Why DJ Spinall’s Coachella Debut is a Win for Afrobeats

Iyke Bede

Each year, since 1999, the Colorado desert in Indio California welcomes thousands of music enthusiasts from all over the world to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience punctuated with musical performances from well-established and rising acts drawn from various genres. As an artist, earning a spot on the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s stage is a testament to your exceptional artistry.

Nigeria’s maiden trip to Coachella was in 2012 when afrobeat act Seun Kuti alongside Egypt 80 band performed. The afrobeats genre only gained recognition in 2019 when Burna Boy delivered an electric, viral performance, signifying the genre’s global acceptance and recognition. Since then, other afrobeats artistes like CKay have earned a spot on the stage, showcasing the different shades of the genre.

Recently, Coachella unveiled Oluseye Sodamola, a Nigerian disc jockey famously known as Spinall as a performing act. This announcement marks him as the first Afrobeat DJ to grace the festival. He joins international DJs like David Guetta, Calvin Harris, and Avicii, DJs who on multiple occasions introduced dance and electronic music to the eclectic Coachella audience. 

To be sure,  the Coachella crowd are no strangers to the concept of afrobeats, however, past acts only served as an interface between music lovers and the genre, oftentimes through a limited discography that left the attendees with a poor grasp of the unique musical landscape of Nigeria. With Spinall, this narrative shifts dramatically as he will introduce a series of budding and established acts in Nigeria to the thousands that visit this year, thus increasing exposure for Nigerian DJs, producers, and artistes.  Put simply, afrobeats acts are single-course meals while Spinall is the musical buffet serving all forms of afrobeats.

Coachella, known for its inclusivity and diversity gains from Spinall’s addition to their roster, bolstering their image with what he brings to the turntable. But beyond that, Coachella is a hub where global artistes and music executives converge to scout for collaboration opportunities.

Increasingly, there has been a surge in cross-cultural collaboration between afrobeats artistes and their international counterparts, especially from the United States. With the crowd that Coachella attracts each year, more of such opportunities abound for Spinall, as well as the myriad of afrobeats artistes he projects from his selection.

For his performance,  Spinall is set to command the Sahara Tent, a stage designed to push the boundaries of high-energy music and explore the intersection of technology and art, with a promise of delivering an unparalleled musical experience.

Humbled by the announcement of his inclusion in the line-up, Spinall expressed excitement ahead of his set billed for two consecutive weekends, April 13 and 20.