Follow Us on Google
Gone are the days when African music was appreciated by only Africans. Although African music has always been welcomed by the world, especially in Europe.
But more than ever before, African genres of music have become more popular, especially with Afrobeats and infusion of other genres. But in the view of Nigerian musician and songwriter, Idris Olabamiji Bashir, professionally known as 7Star Dris Nigerian home-brewed Afrobeats is leading the charge to take over the world.
According to the Warsaw, Poland-based star, you cannot change music’s originality. Any genre derived from Africa will hold its identity in the world anytime. He posits that persistence on the sounds of Afrobeat, made it a recognized genre now among the likes of the top genres like Pop.
7Star Dris, whose single “Baller” released in 2019 is an Amapiano genre of music believes Amapiano is also on its own wave. He said more sounds are going to come from Africa and you will not miss it.
“It’s massive now, I think African music has always got the vibes and rhythms to move the world stage. We just struggle to get the platform and mindset of listeners, I believe the more the world gets diverse, the more everyone will accept us for any kind of genre we bring to the stage. Africa has blessed the world with many genres of music and they are loving it,” he said.
7Star Dris describes himself as an Afrobeats singer when in fact his brand of music is multifaceted and multi-dimensional with a tilt of his indigenous touch. However, he believes it is not wise for any artist to stick to one genre of music. The “Baller” he released in 2019 is an Amapiano sound while his other releases; “Flex” in 2013; “Jaiye” in 2014; “Cool Jam” in 2015 and recently “Alcohol” lean towards Afrobeats.
“No, it’s not a wise idea to stick to one genre of music. I have always been a diverse artist. I’ve been engaged in different genres and always open to any new or renowned trends,” he said.
While his vision is Afro-centric, 7Star Dris is very much happy with Nigerian dominance of music in Africa. He admits Africa has come of age given their presence on the world stage and is particularly happy that international stars from all over the world are scrambling to collaborate with them. However, he was affirmative in his assessment of the African music industries in comparison to Nigeria.
“No contest. Music industry in Nigeria is like an African identity now to the world. I also think Nigerian music is excellent, because we can deliver on any beat and language. I think Nigerian music is well structured. The only way to help upcoming artists is for the government to help some talents to grow by creating opportunities and musical platforms instead of leaving everything to record label owners, ” he declared.
7Star Dris is also the CEO of RG Global Consult, a company that sells musical instruments and also into property development.
He is also into show promotions and organisation, which had seen him taken Jawon, Wande Coal and football personality like Lawal Rahim to Europe
For about a decade, he was a graphics designer for different artists and promoters. He spent a lot of time together with them, creating content, lyrics and stories. His major forte and influences are in creating diverse and broader music, content and designs that are relatable to different cultures, traditions and communities.
