Singer Rema has made a significant statement on the need for unity among musicians at the 2023 Headies Awards in Atlanta, USA.
During his acceptance speech, where he was awarded Best Male Artiste of the Year, Rema highlighted the need for unity among musicians, emphasizing that regardless of the diverse genres within the industry, artistes should come together under the umbrella term “afrobeats” when it comes to award shows.
He stressed the importance of supporting the institutions that contribute to artistes’ success, including media houses and award organizers.
Rema noted that neglecting these institutions during this crucial period could result in missed opportunities.
In a nod to the genre’s diversity, he mentioned various sub-genres like “afrorave,” “afro this,” and “afro that,” underlining that artists should still unite for afrobeats award ceremonies.
Rema also drew a parallel to the reggae genre, where artistes successfully unified for award recognition.
This statement from Rema contrasts with the views of some artistes, including Burna Boy, who have criticized the “afrobeats” label, arguing that it can be confining and lacks substance.
This has caused a stir on social media and some folks thinks his speech was a jab to his senior colleague, Burna Boy who claims Afrobeats is empty and lacks substance for which reason he’s no longer doing that genre.
