Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases — including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano hits — through our best music column, African Songs You Need to Hear This Week.
Read ahead for our round-up of the best new African music tracks and music videos that came across our desks this week.
DJ Lag – “WaWaWa” (feat. Djknator and Thobeka)
Durban really got a makeover in the mid-2000s with its own variation of kwaito, championed by artists like DJ Tira, Professor, and Big Nuz. It’s been impressive to watch gqom pick up that thread and morph it into something entirely its own, yet still in conversation with its influences. DJ Lag’s “WaWaWa” feels like stepping onto a gqom dance floor – deep in the throes of exhilaration, letting the beat completely obliterate your senses. Thobeka’s chant, the way she attacks the song — the whole attitude, really — is exactly how it’s done, with the door wide open for more bodies to join the frenzy. Djknator and DJ Lag’s combination is lethal, and it’s inspiring to see how African electronic music producers keep innovating and twisting well-established templates into something fresh. – Tšeliso Monaheng
Kah-Lo – “Somersaults”
Coming back from a bit of a sabbatical, Nigerian artist Kah-Lo reminds us of her singular talent. “Somersaults” is a retro-sounding, fun song expressing the damaging pull of affection and how it can make us do things we wouldn’t usually do. Shining in its engaged evocation, her vocals take the subject in good stride, impressing the belief that she’ll be fine eventually. – Emmanuel Esomnofu
Santigold – “Zombie (Fela Kuti cover)”
The podcast Fela Kuti: Fear No Man has been an ambitious take on the great musician’s life and music, especially highlighting how he blended activism and art. As part of the podcast roll-out, its eighth episode, “Zombie,” is commemorated with a stellar cover of the song from American singer and producer Santigold. Santigold herself hosted a special event at Los Angeles’ Linden this past Monday to commemorate the cover and episode, an accomplished interpretation of one of the Afrobeat pioneer’s most iconic records. Listen to her cover of “Zombie” in the episode above. – EE
Maleh – “Dithapelo” feat. Mzizi
Maleh prays over hers and our collective healing on “Dithapelo,” a song about being comfortable enough with vulnerabilities to admit that we all need work, in one way or another. Over a bed of wailing guitars, basslines that feel like hugs, and drums that make you want to sway gently, we witness the glorious and divine master at work, her voice a shroud that wraps us in its might, guiding us gently through the corridors of our own trauma, through to a better, healthier relationship with our spirits and souls. Mzizi slides right in, effortless with the word combination, traipsing over the music with aplomb. The song starts easy, with a lo-fi vibe that blossoms into full-on Afro-jazz, replete with a baseline that sounds like it was taken out of the famo music songbook. This is exquisite; Maleh knows her way around the music and around our hearts. – TM
Yemi Alade – “Shawa Shawa”
Few things are as beautiful as when Yemi Alade gets into her highlife bag. Her bubbly vocals and delivery seem ready-made for the genre, and she’s knowingly infused highlife elements over the years. “Shawa Shawa” carries a melody that’s hard to shake off — a bouncy, lighthearted offering from Yemi Alade’s impressive arsenal. With character building at its base, the song excels on several levels and should move beautifully in the world. – EE
Sampa the Great – “Can’t Hold Us” (feat. Mwanjé)
Sampa the Great is intensely lyrical, and within that lies her desire to draw us into her world – to sharpen our intellect, to make us comfortable enough to truly listen and hear. “Can’t Hold Us” finds her alongside her sister and frequent collaborator, Mwanjé, in a festivity of words anchored by impressive production courtesy of Cadenza, and lifted by the elemental forces both artists draw from. Sampa the Great’s consciousness is fine-tuned, sharp enough to spot haters and fakers from a mile away and avoid them. “None of y’all can hold us now,” she chants, all while the music stays rooted in the rock textures she explored on “Can I Live?” from her most recent album, As Above, So Below. The song plays with tension and release, unfolding like breathwork on a bright morning, with Mwanjé’s presence drifting through the track like a breeze powering the whole operation. – TM
ZENA – “Anchi Bale Gamé”
The group ZENA is a testament to the communal spirit of African music. At its heart, many of our sounds demand a call and response, and this is embodied in the ethos of the newly formed duo. ZENA — formed by Kokoroko keyboardist and synth player Yohan Kebede and British bassist and producer Menelik — honors its members shared Ethiopian heritage. “Anchi Bale Gamé,” their debut single, is a spiritually satisfying communication between two maestros of sound, maintaining a steady tempo while relaying complex melodies in its interior soundscape. It’s quite the entry for them. —EE
Seyi Vibez – ‘FUJI MOTO [LP]’
Without a doubt, one of the most accomplished acts of this present generation, Seyi Vibez, does a lot with his music. On one hand, he’s a street poet translating its realities with spiritual revelation. On the other hand, he’s a manipulator of sounds and landscapes, traversing an impressive range in his songs. His latest album features everyone from Trippie Redd to Olamide and French Montana, holding up an undoubtedly strong collection from one of Afrobeats’ most reliable figures. – EE
Bokang Ramatlapeng – “Chant Song: Bakoena Ba Nkopane”
Bokang Ramatlapeng’s latest offering is a nod to her clan and her ancestors. “Chant Song: Bakoena Ba Nkopane” is an act of self-definition and self-knowledge, a way for her to trace her lineage while forging her own path forward. Where “Rain,” released earlier this year with Emamkay and Charles Webster, found her deep in her neo-soul bag, this new banger lays her jazz roots bare. “Utloa lithapelo tsa rona,” (hear our prayers) she sings, imploring her ancestors to rise to the occasion, to clear the path and illuminate it. Come for the music, which is spectacular and clear-eyed in its intention, and stay for the recital of her family clan toward the end. Absolutely glorious. – TM
Omah Lay – “Waist”
New Omah Lay music is treated as something of a major event, and it’s not hard to see why. Few artists embody Afrobeats at its most spiritual and hedonistic as the Port Harcourt-born star, a generational talent who speaks its language and rhythm to a high level. On “Waist,” he reaffirms the appeal of his skill set, bouncing over warm riffs from trusted collaborator Tempoe. It’s a call to dance, a perfect way to end the year, especially after the joyous moments we’ve heard the artist soundtrack. – EE
Omagoqa, Dee Traits, Scratch DVA – “Hot Pepper” feat. NyNy and Princess Trium
“Hot Pepper” is likely the first time Jamaican patois has graced a gqom track, and what better way to usher that moment in than through this meeting of minds, a collaboration between innovators who push envelopes and break boundaries for sport. NyNy’s attitude fits the song like a glove; her “hot pepper” chant cuts through the industrial textures, landing like prickly heat on the uninitiated. Scratch DVA’s connection to South Africa’s electronic music scene is storied, and his presence alongside Omagoqa and Dee Traits speaks to a lineage being reconfigured in real time. Princess Trium completes the affair, adding her own flair to an already high-voltage collaboration. This track is what would happen if Jamaican bruk out were to meet South African vosho on the dance floor. – TM
BOJ – “Diamonds” feat. Mavo
Nowadays, every new release week seems to come with a Mavo feature. The young Nigerian occupies a vivid space in the scene right now, as he’sw become loved for his bold takes on unconventional beats. That places him a bit within the alte fold, a scene of which BOJ is a forerunner. On “Diamonds,” off a coming tape, he taps Mavo for an upbeat affair. It’s quite the lifestyle snapshot as both artists deliver well on their distinct styles. – EE
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