2. I found when I researched Afrobeats magazines I had little to
work with as the market was quite niche compared to Hip Hop
and RnB e.g. the front cover was quite plain and stereotypical
(still professional), so I thought the best thing to do would be to
also incorporate some ideas from Hip Hop magazines but not too
much as to lose the Afrobeats feel to it. I felt that doing this was a
good plan as the genre of Afrobeats is all about creativity and
freedom.
One key area that I took in to consideration when looking at
professional Afrobeats magazines was the masthead, I found that
they were bold and colourful, this technique was vital in
attracting my audience as it is the first thing a reader will see, in
other words it is the main area that attracts a reader.
3. I found I had to use conventions from other professional
magazines that would help to attract an audience e.g. making
sure the models eyes were visible and directly facing the reader.
Furthermore I used a close up shot of the model on the front
cover to ensure all his features were seen, and in doing so draw
the reader in. I also ensured the sell lines and masthead didn’t
cover the models face, to be sure none of the spotlight was taken
from the model.
4. I used black African models to attract a certain
audience,Afrobeats lovers. I thought by using African models
people would be able to recognise that was a Afrobeats
magazine perhaps without even reading the masthead or
headline.
In terms of the language I used to draw in my audience; it
involved me having to use certain Afrobeat phrases like
‘flava’, and I also had to use my knowledge of typical Afrobeat
artists names to incorporate in to my magazine e.g.Wiz
Boy, Flava Boy, Kwamz etc.
5. In relation to props and costumes I had to pass on the message of
the Afrobeats genre as it is now, in other words conform to their
fashion sense as it is now ;they rarely dress in traditional African
attire anymore.Their fashion sense has been Americanised e.g.
they adopt the style of Hip Hop, RNB etc.
6. When considering the feedback I got from my finished magazine I
found that some people felt the models attires were not suited to
the Afrobeats genre, but some people also felt that the models
attires did conform to the Afrobeats genre. In doing my personal
research I found that Afrobeats artists adopt the same attire
(fashion sense) as Hip Hop artists, so not all Afrobeat artists
would be seen wearing the typical traditional African attire.
Furthermore I found that the people who knew more about the
Afrobeats genre knew this.
