rolling afro 2020

Lovely stuff

Who cares about lovely, here's Semi Tee back with another song, Gabadiya :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-zuBeqNrwY

Oh cool, it has a video now!

The track (plus its virtual flipside “Lemonade”) was posted earlier on the Amapiano Awesomeness thread.

I'm totally lost about where to post South African stuff now I must admit

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”.

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=0PWCMHTJRn4
Rayvanny ft. Dulla Makabila • Miss Buza

Another one that’s Big Fun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoXcZrOOMks
Rayvanny 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)

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

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-KzpQlE
Mzee 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)

Tulenkey is a keeper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wyPn5JcS2U
Tulenkey ft. Kelvyn Boy, Medikal & Wes7ar22 • Ghetto Boy

Coronavirus anthem from Kenya ft Nelmo Newsong, Leadha, Eleanor and Love-E Mgenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Wd-F8S3tw

Mukuru All Stars • Stay Fresh (A fight with Corona)

(for future reference)

This is the stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttxgDUYL3k
C Natty • Ojah

(glorious technicolor production by Killertunes)

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

more Nigerian pop splendour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS61vkU6qLk

Joeboy • Call

(also, Joeboy is beautiful)

This is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsf3GSgy6EA

FKI 1$t ft. Victoria Kimani & Ferre Gola • Afreaka

(that's US (?), Kenya + DRC)

Still adding all posted tracks (plus relevant African stuff on other threads) to this Spotify playlist:

ILM rolling✳️all-inclusive✳️afro 2020

Professor Xavier Livermon has a new book out called : Kwaito Bodies: Remastering Space and Subjectivity
in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Duke University Press Durham and London 2020

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)

And Rihanna a fan of Rema “Dumebi was new to me also ( but less surprising)

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

More Nigerian sweetness, with some Ghanaian input:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-YDEyuDxWU
CKay ft. Joeboy & Kuami Eugene • Love Nwantiti (Remix)

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

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=13IWRJ86weA
Mayorkun • Of Lagos

(and lol, no clues given in the title here, unlike most of the above!)

the new FreshDMVFreshVDM-produced Mayorkun single

Ghana:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEI0U55rM-I
Worlasi • Skreentime

that is, as the kids say, "a bop"

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

turns *out*

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)

New Simi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L8hLkg21MQ
Simi • Duduke

Speaking of Simi, here she is being playful with Ladipoe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8oW4R5p5ks
Ladipoe ft. Simi • Know You

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=3Oq9csrBccE
Odunsi (The Engine) ft. Tems • Decided

(GH) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHrZSusNbqA
Efya ft. Mugeez • Prizeless

Sort of related: the remix of Khalid's "Know Your Worth" that dropped just now features Davido and Tems.

Meanwhile, c’est le White Party chez Serge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3KyntSrywE
Serge Beynaud • Prends ton temps

...and who's down for some Angolan attitude and queer vibes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF5dGzxAJ0E
Titica ft. Paulelson, Neide Sofia & Uami Ndongadas • Ta Domina

The extremely welcome return of Reniss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q14g0hEzL5Q
Reniss • Nyama Nyama

#cameroon

Thanks for keeping the thread alive, breastcrawl. I'll get around to these. And yeah the Mayorkun amapiano connection is really... interesting.

In other news... the Wizkid & Akon song about climbing mountains is not good.

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=KihoTfZiG1E
Airic ft. Nolly M • Gijima

TNS be TNS’ing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdVTp1LOiUU
TNS ft. Luqua • iBhari

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

why did I never hear this song before?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lRAgAM6Dak

Cina Soul • Adukwei (produced by NiiQuaye)

#ghana

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.

While I'm in a Cameroonian mood:

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

Abz ft. Daphne • Ololiyo

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...

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlc8i9TKNN0

NSG - Porsche. These chaps love a spinning camera angle, which usually ends up making me feel a bit queasy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFLqy5aqfDA

Octavian - Poison ft. Take A Daytrip, Obongjayar, Santi. I think this is Octavian's first afro type tune

Also an afropop first for Nigerian expat Obongjayar, I think.

“Porsche” is very good, I love those drunk-sounding tracks. Didn’t know two members of NSG were brothers of Jae5: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/pkyeek/nsg-interview-kruddz-mojo-ogd-dope-abz-mxjib

Terri's “Ojoro” is a bop for sure. His Afro Series EP is good as well. He worked with some cool producers – besides Sarz and Killertunes there’s 3 tracks by IamBeatz (of Yemi’s “Mon Lo” and Burna’s “PH City Vibration” fame) and a track each by the wonderful Tuzi (who did Skiibii’s “Sensima” and Reekado’s “Rora”) and BlaiseBeatz (of Soft’s “Naughty”). He might be Wizkid’s truest disciple, for better or for worse.

Nabozo, you should definitely try Davido’s A Good Time, it’s a very strong album. As for Tiwa, I’d go with R.E.D.

Here are some of my favourite/most played Naija albums by other artists from the past few years:
Olamide: Lagos Nawa (a bit of an outlier in his oeuvre album-wise, it’s Young John jams galore, and I love it for that); Skales: Man Of The Year; Lady Donli: Enjoy Your Life; Mr Eazi: Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 and Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2; Simi: Simisola; Flavour: Ijele – The Traveler; L.A.X: Rasaking.

As for Ghana:
Singers: Bisa Kdei: Highlife Konnect; King Promise: As Promised; Ebony: Bonyfied.
Producers: Kuvie: Gruvie; Juls: Leap Of Faith; you could try Magnom’s stuff as well.
Rappers: Akan: Onipa Akoma (fantastic album imo), Worlasi has several good albums.

Bonus grooves: Serge Beynaud (Côte d’Ivoire): Accelerate; Reniss (Cameroon): Tendon – and her new one Nzo of course!; Eddy Kenzo (Uganda): Roots.

oh yeah those Mr Eazi albums would be on my list too

IamBeatz (of Yemi’s “Mon Lo” and Burna’s “PH City Vibration” fame)

I feel dumb I never put this together--it makes so much sense! Those are both amazing, have they done anything else you rate?

I'm doing some overdue catch-up, and I have to ask breastcrawl what does "These are all nice five-finger exercises" mean? I agree that most of the naija-piano doesn't *really* bring the feeling (and that that Mayorkun track is an intriguing exception)

Lots of great stuff posted as always, but special thanks for Reniss, "Duduke," and "iBhari" + "Gijima." So happy to be living through this remarkable Golden Age for South African music; the amapiano & sun-el threads are pretty much "actually, I am tired of winning" at this point

Re: Cameroon, I just picked up this comp a few days ago: https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/pop-makossa-the-invasive-dance-beat-of-cameroon-1976-1984
I haven't had time to absorb it yet, but it was lots of fun on first blush