AYA
Aya Nakamura
After the two singles ” Jolie Nana ” and ” Doudou “, the French RnB queen unveils her third album. Soberly entitled AYA, this record is the most personal of the singer. It evokes her toxic relationship and her wounds while remaining faithful to her comportment. With her outspokenness and her freedom in songwriting, she proves once again that she has not lost her mental strenght.
Listen here.
Send Them to Coventry
Pa Salieu
The lightning energy of this young rapper from Coventry seems to affect all who listen. With his original fusion of afroswing, dancehall and UK drill, Pa Salieu is ready to wreak havoc and to make himself heard, all the while cultivating a very strong bond with his Gambian roots. After a series of successful singles, Pa Salieu is finally embarking on a debut album, made in the UK, in homage to poorer districts of Great Britain.
Listen here.
The Angel You Don’t Know
Amaarae
Her voice is recognizable among a thousand! Silky in appearance, she can be as ruthless as a chestnut thorn when it comes to sharpening a rap with sharp lyrics. If her Ghanaian friends once recommended that she stick to Afrobeats or highlife to succeed in the country, she is convinced that her life in the American diaspora has intelligently enhanced her art. This free and nonchalant artist makes the alternative African scene crackle and refuses to limit herself to a musical style.
Listen here.
Star Feminine Band
Star Feminine Band
They are between 10 and 17 years old, and yet they are already real stars with an international career soon to come! The women’s orchestra founded by André Balaguemon should soon be performing in Europe, notably at the Trans Musicales de Rennes. But first of all let’s start with the presentations: Star Feminine Band is a group of female students who challenge the weight of traditions in the north of Benin, with an original mix of garage rock, psychedelia, highlife and Congolese rumba, proving to society that they know how to play music as good as men.
Listen here.
A Better Time
Davido
The American-Nigerian Afrobeats artist unveils a third album which includes the single “FEM”, transposed by many demonstrators into an anthem protesting against police violence in Nigeria. African and American heavyweights also make their appearance: Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Nas, Tiwa Savage, Bella Shmurda, Sho Madjozi, and many others.
Listen here.
Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin
Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin
In Brazzaville, the feminist collective and the beatmaker Rrobin unite to honor the Congolese “heritage”. Their Bantu lullabies speak to the ear of house and hip-hop through everyday objects used as musical instruments. Les Mamans du Congo (The Mothers of Congo) proclaim the emancipation of African women, and reveal to the world their cultural heritage in a powerful, consciousness-raising and dancing rap. Inspiring and modern women who make people want to look to the future without worrying about traditions, which they appropriate with common sense and creativity.
Listen here.
Ekundayo
Liam Bailey
Nottingham-based singer, songwriter and composer Liam Bailey is back with a second album entirely produced by prolific New Yorker Leon Michels (Lana Del Rey, Lee Fields, Sharon-Jones & The Dap-Kings…), producer and co-founder of Big Crown Records in Brooklyn. With an inimitable style that oscillates between reggae, soul and r&b, subtly alternating between retro textures and contemporary sounds, the British artist has collaborated with renowned producers such as Salaam Remi, signed to the Lioness Records label of the late Amy Winehouse before moving on to major label (Sony Music) for Definitely Now, his debut album released in 2014.
Listen here.
Código De Barras
A.k.Adrix
A Portuguese of Angolan origin, the composer and producer remains faithful to the electronic style of Lisbon’s Afroimmigrant community because the artist A.k.Adrix, formerly known as P. Adrix, is broadcasting his batida beats from the interior of the United Kingdom. This compendium of kuduro, zouk, batucada, kizomba, tarraxinha and house is a legacy from the African continent that can be summed up in one word: batida (loosely meaning “my rhythm” in English). Transposed to frenetic electronic music, this culture helps Lisbon’s Afro-immigrant community to thrive within a society still marred by racism.
Listen here.
¡Bailalo Duro!
Nkumba System
Between Colombia and Central Africa, this mix of frenzied percussion, Afro-Colombian songs and “Cameroonian style” electric guitars mark an energizing album whose central aim is to make us dance. As they embark on their record, the Cameroonian makossa crosses paths with the Colombian cumbia, Zairean rumba rubs shoulders with the Marimba currulao, which melts into the blues of the Malian desert.
Listen here.
The Cornerstone EP
DarkoVibes
While his debut album Kpanlogo explores Darkovibes’ rich Afrobeat and Ghanaian highlife heritage, The Cornerstone showcases the diversity of a true artist who spans countless genres, and whose influence has earned him the collaboration of some of Africa’s most popular artists, including WizKid, Mr. Eazi, R2bees and Stonebwoy. His ability to smoothly merge many languages – including English, Pidgin, Ga and Twi – reflects the new wave of African music that is not limited by national or continental borders.
Listen here.
Also released this week:
- Nico.wav – I’ll Explain Later
- Naza – Gros bébé
- Mapara A Jazz – John Vuli Gate
- Rowlene – 11:11
- Masego – Studying Abroad
- Senzo Afrika – Valley Of A 1000 Hills
- Seba Kaapstad – Konke
