to stay.

“It’s infectious music. You listen to it, and you can’t help but dance and move your body. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, you love it. The sky is the limit for Afrobeats at the moment. It’s amazing to see how everything has blossomed for the genre.”

Kobiro, who is an R&B and Afro-fusion musician added that following his return to Nigeria and in his pursuit to establish himself within the Nigerian music scene, he is focused on forging organic collaborations driven by talent and merit.

While in America, Kobiro strategically aligned himself with the art and social circles in Arizona although he was born in Houston Texas. He leveraged professional relationships to perform twice at the National Basketball Association (NBA) events, connected with music industry coaches, and maintained his African roots by keeping abreast with African artists’ concerts and trends. In 2019, he released his first EP, Recovery.

Speaking about his current projects, he said: “Now, I’m at a point where I’m home, and I’ll be focusing on R&B and Afro-fusion. I’d love to do collaborations. I’ve always had the mindset to collaborate, but I want to earn them. I don’t want to come to Lagos this week and feature a big artist next week—no, I don’t want that.

“I want it to be organic. When I’ve put in the time and effort, and some of my favorite OGs in the game hear my music, I want them to say, ‘Who’s this guy? I’d like to work with him.’ That’s the kind of authenticity I’m aiming for.”

In this interview with THISDAY, Kobiro shared some of his favorite artists he hopes to work with in the future. He said: “Chris Brown is my favorite artist. He has been since I was 12 or 13 years old. The second would be Stormzy from the UK. I’d love to work with him. He’s my favorite rapper at the moment.

“My Nigerian R&B roots are important to me as well. Tiwa Savage and Burna boy. With Tiwa Savage, I think we would create something amazing together.”

Related Articles