rolling afro 2020

I also get strong Francis Bebey vibes.

Fongola didn’t ring a bell immediately, but okay, so this is about KOKOKO! They have never really grabbed me, but I will give it a listen.

any thoughts on the Tems EP btw?

Liked it, but I find her style limited.
Niniola - Colours and Sounds is out today. We know most of the songs (it goes as far back as Bana), which may be slightly disappointing but it makes for a really tight set of songs.

Agreed on the Niniola. It’s a great introduction for newcomers - like you said the post-first album singles make up half of the album, with only 7 new tracks, including two with SA amapianists Shuffle Muzik (who she’s worked with before) and two Kel-P joints (very welcome given the Burna situation). What this album does have in common with Twice As Tall is a track with Timbaland. It’s a nifty afropop joint, very on point, which raises the question: who ghost-produced this?
On balance, I would have liked the focus to be more on her housey side, but I’ll take it.

oh look, one of the Shuffle Muzik-produced tracks has a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmlh2x8wTBw
Niniola • Look Like Me

(feel the track with Busiswa might have been a better choice perhaps?)

worth posting here as well - Aya goes for that Naija sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAA31YId_sQ
Aya Nakamura • Doudou

(I mean, that beat is Wizkid-worthy)

New TNS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CtqVSdB7oM
TNS ft. Luqua • Nyathela

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWkzKrzeMdA
Harmonize - Jeshi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAaGTFG0cI
Baba Levo & Rayvanny - Ngongingo

Apologies if they were previously posted

I posted "Ngongingo" last month. You could do a search before posting - and then even respond to the track if you like it! I prefer a thread with some feedback to one where people just post tracks and run, but perhaps that's just me.

You could also search this Spotify playlist which features more or less all Afro(/adjacent) stuff that's been posted on ILM this year (nearly 400 tracks so far):
rolling✳️all-inclusive✳️afro 2020 playlist

Anyway, "Ngongino" is a banger, and "Jeshi" is very nice as well. The more East African tracks the merrier.

Bella Alubo is mad underrated. She just released a new EP, the ironically titled Popstar. "Gbolahan" is the single, but "La La Land" is where it's at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DPa6WHDN-4

(also, "Gba Gbe (Motive)")

Ghana:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oes1g4J93Ac
Bisa Kdei ft. Medikal • Netwerk

More Ghana - I love this rollicking track from Kuami "Rockstar" Eugene's new Son Of Africa album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA2DNDwDgkM
Kuami Eugene ft. Obaapa Christy • Wa Ye Wie

Remember Obaapa Christy?

from (Ghanaian) gospel to (Naija) slackness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTur2Ob4QKM
Mohbad ft. Naira Marley & Lil Kesh • Ponmo Sweet

too bad there's no (dance) video for this kuduro house banger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YvyLcXbk1c
Mestre Dangui • Bengala

For the Omah Lay fans (do they call themselves Lay(wo)men or Laypersons? In-Lays? Or simply Layicists? #onethread): this is the big hit off Olamide’s Carpe Diem album (his first under his international deal with Empire, to which he signed along with protégé Fireboy DML):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCUfGghQfms
Olamide ft. Omah Lay • Infinity

Came across this on YouTube, old skool kwaito from Botswana:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Egwb2eXDU
Eskimos ft. Names • Kwalata Tsa Katara

This is such a pretty song, it's been with me for months now and keeps creeping up on me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjayNIirdVw
Yusufkanbai • Do And Undo

live version

Small boy you don dey talk too much, FEM!

Davido’s ”Fem” has been adopted by the #EndSARS protesters:
https://thenativemag.com/music/davidos-fem-became-official-endsars-protest-anthem/

As I noted on the Wizkid thread, the Naija music industry has more or less come to a standstill because of the protests, but this track dropped a few weeks back, and it’s damn good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiGHwccZupE
Basketmouth ft. Show Dem Camp & Oxlade • Myself

This one is very good as well, looks I'll have to check out producer Duktor Sett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsba-Tt7TYY
Basketmouth ft. Flavour & Phyno • Papa Benji

(btw Basketmouth is a famous comedian, I'm not sure what it is he's actually doing on these tracks, guess we'll have to wait for the videos)

DJs: where do you buy or download your tracks from? I used to find Google Play very reliable for stuff like this but it's been replaced by YouTube Music which is streaming only

someone mentioned 7digital the last time this was discussed

ooh I like "Infinity"...will have to check out the rest of Carpe Diem. And "Myself" is really fantastic, nice find

this, from the UK afro thread, deserves a lot more exposure. As Matt DC said, it’s brilliant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFgRsR5e20
Midas The Jagaban • Party With A Jagaban

Nyege Nyege Presents Durban Underground Sho''case
Musicians:
Phelimuncasi
Lafaristo
Bhejane

http://www.youtube.com/ybPumXb1aRM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybPumXb1aRM

(first link didn’t work for me)

party with a jagabang really us a jam. delivers on so many levels

is

joeboy - "lonely"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bjHDNoZrrQ

fucking w/ this one heavily

yeah, it's another sly and slinky one by Joeboy. that post-"Waves"/Robin Schulz forlorn guitar motive is being put to good use in afropop.

party with a jagabang really is a jam. delivers on so many levels

great to see these openly queer girls (there's also Darkoo, and there may be more that I'm not aware of) making a big splash in the UK afro scene.

and wow table, that gqom sho(w)case was fantastic, thanx for posting! it made me check out the Phelimuncasi album too, it kicks ass.

five of the album’s tracks are in that mix, but a lot of it is new, or at least un-shazamable.

that first track in the mix (it’s the album’s closer) slaps so hard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1cL2Jq2pRo
Phelimuncasi • Ungabom Themba Umunutu

also, that Lafaristo track at 35’ !!!!
this is a different track that features them (from 2018):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XVw0VceAw
DJ Luvas ft. DJ Ndakx & Lafaristo • Kokhala Ugogo

More good gqom, involving the team that brought you the awe-inspiring "Iparty" (see somewhere upthread):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCSryblY97k
Rhass ft. Mshayi & Mr Thela • S'yophanda

Yeah, I thought it was pretty incredible, too! The Philemuncasi record really is sick af.

Loving this from Angola:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESodpYnn1II
2 Swagg ft. Nerú Americano · Faz Buxexa

title refers to boxing, looking forward to the dance/video

did I get the • wrong? oh dear...

omah lay is pretty cool to me, it feels pretty contemporary american R&B to me. like he could do a song w/ 6lack pretty easily or something. it doesn't blow me away but he is really popping right now.

― J0rdan S., vrijdag 24 juli 2020 23:57

Jordan S., tell me your secret!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCnkHJ0HbDQ

the original "Damn" has a proper video now btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEw6tQV98XE
Omah Lay • Damn

Checking out the Olamide album. Vocally it's pretty uneven, but producer P-Priime has a bright future. I love "Green Light":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kywkDPXJeC4

lol i don't remember that omah lay post at all but shoutout to me

This year we’ve been through crazy times. And through it all, we’ve all had to look inwards to find hopes of better times ahead. I found a few. In human and creative form. I’m so glad I can finally share them with you. I present ‘A Better Time’ out 13/11/20 00:00 !👶🏽🎤😈🦁💣 pic.twitter.com/GhQgAxgvBQ

— Davido (@davido) November 11, 2020

also, Tekno apparently releasing his debut (!) album in December, after seven years in the game.

here's the Davido track with The Baby-BasedGod:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xjE0cGsFHY
Davido ft. Lil Baby • So Crazy

loving the new Bad Boy Timz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pouseKLvf5E
Bad Boy Timz • Have Fun

in honour of Juls providing the highlight on Made In Lagos production-wise with “True Love” - this is his latest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POzxFe4B9E0
Juls ft. Twitch 4EVA & Quamina MP • Mmayewa