Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2016

Over in Ghana:

Fun collab between Fuse ODG and Shatta Wale: "Laugh Out Loud", produced by Killbeatz.

Ball J at it again:

Kwaw Kese ft. Eduwodzi "Dance"
https://soundcloud.com/vanmusicpromo/kwaw-kese-dance-ft-eduwodzi

And again:

Azay ft. Bisa Kdei "Ghana Mbaa"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9gcMx58DFo

Finally, from Tanzania:
Thanking TSJ for this one: Ay ft. Diamond Platnumz "Zigo (Remix)" (how much better is this remix than the original version?)

…and Côte d'Ivoire:
Yep, I posted it just two weeks ago, but Serge Beynaud just dropped his *official* video for "Remanbélé"!

Trusting longneck to give us an extensive South African update soon!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm back now - but I really just want to be in Cape Town from now on, lol. Such a wonderful place!

Identifying music I didn't already know turned out to be difficult since I couldn't shazam anything since the data rates through my provider back home were ridiculously high. Also, I travelled with my wife & kids so I didn't really get to go out at night, unfortunately.

But I did talk to a lot of people: uber drivers, hotel employees, waiters (one gave me a stack of SA gospel & jazz CDs as a gift), plus a guy who works at the University of the Western Cape and who tried to put in touch with some local rappers. I also bought a few CDs that I haven't had the time to listen through yet - mostly stuff I know and love but can't get elsewhere: the last Black Coffee album, The two Heavy-K albums, the newest Mafikizolo album, the Kwesta CD, but also some mix cds that I need to listen to.

Anyway, here are some notes:

- Hearing Shumaya blasted from passing cars was fantastic. It is probably the song I heard the most often out and about. Someone I talked to said it was categorized as "Kwaito 2.0" but seemed hesitant when I asked him if he thought kwaito was coming back. I got a strong sense that a new generation is taking over.

- None of the people that I talked to who were strongly into music mentioned Heavy-K when I asked them what they listened to. When I asked them why they told me that Heavy-K was "commercial" - his stuff got played so much on the radio that you didn't have to seek it out, and so it wasn't of much use to them - not cool enough. They preferred "deep house". When I pressed them on the difference between "deep" and "commercial" house they said that commercial house made you want to dance. With deep house you could keep talking to your friends with the music in the background. I prefer to dance, I guess.

Black Coffee was the name that came up the most often as the best deep house artist, especially his last album, Pieces of Me. When I asked the girl who presided over the house section at the Musica Megastore on Victoria Wharf to show me the five best/most important house albums atm she immediately went for that album and didn't even bother to point out the Heavy K album that stood next to it. The only guy who immediately mentioned Heavy-K was the waiter who gave me all the jazz and gospel cds - but he admitted that he didn't really follow house.

- There's a quite big scene for gospel and african jazz apparently. A lot of the zimbabwean drivers I had referenced gospel and in the african music store they only played jazz. Most white and colored people aren't really into the music scene, while most of the black people were very eager to discuss it. A few of my uber drivers were shocked to hear that house music isn't really a part of the mainstream in western countries.

- You can't really buy Nigerian music in Cape Town. They obviously know about it and apparently the Nigerian artists visit SA a lot for shows but you can't buy their CDs anywhere.

- Soul Candi is the house label one should follow according to my informants. They're pretty much defining what's cool atm.

- DJ Tira's name gets mentioned a lot. Apparently he's always where it's at. Vinny Da Vinci's name came up a few times. As did Nastee Nev's. Also DJ Rocco, Oskido, DJ Micks, Ganyani, Mthiz Tokzen, DJ Sbu, DJ Cleo, DJ Fresh, Euphonik, DJ Kent, Culoe De Song, Black Motion, Duke Soul, Tonic HD, Da Capo, Ralf Gum, Quentin Harris, Monique Bingham, Chymamusique, Zonke, Lira, Revolution and Mi Casa. (I've got some others in my notes too but need to check them out to see what they're like.)

- The most surprising name that popped up a lot was The Layabouts, who seem to be huge in SA. This track is on the Soul Candi DJ Essentials Vol 2 triple CD that I bought:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_epXw9SSvA

- Most people told me I should go to Joburg if I was into music. Not much is happening in Cape Town. But Cape Town is much nicer and safer than Joburg, where you can't really move around freely. My wife was there for a few days before we met up in CT and told me that her hotel wouldn't even let her cross the road without a chauffeur - the chances of being mugged/attacked were just too great. So if someone invites me there and offers to show me around I'll go but otherwise I'll probably rather go back to lovely CT.

- Kwesta's album is a major hit, and . Top 10 on the Musica chart. But I didn't hear much hip hop in the city as I moved around - mostly mainstream pop or house.

- However, I did have some good rap discussions with people. Several of them brought up the point that nowadays people are on the same song using different languages as a good thing, indicating respect for different cultures. We also talked about the irony in Kendrick Lamar using SA and Mandela as major signifiers in his music while his influence can't really be heard in SA rap atm, since the rap scene is mostly emulating newer, commercial us sounds. Somehow the whole conscious rap scene seems to be associated with the apartheid era and so most of the new artists aren't really interested in going there. Reason is the one artist that gets mentioned a lot when it comes to "conscious" rap - apparently he was the first guy in SA to have picked up Kendrick too. But then again, he's been around for a while.

- Kwesta's album is interesting in that its cover is politically charged, using Rhodes Must Fall imagery overwritten by Kwesta himself, but also very "modern". I have no idea what he's saying though since he's rapping in zulu. I might try to get someone to translate Ngud for me, at the very least.

- My university guy, Q, told me that a few white rappers in Cape Town are trying to reclaim afrikaans as a language of the future - by redefining it. I think there's an interesting story in there somewhere but as long as there's no real hit it sounds like a tough sell atm.

- A lot of the people with interesting agendas seem to be stuck in slightly conservative modes of expression. Q recommended me the genderqueer Dope Saint Jude, who apparently started out in a group of crossdressing female rappers impersonating american stars. Apparently she was Lil Wayne. She's good but I'm not blown away:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdEURn4m4wk

I'll report back again as soon as I've listened some more to these CDs.

i deeply regret not having heard stunnah gee / davido 'dengeme' sooner than today. can't find it in search

The Yemi Alade album is out. I'm five tracks in and it sounds amazing.

Playlist is updated for March. 100 tracks in three months! This thread is poppin'.

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Fifi Cooper & Emtee - Kuze Kuze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqTOIcGyTCs

Was hoping for more Wizkid on the Drake single. More excited about Kiss Daniel over Young John tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQjzcKvVJ0

I love the loose groove of the new Olamide and Phyno single, Who You Epp?, produced by Shizzi. Apparently there are a ton of versions and a competition but for the moment I'm more than fine with the chemistry between these two guys.

https://soundcloud.com/shizzi-1/olamide-ft-phyno-who-you-epp-freestyle-prod-shizzi

There's a deluxe version of Yemi Alade's Mama Africa and the new tracks are really good. Loving the title track and its remix and also Waka Waka with Bucie. I can't seem to find a non-spotify link though, sorry.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0oESaY0lS1Z98RNjX1B31q

Loving this SA rap tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4K0dkDM-Yg

Nasty_C - Hell Naw

So apparently DJ Maphorisa co-produced One Dance? The world is getting smaller.

Heavy Burna Boy influence on this guy Kamo, lol. Great stuff though - and a natural progression from the J Hus breakthrough last year.

https://soundcloud.com/notchandbones/sets/cartunes

There's a new Skuki with Lil Kesh & Young John:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRTt-0TCeNs

Playlist is updated for April.

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Free show with Davido and Antibalas at Lincoln Center - July 29 at 7:30
http://lcoutofdoors.org/events/okayafrica-afrobeat-x-afrobeats

been really outta touch with afropop this year, but been listening to this song a lot over of the last week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCd-pLW61tU

Vicmass Luodollar -Bank Otuch Remix Ft. OCTOPIZZO

Love that one, kruezer. Moving it over to the Summer Jams thread!

Wow, that one is great!

New Kid X & Kwesta has a nice little bounce to it:

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

A nice little convoluted bounce, even.

kiss daniel's album is officially out! Good Time, Laye & Woju are on all in plus more, have only just started listening but its sounding good so far

after a couple listens, really love this album, v solid front to back, I think my favourites are Kudi, Nothing Dey & of course Good Time. It even made me reconsider Woju and Laye, sounds much better in context.

this is just a great pop album, in a perfect world it would blow up globally

absolutely love "mama", looking fwd to the album

yemi alade also came through with her album ("marry me"!!!) + the SA house bonus tracks are essential

kiss daniel album is fire

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

will need to listen to Yemi Alade next, really curious what the house bonus tracks are like.

speaking of SA House, this came up as I was catching up on it, Mr. Style used to work with Bojo Mujo back in the day, I like all of the twists this track takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWo4EGlCugY

Mr. Style - Makhwapheni

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 20 May 2016 00:42 Bookmark

u keep feeding it content tho

I don't understand the concept of hating that concept. Making music easily available to others is... bad?

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 20 May 2016 00:42 (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

on the other hand, i've found it vital and want to thank ulysses for his amazing work.

More Nasty_C:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3t22MDsS_Y

Where are people hearing the Kiss Daniel? Could be I'm in the wrong region tho. Still making my way through the Yemi Alade.

Really like this piece on "Bank Otuch":
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/showbiz/Bank-Otuch-Remix-by-Vicmass-Luodollar-ft-Octopizzo/-/1950810/3171608/-/15tlp24/-/index.html

It's on Spotify and all the major platforms now.

anyone here got any knowledge of Ugandan pop / beats?

without wanting to appear self-promoting, i put together a nice little afrobeats/afro-pop/soca/dancehall/house based mix the other day available to stream here: https://www.mixcloud.com/doglatin/money-lion - stream
http://bit.ly/1sNouPZ - download

anyone here got any knowledge of Ugandan pop / beats?

― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:42 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wouldn't claim to be very knowledgeable, but I follow these three Ugandan artists...

Jose Chameleon - been releasing things since the 90s, kind of an elder statesmen at this point, his two former backup singers, Radio & Weasel (Weasel is Jose Chameleon's brother) co-founded the Goodlyfe crew in '08 or so. I haven't heard a tonne of his stuff from the early 2000s, but I like his 09 song Bayuda, the Shiru remix of it is really nice. His album Valu Valu is pretty great

Cindy Sanyu - started in the girl group Blu*3 back in the mid-2000s, I like her song Still Standing from this year, I like the song Nawewe off her first solo album back in 09.

Eddy Kenzo - I don't know that he is near as famous as the other two, but I like his jam Sitya Loss from a year or two ago now, he has a recent one called Freestyle with Okay Funky from last year that is nice as well.

thanks. the one I've heard of out of those is eddy kenzo in fact. I'll check the others out

also, for all of the Heavy-K fans out there, I very highly recommend the HK adjacent act Sdudla & Ma1000, they have a couple new ones out, their back catalog is awesome as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXz3ffXEXtY

Sdudla Noma1000 Feat. Mono T - Jikelele

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

Sdudla noMathousand Feat Dj SK - Impumelelo

of hating that concept. Making music easily available to others is... bad?

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 20 May 2016 08:12 (5 days ago) Permalink

Taking it out of context of conversation for ppl who don't contribute makes it a warped representation of the thread and removes what makes Ilx ostensibly unique: discussion of how these songs function. Theres no consideration for whether a songs presence adds to or subtracts from conversation? There's about a million reasons why it's bad but mainly it warps and flattens these threads into shitty recommendation engines

u keep feeding it content tho

― r|t|c, Friday, May 20, 2016 2:36 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

And this is relevant how

More like keeping track of all the songs we've discussed without having to dig through a long thread, no? Very unsure about how many non-ilxers there are that follows forks' playlists. If there are a couple, good for them, though. I imagine they'll be able to sift through it all just to see what they like.

ANYWAY what I came in here to say is yes, the Kiss Daniel album is amazing. I imagine it's the kind of thing Brymo might have done if he wasn't too busy being the Nigerian Sting and making albums called Klitoris.

*follow

I sympathise with Deej's position to an extent but it does rely on the assumption that people are *only* using it as a shitty recommendation engine. And even if they are what's wrong with just wanting to listen and read rather than contributing?

This is one thread - as opposed to the bobbins thread which really IS just a recommendation engine - where context really matters, and I couldn't imagine listening the playlist alone. But I'm never going to want to click on embed after embed and it's helpful to have them in one place for when I'm on the move or not at my computer (ie 99% of the time I'm listening to music).

Anyway we've done this argument to death and it's boring, but it's interesting to see how the people who are most militant about this are often the people for whom listening to music all day is a big part of their actual job. If I could afford to do that I'd be pissy about people not putting in the perceived necessary groundwork as well.

Bumping every thread every month to go 'hey, the playlist is updated!' is lame though.

It's just a billion times more convenient for me to be able to listen to the music on this thread via the Spotty playlists than going through each Youtube link one by one. I Don't want to discuss and dissect every track - there isn't always anything to say. I agree that sometimes these rolling threads can come across either as exclusivist or simply as a recommendations thread, but I don't think the Spotify playlists add or subtract to that. No one's forcing anyone to use them, but they are useful,.

If more people listened to the music I like, pitching pieces about that music to editors would be so much easier.

it warps and flattens these threads into shitty recommendation engines

So how would you guys rank the african albums we've seen so far this year? My favorite is probably the Yemi Alade one, with Kiss Daniel trailing behind but the Tiwa and Kesh are good too.

really enjoying the Tiwa Savage album.

I'd like to know where the best place to get hold of these in a good quality format might be... Amazon?

itunes or google play, perhaps?