The Rise of Queendom

BY KHRYSTINA BLANKS

What 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.

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.

After a year of grindin’, the dance trio was booking performances with larger artists, such as Burna 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.

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.

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 things that everyone fills in different pieces, you can only bring what you can bring,” Alice of Queendom explains.

We all fill in things that you didn’t know needed to be filled in. As a solo act, everything is on you. It’s bigger than just creating a dance and showing up,… we don’t just show up, we like to bring a vibe. Why would you not want three full packages?

Afrobeat is currently becoming mainstream and with it being well received by most, there have been mixed responses from the African community. Uche of the Queendom movement talked about her personal opinions with the new wave of mainstream love. “I love/hate it. I’ve been a lover of afrobeat since middle school, my uncle always had the bootleg afrobeat mixtapes. I’ve seen its potential. My fear is that it becomes too mainstream and we lose our authenticity.” Uche continues, “I love it because who wouldn’t want something they love to get international recognition? At least once a day, I hear a car drive by my room, playing afrobeat. That’s crazy because two years ago, it wasn’t like that.” In many ways, black culture has been more appropriated than appreciated. However, Queendom remains true to themselves and is unapologetic in their medium of artistic expression.

Queendom has opened so many doors for dancers who want to continue to expand the movement. I recently attended their last dance class and was amazed at how many muscles I had to use! I had such a great time embracing another world that I’ve grown to appreciate. After the class, Chinna of the empire stated, “I feel like we’re on the right path and we’re really doing what God wants us to do sharing our talent our time with like-minded queens.”

Queendom is a staple in African culture and they will continue to create beautiful works of art through music and dance. Stay tuned to see what they have in store for years to come. After reading this, when you think of afrobeat, you should think of the Queendom Empire.

Instagram: @queendom.empire