My guitar has been in 70 percent of Afrobeats hit songs yet I’m not being celebrated – Guitarist Fiokee laments

Nigeran guitarist, Ifiok Effanga, popularly known as Fiokee, has lamented over not getting due credit for his contribution to the growth of Afrobeats.

He expressed gladness that the genre is evolving and has broken into the global market, but he is saddened by the fact that despite having worked with the likes of Davido, Dbanj, Flavour and others, he is still not being acknowledged.

The instrumentalist noted that his guitar has been played on some of the major hit songs such as D’Banj’s “Scape Goat” and Davido’s “Gobe”.

Fiokee said his guitar has been on 70 percent of the Afrobeats songs that turned out to be hits, and he wants to be getting his flowers just like the artistes.

He said; “I am glad to be experiencing the evolution of afrobeats. This is what we have been praying for, to be able to break into the global market. I am glad to be part of the people that made this happen, though I am not really getting my flowers.

Scapegoat (by D’banj) was the first major modern afrobeats song that broke into the global market. If you listen to the remix of the song that Kanye West featured on, the guitar I played was part of what attracted him.

That was how everything started. From there, I played on Davido’s Gobe. From 2010 till date, my guitar has been in 70 per cent of the hit songs. As the artistes are getting their flowers, I am supposed to be getting mine as well.”