Dr Kelly’s Afro-fusion Catharsis

The most salient hook in Dr Kelly’s blossoming Afro-fusion music artistry is in the depth of culture immersed into his songs. On his most-recent song, “Get Down”, Dr Kelly emphasizes this quality, combining relatable storytelling with the use of Yoruba language, to create a pop record that connects to his Nigerian audience.

On “Get Down”, where he is serenading his lover, he begins the second verse saying, “Baby, Jọ fún mi,” translating to ‘Baby can you dance for me?’ is a familiar phrase within Nigerian pop music lexicon and also within popular Nigerian diction. He follows it up, saying “Ṣé mà lọ̀lẹ̀ Baby,” where he rephrases the same idea, as it translates to him asking his lover to get down with him, in the sense of requiting his love. The use of these tropes help to elevate the song, especially when combined with the rest of the composition; not distracting attention by the very nature of their cliché, instead accentuating it.

Besides the intrigue with cultural lyricism, Dr Kelly’s “Get Down” thrives with vintage audio-engineering that pulses with the flair of 2000s Nigerian pop, while retaining elements of contemporary music production. His music fits like a glove when you consider the polyrhythmic Makossa-esque groove that evolved Afrobeats across that era, but it still retains contemporary elements like ad-libbed outros and polyrhythmic compositions. The record might be percussive-led, but the composition still gives enough room for the rich highlife guitars to thrive.

Dr Kelly’s versatility is another hallmark of his compositions. On another song dubbed, “Bounce”, which is the second single released with “Get Down”, he explores RnB with a ting of reggaeton. On the love song, he expresses himself in English, fine-tuning his lyricism towards didactic wavelengths. He flows through the song at a sombre mid-tempo pace, which helps to drive the melancholia and sincerity in the music. Overall, the song’s cathartic composition works, functionally, as an RnB record that can connect with diverse audiences, boosting its replay value.

Born Olakunle Agu, Dr Kelly, continues to pursue his musical ambition, sharing his art on global stages like he did at the recent University of Portsmouth’s Festival of Cultures, held at The Ravelin Sports Centre, in Portsmouth, where he performed “Bounce” and “Get Down” to millions in attendance, both virtually and in-person.

Dr Kelly’s cathartic, versatile and multicultural feel to his music, marks him as a musician poised for global impact and a proud ambassador of Nigerian culture and heritage. His stint last month at the Commonwealth Day and Flag Raising Ceremony in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, where he proudly hoisted Nigeria’s flag before closing the event with an electrifying live performance, also spotlights his penchant for always celebrating Nigeria’s cultural pride, music, and artistic excellence.