rolling afropop / afrobeats 2018

Then I guess you can scratch Davido (bar Skelewu) and replace him with Burna Boy, Sarkodie, and add plenty of gqom, and play Spirit, Shumaya, Just like that (Orezi), Get Up (Sarz), Iskaba, Juice (Ycee), Akrakabo, Wo, Sekem... and choose the latest drunkenest possible time to play Sister Bettina.

― Nabozo, Wednesday, October 31, 2018 5:09 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

+1. Sister Bettina is a perfect height of the party song. Some classic SA shit that's always good...Amantombazane, Vhavenda (Revolution Remix), Stay Real, Accuse (well, not sure how Accuse would do, but I love it and everyone should listen to it)

I've been way out of the loop on new music this year but I just listened to the new Distruction Boyz record and its solid. Still feel like they have a perfect GQOM record in them but they haven't hit it yet.

Damn Banomoya is fantastic. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Try the Dladla Mshunqisi album, I actually prefer it to the Distruction Boyz one. It’s non-stop gqom banging. “Wangibamba” with Kaybee and Nokwazi is the only other track out there that comes close to “Banomoya”.

Has Sister Bettina been popular for a long time or is it mostly a more recent social media kind of thing?

It was decently big at the time IIRC, but its definitely a social media "Challenge" thing that is why its so huge now.

like i definitely remember 50/50 feeling like a bigger deal a couple years prior, at least in terms of SA songs with US connections. But that could just be my memory.

Accuse is perfection. Thank you. Do we have a thread for old Kwaito House jams ? No ? Why ?
Amantombzane huge too.

From what I understood, Sister Bettina is considered to have been permanently ingrained in every South African brain as their definitive dancing jam, their one-hit wonder, the one to expect at the end of every party ever and you're either on the dance-floor, either running to it, or you must have a valid excuse like paralysis, coma or death, and that's still barely acceptable. And the challenge is merely making fun of the phenomenon but really just another love declaration.

xp

For everyone who doesn’t have a clue what this “Sister Bettina” thing is about (me, for instance):

https://m.channel24.co.za/Music/News/heres-the-story-behind-sister-bettina-the-countrys-favourite-song-20180913

Thanks, guys.

thanks! I don't get to hear much afrobeats outside of this thread / the internet music bubble so I've never any idea of what's going on. Gotta say, I'm not sure I've quite got on board with the whole Wizkid/Davido/Kizz Daniel school of smooth Nigerian r'n'b-inflected pop, but Ma Lo is absolutely brilliant (although mostly because of Tiwa Savage who deserves to be an internationally recognised superstar by now)

dog latin, have you heard Eddy Kenzo’s new Roots album? It’s very good (and relatively light on “smooth [Ugandan, in this case] r'n'b-inflected pop”, although for me “Supa Dupa” - the song formally known and posted as “Your Value” - is a highlight).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdGT2XhzduM

Eddy Kenzo • Ogwo

(not the official video, but a Kenzo-approved entry in a dance challenge for the opening track of the album)

Niniola’s “Bana” has a wonderful video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snQc57ySkN0

...and her sister Teni has a new song + video as well, “Case”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYx5ukr_YWw

(“Shakeam”, her other new song, is good also)

breastcrawl yeah I've heard Your Value. but my favourite by him thud year is Gear Lever

“Gear Level” is not on the album unfortunately, but I think there’s a lot there you might like. Did you check the vid I posted?

not had a chance yet cos I'm at work but I will. Thank u!

Did some research into the kwaito classics mentioned yesterday, primarily for my own education. I think I identified them all. Below are the video links. (I will try to add them to the playlist.)

T'zozo & Professor • Amantombazane (2007)

Revolution • Vhavenda (Revolution Remix) (2002)

DJ Fresh & Kyllex feat. Thabiso • Stay Real (2004)

Alaska • Accuse (2000 or earlier?)

M'du feat. Mandoza • 50/50 (2000/2001)

Mgarimbe • Sister Bethina (2006/2007?)

(“Stay Real” is the only one I can’t find on
Spotify)

I thought amantombazane was this hip hop banger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r3-uTy4zBE (I'd dance to it for sure)
Accuse was listed on Itunes as being from the Alaska 2000 album (from... 2002).

Yeah, there’s actually a lot of songs with that title (Google Translate tells me it’s Zulu for “girls” - so that makes sense). I considered that one too, but it’s from 2014, seems too recent compared with the other tracks that were mentioned, and I found the T’zozo & Professor in this list: https://www.prospect.zone/en/flashback-friday-we-share-our-favourite-kwaito-songs-from-past-to-present/

The Riky Rick is good too, but of course only kruezer can tell us which one they were talking about.

As for “Accuse”, I’m seeing it mentioned as a 1990s kwaito classic, so I don’t know, perhaps the album came later.

I just realized that wikipedia doesn't have an "afrobeats" entry, which is actually sublisted under "afrobeat", and only talks about cross-over potential on the US charts. That's a shame on all levels.

I find it funny to compare Bana's clip (which has a dancehall feel) to the über-sexualized ones in Jamaica, it looks sweet and innocent and soft and girly. I prefer they keep it that way, but they must be conscious of this difference. I fear a little bit the day some artists might decide to totally break the mold. The only factor my simple brain can think of is religion and social censure, but well, Jamaica can be very religious too (but more individual / disenchanted ?).
And that also ties in with the softness hurdle alluded to by dog latin.
Now I'm really digressing, but I wonder if afrobeats is considered a feminine / girls genre in Nigeria, like r&b certainly is (worldwide).

I’ve been thinking that the lack of a diasporic self-consciousness accounts for the relative smoothness of (west-) african pop/rap/dancehall but I might be way off base here. So yeah, religion and social censure would obviously be a part of that.

thanks for the suggestions upthread all. I had a practice run today and while I'm still getting used to transitions on vocal tracks, I'm quite pleased with how this went.

Here's a preview. Now I've gotta get used to playing in a noisy roo. at 2am. How many tracks do you know?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kwcUUMB4QivR3T5H33ch80pZJeT_c9qo/view?usp=drivesdk

Great choice to start this off with Suh Different, I had underestimated it. You also attracted my attention on Mon Lo. Haven't listened to the whole set but enjoy the night.

I'll still post something, Juls - Oshey. It's from December 2017 and on the soft, relaxed and subtle side of afrobeats, though the beat does come, very well produced as ever with Juls. Just raise the volume a bit. Always loved this guy ever since Early.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GrngaKe0g0

cheers Nabozo. yeah makes sense to start with Suh Different because people know the night as mostly dancehall and soca, so wherever I am on the lineup it should be a smooth transition. I even threw a couple of curveballs in there: there's an Errorsmith track in the last quarter which has nothing and everything to do with afrobeats

Shakeam by Teni is my jam today. 'The things you do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do'

Yeah, I undersold that one for sure. It’s better than “Case” - but that’s the big hit.

I like this one a lot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9Smp_ezGk
Airboy ft. Zoro • Eze Ego

But back to pop: The new DMW with Davido & Peruzzi (almost inseparable at this point), “Twisted”, is another FreshVDM showcase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0aDBRn2E0o

...and “One Ticket”, the new Kizz Daniel (with Davido, without Peruzzi) is growing on me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm4x-gspW2k

This is lovely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PGqS-3FW0Y

DJ Qness feat. NaakMusiQ & Ami Faku • Babuyile

Someone brought my attention to this: Skiibii feat Reekado Banks - Sensima. Very light and bubbly, with a touch of wizkid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Zw7N_p-SQ

Nice one!

Everybody, Busiswa just dropped her new album!

https://i2.wp.com/fakazahiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/busiswa-summer-life.jpg?resize=372%2C377

The ILM rolling Afropop / Afrobeats 2018 playlist on Spotify is now at 300+ tracks, including some from related threads. Check out those brand new Simmy tracks from the Sun-EL Musician thread!)

Is anybody listening to the Busiswa album?

Or the new Mr Eazi for that matter?

i'm enjoying the busiswa album but it's not quite as strong as highly flavored i think

Heard good things about the Eazi but haven’t had the time yet

Busiswa: I went in half-expecting /Highly Flavoured/ to the power of “Banomoya”, so I was bound to be disappointed.

It’s like she only took “Bayozenza” from that album and forgot about all the colour and light that was there (“Jam” being the exception).

It’s still good for what it is though and I’m coming around to it.

Mr Eazi: Still feeling my way around there, but it sounds good (GuiltyBeatz is involved, and even Juls has a track, so yeah). I’m happy he didn’t take the title concept too literally. The “London Town” single with Giggs that was supposed to be his UK breakthrough, but actually killed his momentum is still there, but it’s tucked away at the end.

I could have sworn “Keys To The City (Ogede)” had been posted already, but apparently not:

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

I like a lot of recent Eazi but I can’t fathom why he doesn’t work with Juls a lot more often.

I don’t get that either. Maybe they (or one of them) didn’t want to become (or be seen as) too symbiotic?

Anyways....

Wizzy alert!

xp to self

Trying again:

I don’t get that either. Maybe they (or one of them) didn’t want their working relationship to become (or be seen as) too symbiotic?

Tiwa Savage has a new song out, “One”, produced by - there he is again - Killertunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL71si0mL1Y

Nabozo, what do you make of the Busiswa album?

(sorry, I’m assuming you’ve listened to it, apols if you haven’t. I’m curious though!)

That new Tiwa is gorgeous. I have no idea what she's saying but I love it.

Just came across this video. Such fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhnKziI51d8

New Burna:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecl8Aod0Tl0

“On The Low”

Another "Melanin". Also featuring a high-saturated colors video (perhaps inspired by Amy Sherald?). I don't know if the song's that good, TBH, but I'm a sucker for Team Salut-produced slow jams. I especially love those synth pads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZse14-CTkE

Yeah, there’s actually a lot of songs with that title (Google Translate tells me it’s Zulu for “girls” - so that makes sense). I considered that one too, but it’s from 2014, seems too recent compared with the other tracks that were mentioned, and I found the T’zozo & Professor in this list: https://www.prospect.zone/en/flashback-friday-we-share-our-favourite-kwaito-songs-from-past-to-present/

The Riky Rick is good too, but of course only kruezer can tell us which one they were talking about.

As for “Accuse”, I’m seeing it mentioned as a 1990s kwaito classic, so I don’t know, perhaps the album came later.

― breastcrawl, Friday, November 2, 2018 3:04 PM (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I was talking about the Tzozo & Prof song for sure, though that Riky Rick song is a banger for sure, I'd not heard that one before, great find!

Accuse definitely came out in the 90s, not too long after apartheid ended, I want to say maybe 96? I can't recall and I can't seem to find a firm date online, I'll ask some folks back in SA if they recall. It definitely came out after Mafokate's 'Don't call me K*****" which as 95, but how long after, I am not sure!

What have objectively been the biggest SA domestic hits this year? Banomaya and...?