{"id":2367627,"date":"2026-04-10T19:18:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T19:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2367627"},"modified":"2026-04-10T19:18:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T19:18:25","slug":"the-african-music-you-need-to-hear-this-week-apr-10-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-african-music-you-need-to-hear-this-week-apr-10-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The African Music You Need to Hear This Week \u2013 Apr 10, 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=\"\">Stream the best African music this week and listen to new releases from Adekunle Gold, JAE5, Ayra Starr, Dumama, and more.<\/h2>\n<p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"\">Adekunle Gold and Olamide link up in their latest song.<\/figcaption><figcaption itemprop=\"author\" class=\"\" data-byline-prefix=\"Photo\">by Adekunle Gold\/YouTube<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-element-guid=\"3556163e-8bfc-46b1-c977-8510947ae81f\">\n<p>Every week, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">OkayAfrica<\/span> highlights the top <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/african-music\">African music<\/a> releases \u2014 including the latest <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/okayafrica.com\/tag\/afrobeats\">Afrobeats<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/amapiano\">amapiano<\/a> hits \u2014 through our best music column, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">African Music You Need to Hear This Week<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Read ahead for our round-up of the best new African music tracks and music videos that came across our desks this week.<\/p>\n<p><!-- placeholder(#1) --><\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"ff1be9c8-c153-4e33-bc45-410616a141f7\" id=\"factbox-1427207\" class=\"column factbox state-expanded-desktop small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12 style-fade expandable-mobile expandable-desktop collapsable-mobile collapsable-desktop\">\n<div class=\"content border-bg-primary mobile_border-bg-primary border_width_5 border_width_mobile_5 hasBorder mobile-hasBorder\" style=\"\">\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"\">Visit <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.okayplayer.com\/collections\/okayafrica-shop\">OkayShop<\/a> for original vinyl from your favorite artists on the continent!<\/h2>\n<div class=\"fact collapsableContent \">\n<p>From Tyla, Burna Boy, Asake, and more. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>JAE5 &#8211; &#8220;MINK SB&#8221; (feat. Skepta, Lojay and Skillibeng)<\/h3>\n<p><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">JAE5<\/span> has been among the most important producers shaping Afro-diasporic connections for about a decade now, and the hits aren\u2019t stopping. On &#8220;MINK SB,&#8221; he gathers forces, forging links along routes the transatlantic slave trade sought to erase and keep frozen in the annals of history. From Jamaica, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Skillibeng<\/span> arrives with his tried-and-tested lyrical sword, sounding more upbeat and enunciating more clearly than on some of his other outings. From the UK by way of Nigeria, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Skepta<\/span> brings all the smoke for anyone looking to test him, while <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Lojay<\/span> comes straight out of Lagos to complete the set with style and grace.<\/p>\n<h3>Adekunle Gold &#8211; &#8220;Formation&#8221; (feat. Olamide)<br \/><\/h3>\n<div data-element-guid=\"118c5e70-75c0-47c1-9a2e-7b56a90ca596\" 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\/cLkk7Qn3QS0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Formation&#8221; taps into the Afro-house zeitgeist, placing two Nigerian powerhouses at its center. <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Adekunle Gold<\/span>, known for his stylistic range and pop sensibility, goes head-to-head with <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Olamide<\/span>, a rapper\u2019s rapper whose influence on the scene has been immense. This is electro-Fuji, built for the dancefloor but just as effective anywhere else. Let loose and allow it to take hold.<\/p>\n<h3>Johnny Drille &#8211; &#8220;Colorado&#8221; (feat. Ayra Starr and Young Jonn)<br \/><\/h3>\n<div data-element-guid=\"0abf406f-3bb2-41f7-ab57-2f91d7daf23a\" 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\/spH23TTo2kM\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On \u201cColorado,\u201d <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Johnny Drille<\/span> links up with <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Young Jonn<\/span> and <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Ayra Starr<\/span> \u2014 the former a producer-turned-recording artist who has helped shape the sound of Afrobeats, the latter one of the genre\u2019s biggest exports and a truly outstanding talent. Together, they bring the vibes, reminding us why this music remains a source of pride for Africans at home and abroad.<\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"7817c8f8-8fcd-435a-bca2-0c02c193aeb8\" id=\"factbox-1427211\" class=\"column factbox state-expanded-desktop small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12 style-fade expandable-mobile expandable-desktop collapsable-mobile collapsable-desktop\">\n<div class=\"content border-bg-primary mobile_border-bg-primary border_width_5 border_width_mobile_5 hasBorder mobile-hasBorder\" style=\"\">\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"\">Visit <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.okayplayer.com\/collections\/okayafrica-shop\">OkayShop<\/a> for original vinyl from your favorite artists on the continent!<\/h2>\n<div class=\"fact collapsableContent \">\n<p>From Tyla, Burna Boy, Asake, and more. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Spha Mdlalose &#8211; &#8220;Ithemba&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Spha Mdlalose<\/span> is a South African music gem hidden in plain sight. Her voice, a keeper of memory, a foreteller of dynasties, has graced songs now firmly sketched into the canon, while her own solo work continues to inspire a legion of adoring fans and younger artists. &#8220;Ithemba&#8221; follows a stretch of silence from her, and it breathes life, shines light, and lends hope to those who may have lost it along the way. <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">\u201cNgiyazi ukhathele\/ wonke amaphupho akho&#8230; aphelele endleleni,\u201d<\/span> (\u201cI know you\u2019re tired\/ (it may seem like all of your dreams&#8230; have come to nothing\u201d). She knows it\u2019s hard\u2014she understands\u2014but she reminds us not to lose hope. Masterful.<\/p>\n<h2>Dumama &#8211; &#8220;Layer After Layer &#8211; Dion Monti Version&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"5de8d432-f0ff-4ac3-8d7b-be20edc32805\" 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\/I9miVuuxFJ8\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the third and final single before the release of her debut album, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Towards an Expanse<\/span>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/the-best-southern-african-songs-right-now\/1426492\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Dumama<\/span> <\/a>offers something of a segue, a prelude to the madness. It\u2019s a moment away from the times we\u2019re living in: to recharge, to replenish, to reconcile our reality with the simulation playing out, unfiltered, across television screens, social media feeds, dwindling print media, and just about everywhere else reality goes to be distorted. &#8220;Layer After Layer &#8211; Dion Monti Version&#8221; sounds as though it\u2019s been encoded from another galaxy, like the highest resolution one can see, hear, and feel. Alongside collaborators <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Darius Jones<\/span>, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Dion Monti<\/span>, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/kajama-is-a-new-future-soul-electronic-sister-duo-from-south-africa\/243044\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Nandi Ndlovu<\/span><\/a>, she strips it bare, laying before us the gargantuan task of healing generational trauma. She sounds an alarm while throwing caution to the wind: <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">\u201culindeni?\u201d<\/span> (\u201cwhat are you waiting for?\u201d), she asks, her voice a composite of the greats across jazz, electronic, and folk traditions that inspire her.<\/p>\n<h2>Vumaala &#8211; &#8220;Sikelela&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Fresh from a series of shows in LA, where he\u2019s currently based, producer and artist <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/the-best-southern-african-songs-right-now\/1422285\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Vumaala<\/span> <\/a>continues the thread of 3-Step-leaning tracks he\u2019s been releasing to introduce us to his layered universe. &#8220;Sikelela&#8221; maintains the spiritual undertone and sense of hope that color his previous releases, as he does his best to stay afloat. This is music fit for stadiums: big, sweeping flourishes, grand choruses, percussion drawn from the sonic textures of cinema, and a larger-than-life attitude that signals the makings of an exceptional artist.<\/p>\n<h2>ZENA &#8211; &#8220;Temesgen&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"585fecff-875e-4af6-9c1b-1c1706d02e58\" 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\/jAIURFAChBM\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Taken from their wholesome debut EP, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Temesgen<\/span>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/the-african-music-you-need-to-hear-this-week\/1425658\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">ZENA<\/span><\/a> emerge with a video for the title track: a warm, colorful collage of memory, resplendent with the nostalgia that defines childhood. The song dwells on the act of remembering, and the video opens with interviews of people sharing their own stories. The sonic world casts a dizzying spell of layered keyboards and elastic basslines, anchored by a drum pattern that catches you off guard and keeps you locked into their world.<\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"8b3fa80d-98b7-4160-935c-98e4e354a1dc\" id=\"factbox-1427223\" class=\"column factbox state-expanded-desktop small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12 style-fade expandable-mobile expandable-desktop collapsable-mobile collapsable-desktop\">\n<div class=\"content border-bg-primary mobile_border-bg-primary border_width_5 border_width_mobile_5 hasBorder mobile-hasBorder\" style=\"\">\n<h2 class=\"\" style=\"\">Visit <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.okayplayer.com\/collections\/okayafrica-shop\">OkayShop<\/a> for original vinyl from your favorite artists on the continent!<\/h2>\n<div class=\"fact collapsableContent \">\n<p>From Tyla, Burna Boy, Asake, and more. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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 Stream the best African music this week and listen to new releases from Adekunle Gold, JAE5, Ayra Starr, Dumama, and more. Adekunle Gold and Olamide link up in their latest song.by Adekunle Gold\/YouTube Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases \u2014 including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano hits \u2014 through our best [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2367628,"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-2367627","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\/04\/1775848704_The-African-Music-You-Need-to-Hear-This-Week-\u2013.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2367627","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=2367627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2367627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2367629,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2367627\/revisions\/2367629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2367628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2367627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2367627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2367627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}