{"id":41619,"date":"2019-07-01T18:01:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T17:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/the-best-of-2019-halftime-edition\/"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:17:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T10:17:51","slug":"60-albums-halftime-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/60-albums-halftime-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"The best of 2019: halftime edition"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/h6>\n

As we reach the midway point of\u00a02019, <\/em>here is a\u00a0top 60 of the year’s best albums so far.
\n<\/span><\/h3>\n

Graphic Illustration by\u00a0Julie Jargeais<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This first half of the year has been a very fruitful year for music with a lot of high-profile releases to relatively underground releases. We’ve rounded up\u00a0our favorite new albums of the year so far listed certainly not by any kind of preferential ranking. Dig in!<\/p>\n

\n

\"Lee<\/p>\n

Lee Scratch Perry\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n
Rainford<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

The 82-year-old Lee \u2018Scratch\u2019 Perry returns with 9 brand new tracks recorded with longtime friend and collaborator Adrian Sherwood. Recorded in Jamaica, Brazil and London the album title, Rainford<\/em>, refers to Perry\u2019s birth name. \u201cIt\u2019s the most intimate album Lee has ever made,\u201d Adrian Sherwood said of the project in a statement. \u201cBut at the same time the musical ideas are very fresh. I\u2019m extremely proud of what we\u2019ve come up as a piece of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Order\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/h5>\n
Ang\u00e9lique Kidjo<\/span><\/h5>\n
Celia<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

After reworking the Talking Head\u2019s cornerstone album\u00a0<\/span>Remain In Light,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0the three Grammys laureate now turns to Celia Cruz. The artist was the leading figure of salsa, a music\u00a0genre invented in-between Miami and New York by the Cuban and Porto Rican diaspora. Kidjo seeks tracing up to the African roots of this music born through complex cultural exchanges, injecting her powerful voice and energy inside them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Spotify\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Abdullah Ibrahim<\/span><\/h5>\n
The Balance<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Abdullah Ibrahim has always sought for balance between his diverse influences and he proves it again with his new opus.\u00a0<\/span>This new album entitled The Balance –\u00a0<\/em>who follows his last LP\u00a0<\/span>The Song is My Story –\u00a0<\/span><\/i>embodies this visions of jazz. \u201cWe push ourselves out of our comfort zones. So that we can present to the listener our striving for excellence. So that we can engage with our listeners without any barriers of our ego. It\u2019s not jazz. For us, it\u2019s a process of transcending barriers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Yugen<\/span><\/p>\n

Yugen Blakrok<\/span><\/h6>\n
Anima Mysterium<\/i><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n

Six years after her first mixtape\u00a0<\/span>Return of the Astro – Goth<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and an acclaimed contribution to\u00a0<\/span>Black Panther\u2019<\/span><\/i>s original soundtrack, Yugen Blakrok is back with a transcendental album. More emotional than the former one,\u00a0<\/span>Anima Mysterium\u00a0<\/span><\/i>features rebellious texts as well as Kanif the Jhatmaster\u2019s dark productions. With this album, Yugen definitely becomes one of 2019\u2019s hip hop biggest revelations. A must hear!<\/span><\/p>\n

Order on Bandcamp\u00a0here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Blick Bassy<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
1958<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Four years after releasing Ak\u00f6<\/em>, the singer and songwriter Blick Bassy Presents 1958<\/em>, a tribute album to Ruben Um Nyob\u00e9, leader of the independentist movement in Cameroon who was executed in 1958 by French Colonial Forces.<\/p>\n

In this poignant album, Blick brings up the hero and proves he is able to reinvent himself, straying further from the bluesy sounds of his former album and heading towards more subtle sounds, full of grace and inventiveness. An album to thaw the heart and sharpen the mind. Although its focus is specific, its themes \u2013 the bondage of neo-colonialism, the need for heroes, the relevance of history and the search for true identity \u2013 are universal.<\/p>\n

He uses a wide palette of emotions, going from softness to rage, to convey his noble political message.\u00a01958\u00a0<\/i>urges the new generations to reconnect with their culture and History, to be able to shape a future for themselves that is actually fit for themselves. The release of the album was accompanied by a spectacular music video shot in South Africa.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0<\/span>Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<\/span>Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<\/span>Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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GoldLink\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Diaspora\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

The 26 year-old D.C native d\u2019Anthony Carlos, aka GoldLink, releases his second studio album,\u00a0Diaspora.\u00a0<\/em>Following 2017’s\u00a0At What Cost,\u00a0<\/em>this new effort features several collaborations with heavyweights such as Wizkid, Tyler, The Creator, Jay Prince and Maleek Berry with Bibi Bourelly. From rap, afropop, R&B, Afrobeats to reggae, Diaspora<\/em> is\u00a0an ambitious album, maybe the best\u00a0one of his career.<\/p>\n

Stream it\u00a0here<\/span>.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Mdou Moctar<\/span><\/h5>\n
Ilana: T<\/em>he Creator<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Ilana: The Creator<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is Mdou’s first true studio album with a live band and certainly the most ambitious record to date. Accompanied by an all-star band like Ahmoudou Madassane’s (Les Filles de Illighadad) lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje’s machine gun drums, and Michael Coltun’s structured low-end bass, Mdou reaches back into Tuareg folklore for inspiration riffing on the hypnotic loops of takamba griots.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album was driven by lots of spontaneity \u2013 Mdou’s preferred method of creation. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a US tour the band lived in the studio for a week, playing into the early hours. For Mdou, this style is to draw on both modern and traditional sources and combine elements into new forms.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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Flying Lotus<\/span><\/h5>\n
Flamagra<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

For his first studio LP in five years, Flying Lotus gathered a whole bunch of renowned collaborators. His follow-up to 2014 LP You\u2019re Dead ! features Solange, Denzel Curry, Thundercat, George Clinton and Little Dragon among others. Once again, this new release makes us dive into the artist\u2019s rich and unique sonic universe.<\/p>\n

Order the album on the artist’s\u00a0website<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Ezra Collective<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
You Can\u2019t Steal My Joy<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

London quintet Ezra Collective is one of the most exciting bands of the new English Jazz scene. Drawing from Afrobeat, Latin music, as well as from Hip-Hop and Grime \u2013 their unique blend and inclusive approach to music has seen them break out way beyond the thriving UK Jazz scene. Following their acclaimed debut EP, their first album,\u00a0<\/span>You Can\u2019t Steal My Joy<\/span><\/i>\u00a0matches its expectations. It features friends and fans, among which Loyle Carner, KOKOROKO and Jorja Smith (on the song \u201cReason In Disguise\u201d released last year), as well as a cover of Sun Ra\u2019s \u201cSpace Is The Place\u201d and a tribute to Fela Kuti.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Tyler, the Creator<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
IGOR<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Tyler, the Creator\u2019s new album\u00a0IGOR<\/em>\u00a0 is the follow-up to 2017\u2019s\u00a0Flower Boy<\/em>. The 28-year-old musician fifth studio album features Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, Santigold, Playboi Carti, and more.\u00a0\u00a0Tyler Okonma said in a post on Twitter: “Don’t go in expecting a rap album or any album\u201d. It\u2019s definitely a lot different from its other stuff, maybe\u00a0that’s what’s making it so great.\u00a0IGOR<\/em>\u00a0is\u00a0experimental with an intimate narrative and the production creates an atmosphere which couples perfectly with the story of the record. After the sublime\u00a0Flower Boy,<\/em>\u00a0everyone had high hopes. And after listened to it a lot, we are still impressed.<\/p>\n

Listen on\u00a0Spotify\u00a0<\/a>\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Beyonc\u00e9<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Homecoming\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Following the release of the\u00a0HOMECOMING<\/em>\u00a0documentary, showcasing Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s live performance in Coachella in 2018, she just released an eponym live album by surprise. The 40-track project features a handful of exclusive tracks, in addition to her full live set, among which a recording of Blue Ivy singing \u201cLift Every Voice and Sing\u201d and a cover of \u201cBefore I Let Go\u201d by Frankie Beverly and Maze. From \u201cCrazy In Love\u201d to \u201cBaby Boy\u201d, the live show features the singer\u2019s greatest hits among more intimate songs, all intensified by the brass ensemble following her on stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer\u00a0<\/a>\/\u00a0Spotify\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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BCUC<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
The Healing<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n

In less than three years, the Soweto U.F.O BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) skyrocketted to under the spotlights. Blurring style barriers, they take their inspiration from South African music, be it traditional or urban and contemporary, from free jazz to hip hop, from punk to kwaito.\u00a0The Healing\u00a0<\/em>is the third of a triology started with\u00a0Our Truth<\/em>, and features collaborations with Femi Kuti and Saul Williams.<\/p>\n

Order\u00a0The Healing\u00a0<\/em>on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Santi<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Mandy & The Jungle<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Following a slew of highly rated singles like, \u201cRapid Fire\u201d and \u201cSparky\u201d, the fusion artist Santi is now releasing his very first album titled\u00a0Mandy & The Jungle<\/em>. The contemplative 16 tracks-album features artists like Kida Kudz, Shane Eagle, amaarae, GoldLink and DRAM. Speaking about the project, Santi said: “This is the most important moment of my life. New chapter, new universe”
\nWith\u00a0Mandy & The Jungle<\/em>\u00a0Santi keeps proving he is the one to look out for in the ever growing new generation of Nigerian acts.<\/p>\n

Order the album on the\u00a0artist’s website<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jamila Woods<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
LEGACY! LEGACY!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Chicago-based soul singer delivers a mature and poignant album, conveying a critical yet poetic glance of the American identity, as well as on her identity as a black woman and a black artist. Each song title is a tribute to a personality, from Frida Kahlo to Basquiat. Her strong lyrics and soft melodies lay down on Slot-A\u2019s inventive beats, channelling hip-hop, funk and electronic influences into an innovative and groovy blend.<\/p>\n

Stream and order the album\u00a0on any platform<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Raashan Ahmad<\/span><\/h5>\n
The Sun<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Raashan Ahmad is consistently evolving, pushing the boundaries of live performance, studio recording and collaborations crossing borders and boundaries by fusing elements of hip hop, soul, jazz, world music, funk and more.
\nThe record finds elements of what Raashan has been\u2014soulful, socially aware and focused on self-discovery\u2014while adding elements of the broader world.
\nAsked about the album, Raashan said, \u201cI couldn\u2019t create another record that sounded like what I\u2019ve already produced. Being exposed to so many new sounds, ideas, and cultures combined with the state of the world pushed me to a place I am beyond excited about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Order the album on\u00a0<\/span>Bandcamp<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Grupo Pilon<\/span><\/h5>\n
Leite Quente Funana\u0301 de Cabo Verde<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Grupo Pilon: Leite Quente Funana\u0301 de Cabo Verde\u00a0follows Ostinato\u2019s\u00a0Synthesize the Soul, a compilation of electronic music during 1973 \u2013 1988. A period where the archipelago musicians incorporated electronic instruments into the local production, in a blend that gave birth to Cape Verde\u2019s own version of electronic music, echoing the euphoria of a newly-gained freedom.
\nGrupo Pilon represents the second generation of musicians who contributed to one of the most lush periods of cultural innovation by immigrants in Europe. In Luxembourg, in 1986, a group of teenagers formed the largely unknown (outside of Cape Verdean circles) but consistently brilliant band named after the blunt instrument used in the islands to pound corn for Cabo Verde\u2019s national dish, cachupa.<\/p>\n

Stream and order it\u00a0here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Koffee<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Rapture EP\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

New sensation\u00a0Koffee<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is leading the new wave of young talent in to take over reggae music with her refreshing spin on the genre.\u00a0The 18-year-old jamaican artist made noise with her two songs \u201cToast\u201d (followed by \u201cThrone\u201d), \u00a0an infectious tune of classic roots-reggae lyrics and a more contemporary sound that reflects the genre\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

As \u201cToast\u201d continues to rise, (the video counts more than 17M views) Koffee shares her debut Rapture, a five-song EP via Columbia UK Records, including 2 new songs and the already famous \u2018Throne\u2019, \u201cRaggamuffin\u201d and \u201cToast \u201c<\/p>\n

With Rapture EP, Koffee is sending a message to the new generation : \u201cI want to make a better world for the generation that\u2019s coming up,\u201d Koffee writes, \u201cto promote love and peace, and even though I\u2019m young, I feel that God has blessed me with talent and wisdom to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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KOKOROKO<\/span><\/h5>\n
KOKOROKO<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

One year after the release of their debut track \u201cAbusey Junction\u201d, that went over 20 million plays on Youtube, the Londoners issue their first EP\u00a0KOKOROKO<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Lead by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, the band is formed by leading lights from the London jazz community. It draws as much from the nightlife energy, the musical influences of West African Pentecostal churches, than from references such as Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Fela Kuti and Tony Allen. Throughout its 4 tracks, the project offers a broader vision of the band\u2019s singular universe, deeply inspired by soul and afrobeat. It takes its roots in West Africa and incorporates it in a very london\u2019s jazz aesthetic.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ibibio Sound Machine<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Doko Mien\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

After\u00a0Uyai<\/em>, Ibibio Sound Machine are back with a new album\u00a0Doko Mien<\/em>.\u00a0Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and Electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African Funk, Disco, and modern Post-Punk and Electro. Evocative Nigerian poetic imagery set against an edgy Afro-Electro soundscape gives the band a unique space within the wave of modern Afrocentric sounds sweeping the globe.<\/p>\n

This third album alternates more words in English, like \u201cGuess We Found a Way\u201d, and in ibibio, translated in the booklet. It sounds a little different from the previous ones: \u201cThere is always Electro and Highlife, but we tried to capture a live sound, playing\u00a0live in the same room,\u201d\u00a0explains Eno. \u201cWe always have a lot of influences, says saxophonist Max Grunhard, like Liquid Liquid, Talking Heads, 80s disco, Nigeria disco 70\u2019s compilations, Kiki Gyan\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n

Listen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Lafawndah<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Ancestor Boy<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

The debut full- length album from Lafawndah, \u200bAncestor Boy,\u200b is a bracing statement of intent, heralding an artist unbound in scope, scale, and intensity. Previous releases (such as the\u00a0Tan<\/em>\u00a0EP and her collaboration with Midori Takada, Le Renard Bleu) plotted a highly personalized map of influence, shaping\u00a0club-focused compositions and popular songs into thrillingly unresolved, ultramodern erotics.<\/p>\n

Crafted with the aid of fellow travelers Nick Weiss, Aaron David Ross, and L-Vis 1990,\u00a0Ancestor Boy<\/em>\u2019\u200bs maximalism \u2013 its overflow of details, of feelings, of ideas \u2013 serves to amplify a frequent lyrical motif: the sensation that one body, one lifetime, isn\u2019t big enough for what you\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s devotional pop and widescreen body music is further brought into vivid relief by an array of comrades and kindred spirits, including John Hassell, Bonnie Banane, Emily King, Jamie Woon, Gaika, Julie Byrne, Kelsey Lu, Patrick Belaga, Valentina Magaletti and Joao Pais Filipe.<\/p>\n

Listen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Angel-Ho<\/span><\/h5>\n
Death Becomes Her<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

As an already established DJ and producer, Angel-Ho began to tease the internet towards the end of 2018, revealing in succession three brilliant and surgically precise instrumentals. From there, she has elevated her music to a new level, bringing out her pop diva outfit, to release her debut album\u00a0Death Becomes Her<\/i>. She enters the fold of the rigorously curated Hyperdub camp, whilst also at the same time running her own label, NON Worldwide.<\/p>\n

Drawing inspiration from badass women like Lady Gaga or Missy Elliott, she manages to avoid the easy neo-pop labelling and tells us specifically the dimension she wants to share with her album:\u00a0\u201cI would define my sound as \u2018a gigantic pop musical, both cinematic and narrative\u2019. My songwriting skills have been pushed to the forefront of this record.\u201d\u00a0<\/i>Read our interview\u00a0here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Que Vola\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Que Vola?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Que Vola? \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d That\u2019s what Cubans like to say when they greet each other. They
\nlike it so much that the expression has become a kind of verbal gimmick in the heavily
\nmusical Spanish spoken on the island. Que Vola? is also the name of this unique musical
\nproject that brings a French jazz septet, assembled by Fidel Fourneyron, together with three young and highly-skilled Cuban percussionists who are as brilliant at the art of summoning Afro-Cuban divinities as they are at vibing up the clubs of La Havana, where they play their raucous rumba. The albums is like a\u00a0journey as if it was a ceremony, whose trajectory brings you closer and closer to the beating heart of this musical encounter. It opens with a prologue (\u2018Kabiosile \u2013 saludo a Chang\u00f3\u2019) in which brass and wind \u2018sing\u2019 a salutation to Chang\u00f3, god of lightning. And it finishes with \u2018Resistir\u2019, an epic piece that seems to go back over the long history of the Afro-Cubans, a history strewn with light and shadow, with chains and tears broken by the resilience of a people, opening up the pathways to its own liberty through music. Between them, the journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Lee Fields & The Expressions<\/span><\/h5>\n
It Rains Love<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n

It Rains Love<\/em>\u00a0is Lee Field\u2019s fifth album with his band The Expressions. The godfather of New York\u2019s Soul pays tribute to love – his favorite topic – in this new effort, and mainly to the love he has been sharing with his wife for the last 40 years. His powerful and unique voice vibrates on the almost erotic harmonies composing this new album. The songs exhale mastery and authenticity, while taking us through a romantic journey in 1970\u2019s New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Apple Music\u00a0<\/a>\/\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n
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Nihiloxica<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Biiri<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Nihiloxica blends traditional rhythms from former Bugandan Kingdom and electronic pulsations coming from two young British producers.\u00a0Biiri<\/em>\u00a0strays further from afro-electronic clich\u00e9s where the kick is prominent and structures sprinkled percussions samples. The band\u2019s sound rather relies on the drums\u2019 complex and heady polyrhythmics, as the tempo shifts, following the natural rhythm of the musicians. Electronic effects and drones create a dark and progressive atmosphere. Gloomier than their first EP, these tracks are road hardened constructions that demonstrate the evolution of the band, and the conversation between two cultures.<\/p>\n

Listen\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Solange<\/span><\/h5>\n
When I Get Home<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Two years after the notable\u00a0A seat at the Table,\u00a0<\/em>Solange Knowles is back with a new album. The new project, titled\u00a0When I Get Home<\/em>, was released at midnight during the night of the February 28th to March 1st. Right during the transition between the \u201cBlack History Month\u201d and the \u201cWomen\u2019s History Month\u201d.<\/p>\n

The album features several prestigious collaborations such as Dev Hynes, Sampha, Pharell and Tyler the Creator. Recorded in 2018 between Jamaica, New Orleans and California, it cleverly blends Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop and R\u2019n\u2019b.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Georgia Anne Muldrow<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
VWETO II<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Los Angeles-born and grown singer, songwriter, and musician Georgia Anne Muldrow is known for her ability to channel the greats from decades past in soul, R&B, and jazz to create a subversive, forward-thinking sound. Following\u00a0Overload<\/em>, her most accessible and r\u2019n\u2019b album, Georgia goes back to her roots and delivers a highly psychedelic jam, lost somewhere between the 1970s and the distant future. Hip hop and g-funk influenced beats blend with cosmic synths in a colourful jazzy universe<\/p>\n

Stream it and order it on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ifriqiyya Electrique<\/span><\/h5>\n
Laylet El Booree<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Ifriqiyya\u2019s music was never composed for a Western audience in the first place, rather it is a contemporary and unexpected hybridation, that the band calls a \u201cpost-industrial ritual\u201d. \u201cLaylet el Booree\u201d translates as the \u201cNight of the Madness\u201d and refers to the last part of the annual gathering of the ritual from the Banga of Tozeur, the night when the spirits actually take possession of the bodies. Formed by European post-punk musicians Gianna Greco and Fran\u00e7ois R. Cambuzat as well as three members of the Banga community (localised in the Tunisian desert) \u2013 Tarek Sultan, Yahia Chouchen and Youssef Ghazala, the band delivers a blend of Banga ritualism and Noise Rock sounds in\u00a0a powerful album.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/h5>\n
Minyo Crusaders<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Echoes From Japan<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Echoes From Japan,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>debut album from Tokyo based big-band Minyo Crusaders is much more than a proof of concept. They manage to blend japanese traditional min\u2019y\u014d music with cumbia, afrofunk and ethiojazz in an unexpected and refreshing way. The idea of this unforeseen mix comes from guitar player Katsumi Tanaka: \u201cTo Japanese People, min\u2019y\u014d is seen as a traditional music and thus, intellectuel. But it\u2019s actually popular music, work songs, songs for dancing and drinking. I wanted to give these song their literal meaning of songs for the people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jay Mitta<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Tatizo Pesa\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Tanzanian producer Jay Mitta released his debut album,\u00a0<\/span>Tatizo Pesa<\/span><\/i>, via Nyege Nyege Tapes on January 11th. The producer hailing from the famed Sisso Studios in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, combines frenetic Tanzanian singeli \u2013 a style we can compared to super fast-paced kuduro and shangaan electro \u2013 and Swahili rap styles. He introduces Dogo Janja, a 14-year old singeli MC, on his title track.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen: Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Kel Assouf<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Black Tenere<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Produced by the band\u2019s keyboardist Sofyann Ben Youssef, the mastermind behind the highly touted AMMAR 808, the new album strips things back to a power trio lineup and focuses on the crackling, forward-looking energy of Nigerien front man Anana Ag Haroun\u2019s next level Kel Tamashek (Tuareg) rock songs.<\/p>\n

Kel Assouf\u2019s musical journey has flowed seamlessly from the well-spring created by Ishumar desert rock pioneers Tinariwen \u2013 that Haroun first encountered as a young musician in Niger \u2013 towards sonic horizons that include the rock classicism of groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age and the club beats and astral ambiance of European electronic music. On\u00a0Black Tenere<\/em>, the band pushes these different textures and influences towards a persuasive, raw-edged crescendo. Ag Haroun see\u2019s the path to the new album and its new sound this way.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Comet Is Coming<\/span><\/h5>\n
Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

London-based trio keeps on furthering its psychedelic explorations\u00a0releasing a\u00a0new Cosmic-Jazz album<\/a>.\u00a0After being nominated for Mercury Prizes for their acclaimed debut\u00a0Channel the Spirits<\/i><\/span>\u00a0released in 2016, The Comet Is Coming maintains the almost cult-like mystery surrounding them with a new burst of organic Free Jazz.<\/p>\n

Their second release,\u00a0Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery<\/i>\u00a0is all about the idea of \u201cfinding a meaning in the ungraspable and believing in a primordial energy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Listen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Tshegue<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Telema<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

After their acclaimed EP and singles, Tshegue are back with a new EP. Despite having been confined to hybrid genres such as afro-punk or afro-pop, Tshegue never stopped evolving and surprising us.\u00a0Telema<\/em>\u00a0is even more creative and energic, on the EP, traditional music meets electronic music, hip hop, blues touareg guitars and drums.\u00a0Telema<\/em>\u00a0is about vices : money, sex and drugs\u2026<\/p>\n

Stream and order it\u00a0<\/span>here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kwesi Arthur<\/span><\/h5>\n
Live From Nkrumah Krom Vol II: Home Run<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Fast-rising Rap sensation and youngest Ghanaian artist to have a BET nomination Kwesi Arthur released his much anticipated debut album studio,\u00a0Live From Nkrumah Krom Vol II: Home Run<\/em>. A 9 track album which features, Mr Eazi, Shatta Wale, Nasty C, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and production made by MOG Beatz, KaySo and Uche.
\nKwesi was discovered through the Tema-based music platform Ground Up Chale,
\nwhich gives people access to studio time and support. “Ground Up is my foundation,” he says to Okayafrica.
\nKwesi raps in both English and Twi (a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana), his music is a reflection of his life and to ghana\u2019s history and Nkrumah heritage.<\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Tiken Jah Fakoly<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Le Monde est chaud<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

In 25 years of career the Ivorian artist proves he is very\u00a0committed. He has made the continent the main topic of his music, whether in terms of productions, adding koras, ngonis, sokous, balafons and djembes, but also in his words, denouncing the injustices and stigmas of neocolonialism. With\u00a0Le Monde\u00a0est chaud<\/em>\u00a0his twelfth\u00a0album Tiken Jah raises\u00a0alarm on global warming and shows his constant commitment through his music.<\/p>\n

Order\u00a0Le Monde est chaud<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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K.O.G<\/span><\/h5>\n
Wahala Wahala<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Under the guidance of the outrageously talented Ghanaian force of nature Kweku Sackey, aka K.O.G, and the whirlwind of energy that is Jamaican rapper Franz Von Song, the Afro-fusion 8-piece band K.O.G & the Zongo Brigade deliver an infectious, high-energy West African grooves drawing on afrobeat, soul, funk, rock, hip hop and reggae which has fast gained recognition in London and all over the UK. K.O.G\u2019s signature mix of high-energy songs, raps and operatic vocal effect.
\nWith a backdrop of African rhythms that include electric brass, thunderous percussion and sharp-edge guitar, \u2018Wahala Wahala\u2019 takes possession of the body as the words excite the mind. Racism, rejection, inequality, exile – the subject matter is always serious but the delivery irresistibly upbeat and rhythmic, guaranteed to get the feet moving because in every pain, there is also joy. It’s music from our soul telling stories how we were told growing up and merging grooves and African rhythms to exhibit the spirit of AFRICA in relation to where we are in the diaspora\u201d, says K.O.G.<\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Burna Boy &\u00a0DJDS<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Steel and Copper<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Afrofusion artist\u00a0Burna Boy<\/a>\u00a0t<\/span>eams up with Los Angeles production duo DJDS to release their new collaborative EP via On A Spaceship\/Our Bad Habit\/Atlantic Records\/Loma Vista.\u00a0Steel & Copper<\/em>\u00a0marks the first collaboration between the two, as the duo seamlessly enmeshes Burna\u2019s velvety vocals into their world of eclectic production that bridges pop, trap and global sounds, introducing both sets of fans to a new sonic experience.<\/p>\n

Steel & Copper<\/em>\u00a0marks the latest in a number of collaborations for DJDS, who worked with The Dream, Khalid, Empress Of and more on their genre-bending 2018 album\u00a0Big Wave More Fire<\/em>. They also worked with Kanye West on his\u00a0The Life of Pablo<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Listen: Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Nkisi<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
7 Directions<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Alongside her work as a sonic activist and in curating and managing the NON Worldwide collective beside Angel Ho and Chino Amobi, Nkisi will release her first full album on Lee Gamble\u2019s UIQ.\u00a0<\/span>7 Directions<\/em>\u00a0is rooted firmly in the African Cosmology of the Bantu-Kongo and in particular the writings of Kongo scholar Dr Kimbwandende Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we hear before we see, voice and sound waves interplay between consciousness and hallucinations. Allowing the rhythmic to experiment with conditions of perception, disrupting predetermined expectations\u2026Through manipulating rhythm, we create movements of energy\u2026 this energy determines collective behavior and allows for new ways of producing knowledge\u2026when we hear before we see, we can think about predicting the future and the manipulation of imagery that happens. through visionary possession we are renewed from within, in a system of systems\u2026 the pattern of patterns in being, it reaches and remains forever incomplete\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Nubiyan Twist<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Jungle Run<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Nubiyan Twist are a 10-piece London-based collective blending elements of jazz, soul, hip hop, African styles, Latin, dub, hip hop and electronics in a flow of thought-provoking and life-affirming music<\/p>\n

Released on Strut, Jungle Run features several tracks with vocalist Nubiya Brandon, saxophonist Nick Richards and Ghanaian star K.O.G, afrobeat originator Tony Allen and Ethio-jazz inventor and legend Mulatu Astatke features in \u201cAddis to London.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConceptually, \u201cJungle Run\u201d; is all about connecting different people and cultures whilst exploring the journey of individuals. This album is the pinnacle of everything we have done to date and to collaborate with the godfathers of Afrobeat and Ethio Jazz and celebrate their music in a modern context was very humbling.\u201d \u00a0says producer and orchestrator Tom Excell.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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Steel Pulse<\/span><\/h5>\n
Mass Manipulation<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Manchester Reggae band Steel Pulse\u00a0releases their first album in 15 years.\u00a0Mass Manipulation\u00a0<\/em>marks the great come-back of the reggae giants, who originated a good bunch of classics, among them their 1978 debut album\u00a0Handsworth Revolution.\u00a0<\/em>In this new release, the band now formed by merely singer\u00a0David Hinds, synth player\u00a0Sidney Mills and guitar player\u00a0David Elecciri, the band tackles a wide range of hot topics with its critical yet optimist eye. From traffic to global warming, as Hinds says it himself : “We can’t abandon the futur our ancestors fought for”.<\/p>\n

Order the album\u00a0here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Hama<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Houmeissa<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

After a first \u00a0EP released in 2015, with Houmeissa, his first album, the Nigerien Hama, known as “Hama Techno” presents a groundbreaking album of traditional electronic desert folk songs, hovering somewhere between early 90s techno and synthwave.<\/span><\/p>\n

Private driver of a rich expatriate, Hama received his first synthesizer from a neighbor. And when he was not driving his employer through the streets of Niamey, Hama was revisiting traditional desert songs, unknowingly beginning to develop a singular style. Quickly, the multi-instrumentalist begins to arrange his own melodies with the means of the edge, but especially with passion. From nomadic herding ballads, ancient caravan songsHoumeissa and sci-fi soundtrack, Houmeissa is a spontaneous and convincing record that promises to open doors far beyond Niamey<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ekiti Sound<\/span><\/h5>\n
Abeg No Wex<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Ekiti Sound\u2019s debut album\u00a0Abeg No Vex<\/em>\u00a0is a starkly original record, built up of layered musical histories, fragmented and unified all at once, cohesive in its celebration of difference. \u201cIt’s a way of paying tribute to where I come from,\u201d Leke says. \u201cIt will help circulate this name which represents the energy that my parents gave me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Abeg No Vex<\/em>\u00a0clatters the bass frequencies of UK soundsystems \u2013 from drum & bass to dubstep and funky house \u2013 with the styles and traditions of Nigeria. Ekiti Sound spearheads a new musical dialogue between London and Lagos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ethnic Heritage Ensemble<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Be Known: Ancient\/Future\/Music<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Led by renowned drummer and percussionist Sir Kahil El\u2019Zabar, the band is acknowledged throughout the world as one of the leading figures of spiritual groove and afrofuturistic jazz. Their compositions rely on a will to \u201ccombine concepts of African American music with its earlier roots in traditional African music, to produce new motifs and sounds true to their origins yet firmly pointed in a new artistic direction\u201d. Celebrating 45 years in music, Chicago-based Ethnic Heritage Ensemble just release\u00a0Be Known: Ancient\/Future\/Music<\/em>, a new album that stays true to the band\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Order the album on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Octavian<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n

Endorphins<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

London-based rapper and producer Octavian is back with a new mixtape,\u00a0Endorphins<\/em>. Following his 2018 mixtape\u00a0SPACEMAN<\/em>, the 12-track project see him collaborate with heavyweights such as Smokepurpp, Skepta, Jessie Ware, A$AP Ferg and Theophilus London. The visuals for \u201cFeel it\u201d, the single featuring the later, has already been released as weel.<\/p>\n

Stream it\u00a0here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Dona Onete<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n

Rebujo
\n<\/b><\/em><\/span>
\nFollowing the critical success of her 2017 album\u00a0Banzeiro<\/em>, \u2018Queen of the Amazon’ Dona Onete returns with her third album\u00a0Rebujo<\/em>. With a poignant voice Onete channels high energy bangues as well as a cumbia, brega and samba. “Rebujo” is a local slang for the currents in the Amazon river that carry silt and nutrients from the river bed into the water, feeding its inhabitants and giving the river it’s muddy colour \u2013 however, as it gives, it also takes, and the rebujo can easily overpower even the most experienced swimmer.
\nOnete is now one of Brazil\u2019s most in-demand touring artists with a packed schedule throughout Brazil and an increasing global profile that has seen her perform at some of the most respected international music festivals such as Roskilde, Womad, TFF Rudolstadt, Rainforest World Music, FMM Sines and Chicago World Music.<\/p>\n

Listen to it\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Baloji<\/span><\/h5>\n
Kaniama: The Yellow Version<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Following his album\u00a0137 Avenue Kaniama<\/em>, Baloji just released a new mixtape\u00a0Kaniama: The Yellow Version<\/em>\u00a0along with a self-directed video clip,\u00a0Zombie<\/em>. Both take us in a futuristic Kinshasa, between hope and distopy, where they question our relationship with technology. The mixtape features a revisited version of the former album in one hour-long track, following the narrative of the short, as well as two exclusive tracks \u201cSpotlight & Miroir\u201d (Feat. Marshall Dixon & Poison Mobutu) and \u201cL\u2019hiver Indien\u201dfeaturing Gael Faye.<\/p>\n

Read\u00a0our interview with Baloji<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Stream and order the mixtape\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Angel Bat Dawis<\/span><\/h5>\n
The Oracle<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Recorded using only her cell phone in various locations, from London UK to Cape Town RSA, Angel Bat Dawis debut album The Oracle has been created entirely by herself. She\u2019s performing overdubbing & mixing all instruments & voices on her own.<\/p>\n

Signed on the excellent Chicago\u2019s label International Anthem, \u201cThe Oracle\u201d is a vibrant free-jazz album exploring black experiences nowadays.\u00a0The clarinettist, composer and vocalist Angel delivers a unique and spiritual album.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Guts<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Philantropiques\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

French national, Ibiza resident and intrepid beach digger Guts, has readied here something very special indeed. Now five albums deep into his recording career, he\u2019s built a loyal fanbase and following from his early days as a beatmaker. Guts\u2019 initial spirit of sampling, sequencing and programming still remains but it has now morphed into something of a full-on musical opus. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Philantropiques\u2019 is an experimental yet sunny outing, comprising longer tracks that open up into carefully considered arrangements. A tropical afrobeat LP if you like.\u00a0Afro trance, Brazilian jazz funk and frantic percussion are all explored over this 13 track offering. Lead singles \u2018Kenke Corner\u2019 and \u2018Mucagiami\u2019 \u00a0step effortlessly between the dancefloor to ballad, the latter featuring a stunning vocal performance from Angolan vocalist, \u2018Vum Vum\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Terrouzi<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Terrouzi<\/em>\u00a0is a standout entry in synth music from the Sahara, a future vision of Mauritania WZN. Indulging the digital keyboard for all its plastic sounds, accompanied with the thump and clash of programmed electronic drums, Ahmedou\u2019s style is difficult to place. Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla plays instrumental electronic keyboard in a style known in Mauritania as WZN, or in Arabic simply \u201cmusic.\u201d Born into a musical family tradition (his father is a renowned tidnit player from Traza), today Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla is one of Mauritania\u2019s most premiere keyboard performers. With Terrouzi, Ahmedou leans heavily into outernational pop music, creating anachronistic pieces that veer from 90s slow jam R&B, to bass heavy boom bap and minimal trap.<\/p>\n

Stream the album\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Fokn Bois<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Afrobeats LOL<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Ghanaian duo FOKN Bois are celebrated for their most unconventional way of entertaining with ingeniously tasteful shock lyrics, revolutionary performance art & indulgent progressive afro sounds.
\nAfrobeats LOL<\/em>\u00a0is a collaboration with the emergent Hip-Life Accra scene like Mr Eazi, Medikal, Sister Deborah, Dex Kwasi and also high-life icon Gyedu Blay Ambolley.<\/p>\n

They like to disturb, as shown in their name, \u2018Fokn Bois\u2019 being an old slang for \u2018little rascals\u2019. The name of the album embodies the duo\u2019s identity as well: it\u2019s a witty gibe to those who tend to gather all African music underground the \u201cafrobeats\u201dcatch-all genre<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Puto Tito<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Carregando A Vida Atra\u0301s Das Costas<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Lisbon-based music collective Principe has done a lot for the local electro-kuduro scene, shaping what is now known as the \u201csound of Lisbon\u201d and helping export the music from the suburbs, made by the African diaspora, to the world. They\u2019re back with a new double EP made of tracks from young producer Puto Tito, salvaged from his old Soundcloud account. Composed when he was 14 years old, \u201cthis album is testament to the fierce, uncompromising vision of a bedroom producer learning his way with minimal resources and simultaneously laying down some of the most distinct music [they]’ve heard in years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen to\u00a0Puto Tito\u00a0in our Afro Club Exp.\u00a0on\u00a0Spotify<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0Deezer<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Order the album on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Bassekou Kouyat\u00e9 & Ngoni Ba<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Miri<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Miri\u00a0<\/span><\/i>means \u201cto think\u201d in bambara. This new album, composed partly in his village of birth in his self-built home studio is a musical journey to his roots. The n\u2019goni virtuoso delivers a very personal album, with a tribute song to his mother who passed away. Calm and powerful at the same time, the n\u2019goni maestro tels in this album his concern about the situation in his country.<\/span>\u201c<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Sauti Sol\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Afrikan Sauce\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Sauti Sol\u2019s\u00a0Afrikan Sauce<\/em>\u00a0LP as a collective of \u201clushly produced tracks fusing African music\u2019s tendency towards electronic music with acoustics\u201d.
\nThe aforementioned group, a band of four, was formed in 2005 by the vocalists Bien \u2013 Aim\u00e9 Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi. A guitarist, Polycarp Otieno, later joined what was previously a three man a cappella band. From the onset, it is clear that these men are artistes of a certain vision, whose egos or personal interests couldn\u2019t get in the way of the best possible interpretation of that vision. From the beginning, Sauti Sol had been a collaborative effort.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Spaza<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
Spaza<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Mushroom Hour Half Hour sees itself as a space for experimentation pushing forward the effusive local jazz scene of Johannesburg.\u00a0Spaza<\/em>\u00a0was recorded in one take in the garden of the SPAZA Art Gallery, by a never-before-assembled group of musicians from Johannesburg. This experimental, DIY approach is characteristic of the label\u2019s vision. Drawing its name from South African informal neighbourhood stores, the LP is an ode to improvisation and DIY spirit, deeply rooted in South African culture.<\/p>\n

Stream and order it on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Simi<\/span><\/h5>\n
Omo Charlie Champagne Vol.1<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Similola Ogunleye, Nigerian songstress better known as Simi,\u00a0<\/span>rolls out her 3rd studio album\u00a0Omo Charlie Champagne<\/em>, an album dedicated to her father.\u00a0Omo Charlie Champagne<\/em>\u00a0follows\u00a0<\/span>Simisola<\/span><\/i>, which went on to win the ‘Album of the Year’ award at the 2018 Headies.<\/span>\u00a0The album contains 15 tracks, four of which have been pre-released and features the likes of Adekunle Gold, Falz, Patoranking and Maleek Berry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Spotify\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Various Artists\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Jamb\u00fa e os m\u00edticos sons da amaz\u00f4nia<\/i><\/b><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

It took Analog Africa six years to elaborate their 28th compilation,\u00a0Jamb\u00fa e os m\u00edticos sons da amaz\u00f4nia<\/em>. It tries to tell the story of Bel\u00e9m, the birthplace of a myriad of new musical genres, such as carimb\u00f3, samba-de-cacete and siri\u00e1. Being at the intersection of Amerindian cultures, Caribbean sounds and rhythms as well as from Colombia, Surinam and Guyana, the Bel\u00e9m was also known as the \u201cCaribbean Port\u201d. Just as the Amazonian that gives its name, Jamb\u00fa is an euphoric travel into Brazilian culture, with a long-lasting aftertaste.<\/p>\n

Stream and order it on\u00a0Bandcamp<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Falz<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Moral Instruction<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

In the early hours of Tuesday, Nigerian rapper and pop star, Falz released his fourth studio album,\u00a0<\/span>Moral Instruction<\/span><\/i>. Few days ago, he released a viral single,\u00a0\u201c<\/span><\/span>Talk<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0and followed it up with the release of the art cover for\u00a0<\/span>Moral Instruction<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>Moral Instruction<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is more than an album, it\u2019s a movement, it\u2019s a re-education, a re-orientation. It is us learning and unlearning some things\u2026\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>The album contains nine songs with guest appearances from Demmie Vee, Chillz and producer\/friend Sess. To buttress the subjects in\u00a0<\/span>Moral Instruction<\/span><\/i>, Falz sampled three of Fela\u2019s songs in the album, he said, \u201cit was a lot deciding whether to do the samples but I wanted the elements of the original Afrobeat, that was one of the main reasons I wanted us to sample and it was a lot of \u2018wahala\u2019 to clear the samples.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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IAMDDB<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Swervvvvv.5<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Urban jazz trailblazer IAMDDB releases her new album\u00a0Swervvvvv.5\u00a0<\/i>on Union IV recordings, the final installment of\u00a0ongoing EP series.\u00a0Born Diana Debrito, the 22-year-old from Manchester \u2013 via Portugal and Angola \u2013combines timeless soul and jazz in the tradition of Nat King Cole and Erykah Badu.
\nSwervvvvv.5<\/i>\u00a0goes from laid-back jazzy tracks\u00a0fusing vocals with\u00a0trap beats, in an overall cloudy and\u00a0chill-out universe.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Musi<\/a>c<\/span><\/p>\n

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Theon Cross<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Fyah<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Tuba player and composer Theon Cross\u2019s part of a thriving family network of young London-based musicians who have regularly supported one another in stretching and re-shaping the boundaries of the jazz genre. Having made a name for himself both as a member of the Mercury-nominated and award-winning quartet Sons of Kemet, Theon Cross returns with, Fyah, an impressive debut record who captures the sound of some of London\u2019s most prominent trailblazers at the top of their game<\/p>\n

It\u2019s heavy, utilising the tuba in place of electronic basslines, whilst also making it a principle point of focus by merging the instrument\u2019s traditional use with his own modern sensibilities. The album encapsulates the culture and influences that have surrounded Cross growing up in the city,incorporating elements of Caribbean music, hip-hop, grime, jazz, club and electronic music.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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YoungstaCPT<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
3T<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

South African rapper YoungstaCPT\u2019s 3T is a 20-track long journey into the lives of Cape Coloured people. Colonialism, gangsterism, drug abuse and daily struggles of Coloured people are part of the topics he tackles in this project.<\/span><\/p>\n

The songs are bound between eachother by CPT\u2019s conversation with his grandfather, who details the history of Cape Coloured people, and gives his take on issues such as the apartheid and the current government’s corruption. The juxtaposition of these points of view depict an intriguing picture about the past and future of South Africa and its communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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Charlotte Adigery<\/span><\/h5>\n
Zandoli<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Born in Ghent, Belgium, Charlotte Adigery mixes traditional music from her martinican ancestors with a synthetic-electronic aesthetic, warmed-up by her soulful voice. She channels a blend of vivid story telling, catchy choruses and a quirky universe in this new EP. The understated dancefloor-filler \u201cPat\u00e9nipat\u201d and the quirky pop ode to synthetic wigs \u201cHigh Lights\u201d attest to the artist\u2019s versatility and talent.<\/p>\n

Listen:\u00a0\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Read next:\u00a0The 20 best music videos of the month<\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we reach the midway point of\u00a02019, here is a\u00a0top 60 of the year’s best albums so far. Graphic Illustration by\u00a0Julie Jargeais This first half of the year has been a very fruitful year for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":26947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9400],"tags":[4019,4212,4215,4401,5142,5337,5359,5810,5960,6262,37474],"location":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41619"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41619"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=41619"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=41619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}