rolling afro 2020

yeah sure, but it appears a little arbitrary to me to consider that afro-pop is acceptable as an umbrella term for bongo flava but that afrobeats is not, especially if we accept that the term is now international and, correct me if I'm wrong, still in use.
I'm no expert in the genre, but there used to be a plurality of terms (Azonto etc) corresponding to the different styles and dances even in NIG-GHA, so I always thought of afrobeats as an umbrella.
The fact that the Tanzanians so easily collaborate with the Congolese for example also muddles waters and would almost make you wonder about having other umbrella terms
Anyway, I don't mean to be argumentative here, just saying it's hard to cut clear and reconcile all views (international, African, national etc).

still in use *in Africa (and West Africa most relevantly).

like I said, we’ve done this before, but “afrobeats” has been controversial from the start, as a term coined in the UK a decade ago for the burgeoning new pop scene in Ghana and Nigeria, with a play on “afrobeat” (because Fela Kuti cs was the only reference people had in the UK), that had no currency in those countries themselves - and still isn’t universally accepted there (Burna Boy insisting on “afro-fusion”, Adekunle Gold naming his album “Afro Pop”). it was never meant to include the pop music of other African countries (where the Fela Kuti connection would make even less sense to begin with). It’s unfortunate that the term has caught on in the US music press as well, but it doesn’t mean we have to toe the line. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t think of describing Sun-El’s music as “afrobeats”, and yet that is the trend as it is internationally.

“Afropop” or “African pop” are simply much more neutral as descriptive terms. the only problem you run into is where to draw the line for what constitutes “pop music”, but that’s a general debate that has nothing to do with *African* music specifically.

our two new Rolling threads for 2021:

Rolling Afropop / Afrobeats 2021

MZANSI MUZIQ 2021 🇿🇦 Rolling South Africa thread