Newen Afrobeat

Formed in Chile in 2009, Newen Afrobeat develops an Afrobeat rooted in Fela Kuti’s legacy, blended with elements of funk, jazz and soul, and marked by Andean and Mapuche references. The name Newen, borrowed from the Mapuche language, means “strength,” highlighting the cultural and political frame of their music, which often addresses social and environmental issues and indigenous peoples’ rights. Built around singer-songwriter Nicolás Urbina, Newen Afrobeat began as a large ensemble and later reorganized into a collective after its founder left in the mid-2010s. The group's trajectory includes exchanges with Oghene Kologbo, Seun Kuti, Cheick Tidiane Seck and Dele Sosimi, maintaining continuity with Nigerian afrobeat while not limiting itself to it. After an initial cycle of releases they issued the EP Newen Plays Fela in 2017, the album Curiche in 2019, Newen Plays Fela Vol. II in 2021 and the EP Grietas in 2024. Across these records Newen Afrobeat has refined a collective sound based on brass, percussion, choirs and extended compositions that combine groove, rhythmic tension and a Latin American grounding.