Once an underground movement known for its deep, soulful grooves, it’s no secret that Afro House is surging into dance music’s mainstream. And the 2024 Amsterdam Dance Event left no doubt about its broadening global reach.
This year’s edition of the world’s leading electronic music summit drew in roughly 500,000 fans to the Dutch capital, where Afro House took center stage. Across a myriad of high-energy showcases and informative panels, the genre’s foremost innovators made a collective stylistic mark on the conference, proving their movement is capable of uniting diverse voices and sounds.
Afro House’s presence at ADE 2024 was a journey across soundscapes, storytelling and cultural fusion that seemed to resonate with audiences hailing from every corner of the world. The week kicked off with the debut of Ópalo Records on October 16th at the iconic Panorama Studio in A’DAM Tower. As the sun set over Amsterdam, the launch event began with a packed panel discussion titled “Afro House: From Roots to Global Impact,” led by MANU and featuring 16 influential voices in the genre.
The intimate discussion journeyed through the genre’s cultural evolution into a powerful force within the global electronic music community. Artists, producers and fans alike came together to explore the its past, celebrate its present and envision its promising future.
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Under the twinkling city lights, the rooftop venue turned into a dance sanctuary as Afro House icons AWEN, DJEFF and Floyd Lavine took over the decks in celebration of the official Ópalo Records launch party. Blending Afro rhythms with an Ibiza-like atmosphere, the evening showcased the genre’s power to transport audiences, fusing the genre’s signature groove with euphoric soundscapes. The experience reflected precisely the unique blend of community and artistry that the genre champions, while champagne toasts and heartfelt exchanges filled the night with camaraderie.
Two days later, the momentum continued with the Ópalo x Nambaka event at Soulkitchen on October 18th. FNX Omar, Karyendasoul and Lazarusman took the stage with powerful live performances that collided live drumming, dance and electronic music, bringing the genre’s rich textures to life.
At Club Prime the next day, the TRIANGLE event “Dive into the Unknown” offered a different, but no less intimate, flavor of Afro House. Rising stars Joezi and Tayllor led the night, infusing the room with deep, tribal elements rooted in the underground. With a focus on emerging Afro House artists, TRIANGLE set a stage for the genre’s future innovators in an intimate, transformative space.
TRI△NGLE – Instagram
For fans looking for a communal celebration of transformative unifying power, the One Tribe event at Shelter was among the standout events of ADE. Staged in the underground Shelter venue beneath A’DAM Tower, the night brought together renowned artists like LP Giobbi and EDM.com Class of 2023 inductee AMÉMÉ. Funky, deep sonics poured from the Funktion-One sound system as LED visuals pulsed in harmony with the crowd’s movements. Travelers from across the globe came together under One Tribe’s message of unity, celebrating the characteristically connective energy that Afro House brings to the dance floor.
ADE’s Afro House offerings culminated with the MoBlack Records Showcase at Chicago Social Club, curated by a luminary of the genre, MoBlack. Each set by Arymé, Francis Mercier, Benja and EDM.com Class of 2024 star Nirefreak brought a unique approach to the genre’s fusion of soulful rhythms with future-forward electronic beats. The night felt like an evolving tribute to the genre’s ancestral roots, drawing in those seeking a deeper experience of its sound and spirit.
Douglas Ledieu
Afro House’s presence at ADE 2024 substantiated the genre’s role as a transformative and unifying force within electronic music more clearly than ever before.
Across performances, panels and celebrations, it connected its cultural past with an inclusive, innovative future—and showed the global dance music fandom that its pulse is only growing stronger.
