…and a Dutch/Ghanaian one, yes indeedy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRRl0-2ftW8I Am Aisha ft. King Promise • Lowkey
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 20:21 (four years ago) link
Video for Niniola’s “Fantasy”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-02afkIO_Ithe word “cheeky” comes to mind
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 26 March 2020 07:29 (four years ago) link
Always time for some sweet African pop:
Nigeria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbHx9Ps7B4gDJ Neptune ft. Joeboy & Mr Eazi • Nobody
(the kind of sound that unites West and East Africa)
Uganda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAzRKql3vpY Eddy Kenzo • Tweyagale
(lovely tune and a big hit; always happy to see him do well)
Ghana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzxSNgs_0SMShatta Wale • Melissa
(this one is solidly from last year, but I was reminded of it by the Kenzo track – must be the schmaltzy old school sax; strong uninvited-guest-showing-up-drunk-at-the-wedding-party vibes)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 26 March 2020 21:06 (four years ago) link
(calmly posting on the Afro thread as I normally do)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 26 March 2020 21:08 (four years ago) link
...and by “always” I mean “still”, and not all the time but in doses...
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 26 March 2020 22:21 (four years ago) link
Another beautiful male/female duet, in this case Nigerian-Ghanaian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM71Op-VFlkOgranya ft. Efya • Wicked Somebody
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 27 March 2020 11:07 (four years ago) link
Lovely stuff
― paolo, Friday, 27 March 2020 13:18 (four years ago) link
Who cares about lovely, here's Semi Tee back with another song, Gabadiya :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-zuBeqNrwY
― Nabozo, Friday, 27 March 2020 17:38 (four years ago) link
Oh cool, it has a video now!
The track (plus its virtual flipside “Lemonade”) was posted earlier on the Amapiano Awesomeness thread.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 27 March 2020 18:24 (four years ago) link
I'm totally lost about where to post South African stuff now I must admit
― Nabozo, Friday, 27 March 2020 19:13 (four years ago) link
There’s simply too much great music coming out of SA to be contained in one thread!
fwiw, this is how I break it down myself:
Melodic jams, house or non-house, with a focus on (soulful) vocals, Samthing and Sha Sha-style amapiano very much included: THE HOUSE OF SUN-EL: Sun-El Musician, Simmy, Mlindo The Vocalist, and other related artists
Hardcore amapiano, banging like Semi Tee or deep like Mhaw Keys: Thread for the AmaPiano awesomeness that is “Baby Are You Coming?” by Zero12finest feat. ThaMagnificent2
Dedicated “eMcimbini” thread, explicitly geared towards the glorification of song-of-the-year-so-far “eMcimbini”: 🎹🎹PİANO! PİANO!🎹🎹 - a song appreciation thread for “eMcimbini” by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq & Myztro
Other SA stuff (gqom, SA rap, Makhadzi!) can still go here. Admittedly, it’s a fine mess – with the emphasis on “fine”.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 27 March 2020 20:02 (four years ago) link
So, Tanzania, with Rayvanny as my guide for the first stage – perhaps surprisingly the sweetness will be kept at a minimum!
Rayvanny goes singeli with Dulla Makabila:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PWCMHTJRn4Rayvanny ft. Dulla Makabila • Miss Buza
Another one that’s Big Fun:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoXcZrOOMksRayvanny ft. Busiswa & Baba Levo • Zipo
Rayvanny bongo flav’ing as he normally does, here is “Tete…”, sorry “Tekenya”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9DWiUyp5Bo Lava Lava ft. Rayvanny • Tekenya (Remix)
And if you like your Rayvanny sweet, he also dropped a mini album just ahead of Valentine’s Day, featuring none of these songs.
However… (TO BE CONTINUED)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 30 March 2020 20:46 (four years ago) link
Aware that I’m probably out of sync with a lot of people here, but here’s Tanzania, 100% sugar-free – THE SEQUEL:
This time I’ll be taking Dulla Makabila’s singeli lead, and post his “Dua”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4yKz3KObZI
Sholo Mwamba is no stranger to these threads; “Ghetto La Bibi” is fire:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4-vDH4nYBo
Love the (what sounds to me like) Arabic inflections in this guy’s singing. It might be my favourite of this bunch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-PWcsBRdag Meja Kunta • Mamu
Meja Kunta also has a big song out with Lava Lava (see above), “Wanga”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV1ra6fchW0
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 1 April 2020 20:17 (four years ago) link
A few more:
From 2018, “Umepenya” by Pam D ft. Msaga Sumu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QXccqFPGN0
Mzee wa Bwax (from the Sounds of Sisso album): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL0k-KzpQlEMzee wa Bwax ft. Tamimu • Sanamu la Michelini
He’s also got a Corona track out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE2Vo_55TJU
(so do Rayvanny and Lava Lava)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 1 April 2020 20:18 (four years ago) link
Tulenkey is a keeper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wyPn5JcS2UTulenkey ft. Kelvyn Boy, Medikal & Wes7ar22 • Ghetto Boy
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 2 April 2020 11:10 (four years ago) link
Coronavirus anthem from Kenya ft Nelmo Newsong, Leadha, Eleanor and Love-E Mgenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Wd-F8S3tw
― sean gramophone, Thursday, 2 April 2020 14:16 (four years ago) link
Mukuru All Stars • Stay Fresh (A fight with Corona)
(for future reference)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 2 April 2020 17:53 (four years ago) link
This is the stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttxgDUYL3kC Natty • Ojah
(glorious technicolor production by Killertunes)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Sunday, 5 April 2020 20:24 (four years ago) link
I wish that had vocals from someone with more presence (he sounds a bit like a watered-down Wizkid to me), but damn that is a behemoth of a track
― rob, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 14:16 (four years ago) link
more Nigerian pop splendour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS61vkU6qLk
Joeboy • Call
(also, Joeboy is beautiful)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 10 April 2020 21:24 (four years ago) link
This is great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsf3GSgy6EA
FKI 1$t ft. Victoria Kimani & Ferre Gola • Afreaka
(that's US (?), Kenya + DRC)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 10 April 2020 23:27 (four years ago) link
Still adding all posted tracks (plus relevant African stuff on other threads) to this Spotify playlist:ILM rolling✳️all-inclusive✳️afro 2020
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 10 April 2020 23:32 (four years ago) link
Professor Xavier Livermon has a new book out called : Kwaito Bodies: Remastering Space and Subjectivityin Post-Apartheid South Africa Duke University Press Durham and London 2020
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 12 April 2020 13:36 (four years ago) link
The Native on the new generation of afropop stars, with the focus heavily on Naija:https://thenativemag.com/music/afropop-on-the-rise-witnessing-new-line-vanguard(things I learned: Billie Eilish is a fan of Zlatan, and, on further investigation, an even bigger one of Tekno)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 14 April 2020 21:23 (four years ago) link
And Rihanna a fan of Rema “Dumebi was new to me also ( but less surprising)
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 15 April 2020 19:33 (four years ago) link
Mentioned in that Native piece: Oxlade, next in line after Rema, Fireboy and Joeboy. I actually posted his “Sugar” early last year in the same batch with “Dumebi” and “Jealous”, but his first EP is out now and doing very well, in both West and East Africa. “Away” is the hit, and boy, is he getting lucky:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9410qCyQuJ4
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 16 April 2020 21:14 (four years ago) link
More Nigerian sweetness, with some Ghanaian input:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-YDEyuDxWUCKay ft. Joeboy & Kuami Eugene • Love Nwantiti (Remix)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 April 2020 20:56 (four years ago) link
The NAI•GHA•PIANO COMPENDIUM:
Juls expands his Mandela Riddim to a Soweto Blues, but even Busiswa’s presence can’t quite win me over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXIoBUXvjZs(Juls ft. Busiswa & Jaz Karis • Soweto Blues)
Colleague GuiltyBeatz does a good job in the first two and a half minutes of “Uthando” (with Nonso Amadi) from his Different EP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdBl--fg7qA
DJ Tunez remixes another Naija tune into piano, after “Kelegbe Megbe” it’s Omawumi’s “Without You” - it's quite nice:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHRQlO9fd5E
Nigerian producer TMXO gives it a shot as well, the title gives it away: “’Yano Oworo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJE0I0IvYGg
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 April 2020 21:13 (four years ago) link
These are all nice five-finger exercises, but here is where it gets really interesting: the new FreshDMV-produced Mayorkun single. When I listened to it the first few times it didn’t sink in, but correct me if I’m wrong: this is amapiano-informed as fuck without being actual amapiano. I think we have the new hybrid here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13IWRJ86weAMayorkun • Of Lagos
(and lol, no clues given in the title here, unlike most of the above!)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 April 2020 21:15 (four years ago) link
the new FreshDMVFreshVDM-produced Mayorkun single
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 20 April 2020 21:30 (four years ago) link
Ghana:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEI0U55rM-IWorlasi • Skreentime
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 15:28 (four years ago) link
that is, as the kids say, "a bop"
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 17:55 (four years ago) link
was gonna say something about Worlasi, but turns around I already said it upthread:
Worlasi, who's all over "Dzo", is great by the way. His "Pawa" was one of my EOY tracks and he also dropped a very good album last year, Worla (The Man and the God), that maybe I should have nominated also.― breastcrawl, zondag 16 februari 2020 2:42 bookmarkflaglink
― breastcrawl, zondag 16 februari 2020 2:42 bookmarkflaglink
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 21:48 (four years ago) link
turns *out*
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 21:49 (four years ago) link
good to see Buju finally scoring a bona fide hit with the Burna-featuring remix of his "L'enu":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMpysHVdAe0
(great beat, great sound, good feature, and of course that wonderful velvety voice, but not enough development in the melody imho)
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 21:56 (four years ago) link
New Simi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L8hLkg21MQSimi • Duduke
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 21:57 (four years ago) link
Speaking of Simi, here she is being playful with Ladipoe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8oW4R5p5ksLadipoe ft. Simi • Know You
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 22:03 (four years ago) link
I swear, these male/female duets are becoming quite a trend in Naija and Ghana. I think the Burna+1 jams (“Simmer”/“Gum Body”/“Be Honest”) and Eazi+Simi’s “Doyin” may have set the example here.
(NJ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oq9csrBccEOdunsi (The Engine) ft. Tems • Decided
(GH) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHrZSusNbqAEfya ft. Mugeez • Prizeless
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 22:16 (four years ago) link
Sort of related: the remix of Khalid's "Know Your Worth" that dropped just now features Davido and Tems.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 22:25 (four years ago) link
Meanwhile, c’est le White Party chez Serge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3KyntSrywESerge Beynaud • Prends ton temps
...and who's down for some Angolan attitude and queer vibes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF5dGzxAJ0ETitica ft. Paulelson, Neide Sofia & Uami Ndongadas • Ta Domina
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 22 April 2020 22:31 (four years ago) link
The extremely welcome return of Reniss:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q14g0hEzL5QReniss • Nyama Nyama
#cameroon
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 24 April 2020 16:28 (four years ago) link
Thanks for keeping the thread alive, breastcrawl. I'll get around to these. And yeah the Mayorkun amapiano connection is really... interesting.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 24 April 2020 20:43 (four years ago) link
In other news... the Wizkid & Akon song about climbing mountains is not good.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 24 April 2020 21:17 (four years ago) link
You're welcome, longneck. I'm trying, but wherever people are doing their self-isolating, it's definitely not on any of the Afro threads.
Two from South Africa:
Amapiano, Limpopo Style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KihoTfZiG1EAiric ft. Nolly M • Gijima
TNS be TNS’ing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdVTp1LOiUUTNS ft. Luqua • iBhari
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 28 April 2020 21:36 (three years ago) link
Let's throw in two good corona songs:
Eddy Kenzo • 2020 (Tweni Tweni): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-uZCq3AdA
Teni • Morning (not very specific, but it's my favourite from her The Quarantine Playlist EP with DJ Neptune): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAJAVoVO0V0
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 28 April 2020 21:40 (three years ago) link
why did I never hear this song before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lRAgAM6Dak
Cina Soul • Adukwei (produced by NiiQuaye)
#ghana
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Saturday, 2 May 2020 00:54 (three years ago) link
It’s funny, just as I was wondering what had become of Reniss she came out with that wonderful song I posted the other week, and now she has a whole album out (titled Nzo), and it’s fantastic. What a delight (and proof that not only the Jessie Wares and Roisin Murphys of this world are looking to the 80s for inspiration). The video is for “Commando” instead of “Nyama Nyama”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMupMeJUKbQ
Interesting YT comment – it obviously refers to the makossa era, but I don’t know enough about Afropop history to really assess it:
Pure Cameroonian. This is how we sounded when dominated the African music industry.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 4 May 2020 20:01 (three years ago) link
While I'm in a Cameroonian mood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RahmyWFmTtY
Abz ft. Daphne • Ololiyo
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 4 May 2020 21:18 (three years ago) link
I'm spending some time checking out albums, and I'm curious to have recs.So far the most consistent I've found were Burna Boy (obv.), Fireboy DML, Adekunle Gold, Wizkid, Patoranking. I guess I can already add Yemi Alade.Also listened to Vanessa Mdee, Mayorkun, Stonebwoy, Santi, Niniola which had some good and bad.Lined up are Yung L, I guess Davido, Odunsi, Falz...
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 09:47 (three years ago) link
sounds like you're on the right track Nabozo. I don't know how far into the past you want to go, but I quite liked Kiss Daniel's album from a few years ago. Tiwa Savage, maybe? I don't think Maleek Berry ever put out a full-length, but all his EPs are good.
I've been checking out Terri this morning. He's a Wizkid signee and you might remember him from "Soco".
His newest single, Ojoro, is sweet Naija-reggae (prod. by Sarz) with a genuinely amusing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmfOooKjxqU
Also really liked last year's "On Me":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Mt2HizW78
― dip to dup (rob), Wednesday, 6 May 2020 13:19 (three years ago) link