{"id":41864,"date":"2019-03-29T17:46:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T16:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/the-30-best-albums-of-the-last-three-months\/"},"modified":"2021-03-02T11:03:17","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T10:03:17","slug":"30-best-albums-first-quarter-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/30-best-albums-first-quarter-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"The 30 best albums of the last three months"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2019’s first semester is coming to an end. Here is a selection of our favorite releases of the last three months.<\/span><\/h3>\n

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

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Blick Bassy<\/span><\/h6>\n
1958<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n

Four years after releasing \u201cAk\u00f6\u201d, the singer and songwriter Blick Bassy Presents \u201c1958\u201d, 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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Mdou Moctar<\/span><\/h6>\n

Ilana: T<\/em>he Creator<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\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. \u00a0Accompanied 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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KOKOROKO<\/span><\/h6>\n
KOKOROKO<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Jay Mitta<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Tatizo Pesa\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\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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Ibibio Sound Machine<\/b><\/span><\/h6>\n
Doko Mien\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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

The band has also recently been announced for several festivals this year including Boardmasters, Bluedot, Handmade, and Mostly Jazz.<\/p>\n

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

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Angel-Ho<\/span><\/h6>\n
Death Becomes Her<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Solange<\/span><\/h6>\n
When I Get Home<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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.<\/h6>\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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Hamza<\/span><\/h6>\n
Paradise<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n

After several mixtapes that confirmed him as one of the most inventive artists of his generation, the Belgian-born rapper with Morrocan and Comorian origins just released his first album,\u00a0Paradise.\u00a0<\/em>Featuring SCH, Aya Nakamura, Oxmo Puccino and Christine and the Queens, the album reveals the artist\u2019s versatility and\u00a0eclecticism.\u00a0Hamza signs most of the productions of the album with his partner in crime Ponko, making the instrumentals\u00a0in total symbiosis with his ethereal flow. Special mention for the featuring with Aya Nakamura, a two-parts tracks where both singers flirt in rhythm.<\/p>\n

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

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Theon Cross<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

Fyah<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\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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Koffee<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rapture EP\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h4>\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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Nubiyan Twist<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Jungle Run<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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

\u00c9couter :\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Deezer<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Apple Music<\/a><\/p>\n

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YoungstaCPT<\/b><\/span><\/h6>\n
3T<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Nihiloxica<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Biiri<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Kel Assouf<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Black Tenere<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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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Charlotte Adigery<\/span><\/h6>\n
Zandoli<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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><\/p>\n

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Fokn Bois<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Afrobeats LOL\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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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IAMDDB<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Swervvvvv.5<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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 Music<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Falz<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Moral Instruction<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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, \u201c<\/span>Talk<\/span><\/a>\u201d and 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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Hama<\/b><\/span><\/h6>\n
Houmeissa<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Guts<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Philantropiques\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Nkisi<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
7 Directions<\/i><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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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Dave\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Psychodrama<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n

This bold debut from the 20-year-old rapper\u00a0<\/span>is a moving quasi-concept album, looking at relationship between the person and the world around them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by his older brother\u2019s therapy sessions while in prison, \u2018Psychodrama\u2019 follows a three-act structure of \u201cenvironment\u201d, \u201crelationships\u201d and \u201csocial compass\u201d, where the piano-infused instrumental lay down the foundations for the wordsmisth\u2019s thought-provoking verses.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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Lafawndah<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Ancestor Boy<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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 Bat Dawis<\/span><\/h6>\n
The Oracle\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Bassekou Kouyat\u00e9 & Ngoni Ba<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Miri<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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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Que Vola\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Que Vola?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

The Comet Is Coming<\/span><\/h6>\n
Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sauti Sol\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Afrikan Sauce\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\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

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Burna Boy &\u00a0DJDS<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Steel and Copper<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\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

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rema<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n
Rema<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

Recently signed by Don Jazzy\u2019s Mavin Records, Rema is\u00a0making a name for himself. The 18-year-old rapper\u00a0shared\u00a0freestyle clips and confirming on his Twitter that he contributed vocals for \u201cTurn Up\u201d, the DJ Tunez, Wizkid and Reekado Banks collaboration from last year.<\/p>\n

Released on March 22nd,\u00a0Rema<\/em>\u00a0is a delicious four-track EP with a sonic palette that goes from Afropop, Trap and smooth Bollywood soundtracks. His passion for Hindi singing was first\u00a0established on \u201cTurn Up\u201d. But\u00a0it is on track \u201cIron Man\u201d that things gets more interesting. You can watch the music video above.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Read Next:\u00a0<\/span>The 40 best albums of 2018<\/a><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2019’s first semester is coming to an end. Here is a selection of our favorite releases of the last three months. Graphic Illustration by\u00a0Julie Jargeais Blick Bassy 1958 Four years after releasing \u201cAk\u00f6\u201d, the singer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":23096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9400],"tags":[4212,4568,5810,6226],"location":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41864"}],"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=41864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41864"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=41864"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=41864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}