the rise of W
hat do you think of when you hear the term “afrobeat?” I think of pride, culture, movement, tradition and pure blackness. However, I wasn’t always well versed in this musical genre. It wasn’t until I was introduced to the Queendom Empire, that I was able to appreciate an entirely different style of music and dance.
Boy, Bisa Kdei, Davido, Tiwa Savage and WizKid. They’ve also been featured on J Balvin’s ‘Vibras’ Tour, Kizz Daniel’s Tour, and festivals such as Made in America, Afrobeat Fest, TidalXBrooklyn and more. The group has even hit the fashion industry, performing at New York Fashion Week. This consistency led them to become international sensations.
Queendom is a Nigerian, all-female dance trio composed of Alice Nkanga, Uchechukwu Osuagwu (aka Uche) and Chinna Njoku. These three queens formed this group in early 2015 on the campus of St. John’s University. Emerging from an already established dance crew, they made a name for themselves by promoting local parties and performing for local artists. It is very liberating to see a group of young women contribute to a movement that would later shift the way afrobeats are digested amongst the masses.
As a Black-American working in entertainment, there has been a shift in what audiences consume in the world of dance and music. Afrobeat has recently gained the proper recognition being played on the radio, at parties all over America and featured in movies. I believe that we are in a transitional period in entertainment. Authentic storytelling, in whatever form or medium, is popular. We want to see ourselves on screen and in advertisements.
After a year of grindin’, the dance trio was booking performances with larger artists, such as Burna
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Queendom falls in line with this amazing shift because they have embodied what it means to be an authentic group of creatives. “There are certain
THE SQUEEZE
