Lauren Cowart for Martell
Afrobeats as a genre is derived from the blended sounds of the West African diaspora. It’s through that innate collaborative nature that Davido, one of the genre’s brightest stars, was able to take his brand partnership with Martell to the next level with a collaboration that ties back to his musical roots.
Working alongside visual artist Prince Gyasi, the latest Martell creative partner, the Limited Edition Afrobeats collection made its official debut on Wednesday (October 28) at Bathhouse Studios in New York City.
Davido fittingly enough brought out a beautiful crowd that, even in a room fully decked-out in blue, made sure that Black culture stood out in all its melanated glory.
Davido: The Pulse of Afrobeats on the Global Stage
The celebration of sound, rhythm and West African landscapes was hosted by Nigerian-born UK media personalty Adesope “Shopsydoo” Olajide. The culture flowed over into the DJ booth with Nigeria’s DJ Ecool, who kept things rocking well past the curfew to no one’s disagreement. The night was highlighted by a fireside chat that saw Davido and Prince Gyasi in conversation with Shopsydoo about what this moment means for the culture.
“As soon as you look at the bottle, I feel like it’s very captivating,” says Davido of their collaborative effort, also adding, “the bottle doesn’t waste time in capturing attention. The more you look at the bottle, you can see the detail — the gold, the red, the blue. [It’s] obviously Martell colors, and also African cultural colors as well.”
You can see the captivating bottle making its directorial debut in Davido’s new video for “Already Falling.”
Notable guests in attendance included famed designer Christian Louboutin, rapper Joey Bada$$, actor Tristan Wilds, collab queen Vashtie, stylist Ty Hunter and artist Young Paris amongst many others. Tastemakers and creative voices across music, art, design and culture filled the rest of the room, making for a night of great vibes from every angle.
The Afrobeats Limited Edition bottle by Davido and Prince Gyasi is available now both online and at select retailers — recommended neat, on ice or in long drinks and cocktails.
Keep scrolling for a look inside the Afrobeats Limited Edition launch party:Lauren Cowart for Martell
