By Charles Mgbolu
The Afrobeats musical genre is growing more and more popular globally with its stars winning grammy awards, enjoying massive airplay abroad and holding sold-out world tours.
Nigerian musicians have inked lucrative deals with world-leading music labels and have partnered with international stars.
But their global success in now a source of controversy back home, where event organisers and fans are accusing them of alleged betrayal for insisting on being paid in US dollars for local shows.
The crux of the controversy is two-fold: First, Nigeria's economy is undergoing harsh times. Secondly, many fans feel local shows should be an opportunity for the musicians to give back to their home base who supported their formative years.
Financial success
The thinking here is that the stars have already made financial success with their exposure internationally.
Local DJ Oladotun Ojuolape Kayode, popularly known as Do2dtun, sparked the row by arguing that insisting on payment by US dollars was isolating the musicians from their local fans.
‘’You now charge your own people in dollars. Forget to unlock the togetherness the genre gives you and your people. Quite strange and bizarre,’’ he wrote on X, formely Twitter.
His post opened a floodgate of reactions from fans, who detailed their experiences and disappointments.
A fan, @gbana_producer, reminded artists of times when they relied heavily on Nigerians for streaming views before they grew big in the global music space.
'Initial fame'
‘’Afrobeats artists nowadays that would grow with Nigerian fans and reach international stage and see foreigners pay more and start trash talking Nigerians that gave them initial fame,’’ he wrote on X.
‘’They don’t even do shows here again,’’ wrote another Kaybest on X.
Dotun had an answer for this.
‘’ It started two years ago. Now it’s worse. Corporates have cancelled their end-of-year parties; show promoters can’t pay except you launder money and not expect profit.
‘’You can never get your money's worth. Hypeman and DJs, please adjust your rate cards. It’s time to cook and clean. Thank you to our wonderful musicians for being so kind and too expensive to book. We will perform your songs on your behalf," he wrote.
The popular radio host, however, was cited in the reactions, with some insisting the entire industry is guilty and that even radio presenters and DJs equally charge upcoming artists to pay them in dollars before their songs are promoted on radio.
Dotun, however, denied the allegations but agreed that the problem of charging dollars is worryingly widespread in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
