Rolling afrobeats thread 2014

had actually written out something longer but chrome crashed kmt, this is what I could remember:

While afrobeat as a politicised movement may have begun with the railings of Fela against censorship, poverty and heavy handed government it pretty much ended with him in that respect for most people in Nigeria. Why? Well I could tell you that its because a few years after he died Nigeria became a civilian democracy, but that would be an oversimplification to the point of being a lie. Its hard to know where to even start with this without knowing how much of Nigeria's history you're already familiar with. I mean I ain't looking to write a book here. Not throwing any shade but this stuff doesn't form part of any public discourse and its difficult to put forward concise, relatable ideas when we're talking in such broad strokes.

Its easy to take for granted but we're able to grasp the political implications of movements as influential and sprawling as disco and house, past and present, largely because the narratives behind them and the contexts in which they evolved are readily historicized and accessible as part of western cultural lexicon. There is no great treatise on the evolution of afrobeat and there has never been a dedicated legion of journalists and commentators documenting its every turn, or anything approaching that.

Nigerian democracy is only 15 years old. In that time there have been few if any popular political movements worth speaking of and frankly it'd be easy to argue that for the vast majority of Nigerians afrobeat didn't constitute one. There is no singular cultural impetus you can attribute to the growth and form of afrobeat today besides globalised materialism, pop aesthetics and the fact that Nigerians love to party.

Boko Haram, generally speaking aren't fans of anything that isn't explicitly Islamic and being a small extremist group aren't very useful as a representative baseline for anything really.

I wouldn't say you're overthinking it but you are failing to consider how existing sexual politics within Nigeria might already encompass that and that most of the widely known early afrobeat songs had little to do with romantic love and sex leaving little ground for comparison in that regard.

excellent stuff as always tsrobodo

^^^

^^^

hear hear
(especially loved the insight you gave into "Pakurumo" song + video)

Yes. Thank you so much for all of this. I was trying to get an idea about to what extent this "movement" intersected with existing public discourses and your answers have all been marvellously enlightening.

Can't get this song out of my head:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN6sdfIm9pU

DJ Xclusive feat. Wizkid, "Jeje".

The track DJ Xclusive did with Olamide "Ibebe" (I posted it before) is great too. If ever a song was waaayyy too short… I mean, just 2'36 of that? Come on!

Jeje is awesome.

Another question: how is it possible that Dorobucci is not even on the afribiz charts? That song is huge, right? At least it should be, judging from my shazam research, lol. Shouldn't it be at least as big as King Josh & Iyanya's Good Looking (at #18)?

The answer is very simple: it doesn't have a video (yet). Not clear to me how that chart is compiled, but that's the first prerequisite for a song to chart there at all. The Afribiz is an interesting initiative, but it has definite flaws. I wrote something about it last year.

And yes, Dorobucci is huge, biggest song in Nigeria for some two months straight now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaEFCEzkaYA

Mavins, "Dorobucci" (remix) (feat. Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Dr Sid, D Prince, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Di'Ja)

been playing jeje a lot. great record

Xpost lol I guess that explains it. Weird though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcvoZcGrPA

this feels like such a smash to me. no vid yet tho

really enjoying tsrobodo's posts itt

I'm downloading (even buying) a lot of these tracks but mostly as singles. Are there any essential albums from these artists yet or are we mostly talking three singles and a lot of filler? (I love the Uhuru album I mentioned upthread but that's the exception to the rule so far). Also, this is great:

http://youtu.be/AhmzLMzHdNQ

Also, this:
http://youtu.be/gyU4W7MlPLU
Sammie Okposo - Who Tell You Say

On the somewhat shallower end, this is growing on me:
Dj Xclusive, Wizkid & D'prince - Gal Bad
http://youtu.be/ecrgBc3lcRo

Well, there it is, the new Wizkid banger, video included: "Show You The Money". Album next, please.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMAsSEH3yys

fire

It's perhaps hardly afrobeats, but this Kenyan r'n'b-track is really doing it for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYFQRuqQ7EM

I'm in Hyde Park right now and there are a load of Nigerian kids on bikes all singing Kcee and Wizkid's 'Pullover' really loudly. I just want to record this moment for posterity.

Afribiz chart alert! "Dorobucci" has a video now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHBe1BA-Nk

Just as it's being dethroned on radio!
http://massiveairplay.blogspot.com/2014/07/1-10-july-23-onye-by-waje-gains-rapid.html?m=1

Wow, nice blog/chart! Thank you for that.

Yes! It has improved my life considerably.

Davido is touring the US again. Alas, the last-minute D.C. show last night happened while I was getting back from being away. Philly & NYC up next

About to see him in ny! Missed wizkid last weekend

wizkid is apparently part of this in nyc?
http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/nigeriaentertainment
http://www.neaawards.com/nominees/

where does it say hes performing?

it doesn't; one of the producers told me he was? they may be having me on but i doubt it.

word. can u get me on the guest list

i can put you in touch with the producer if you're serious

v serious

Drop me a line

Was eating in a suburban D.C. Kenyan restaurant Saturday night and they were booming nothing but Afrobeats loud. Sounded great...

Yes! I get to revive one of the jams of the year, because it has a video now: Guru - "Pooley".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UPYjg6bQAU

Another recent Ball J Beat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhAja2jB8oQ

Fresh feat. Twinny & BeddyBoy - "Sukundy"

God, I love Pooley. It has lost a bit of it's mystery after thousand spins or so, and perhaps it doesn't work as well on the dancefloor as a lot of other afrobeats, but it's still just an amazing track.

This is very nice. It's like Robyn made a trip to South Africa and ended up in Nigeria - or something:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrcvRNb8aCI

Niniola - "Ibadi"

Can anyone tell me what the track in this video is, please?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hRd285WuPC0

My friend Shazam from Kumasi told me it's this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_1PicpAc7M

SameOne - "Tro Tro" (feat. Gasmilla and Skob)

Loving Olamide's Awon Goons Mi: http://youtu.be/c0VQmL82H1c
Wish I knew what he was saying, lol

Awon Goons Mi = My goons

N'inu hood Mi = In my hood

Think that covers most of what the song is about lol

Haha, thanks.

Could we get some context on what's happening with Sarkodie right now, please? It looks pretty extreme from afar.

I'm assuming you mean this: http://www.citifmonline.com/2014/08/19/sarkodie-takes-on-mahamas-govt-in-latest-release/

or nah?

http://omgghana.com/obuu-mo-na-president-mahama-replies-sarkodie-you-are-the-most-overrated-rapper-in-ghana/
and
http://www.ghanandwom.com/ghana-online-writers-association-suspends-publications-on-sarkodie-until-further-notice/

These kind of stand out in between all the boobs, sideboobs, nipslips, alleged sextapes and Castro sightings that these Gh sites usually post up.

huh, that's pretty concerted!

though the OMGGhana piece carries this at the bottom:

This story is an OMGGhana satirical piece, and it’s for entertainment purposes only!! The intent is to mimic articles found in the headlines, but believe us they are purely satirical.