From Lagos to Paris: French & Nigerian Artists Team Up to Create the Next Afrobeats Global Hits

From Lagos to Paris, the sound is getting louder — and more international.

Nine French composers recently teamed up with Nigerian Afrobeats artists at the headquarters of Mavin Records in Lagos, with one big goal: create the next wave of global Afrobeats hits.

In less than one week, the creatives came together to produce 60 new tracks, blending French, English, Nigerian Pidgin and Creole into a melting pot of sound that could define Afrobeats’ next chapter.

Mavin Records — home to stars like Rema, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe and Magixx — hosted the camp in collaboration with Sacem, France’s leading music rights organisation, and the French Embassy.

“If one or two songs hit like Ayra Starr’s Rush or Rema’s Calm Down, then we would have achieved it all,”
— Akotchaye Okio, Director of International Artists’ Rights at Sacem.

Where cultures met in the studio

Inside the studios, genres collided. French rap, pop and urban sounds met Nigerian Afrobeats rhythms, creating music designed for international audiences.

For many of the French producers, it was their first time in Africa — and the experience left a strong impression.

French producer PSK (Maxime Pasquier), who worked alongside Nigerian producer Dunnie Alexandra Lawal, said the creative process felt refreshingly different.

“What struck me is how people let the song carry them away. They explore ideas much further,” he said.

Afrobeats is global — and still growing

Afrobeats, a genre rooted in the legacy of Fela Kuti in the 1970s, has evolved into one of the world’s most dominant sounds, driven largely by the Nigerian diaspora and global streaming culture.

According to Lawal, the collaboration only confirms what fans already know:

“Afrobeats might have originated in West Africa, but the future of Afrobeats is international.”

After the camp, Mavin artists will select their favourite beats and record over them — turning studio sessions into potential chart-toppers.

France’s growing love affair with Afrobeats

Mavin Records’ senior licensing manager Kizito Ahams noted that France, in particular, has shown increasing demand for Afrobeats.

Recent collaborations like Tiakola & Asake’s “Badman Gangsta” and Joe Dwet File & Burna Boy’s “4 Kampe II”are proof that Afro-influenced sounds are now a staple on French charts.

French producer Voluptyk summed it up perfectly:

“In every release, there’s always a track influenced by Afro sounds, especially Afrobeats.”

A country where music never stops

For many visitors, Nigeria’s musical energy was unforgettable.

“There’s music everywhere — on buses, in hotels. It’s truly a country of music,”
— Voluptyk.

And for Caribbean singer-songwriter Shannon, the camp unlocked new creative possibilities by blending Afrobeats with Shatta, a Caribbean fusion of dancehall, trap and electronic music.

“It blends together beautifully,” she said.