The “What If” Story Of Azonto.

Azonto, a once dominant genre coming out of Ghana and spreading across West Africa, and the diaspora—which was once held in high esteem ended up being cast aside for unknown reasons. The story of Azonto; what it was, what it did, and what it was meant to do, has always been dear to the hearts of many Ghanaians. While the origins of the Ghanaian music and dance genre have always been in contention, many have attributed Azonto to the people living along the Ghanaian coast in areas like Chorkor, James Town, and its environs. Unlike the origins of the dance, the name has been attributed to a lot of different things by many people. The name of the Ghanaian genre surfaced in urban media as far back as 2009 when Hiplife/Afrobeats duo R2bees released ‘Azonto’ off their ‘Da Revolution’ album; so the term is credited to the Tema city. But whatever the claims may be, one thing is for sure: the dance was infectious and spread across many African countries and the diaspora like wildfire. In 2012, when the Azonto anthem ‘U Go Kill Me’ by Sarkodie dropped, it sparked a craze around the country. Senior High Schools were at the forefront, as they put out videos of them bursting out moves. With time other songs would follow, and like magic, each song would catch fire. The likes of Gasmilla, E.L., Guru, Stay Jay, Ruff and Smooth, Criss Waddle, Wizkid, Bisa Kdei, and a host of others will all put out songs that will amplify Azonto.

Ghanaian-U.K-based artist Fuse ODG would also jump on the wave and give the dance, and sound a facelift in the U.K. and Europe, following the entry of his first hit single ‘Azonto’ into the UK’s top ten music chart. Azonto would cross over into the world of Football as legendary Ghanaian footballer Baby Jet Asamoah Gyan used the dance as his celebration on global football stages like the World Cup and English Premier League. The popularity of the music and dance genre soared heavily in Europe prior to the now popular West African genre Afrobeats. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Azonto dominance was the acceptance from all age groups, races or even nationalities, and its impact on dance influencers. While many believe Azonto played a key role in the breakthrough of Afrobeats unto the international market, I believe it is an assertion not far-fetched. It is well known Azonto birthed a lot of “dancepreneurs” across the globe in the digital age, such that the white community was not left out; making it arguably the first dance craze to popularize social media challenges. The buzz, dance competitions, and the likes of British Congolese comedian and actor Eddie Kadi hosting Azonto dance competitions in the UK, brought to the urban scene many influencers like the popular “White boy Azonto” whose Azonto dance renditions racked up million hits on Youtube, and he would later go on to feature in Nigerian Afrobeats frontman D’banj’s all-time hit track ‘Oliver Twist‘ video, alongside brief cameos from American rappers Kanye West, Big Sean and Pusha T. The music video will go on to garner 64 million views on Youtube since its release 11 years ago. The 2012 hit track had its first international breakthrough when it peaked at number 9 on UK’s top charts and was probably the first time the widely acclaimed West African genre “Afrobeats” took hold in the UK.

“The Azonto dance is flamboyant and innovative and different people reinvent it to suit their style and energy. It is not too similar to something I have seen before,” said Sesan Ogunro, a filmmaker and director of D’banj’s ‘Oliver Twist’ video. “ Azonto is very popular outside of Ghana, It has become a dance craze and has become very popular in the UK and parts of the US”, he added while in conversation with PM News, Nigeria. 

While the music and dance genre may have enjoyed impressive popularity, it came with its low tides. On the one hand, there were religious sects that labeled the dance as the “devil’s dance.” Surprisingly, while some religious leaders spoke against it, there were some Christians who loved it so much they labeled it “ChristoZonto.” Several months later, just as Azonto was gaining ground on the global stage, there was a divide. It is that divide that many have ascribed the early decline of the genre to.

Over the years, we revisit the conversation on Azonto and what it would have done for Ghana’s music industry today. This article attempts to narrow the conversation by discussing some things that may have contributed to the decline of the sound while looking at its impact on our industry.

The decline of the genre can be attributed to a number of things. One of the things that has been said in recent times is that Azonto was “uncool,” which many will agree to disagree with. While I struggle to make meaning of what “uncool” is in this context, I strongly affirm it cannot be said in any way that a local music and dance genre in its raw elements from the shores of Ghana, which succeeded in breaking the seal of international recognition and helped bridge the gap between the diasporan community and the African music community had no leverage to become what a genre like Afrobeats is today. However, Azonto was cool until it wasn’t anymore.

In the early days of Azonto, people were so happy about it that everyone wanted to learn the dance and hop on the sound. But the lack of proper structures and intentionality moved the attention from bettering the sound, marketing the dance, and finding a balance between attracting global appeal and resolving petty squabbles like who is the originator and king of Azonto is. The Ghanaian music community became so lost in thought about who did what, that they lost sight of the bigger picture as a country. The lack of packaging, promotion and PR structures for the sound and dance resulted in its rapid decline. By default, the driving force of the Afropop sound is its heavy danceable rhythms that give modern artists the edge to democratize the marketing of viral hits by creating dance videos nearly everyone can follow. At the time Azonto peaked, African music was beginning to take a different shape. While the Ghanaian music community fought among themselves, others like Nigeria had refined the sound multiple times to create other artforms like Alingo, Shoki and others.

It is worth noting that the success of Azonto, which of course is not the first dance craze to emerge from Africa, was beyond melodious uptempo beats with cheeky lyrics to keep dancers in motion. Its giant leap into the Western capitals and featuring on the clubbing scene in Europe, and America was hinged on one of the biggest cultural exports for young Africans living in the diaspora. At this point, what would have been termed as being “uncool” in the diaspora for vibing to African pop culture had completely taken a different turn, it became a badge of honor for young Africans living in Western communities positioning African youth culture through their creative outlets. For a minute, Azonto became a unifying symbol of West African pride.

While this was happening in the diaspora, Azonto had become very unpopular in Ghana, with the name drawing multiple negative connotations. Top of the list was the vague epithet loosely used to describe a seductive woman or a person deemed ‘unrefined’ within society. Soon enough, it became “uncool” to associate with Azonto.

Ghana could have changed its trajectory had it gone back to the drawing board and restructured the sound to match up with the ever-evolving times. When it got to the hard part where investment was needed and structures had to be put in place, the key players had given up and were chasing the next high. So yes, we made it “uncool,” not in an aesthetic manner many think of, but we made it unattractive from an angle of structures not being implemented for the sustainability of what every genre requires to stand the test of time. Ghana handed over its opportunity to create something that it could have been benefiting from as of now but no, egos and selfish interests got in the way of what it could have been.

At the end of the day, Azonto; perhaps the biggest Afropop dance music genre yet, a modern cultural export that spread so far, foreign governments had to recognize it, making it to the doorstep of British Monarch Prince William and David Cameron in the UK, had its days and brought the nation a lot of memories and great moments. We collectively failed the dance and the sound by not giving them time to grow and bloom. However, one thing is certain, despite the plethora of viewpoints associated with its decline, Azonto still has a dedicated following and has inspired many artists, influencers, and African pop culture till now.

Do you think the once-dominating rhythm and dance genre could be revived and reinvented to suit current times? Let’s get talking.