{"id":2256916,"date":"2026-01-29T20:47:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2256916"},"modified":"2026-01-29T20:47:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:47:35","slug":"must-listen-songs-from-east-african-music-artists-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/must-listen-songs-from-east-african-music-artists-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Must-Listen Songs from East African Music &#038; Artists: January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"ecba85ea-e183-4c01-9b99-9238afc4d66f\">\n<p class=\"kicker \" style=\"\">MUSIC<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subtitle \" style=\"\">OkayAfrica rounds up the best new music from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda.<\/h2>\n<p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"\">Ethiopian singer-songwriter Bl\u00e9n in the visual for her single \u201cT\u00e8k\u00e8t\u00e8l\u00e8gn.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption itemprop=\"author\" class=\"\" data-byline-prefix=\"Photo\">courtesy of Bl\u00e9n\/YouTube<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-element-guid=\"6f16a139-b115-428f-bc69-95f4257b0e33\">\n<p>What can we expect from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/music\/east-africa\">East African<\/a> music in 2026? If last year is anything to go by, we\u2019re in for more interregional and cross-continental collaborations. We will continue to see East Africans playing with and sampling other genres as well. But perhaps even more exciting is the rise of a new guard of artists who are pushing boundaries and reimagining what it means to be rooted in tradition. This wave brings innovation, experimentation with styles and genres, and a fearless reclaiming of what\u2019s already known. We\u2019re already seeing glimpses of that shift in the January 2026 lineup.<\/p>\n<p>This month, check out standout releases from <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Abigail Chams<\/span>, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Bruce Melodie<\/span>, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Buruklyn Boyz<\/span>, and more in <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">OkayAfrica<\/span>\u2019s best East African music list.<\/p>\n<p><!-- placeholder(#1) --><\/p>\n<h2>Bl\u00e9n &#8211; \u201cT\u00e8k\u00e8t\u00e8l\u00e8gn\u201d (Ethiopia)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"b92861d0-af91-4fc2-b596-439a04c7bd0d\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/8f8uh_F1q8E\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ethiopian singer-songwriter <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Bl\u00e9n<\/span> delivers haunting vocals layered over traditional instrumentation and vivid imagery in\u201cT\u00e8k\u00e8t\u00e8l\u00e8gn,\u201d the second single from her upcoming EP <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">S\u00e8k\u00e8n<\/span>. The video is an artistic masterpiece, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DS0EIyuDAJr\/?img_index=8\">referencing iconic Ethiopian photos and paintings<\/a>. Kudos to directors <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Yonatan Mesfin<\/span> and <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Surafel Tibebu<\/span> for the stunning visuals, with creative direction from Bl\u00e9n herself. We\u2019re excited to see what else she has in store with <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">S\u00e8k\u00e8n<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>Bruce Melodie ft. Diamond Platnumz, Brown Joel- \u201cPom Pom\u201d (Rwanda\/Tanzania\/Nigeria)\u00a0<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"426ab763-fdbb-4645-aff4-48e4e0df81b5\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/hC1lSNjADxc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>After releasing his debut album in early 2025, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/rwandas-bruce-melodie-is-ready-to-go-from-kigali-to-the-world\/172254\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Bruce Melodie<\/span><\/a> kept a relatively low profile musically for the rest of the year. But he kicked off 2026 with a banger in \u201cPom Pom,\u201d teaming up with Tanzanian superstar <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Diamond Platnumz<\/span> and Nigerian rising star <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Brown Joe<\/span><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">l<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>Vyroota &#8211; Kunsi (Uganda)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"5dc52546-3fb4-429e-96fb-ab11804dcc30\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/j8yrA_VqIx4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cKunsi\u201d is currently the hottest song in Uganda, and <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Vyroota<\/span> is holding the crown. It\u2019s an undeniably catchy track with a distinctly Ugandan vibe. Coming off the success of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Xt_wJ5H3vdg\">\u201cNakkiriza\u201d with <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Spice Diana<\/span> <\/a>late last year, he\u2019s riding some of the strongest momentum of his career.<\/p>\n<h2>Nobel &amp; Tselimu \u2013 Sebeb \u1230\u1260\u1265 ( Ethiopia)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"10d86156-4e93-406a-a76a-cd7e652427f5\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/Jucy_L7tBP0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Nobel &amp; Tselimu <\/span>are two Ethiopian artists\u2014one visual, the other musical\u2014who have joined forces to create their new EP, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Udet<\/span>. With a deeply textured track list to choose from, \u201cSebeb\u201d stands out for me. The vibe is effortlessly smooth. It&#8217;s the kind of track you want playing with the windows down on a sunny day, cruising with the breeze and a cold beer in hand (if drinking and driving were a thing, of course).<\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"86a2a62f-b405-43d6-9c00-dcc0715c3287\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/ORKLOxIFRbc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no_italic m-no_italic\" data-lab-italic=\"\">We get to see a new side of the Tanzanian sensation with her latest release, \u201cYour Loss.\u201d The song serves as a bold announcement to her ex that she\u2019s moving on and thriving without him. It\u2019s catchy, it\u2019s compelling, and it comes with all the sass and confidence we expect from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tanzanias-abigail-chams-is-on-the-brink-of-superstardom\/112766\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Abigail Chams<\/span><\/a>. With lines like, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">&#8220;Yeah, I broke up with my ex and I did it over text, but I\u2019m feeling alright,\u201d<\/span> Chams doesn\u2019t hold back. We had her break down the story behind the lyrics in our new <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Lyric IQ<\/span> series. Check it out <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DUB5NlGiKgJ\/?hl=en\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Ajay of Buruklyn Boyz \u2013 \u201cGame\u201d (Kenya)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"e662b3e6-dc36-4db5-b623-6c53b6118c84\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/hypUv9JL1eQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite releasing a full 17-track album in October 2025, Kenyan hip-hop duo <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Buruklyn Boyz<\/span> have kicked off 2026 with new music. This time, the new release is &#8220;Game,&#8221; a solo track from <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Ajay<\/span>, one-half of the duo. Although it&#8217;s a solo effort, the song is still released under the Buruklyn Boyz banner. The track is a dose of Kenyan drill, with Ajay offering laidback flows that highlight his individual style.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.okayafrica.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MUSIC OkayAfrica rounds up the best new music from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Ethiopian singer-songwriter Bl\u00e9n in the visual for her single \u201cT\u00e8k\u00e8t\u00e8l\u00e8gn.\u201dcourtesy of Bl\u00e9n\/YouTube What can we expect from East African music in 2026? If last year is anything to go by, we\u2019re in for more interregional and cross-continental collaborations. We will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2256917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2256916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Must-Listen-Songs-from-East-African-Music-Artists-January-2026.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2256916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2256916"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2256916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2256918,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2256916\/revisions\/2256918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2256917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2256916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2256916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2256916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}