Afrobeats dominated by Lagos, Yoruba culture – Omah Lay

2026-03-11 - 15:07

By Enitan Abdultawab Nigerian singer Stanley Omah Didia, popularly known as Omah Lay, has shared his perspective on the structure of the Afrobeats industry, saying the genre is largely centred in Lagos and strongly influenced by the Yoruba ethnic group. The artiste made the remarks during a listening session for his upcoming album titled Clarity of Mind, where he discussed the dynamics of the music scene in Nigeria. According to Omah Lay, the roots of Afrobeats and the industry’s biggest opportunities are closely tied to Lagos. He pointed out that the genre’s origin is often traced to the late Fela Kuti, whom he described as its pioneer and a Yoruba cultural figure. “Afrobeats is mainly Lagos. It’s mainly Yorubas. Fela Kuti is the pioneer, we all know that, and he’s Yoruba,” he said. Reflecting on his own journey, the Port Harcourt-born singer explained that artistes from other regions often have to establish themselves in Lagos to gain wider recognition. “I’m from PH, and you have to break into Lagos. There are only two people from PH that you know; Burna Boy & Me,” he added. During the event, Omah Lay also spoke about a difficult personal moment he experienced while attending the Grammy Awards. The singer recalled going through a breakup during the ceremony, which left him emotionally distracted throughout the event. “While Justin Bieber was performing at the Grammys, I was having a breakup right inside, an embarrassing moment,” he said, adding that the relationship lasted only two months but felt significant at the time. “The relationship was only two months, by the way. It was a relationship where I thought I was going to have a baby. I wasn’t present at the Grammys, I didn’t even enjoy anything,” he explained. The singer was recently nominated for a Grammy Award alongside Davido for their collaboration, With You. Recalling his preparations for the ceremony in Los Angeles, Omah Lay said an attempt to get his hair styled for the event turned into an unpleasant experience. “I went to LA for the Grammys, I got a barber to prepare for the show, and he messed me up. I got another barber who was like the best barber in LA, and his price was exaggerated to fix me up. He came, and he completely f**k me over,” he said.