Aging Asian rockers and Afrobeat might not seem like the most likely combination. But when Wu Bai, one of the biggest Chinese rock stars of the 1990s, heard the genre, its rhythms and melodies reminded him of the Hokkien songs he listened to as a child in Taiwan, and he promptly made an album inspired by its sounds.

Perhaps it is this relatability and versatility that has inspired the fast-growing popularity of Afrobeat music, and Afrobeats in general, across the globe. Back in 2022, the popularity of African artists exploded globally, with article after article describing Afrobeats’ incredible global reach. In the same year, Ugbaja Emeka Augustine, CEO of Nigerian label South Nice Records, suggested that the popularity of Afrobeats would soon spread to Asia. He pointed to the success of Yoofi Greene, a Ghanian dance teacher who had been introducing Chinese students to Afrobeats through his classes since the mid-2010s, as well as international radio stations that have been rushing to promote the sound.

Despite some promising inroads, Afrobeats is still taking more small steps than great leaps into China. According to author Christian Adofo, Afrobeats is the “younger cousin” of Afrobeat, the fusion genre first popularized by Nigerian artist Fela Kuti and his band Africa 70. Afrobeats samples the original beats while mixing in different genres and electronic elements.

When Wu Bai adopted Afrobeat in his third studio album, Ding Zi Hua (《钉子花》) , in 2016, it was the first time a mainstream artist in the Chinese market showed overt influence by the genre. Hailing from Taiwan and often singing in his native Hokkien, the rock legend and his band China Blue became the soundtrack to the ’90s across China, growing from a small-time touring band to one of the biggest stars of the scene. Although most would categorize Wu’s music in the folk or rock genre, Ding Zi Hua achieved critical success despite its unusual mix of genres—winning the Golden Melody Award for Best Taiwanese Album at the 28th Golden Melody Awards.