Wastral
Celia Wa
On her new EP, Celia Wa sings about her memories of Guadeloupe in both Creole and English. She highlights disastrous episodes from history, still deeply rooted in many Caribbean families. This organic and electronic soundscape blends wonderfully with Celia’s flute and vocals by the Ugandan singer Awori. A new breath of life for the Creole neo-soul.
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Masta Groove
Masterkraft
Here, the Nigerian producer brings together several artists on a new album, including Diamond Platnumz, Flavour, Larry Gaaga, Mr. Talkbox, Sarkodie, Seun Kuti, Selebobo and Vector. We are invited into summer via tracks such as “Shake Body,” “Live My Life” and “Big Man Rhythm.” Masterkraft also praises the beauty of black women with “Brown Skin.”.
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Sweet and Short 2.0
Cassper Nyovest
The South African rapper has released a new project just a year after his last album’s release. Among other things, he explores amapiano in collaboration with artists such as DJ Sumbody, Kammu Dee, Lady Du, Ma Lemon, Reece Madlisa, Samthing Soweto, Semi Tee, Thulz and Zuma. Cassper Nyovest explains: “This is an experimental project where I’m taking an authentic South African sound and having fun. I’ve always been about authenticity, so this is right in my lane.“
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Bubbling Inside
De Schuurman
Nyege Nyege is the debut album from producer De Schuurman, which sees him revisit bubbling, a genre born at Club Voltage in The Hague in the late 80s. It has since become central to the African diasporas in the Netherlands. De Schuurman renders dancehall more gritty and fast, while also incorporating trap, dubstep and techno. This project brings together the tracks that symbolize the artist’s beginnings in the late 2000s, as well as more recent productions. De Schuurman, who is based in The Hague, is the nephew of one of the founders of this genre, DJ Chippie, and also the cousin of other big names such as DJ Daycard, DJ Master-D, Stiko Jnr and DJ Justme.
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Malaboy
Chanceko
Chanceko uses his new mixtape as a platform for playing with styles: Wizkid’s Afropop, Travis Scott’s rap and his father’s rumba and coupé-decalé to name a few. Having grown up with a mother who sang in choirs and a brother who introduced him to composition at a young age, Chanceko attempts to bring all his influences together in this new project, from his native Central Africa, through the Seine-et-Marne and Paris, where he grew up. His music is deeply optimistic and where melancholic melodies exist, they are accompanied by warm brasses and frenzied rhythms.
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Manzanita y Su Conjunto
Analog Africa
Analog Africa pays tribute to the great Manzanita. Berardo Hernández, of his real name, left his Peruvian home in Trujillo in order to capsize Lima’s musical scene. The diversity of this city, where there are indigenous, African and Spanish populations, is perfectly illustrated by Manzaita’s eclectic soundscapes, which became shining examples for Peruvian cumbia. It was the collector Victor Zela who shared Manzanita’s records with Analog Africa, saying: “Take it! Take it! It’s one of the best vinyl records ever recorded in Peru … It’s easily in the top 5.” The compilation mainly features sessions from 1973 to 1974, a period where the psychedelic music, cumbia and Afro-Peruvian rhythms merged to give place to unclassifiable musical genres.
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We’re OK. But We’re Lost Anyway
Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp
The Swiss has released an album with post-apocalyptic ambiences, one on which free jazz, highlife, post punk and krautrock form an alluring blend. With Phil Cohran and The Ex’s rhythms, this singular collective, founded in 2006 in Geneva, takes its name from the French artist Marcel Duchamp as well as from traditional African groups, such as the Orchestre Tout Puissant Konono n°1 and the Orchestre Tout Puissant Poly-Rythmo.
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Nessun Dorma
Tawsen
The Brussels’ artist has released his second project of the year and first mixtape, announced through the “Nudes” video featuring Sneazzy. The Belgian-Italian-Moroccan singer has joined forces with 13 guests on Nessun Dorma’s 10 tracks, a famous title meaning “nobody sleeps.” Navigating subtly between pop, reggaeton, French song, Afro, RnB and trap, Tawsen unites with Captaine Roshi, Draganov, Franglish, Lala &ce, Matt Houston, Sky, Squidjii, Tsew The Kid, Yanso, 7.62, Zamdane and ZvDu17.
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