rolling afro 2020

There's a lot to choose from in terms of vintage 60s/70s West African music. First off, a few Ebo Taylor albums were reissued pretty recently. Some good comps include: Strut's Nigeria 70s series and on Soundway, the Nigeria Special comps plus Ghana Special and the Ghana Soundz comps.

I'd start with the first Nigeria Special comp: https://www.discogs.com/Various-Nigeria-Special-Modern-Highlife-Afro-Sounds-Nigerian-Blues-1970-6/master/53871

There are contemporary artists who draw on vintage stuff to some degree, but I suspect your friend won't want to immediately jump into that.

That particular Ebo Taylor track is reggae, no? Which isn't what he's mostly known for. I have a vague notion lots of Nigerian artists flirted with the genre, tho the only concrete example I can come up with is
"Jahojah Comfort Me" by Pazy & The Black Hippies.

brb copyrighting the term “Remapiano”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt8d-4IMAXs
Rema • Woman

(Forthcoming album alert: Rema is now dropping a new song every week. Last week’s “Alien” is also good)

my Spotify playlist for tracking and tracing amapiano’s influence on West-African pop:

🇳🇬🇬🇭🇿🇦NAIghAPIANO🎹🎹

I saw a lot of people hating on Alien online - they don't want to hear him rapping, lol

Anyways, followed!

in case you want to sing along:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=witjmEEV7Es

More NaijaPiano news: DJ Tunez, a trailblazer on the NaijaPiano front (see upthread for examples), just released his all-piano EP Love Language Vol. 1. It actually features 5, 6, 7+ minutes tracks, which is perfectly normal in South African house of course, but probably a first in contemporary Nigerian pop (well, there was that extended version of "Maradona", clocking in at 5'03, but that was probably aimed at the SA market).

He’s doing this stuff together with D3an, an EDM producer, a rarity in Nigeria - DJ Tunez himself is someone who spins the tunes and fronts the records, he’s never actually produced them to my knowledge - unless he’s recently upped his skills.

Tanzania interim report:

Section I: Bringing the bongo flava:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFGoCIOQKPY
Rayvanny ft. Diamond Platnumz • Amaboko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qwLTgPmFDA
Eddy Manda ft. Marioo • Mwendo

Section II: Supplying the singeli spice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJj5_3x0qWM
BillNass ft. Meja Kunta • Huna Baya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWbDAHF-pUc
Sholo Mwamba • Anataka Uma (two years old, but new on Spotify)

(these beats are exhilarating but the musical soundscape can be so pretty too, check those piano sprinklings in “Anataka Uma” and what happens in “Huna Baya” around the 2-minute mark. man, I love “Huna Baya”)

This one is so good too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaJ2a-vSGVg
Rj The Dj ft. Meja Kunta • Acha Nilewe

Did you know it was about drinking, a lot?

Gqom isn’t dead, it might be on the verge of a comeback in fact. This is the big gqom hit this year in SA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E_tnuq2IZQ
Mshayi ft. Mr. Thela & T-Man • iParty

More like a classic iFootballMatch – a banging first half, and then things *really* take off after that cup of tea at halftime.

Getting down to the best part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIVGQnD7NEI

This one is blowing up as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ODy3KLwKc
Master Dee ft. Sdudla Somdantso • Rebellion

That farfisa-like synth sound swirling through and over it all is spectacular.

It’s actually a remix of the original 2019 version with Mr Vee Sholo (who is on the remix as well, I’m guessing, but no longer tagged). I might prefer the original - it’s more focused perhaps?

xxxxxxxxxxp thanks Rob

Friday favourites:

1) finally a new Amaarae - very good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU6TgShlJDw
Amaarae • Leave Me Alone (co-produced by Kuvie)

2) Motown Tiwa - brilliant stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWEh1nW1gQ
Tiwa Savage • Dangerous Love (produced by Cracker “Jealous” Mallo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBDupJtO3LA
Dj Boat & Kobi Jonz - Call Melanin
Both based in the US (I think DJ Boat is the one who curates that massive afrobeats playlist on spotify)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwGybat7Ivk
Kobi Jonz - Coca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx6E9Shpkn0
Buju - Commander (from last year, now a single)

I've returned a lot to Eve Bounce - still so much potential to cross deep dancehall production with afrobeats, I miss that side of the music.

Not sure how well it fits into this thread, but I've recently become obsessed with Ugandan drumming unit Nihiloxica: https://nihiloxica.bandcamp.com/album/kaloli

Would love to know what other artists milk a similar vibe.

I’m not into them enough to know. There’s those percussion-based bands from DRC, KOKOKO! and Konono No. 1 before them, but their vibe is different, I think.
Are you familiar with the Uganda-based Nyege Nyege Tapes label? It’s where Nihiloxica released their previous album and EP. They might have other stuff you like (although for instance Tanzanian singeli is obv a different kettle of fish).

(btw I know dog latin likes Nihiloxica a lot, and two other posters were raving about the current album on the Rolling Global Outernational thread just this week)

I like “Black Kaheera”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=104HtCkswEs

Nabozo, “Red” from Adey’s new Akiba EP is built around two smashes from the early 00s (both Caribbean in this case) just like “Eve Bounce”, but crucially lacks the “deep dancehall production” you mention, so ymmv.

Good EP btw, Adey is a producer by origin, most famous for doing Ycee’s “Juice”. He also produced one my favourite tracks of this year, “Trouble” by DRB Lasgidi and Tems.

“Bomo” and “Fugazi” are the highlights imo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_HCvFYsUSE
Adey ft. WANI • Fugazi

Love the new Wizkid, will listen to the Azana album in the morning, but “Addicted”, the new Niniola x Sarz collabo has got me close to tears right now:

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

(and of fucking course I’m posting the extended version!)

^unavailable and afaict not on YT anymore?

it is over here (and it’s her official YT account)

this is the single edit

ah ok, I guess it's not available in Canada yet for some reason

btw I just heard Rema's "Woman" for the first time and it's amazing

rob, did you personally commission this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZHLxJeXwpI
Adekunle Gold ft. Nailah Blackman • AG Baby

You’re damn right about “Woman”. So vibrant, joyful and... lecherous. Best slice of NaijaPiano so far.

I also am seriously besotted with Tiwa’s “Dangerous Love”. The way she suddenly pulls that I’m deep, I’m deep, I’m deep in love with you section out of the bag in the middle of the second verse!

The Nigerian big guns are really coming through right now.

haha AG and NB is an totally unexpected & delightful combination, but no I was not consulted :) It's a great song though, no? I was actually a bit disappointed in Nailah as her last single was such an obvious Doja Cat ripoffhomage, but all is redeemed and AG is truly having a great year.

"Addicted" is available for me now, and it's beautifully hypnotic.

The treated background vocals on that Tiwa are wild, I need a few more listens to make sense of it as a whole.

Bringing the beautiful noise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6PpiX8ptMw
Serge Beynaud • Kointabala

Warning: this is classic Beynaud!

That Addicted tune is wicked

It's a great Amapiano beat, combined with her solemn vocals. Omo Rapala had already grown to be my favorite of hers.

This is the big hit in Nigeria right now. It's slowly starting to grow on me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WqNQ49lYq0
Mayorkun ft. Davido • Betty Butter

and here's Joey Akan profile/interview on/with the Mayor of Lagos: https://joeyakan.substack.com/p/mayorkun-sound-leadership-of-lagos

in-te-res-ting:

Amapiano is Mayorkun’s lockdown love, and he’s recorded enough of them to make albums. It’s experimental stuff, mixed in with highlife, and other genres for individuality. With each new record on the speaker, there’s dancing in the room as all connect with the art. “I’ve not been releasing these ones because of social distancing,” he says, referring to his high-octane creations, designed for dancefloor engagement.

btw, does anyone have a handle on Omah Lay's popularity? Two months on, and he's still got four tracks of his EP among Naija's ten most-streamed songs. I mean, he's good, but so are many others: Why him? Is it that his music somehow fits the pandemic mood (see Mayorkun's quote)?

have a look:

1 = Mayorkun & Davido - Betty Butter
2 = Omah Lay - Bad Influence
3 = Rema - Woman
4 = Adekunle Gold & Nailah Blackman - AG Baby
5 = Omah Lay - Damn
6 +2 Omah Lay - You
7 = Rema - Ginger Me
8 -2 Wizkid - Smile (feat. H.E.R.)
9 = Burna Boy - Wonderful
10 = Omah Lay - Lo Lo

or is this the way to look at it:

How many people saw Omah Lay?

How many could predict that the boy from PH will carry so much of the conversation and plaudits on his shoulders?

That’s why I never get involved with predicting who will blow. Nobody knows. No one has an idea.

Keep working. Keep pushing.

— Joey Akan (@JoeyAkan) June 23, 2020

gotta say tho, "Lo Lo" is very good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYD2SQljwJo

haha i used that exact same tweet to express my confusion in an email to a friend...it feels like maybe one of those people's choice things...makes me wonder if he had some AMAZING song if it wouldn't be 8x as huge as his current stuff, that maybe its a personality/star appeal thing

breastcrawl you seem to be confused about how to make it big in Nigeria, I suggest you grab a notebook and pay good attention:

I’ve hacked the Nigerian music industry 😤😤😤😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/0AGuLZYkUc

— Ditweni (@Ditweni) July 22, 2020

There's a new Fireboy DML btw (Eli)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UqZINIOB70
Not too many risks but I guess the exotic flute is a try

lol sounds about right, nabozo xp

d-40, my tweet comrade lol, I’m neutral on Omah L’s star appeal, but I’m thinking the persona plays a part, yes – and it must be mostly in the lyrics (I mean, he hasn’t done any shows or PAs due to the pandemic and his biggest song, “Bad Influence”, doesn’t even have a video). his lyrics are singled out in this profile too: https://www.okayafrica.com/omah-lay-nigeria-interview/

The starkness of the world he inhabits is a wonder and his lyrics are too. Phrases like "You dun burst my eyeglass" and "Omo she be SARS and she carry full van" are a cultural stamp, a burst out of the ordinary for listeners, many of whom now declare Omah Lay as "special."

this mostly eludes me as an outsider-listener, but what I can tell is that he also consistently portrays himself as a drinking, smoking bad boy who’s irresistible to girls in his songs (how novel!), being sexually quite explicit for Nigerian standards in the process, as far as I can tell.

Not blown away by either of the post-album Fireboy singles.
xxp

digging the new fireboy. he hasn't even dropped album #2 yet, he reserves the right to continue working the formula for a minute

I think he's actually going for something new on both of these singles - and listening to "Eli" on headphones now I have to say I am quite digging this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E3_RF_NNFM
Masauti "Kenyan Boy" - Inawauma

That’s lovely!
file under “SwaRnB” apparently

brb searching for examples of Swamapiano and SwahEDM

the fireboy single from a little bit ago "new york city girl" is one of my fav songs of the year... he's almost on his own wavelength. both of these new songs are pretty subdued which is interesting when you consider i.e. "jealous"

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.

"eli" is excellent, can't stop playing it

Pulling all the right strings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilRXM7h_oPg
BwoiiDaas • Radar

it had been quite a while, but here’s Patoranking showing he’s still got it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIKF16oagBY
Patoranking • Abule

(no small thanks to “Wonderful” producer Telz)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT6aBynWDgE
Reminisce feat. Fireboy DML - Ogaranya

Sarz on the beat!

Follow-up to Yo Pe and it comes... close ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLu6yW56ALg
Innoss'B - Olandi