{"id":2506350,"date":"2026-07-17T17:30:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T17:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2506350"},"modified":"2026-07-17T17:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T17:30:58","slug":"best-new-african-music-this-week-linda-sikhakhane-somi-m-anifest-juls-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/best-new-african-music-this-week-linda-sikhakhane-somi-m-anifest-juls-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Best new African music this week: Linda Sikhakhane, Somi, M.anifest, Juls and more"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"ecba85ea-e183-4c01-9b99-9238afc4d66f\">\n<p class=\"kicker \" style=\"\">MUSIC<\/p>\n<p class=\"subtitle \" style=\"\">Stream the best African music this week, including new releases from Linda Sikhakhane, Somi, M.anifest, Juls, and more.<\/p>\n<p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"\">Linda Sikhakhane features Omagugu on his new single.<\/figcaption><figcaption itemprop=\"author\" class=\"\" data-byline-prefix=\"Photo\">courtesy of Siphiwe Mhlambi<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-element-guid=\"78f058c8-733f-4b40-aba1-6009b65afde6\">\n<p>Every week, <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"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 class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"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<h2>Stixx, Hugh Masekela \u2013 &#8220;Market Place 2.0&#8221; (feat. The Bless)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"1d65ef65-c609-49fc-83a8-c90760e43810\" 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\/GAz9MzukP7s\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Stixx<\/span> knows how to package joy, access peace, and surrender to the music. &#8220;Market Place 2.0&#8221; is his take on <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Hugh Masekela<\/span>&#8216;s &#8220;Market Place,&#8221; which first appeared on the trumpeter&#8217;s 1974 album <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">I Am Not Afraid<\/span>. In <span class=\"font-weight-normal m-font-weight-normal\" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-normal\">Stixx<\/span>&#8216;s hands, the Afro-jazz elements \u2014 the nimble guitar work, the lethal trumpet-and-flute combination \u2014 are intricately woven into amapiano. Chest-rattling kicks, warm jazz chords, and, of course, the log drum all work together to remind you exactly what time it is.<\/p>\n<h2>Egertton \u2013 &#8220;Iyeme&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"8a4a06c7-d6e3-43a8-9bff-ffcbd69f24e2\" 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\/2g5PMtCUg10\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The ominous strings announce looming danger. Your hair stands on end. Your heart beats a little faster. It&#8217;s the anxiety of waiting for the rapture. When Nigerian emcee and underground standard-bearer <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Egertton<\/span> asks, <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;Which kind of music be this? Which kind of song be this?&#8221;<\/span>, the sonic landscape has already tilted off its axis, leaving you with no choice but to fall in line. This is a street anthem for the ages. There&#8217;s life here, street smarts, and an infectious bounce that reincarnates itself with every listen.<\/p>\n<h2>Linda Sikhakhane \u2013 &#8220;Days Begin To Sing&#8221; (feat. Omagugu)<\/h2>\n<p>A deep, deviant bassline locks jaws with the drums, settling somewhere deep in your chest before the theory has time to catch up with the feeling. <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Linda Sikhakhane<\/span>&#8216;s saxophone arrives as a willing companion to <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Omagugu<\/span>&#8216;s majestic presence. The saxophonist and composer occupies a singular place in South African jazz, and on his self-titled fifth album, due via Blue Note\/Universal Music, he stakes his claim with quiet intensity. It is a gentle approach that ultimately pushes the music further, challenging long-held ideas about what South African jazz can become.<\/p>\n<h2>Somi &#8211; \u201cSo You Want To Be A Woman\u201d (feat. Lakecia Benjamin)<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"711d32c8-8f16-4bb2-84ab-cc914a354cc7\" 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\/MEHJRZanxuc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Somi<\/span>&#8216;s presence is commanding, demanding your full attention. <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;So you wanna be a woman,&#8221;<\/span> she asks, each word breaking free from her lips only to be held in place, syllables stretched just long enough to deny them flight, and a silence brief enough to allow you to ponder. Cymbals crash, hi-hats tip-tap, the bassline speaks in full sentences. Somi never wavers; she holds her ground. <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;Step right into the fire,&#8221;<\/span> she commands, every syllable carefully enunciated, every letter made to matter. It&#8217;s this measured, tactical delivery that allows <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Lakecia Benjamin<\/span>&#8216;s saxophone to merge seamlessly with her voice, together summoning an intergalactic vision of Blackness that feels both transcendent and spiritually guided. At its core, the song rages against how patriarchy expects the impossible of women: for their rage to <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">\u201cwear a ribbon,\u201d<\/span> their protest to <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">\u201cdress in pearls.\u201d<\/span> This is poetry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Chronical Deep, Sun-El Musician \u2013 &#8220;Bring Me More Bass&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"5a4028ae-82e9-4f67-9cf3-50323223a96b\" 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\/t2adntP8Q4s\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>By now, <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Chronical Deep<\/span>&#8216;s signature is unmistakable: unsettling claps, honey-soaked drums, power chords that could start revolutions, and a groove that&#8217;s entirely his own. Add vocal chops that breathe life into every arrangement, and the formula is complete. &#8220;Bring Me More Bass&#8221; takes those familiar ingredients and lets them run wild. Linking with fellow sonic perfectionist <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Sun-El Musician<\/span> for an overdue sparring match, the pair create something so rare it feels unlikely to happen twice.<\/p>\n<h2>M.anifest \u2013 &#8220;Handkerchief&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"83708df8-647d-4e1b-ad39-75e34b51f07c\" id=\"markup_1435503\" class=\"markupbox column small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"M.anifest  - HANDKERCHIEF (Audio)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-VPS7LZ_-x0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">M.anifest<\/span>&#8216;s career has been a lesson in sticking to the plan while remaining agile enough to adapt when the road bends unexpectedly. &#8220;Handkerchief&#8221; rides a resplendent ndombolo-inspired bassline, while percussion that recalls highlife slips effortlessly into rap. Lyrically, the Ghanaian master never disappoints, pairing poetic turns of Twi with lines like, <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a party, only wanna follow you \/ No Ducati, come scoop you in a few.&#8221;<\/span> He continues to make a compelling case as one of the finest emcees working anywhere on the continent.<\/p>\n<h2>Manana \u2013 &#8220;Calendar&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"88826f0e-59ba-4601-b4c4-b7282e91c92a\" 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\/eEwMOxqHL-4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On &#8220;Calendar,&#8221; <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Manana<\/span> continues to bare his soul, pleading not from desperation but from a place of unwavering devotion. &#8220;Tell me what you need, &#8217;cause I can&#8217;t provide it,&#8221; he sings. The production is organic, drawing from the neo-soul tradition pioneered by <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">D&#8217;Angelo<\/span> and his peers, while giving Manana&#8217;s vulnerability ample room to breathe.<\/p>\n<h3>ZuluMecca \u2013 &#8220;7Colours&#8221; (feat. Priddy Ugly and Loatinover Pounds)<\/h3>\n<div data-element-guid=\"9d9d93d9-bd69-453c-8aac-698046db6e04\" 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\/e1PG9mUyM58\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Seven Colours is the beloved South African spread where every dish brings its own hue: beetroot, spinach, rice, carrots, chakalaka, and more. On &#8220;7Colours,&#8221; <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">ZuluMecca<\/span> assembles an equally colorful cast, recruiting two of the country&#8217;s sharpest lyricists in <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Priddy Ugly<\/span> and <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Loatinover Pounds<\/span>. <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;I got red in my cup, green when I puff, Benz tinted up, speed in a rush,&#8221;<\/span> she fires off from the opening bars. What follows is a masterclass in lyrical precision, with verses so zesty they threaten to sink the beat beneath them.<\/p>\n<h2>10LEC6 \u2013 &#8220;Nsotching&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"2b9c6250-9e02-4f90-b2cf-11fd8df9886f\" 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\/EIulerl0doc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Nsotching&#8221; recalls the exuberance of West African funk in the 1970s, soul makossa repurposed for anti-colonial struggle. <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">10LEC6<\/span> builds something wonderfully ethereal around vocalist <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Nicole<\/span>&#8216;s near-robotic snarls, a disco-inflected groove, a patient bassline, and percussion that transports the listener back to the early &#8217;80s. The track appears on the group&#8217;s forthcoming album, <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">AKO AKAS<\/span>, due in October.<\/p>\n<h2>Juls, Projexx \u2013 &#8220;Target&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Target&#8221; feels like stepping into another era. From the opening vinyl crackle, it&#8217;s clear this is a different kind of engagement. <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Juls<\/span> reaches into his dancehall bag to conjure something reminiscent of mid-&#8217;90s Kingston. Regular collaborator <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Projexx<\/span> attacks the riddim like a seasoned general. <span class=\"italic m-italic \" data-lab-italic=\"italic\">&#8220;Hey girl, yuh pum-pum ah me target,&#8221;<\/span> he toasts, his vocal chops weaving through the brooding production. &#8220;Target&#8221; is the first single from the duo&#8217;s collaborative album, Junction, due on August 7.<\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"d8aebcc3-4789-4929-8cdf-11ec41575fbc\" id=\"factbox-1435497\" 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_10 border_width_mobile_10 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 <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Tyla<\/span>, <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Burna Boy<\/span>, <span class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold \" data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\">Asake<\/span>, and more.\u00a0<\/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, including new releases from Linda Sikhakhane, Somi, M.anifest, Juls, and more. Linda Sikhakhane features Omagugu on his new single.courtesy of Siphiwe Mhlambi Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases \u2014 including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano hits \u2014 through our best music column, African Music [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2506351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":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-2506350","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\/07\/Best-new-African-music-this-week-Linda-Sikhakhane-Somi-Manifest.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506350","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=2506350"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2506352,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506350\/revisions\/2506352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2506351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2506350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2506350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2506350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}