The rise of Nigerian Afrobeats: A qualitative study on the cultural impact for Nigerian diaspora in The Netherlands.

The success of Nigerian artists and the Afrobeats music genre hold consistent momentum in dominating the international stage. A spotlight is shining on Nigeria’s artistry, culture, local languages, and the proud showcasing of Nigerian heritage. The meteoric rise of Afrobeats has turned up the volume on the familiar up-tempo beats associated with West Africa, and now the world is listening. With a global lens firmly directed at the Nigerian music industry, this thesis explores how this phenomenon has impacted the Nigerian diaspora based in The Netherlands from a cultural perspective. The research seeks to understand how this impact, if any, has presented itself and potentially changed views and outlooks of the Dutch-based diaspora on their Nigerian roots. The main themes explored centre around the diasporic sense of belonging, cultural identity, and connection with their homeland. The research design incorporated qualitative methods through interviews with sixteen participants living in the Netherlands. All were either born in The Netherlands to a Nigerian parent or are Nigerian-born, having immigrated over ten-plus years ago. All participants are Afrobeats fans and of an age range of eighteen and above. The findings show, through a thematic analysis approach, there is a perceived shift in the image of Nigeria abroad among the diaspora and their peers. There is a strong sentiment that African music is finally having a long, overdue moment in the global music industry, where it existed for decades. The development of social media has played a pivotal role in this genre’s international reach. A notable shift has occurred within the diasporic community born outside of Africa, but with African roots, toward their African heritage. This link was not always celebrated historically in The Netherlands. Overall, a sense of pride and belonging among the diaspora has grown, and they are witnessing first-hand a positive shift in how the world sees their Nigerian homeland