Omanghana
Ghanaian rapper M.anifest has challenged the growing tendency to attach “Afro” to African music genres, urging artistes to give their creativity greater freedom instead of repeatedly adopting similar labels.
Speaking on The African Imaginary Podcast, the musician, born Kwame Ametepe Tsikata, questioned why new sounds from the continent were so frequently classified under names such as Afrobeats, Afrofusion and Afro-soul.
He argued that African creators possess the imagination to develop musical forms with identities of their own.
“Every genre we create doesn’t have to be ‘Afro’ something. We can create new forms. We have to let our imaginations run free,” he said.
His remarks came during the podcast’s ninth episode, released on October 1, 2026. In conversation with host Khangi Khoza, M.anifest explored hip-hop history, African identity and the influences that have shaped his approach to music.
He credited hip-hop with encouraging his own artistic fearlessness and contributing to the international success of Afrobeats, highlighting the creative possibilities that emerge when African culture interacts with other musical traditions.
The debate comes against a long history of “Afro” terminology in music. Ghanaian musician Guy Warren, also known as Kofi Ghanaba, used Afro-jazz to describe his work before Fela Kuti established Afrobeat. The later term Afrobeats developed into a broad category associated with contemporary West African popular music.
M.anifest’s perspective also reflects a musical background shaped by his grandfather, renowned musicologist and composer J.H. Kwabena Nketia, with whom he grew up in Accra.
His career has included collaborations with artistes such as Obrafour, Burna Boy, Erykah Badu and Damon Albarn, reflecting an interest in musical exchange that extends across genres and national boundaries.
Source: Omanghana
