Alté is a subgenre of African music that fuses elements of Afrobeats, dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and R&B.
According to TeeZee, a member of the group DRB LasGidi:
“Alté is Nigerian lingo for ‘alternative’ which means freedom of expression essentially through any medium. It’s been going on since the ’60s as Africans always experimented with music. It became recognised as a style or genre from about 2012 upwards and it broke into the mainstream in 2016 with the rise of its new stars.”
Notable artists include Odunsi (The Engine), Lady Donli, and Wurld, as well as the more commercially successful Tems and Ayra Starr.
Discover the essential alté tracks in our playlist below.
Discover more subgenres in our Subgenre Spotlight series.
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Tags: Playlist Subgenre Spotlight
