Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2015 thread

Wizkid just dropped the video for Ojuelegba. Plus, Phyno's Ayo video is out, and we slept on DJ Xclusive's latest single. Putting the new Davido video in here too since it's pretty huge right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7QiLceJSLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk4-TqJ3iK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUxgHZTSqhw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFYIsryxaSM

Thanks for getting this started. The Phyno is interesting. Liking the relaxed feel of the music on Davido's "Owo Ni Koko" more than his vocals

i love 'owo ni koko', v beautiful song, prob my favorite davido to drop last year

Thanks, longneck! I like the slight adaptation of the thread name to "Afropop".

The old thread is here: Rolling afrobeats thread 2014

I'd like to start off 2015 with where I left off in 2014: Busiswa's amazing "Lahla". It's impact is so much bigger than just the last 10 days of 2014. This is a live performance on South African TV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_qXpOPZTCY

You can click here for the video and here for the full 6-minute version.

Another SA banger, "Desha" by Sir Bubzin feat. Big Nutz & DJ Tira:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKjeB90DgyM

Meanwhile in Naija, CDQ hits a groove with Skales on the hook in "Gbemisaya":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIOIgBZHlcs

A very unusual sound, and it's her debut single apparently: Ijekimora (feat. Kelly Hansome), "Osho Free".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEg7ujDVQ44

Wrapping things up with Wizkid - who else? Besides releasing that video for album highlight "Ojuelegba", he dropped two completely new songs in the past weeks, the Sarz-produced "Sound It"…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLZm0DP7VoU

…and "Wonder", produced by Del-B, which even comes with an official video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUsjTB5-CcA

Burna Boy absolutely kills the hook on this pan-African mustardy banger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc3b-G4NPx8

(sorry if it was already posted in the old thread but it's popping up all over Africa on my Shazam these days)

I just discovered that Tekno has a new single out. Not as good as Dance of course, but pretty nice nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXVps748zHg

A bit disappointed in Guru's follow up to Pooley, Pooley Swag:
http://www.ghanamusic.com/music/singles/audio-pooley-swag-by-guru/index.html

that aka single is a banger, loving the busiswa as well

Loving this new Spinall & Olamide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5bHhz9CCpk&spfreload=10

Also... does a full version of the Busiswa track exist? I can only find the 3:20 version but it's obviously meant to go on. The album version of Wena was far superior to the single version, so I'm hoping this too will eventually turn up.

Oh right, it's there at the top. Sorry. I need to be able to dl/buy it though. Anyone?

Haven't been able to find an official source myself.
Loving the new Tekno btw.

…and very happy "Lahla" is getting some love!

Big song: Presh feat. Davido "Say Dem Say".

https://soundcloud.com/snatchradio/presh-say-dem-say-ft-davido

Didn't know that Uhuru had branched out to Ghana as well. This is "Move", a track they did last year with Becca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQRtmhuydz0

Skales just dropped two great new tracks.

https://soundcloud.com/youngskales/skales-je-kan-mo
https://soundcloud.com/youngskales/skales-i-am-for-real

http://open.spotify.com/user/forksclovetofu/playlist/5zMYEZ127NDuUsi7BAHzcT

"Your favorite boy... TEKNO on the beat"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTgOCss3LYA

So what's the deal with the election, music and politics? I understand that Nigerians are fed up with Goodluck Jonathan and his failure to do something about Boko Haram, but the idea of voting for the guy who put Fela Kuti in jail should be kinda offputting, no?

Mavins for Buhari today.

The Naija / SA fusion continues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVNPkCI-ytY

Davido ft. Uhuru & DJ Buckz "The Sound"

Yeah I love that.
The one song that is eluding me these days is Kiss Dàniel - Woju. It's cool but I don't quite get its (obviously massive) appeal (several response versions, lots of radio play, etc). Could anyone try to explain what I'm missing in terms of context, please?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PKzsQSmHuM

So what's the deal with the election, music and politics? I understand that Nigerians are fed up with Goodluck Jonathan and his failure to do something about Boko Haram, but the idea of voting for the guy who put Fela Kuti in jail should be kinda offputting, no?

― longneck, Thursday, January 29, 2015 10:32 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A significant proportion of Nigerians aren't as fed up with Goodluck as you might think. As horrific as the attacks have been, there is a general feeling that Nigeria can't afford for the election to be about Boko Haram and the logic behind that is largely plausible if desperately sad.

I may have touched on this in last years thread but its very easy to overstate the cultural impact of Fela within Nigeria which I guess is inevitable given the myriad cultural identities to be found in the country. Fela’s Pan-African outlook was often at odds with the ethnic chauvinism that has characterised Nigeria at times.
In the main he is undoubtedly a legend but his legacy is not pervasive. He’s not necessarily conceived of as a genial folk hero in the imaginations of the generation that followed his. After Fela blew up in the 70’s the charismatic church exploded in the 80’s. His message was at odds with a breed of metropolitan Nigerians that increasingly formulated their world views around piety and religious fervour and as a result he is not enshrined in the urban oral tradition to the degree that you would expect given his exploits and the extent to which he’s revered outside the country.

In the 70's while my dad was in America idolising Fela from afar my mum was 10 miles from his compound turning her nose up at his reckless polygamy, transgressive lifestyle and anti-nationalist irreverence. Ultimately Buhari put a lot people in jail but whatever misgivings people may have about his short lived military dictatorship they don’t doubt his honesty. Amongst a younger generation seeking change and accountability his appeal isn’t hard to understand and to some degree the Mavins cosign reflects that. There’s a tendency especially amongst Yoruba people to idealise the democratic process even in spite of all that history has shown.

There’s a lot to be said on this and much of I’d want to say can be found in this blog post based around this song. http://afrobeat-music.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/lagbajas-suuru-lere-double-take.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zvnAivCbU

what about Woju's appeal do you not get? The beat? It works off a pretty universal West African sound, in the same vein as this which was pretty universally popular a few years back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojjI_OBATKw

Thanks for the long answer! As fort Woju, I get its basic appeal. The beat is nice and the singing is fine. I just don't get what the wow factor might be. It seems a bit unspectacular compared to other recent hits.

Oh, and if there are any recent articles or even books on the political situation in Nigeria you could recommend it would be very much appreciated. So many contexts go undetected when outsiders try to write about it. Your answers to my ignorant questions in this thread are very helpful. (I'm also wondering what your personal impression of Buhari is like, if you don't mind writing a few words about it.)

thanks for that super-interesting post tsrobodo

longneck right about the longer version of "lahla"...feels like the edit doesn't do it justice, though it could probably go on 5 times as long and i wouldn't mind

superb use of the word "hungover" in the middle of the hook there

Oh yes, it's all about the long version - that's why I kept posting the link to it, beside the video: it's twice as long, so double the goodness, the trancey bits sit much better, and the beat is mixed more upfront, and much fiercer as a result.

One thing that is interesting to me about the current South African influence on Naija pop is if it will affect the structure & length of the tracks. South African kwaito/house tracks are typically around 6 minutes long, and are edited down the for the radio/video version. In current Naija afropop tracks tend to be 3, 4 minutes long (significantly shorter than in the highlife tradition), possibly because of the strong hiphop/dancehall influence. So far the SA-influenced tracks (whether they are by actual SA producers or by Nigerian producers taking their cue from them) stick to this "pop" format/length, even though some of these scream for an extended version (I mean, Legendury Beatz "Oje" is just not over when it's over, it needs at least one more drop). On the other hand: as long as producers can wrap up a dance groove as elegantly within the 3'30 mark as J Fem does in Davido's "Owo Ni Koko", who's complaining?

Since we have expertise in this thread... I'm very intrigued by the Godwin phenomenon, since it seems like it's Don Jazzy's major move in regards to the election - but I don't really understand the lyrics and their contexts. If anyone could help me out here it would be greatly appreciated.

This new Heavy-K is incredible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0dGXsUDOBw&spfreload=10

I havent paid nearly as much attention to S.A. music but I basically check for everything he does

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/afrobeats-guide-feature

Oh, and if there are any recent articles or even books on the political situation in Nigeria you could recommend it would be very much appreciated. So many contexts go undetected when outsiders try to write about it. Your answers to my ignorant questions in this thread are very helpful. (I'm also wondering what your personal impression of Buhari is like, if you don't mind writing a few words about it.)

― longneck, Wednesday, February 4, 2015 8:05 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Sorry didn't mean to disappear on you like that but life etc.

I can't think of anything I've read recently that provides a broad appraisal what is a pretty sprawling narrative. Nothing comes to mind that neatly strings together the central themes in a manner that doesn't require a lot of background knowledge. Of the books I own this probably contains the closest thing to what you're looking for.
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/commentaries-on-contemporary-nigerian-politics/9781491877302-item.html
It's sprawling, decidedly unfocused (author gives chapters to a boatload of issues that aren't related) stylistically wearying at times and the historiography could be deeper but there isn't much it doesn't touch on and it's easy to jump around depending on what you're looking for.
Articles are a lot easier to come by but it is very difficult to work out what will be worth your time. I tend to favour Sahara Reporters because a) domestic publications have been highly susceptible to governmental influence and b) highest quality writing on Nigerian issues. Of course the expat perspective has its inevitable drawbacks so mainstays such as Punch and Vanguard are essential for human interest stories and the like. These are a few that I've appreciated more recently
http://www.punchng.com/opinion/i-know-who-will-win-this-2015-election/
http://www.punchng.com/opinion/what-really-distinguishes-nigerian-heroes-from-villains/ (First piece reads differently in light of the postponement - Onwuka is almost always good to read on political issues)
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/buharis-self-demystification/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/nation-denial/
http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/15/why-we-could-not-defeat-boko-haram-army-commander-writes-powerful-letter-president
http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/20/how-they-plan-%E2%80%98islamize%E2%80%99-us-all-chukwudi-adepoju
http://saharareporters.com/2015/02/12/president-and-parable-goat-and-yam-abimbola-ojenike
http://saharareporters.com/2015/02/10/inec-and-pdp-playing-fire-michael-egbejumi-david

As for Buhari? I'm conflicted. A recent piece by Wole Soyinka illustrates core elements my stance but not necessarily in its intent. It's supposed to be a tacit endorsement.
http://saharareporters.com/2015/02/06/challenge-change-%E2%80%93-burden-choice-prof-wole-soyinka

​What makes our situation especially galling is the fervid intrusion of some opportunistic sanitizers who bear direct, sometimes even originating responsibility for the plight in which a people have been placed. These are individuals who should be doing penance, walking from one corner of the nation to the other covered in the equivalent of ‘sackcloth and ashes’ for their role in bringing the nation to its lamentable condition. Yet they insist on remaining obsessively in the public face, preening themselves up for recognition as the primary forces behind a nation’s renewed efforts to redeem and re-determine itself. They are the promoters – actively or by default – of the current national trauma of a Boko Haram malignancy, the anti-corruption rhetoricians who however believe that they have literally got away with murder. Rather than make reparations in any number of unobtrusive ways, they impudently exploit a permissive, and despairing atmosphere for regaining relevance.

​Through participation, direct or vicarious, we find ourselves landed within a system that has thrown up two choices – realistically speaking, that is. Formally, we dare not ignore the claims of other contestants. Of the two however, one is representative of the immediate past, still present with us, and with an accumulation of negative baggage. The other is a remote past, justly resented, centrally implicated in grievous assaults against Nigerian humanity, with a landscape of broken lives that continues to lacerate collective memory. However – and this is the preponderant ‘however’ – is there such a phenomenon as a genuine “born-again”?

​It is largely around this question that a choice will probably be made. It is pointlessly, and dangerously provocative to present General Buhari as something that he provably was not. It is however just as purblind to insist that he has not demonstrably striven to become what he most glaringly was not, to insist that he has not been chastened by intervening experience and – most critically - by a vastly transformed environment – both the localized and the global.

The victory of the APC over the PDP would be a landmark affirmation of Nigeria's democratic process and in that sense a good thing but the idea that it would ascertain "born-again" governance isn't borne by history.
http://saharareporters.com/2014/11/02/buharists-and-their-stockholm-syndrome

Thank you. This is exactly what I needed. Your thoughts on Buhari are very welcome too - I must admit that I had started to buy into the Buhari as a man apart rhetoric. Now I'm more weary. I still get the impression that another Jonathan period would be kinda catastrophic though. The man seems to have no integrity.

No problem.

The logic is supposed to be that the APC brought in Fashola who as Governor was able to turn Lagos around far beyond what anybody could have hoped for. He's stepping down this year and would possibly take up a senior role in a Buhari government where he would ensure that everything is awesome.

The notion that competent state governance (even in a place as sprawling and diverse as Lagos) can translate to genuine national reform as long as the same federal structures and power players remain so deeply entrenched doesn't really wash with me. One of Goodluck's few redeeming qualities is that unlike Buhari he isn't inextricably tied up in sordid history, grudges and intrigue. He just happens to be so utterly devoid of vision and initiative, he can't translate that manoeuvrability into anything substantial.

What it boils down to is whether or not handing Buhari the presidency as a platform to fight old enemies and settle old grudges would be better for Nigeria as a whole going forward and it's only thanks to the ineptitude of Jonathan and the profligacy of the PDP that such a seemingly ridiculous argument can appear persuasive. There's a reason why nobody gave much of a damn the last three times Buhari ran for office and it isn't Buhari that's changed in the meantime.

Genuine integrity is a pretty elusive thing to discern in any political arena. I think what Jonathan lacks is an appreciation for the strategic value of merely appearing to have it or at least an understanding of how to posture in such terms without courting hypocrisy. At this point his lack of savviness is a thing of legend but of course the great irony is he wouldn't have got to where he is without it. Is his government unsalvageable? Can't be sure. Boko Haram can only ever be effective to a point, oil prices will eventually go back up but the anxiety and uncertainty that heightens every 4 years is a recognition that each election cycle represents a blind run at a precipice. Nobody will know whether or not Nigeria has gone beyond the point of no return until it's already too late. We can't be sure that 4 more years of rudderless leadership won't destroy the country but we can't be sure that the given alternative won't be even worse.

My main impression is that Jonathan's government is thoroghly corrupt though and his lack of savviness somehow plays into that. He's just not in change. There must be a reason why a bandit like Government Tompolo Ekpemupolo is threatening to go to war if Jonathan loses the election. Surely Buhari will at least ruff it up a bit?

Hmmm. I just read Adichie's piece on the election from a few days ago in the Atlantic and she seems to be on your wavelength, tsrobodo. Poor Nigeria.

I wouldn't say it's that his government is thoroughly corrupt or at least any more so than previous governments have been but you're right to point to his lack of control as a major factor.

From what I've heard his grasp of policy is shockingly poor and ministers either talk circles around him or flatter him when called to account. He doesn't cut a strong centralised figure that bends disparate interests to his will like Obasanjo did and isn't broadly intelligent and congenial like Yar'Adua was. As such the efficacy and integrity of his governance is completely at the mercy of his appointees who operate with virtual autonomy. He got it right with Adesina (Agriculture) and Okonjo-Iweala (Finance) and we've seen the results but elsewhere? Not so much.

Tompolo is posturing in the exact manner you'd expect. He's trying to encourage those that believe a vote for Buhari might stem violence in Nigeria to think otherwise.

Adichie has it right (thanks for pointing me to that btw) in that the coalition that forms the APC is riddled with shady characters and while Buhari would certainly be different he can't promise the stability of even the most inept incumbent. It's quite conceivable that in the struggle between old interests and new that would ensue should Buhari win, the ball gets dropped and things become worse.

I mean if you put a gun to my head, I'd roll the dice on Buhari but decisions made at gunpoint etc.

Seems like a good moment to post Korede Bello's "GodWin" that longneck mentioned upthread. A one-man "Dorobucci" (#dorogodwin?) cleverly tied in with the elections, non-partisan because, well, "God win". (Although, with Don Jazzy being responsible for a large portion of the top-selling Nigerian hits it might as well secretly be an ode to Godwin Emefiele, the head of Nigeria's Central Bank.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZDS72ov1rU

By the way: For more interesting discussions about Nigeria and its politics, see this thread: A Nigeria Thread (Non-Music Division).

Loving the Ezi Emela track that was featured in the piece forks posted above, "Confam It"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zPKalpjBBk

…as well as the Kwamz & Flava one, "Wo Onane No".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7xHjLaYipU

Meanwhile, Wizkid dropped another one: "Amin". According to producer Maleek Berry it was recorded in 2013. (I guess there must be dozens of tracks like that that didn't make it onto the Ayo album)
https://soundcloud.com/snatchradio/wizkid-amin

He's also featured on "Sisi", one of the singles from the new album by Praiz.
https://soundcloud.com/prechi/sets/praiz-ft-wizkid-sisi

"Sisi" was produced by GospelOnDeBeatz (who produced my favourite Tiwa Savage track, "Ileke"). He recently released his own album, "GospelOnDeStreetz", a "1 hour nonstop gospel party mix". It's good! (and on Spotify).

From Ghana, a new joint by hot producer DJ Breezy (the man behind Joey B's "Tonga" and Castro's "Seihor"):
Ohene feat. Ponobiom - "Dedeede".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4yG8kOozow

This is big: "Baafira (Remix)" by Stonebwoy (Burniton) feat. Sarkodie & Stylo G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmhImd3gvU

Love this: Trojan ft. Lucci Laj - "Chinkafa"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNXRncziW5o

A smash from 2014 that was never posted before:
"Amen" by Yaa Pono (who is the Ponobiom on the Ohene track):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cfEgnrP2VY

Only recently found out about this massive hit from Tanzania, released in 2013: Shaa - "Sugua Gaga". Very lovely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xf0e_kwRx4

Interestingly, a couple of months ago a new version was released for the Nigerian market, featuring the vocals of Tspize, who, as a producer, might have actually taken a few cues from this song while he was working on Runtown's "Gallardo".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8nbfbQF7cw

One of my favorite songs from last year finally got a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvF7yj531A

P-Square & Don Jazzy - Collabo

Listening to the Gospel album now and while the beats are strong and the guests are passable, this "continuous mix" is really discontinuous, lol. Why did he want to release it like that? He must be able to make better transitions than this. He's such a great producer.

really like collabo, generally I don't find myself into most p-square songs, but that one is stellar

as promised in the other thread, here are a couple older tracks I like...

Douk Saga - Saga en Fete (not sure when this came out, mid-2000s sometime maybe?, RIP, one of the greats of Coupé-Décalé)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozxOTqBNG7g

and this genge track from 2004...

Nonini - Keroro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leDcul5lCAo

Loving this new hip hop joint:

https://soundcloud.com/je_records/jahbless-69-missed-calls
Jahbless, CDQ, Olamide, Lil Kesh, Reminice & Chinco Ekun - 69 Missed Calls

Listening to DJ Xclusive in teh mix on Cool Fm Lagos right now and it's amazing... even with the 64kbps internet radio stream, lol

Welcome, Kruezer! I like that Nonini track (as well as the remix of it I found on Spotify).
Don't know much about the Kenya scene, but this one (from 2011) is good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWyRZttUNrM
Madtraxx, "Ita Waiter".

Cosign on "Good Time"; can't believe it's only 3:11 long / would happily listen to it unspool for hours. Looking forward to getting back to a southern hemisphere summer in a fortnight and playing a bunch of this stuff out.

Yeah of all producers on top right now Young John's sound is easily the most exciting to me.

He meshes early 90's fuji muisc sensibilities with more prevalent modern sounds in a way that's very clever and subtle. His beats have cross generational appeal but never feel like they're pandering, plus it works so well with the local-boy brash exuberance of the YBNL artists

― tsrobodo, Tuesday, 17 November 2015 08:47 (3 weeks ago)

Any recs for relevant fuji stuff to track down? I only really know Adewale Ayuba's Fuji Time which might be a bit later than what yr referencing.

good time is one of my favorite records this year, that & "soke' .... 'duro' p good too

heavy k is kinda the afro house dj premier huh, one really good trick that i dont mind hearing over & over

ha yeah respect the drumboss 2015 does it over and over for a long time and at no point do i get bored

i guess my personal favs from this year would be

busiswa - lahla
dj kent ft. mo t - don't let go
sunkanmi - singale
dbn nyts ft. zinhle ngidi & trademark - shumaya
rush - attention
presh ft. davido - say dem say
rima ft. tekno - feeling you
gee ft. wally seck - yallah bahna
reniss ft. jovi - michael jackson
patoranking ft. wande coal - my woman my everything
princeboom ft. reekado bankz & tekno - give them
uhuru ft. dj tira, trademark & mashabela - saka nana
kiss daniel - good time
yvonne darcq ft. victoria kimani - ooh lala oui oui

and heavy-k "givemeluv" of course!!

enjoying everyone's lists, want to come up w/ my own

'give me luv' will prob be on mine, i heard it like january 3 or something and it stuck with me the whole year. i know there's a bigger record rn and its really good but not as good imo

also yes its impossible to find 'respect the drumboss' over here, idgi

not on your itunes?

ha this poss feeds into the EOY list discussion, as a dilettante who's never even been to the places these songs are popular i'm being fed a mix of popular hits and personal favs but not hearing them in contexts to judge anything except my personal favs

Love "Soweto Baby", so smooth.

(And exactly one year after the "Ungowami" remix too. Is this going to be a yearly Wizkid-in-SA Xmas gift kinda thing?)

ha this poss feeds into the EOY list discussion, as a dilettante who's never even been to the places these songs are popular i'm being fed a mix of popular hits and personal favs but not hearing them in contexts to judge anything except my personal favs

― cher guevara (lex pretend), Monday, December 14, 2015 1:44 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

sure but arent you intellectually curious about what songs are "actually big" vs what songs you just like instinctively, like there's no one or the other, we are all a mix of instinct & knowledge etc

I check the shazam top 100 charts a lot of the time. And the africacharts.com site. There's also this: http://www.digitalsalesdata.com/diydsd.php?Region=143472 which is mostly kinda depressing (because of low sales) but still gives you an idea about what people actually bother to pay for.

i don't think there's any substitute for actually being on the scene to know what's popular and i don't really have full trust in charts anywhere

so because unless you're there in person you won't have a perfect grasp of it, you think its ok to ignore the idea of research or information others provide altogether? ok

darcq has a new track out....

Yvonne Darcq - Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2_c809qXSM

also been loving this dancehall crossover tune from Leila Kayondo of Dreams Girls fame, with Nyanda of Brick & Lace

Leila Kayondo & Nyanda - Kikute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhqARYVq8Zw

been listening to this classic Durban tune (from '05) a lot too, its a bit of a mess but reminds me of driving from Port E to Cape Town to hike up Table Mountain, probably makes me love it more than it really deserves.

T'zozo & Professor - Woza Durban

....and here is the link...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fv_iJq7FcM

Video for "Good Time". It's not as good as the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoS9XKTqA40

Plus some refreshments from Ghana:

VVIP ft. Sena Dagadu "Skolom":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKR2N_KiqX0

Bisa Kdei "Mansa". The man is huge in Ghana right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI_uIRU5EOc

Criss Waddle ft. Medikal "P3 Kakra":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ej_tPkb2A4

R2Bees "Connect Party":
https://soundcloud.com/r2beesmusic/r2bees-concert-party-prod-by-killbeatz-22

Ko-Jo Cue "Me Gyina Mu" (produced by E.L):
https://soundcloud.com/ko-jo/ko-jo-cue-me-gyina-mu

so because unless you're there in person you won't have a perfect grasp of it, you think its ok to ignore the idea of research or information others provide altogether? ok

no, i'll gladly read someone's analysis of it, i just don't trust charts as a straight popularity indicator, and my relationship to the songs has none of that social component

right me either but the songs are still shaped by a social component so ignoring that altogether seems as harmful as pretending a read of a chart gives you an accurate perception

i'm not ignoring it, i'll read whatever afrobeats analyses exist to get a vague handle on it, but there are so few - all i'm saying is that it's impossible to have more than a vague handle on things (though there's an afrobeats, dancehall etc night in london i might start going to next year)

anyway busiswa's "lahla" seems to be pretty definitely 2014 not 2015, hmm

"Lahla" is definitely a 2014 release (video not until November though), but I discovered and posted it late December, and nominated and voted (conservatively) for it in the 2014 EOY. But year of impact rule applies (right?), so I guess others are free to nominate it again?

(scrap the first "but" though)

More from Ghana:

This feels huge: Wisa ft. Luther "Ekiiki Mi"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc7nAimIQus

There's a remix out with Sarkodie as well:
https://soundcloud.com/user-412426446/wisa-ekiki-miremix-ft-sarkodie

Very strong new Stonebwoy, "Mightylele":
https://soundcloud.com/user-199499536/stonebwoy-mightylele-prod-by-beatzdakay-promogurugh

So it's one every month now, Mr Tekno? You're spoiling us! This is "Maria" (who I'm sure is his woman, his everything). Featuring Selebobo, who also produced it:
https://soundcloud.com/gidifeed/maria-tekno-ft-selebobo

Never posted the remix for "Duro", ft. Flavour & Phyno:
https://soundcloud.com/vanmusicpromo/tekno-duroremix-ft-flavour-x-phyno

Selebobo also did the new Yemi Alade ft. DJ Arafat "Do As I Do":
https://soundcloud.com/afrobeat360/yemi-alade-do-as-i-do-ft-dj-arafat-prod-by-selebobo

Olamide dropped a video for the obvious hit off the Eyan Mayweather album, "Don't Stop":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkm3UUFz_I4

Rocking Character's 2013 album Self-Control on Kalawa Jazmee Records today. I'm all about "Murder Paka" ft. Professor & Maftown Boyz, but can't seem to find a link to it for the life of me. It might be up on some Spotifys (not the Dutch one though).

Here's a TV performance for "Nangu" ft. Busiswa, another highlight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IHtaLV0Nw0

Some good Angolan (and Mozambiquan in one case) stuff from the "Afro-Luso reports" on Jonathan Bogart's tumblr (that I just found out about). Here's the link.

Titica "Você Manda Foge" (Angola)

Lizha James ft. Afro Madjaha & W Tofo "Xingomana (Remix)" (Mozambique)

Maya Zuda ft. Bebucho Q Kuia "Dois a Dois" (Angola)

Landrick "Fila Da Goda" (Angola)

Vlado Coast "Tambula" (Angola)

Also, Davido just today dropped the video for "Izzue", his hot collab with Dammy Krane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNsIG_J6q0Q

(or has it become a Dammy Krane track with Davido feature now?)

Well, this is very interesting. It's The Triumphant Return of Tiwa, and then Don Jazzy sort of takes over? "Ambitious" is an understatement. A lot of its parts are fantastic, some are… perhaps less so?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLT2JIPBuRI

Tiwa Savage ft. Don Jazzy "African Waist"

It's part of the R.E.D album ("Romance Expression Dance") that's been released simultaneously, equally more or less out of the blue.

It's like Don Jazzy has set out to conquer the world, but is not quite sure about the strategy. Will he use his production prowess on his biggest asset Tiwa Savage, or do it Gangnam Style and become a kind of African Psy? Why not try both at the same time?!

The jazzy coda >>>>>

(By the way, the album is streaming on the MavinRecords account on YouTube. The official link for free download has been (temporarily?) disabled.)

Why isn't this Tiwa album up anywhere else yet though? Weird that they would med up such an important release unless it's more of a mixtape?

R.E.D is definitely not a mixtape. I will hazard a guess and say that Don Jazzy (as head of Mavin Records) has given up on trying to make any money on record/download sales, since everything is freely downloadable within hours anyway, and is going for maximum exposure and hype. He's been pioneering new marketing methods in Nigeria for the longest time, most recently by roping in endorsement deals for the much anticipated Godwin video.

So how do you like "African Waist"? Or the album, if you've heard it? (I haven't yet)

Really loving this pretty Nigerian song, Estar "Selense":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9xgdTqf0FE

Tiwa Savage is downloadable/streamable/etc from http://comeseesumting.com/redalbum/ , but every option is using domains blocked in China, boo.

Bloody hell, they've linked it to a dropbox account that has been shut down because it generated too much traffic. These guys are amateurs, right?

This site has a link that works. The .zip looks kinda small though. sigh.

http://www.currentnaija.com/2015/12/album-download-tiwa-savage-r-e-d-red-romance-expression-dance-zip/#sthash.rqasugoH.dpbs

cheers, longneck - just grabbed it from there. but yeah, everything's sub-160kbps ...

"Kolobi" & "Birthday"" are awes, and great to be reminded of "My Darlin" which has been floating around since ... Feb?

Nice on, longneck. A few tracks in, and this sounds great.

*one

Love the Tiwa Savage album, it's more focused than her debut. The search is still on for that bonus track with Wizkid though, can't find it anywhere.

I've fallen for this one too, Korede Bello ft. Tiwa Savage "Romantic":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXyUMMMETsA

This is a good list of Naija tracks that were big this year:
http://jaguda.com/2015/12/16/the-50-best-nigerian-songs-of-2015/

It includes this one from Phyno ft. Stormrex "Nnunu":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYzmdJ58uQM

And because it's still Xmas, this SA beauty from 2014: Afrikan Roots ft. Xoli M "Angel":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Z3EBmJLDo

I'm wrapping this playlist for the year. It has been updated with quite a few new adds (Bebi Phillip, Burna Boy, Nasty C, R2Bees, Tiwa Savage) and includes every track mentioned on thread that is available via Spotify's US catalogue as of EOY 2015. If I missed something or if a track comes available sometime in the future, bump here to let me know and I'll add.

Rolling Afrobeat and Afropop 2015 Thread Spotify Playlist

This was a good thread to follow and paging through it just now I unearthed two killer non-spotify tracks in Bra Qwequ's "Fraud Money" and A'won Boyz's "Commas" remix. I regret I can't add in DBN NYTS or Heavy K or Busiswa, all not US available.

Does anyone have an update on that obscenity case against Jemimah Kansiime? A quick look around suggests lots of talk at the time of charges around May but no conversation since then.

…oh, and of course there's a new thread…

Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2016 thread

I made a list of all the African stuff that people voted for in the 2015 EOY Tracks poll.

ALL AFRO EVERYTHING 2015:

(ranking : artist : title : country : points : voters)

69 Heavy-K ft. Nokwazi - Sweetie RSA 194 (5)
83 Heavy-K - #GiveMeLuv RSA 179 (7)
113 Mbongwana Star ft. Konono N°1 - Malukayi DRC 155 (5)
134 Kiss Daniel - Good Time NIG 140 (4)
176 Dbn Nyts ft. Zinhle Ngidi & Trademark - Shumaya RSA 112 (4)
191 Burna Boy - Soke NIG 106 (3)
194 DJ Kent - Don't Let Go RSA 104 (4)
216 Tekno - Duro NIG 97 (3)
220 Ycee ft. Olamide - Jagaban Remix NIG 96 (3)
235 AKA ft. Burna Boy, Da Les & Jr. - All Eyes On Me RSA/NIG 92 (3)
262 Korede Bello - Godwin NIG 84 (3)
280 Saad Lamjarred - LM3ALLEM *MAR 80 (3)
330 Olamide - Bobo NIG 70 (3)
340 Bra Qwequ - Fraud Money GHA 69 (2)
345 Kiss Daniel - Woju NIG 68 (2)
362 Rush - Attention NIG 65 (3)
365 Nozinja - Baby can you feel me? RSA 65 (2)
432 Dotorado Pro - African Scream **POR 52 (3)
445 Patoranking ft. W. Coal - My Woman, My Everything NIG/GHA 50 (2)
476 Nozinja - Wa Chacha RSA 49 (2)
483 Tekno - Anything NIG 48 (2)
492 Olamide - Melo Melo NIG 48 (1)
507 AKA ft. F.Cooper, Rouge, Moozlie… - Baddest (Remix) RSA 47 (2)
519 Lil Kesh - Gbese NIG 46 (1)
625 Busiswa ft. DJ Buckz & Uhuru - Lahla RSA 38 (1)***
625 Skuki ft. Olamide - Over The Mountain NIG 38 (1)
661 Sunkanmi - Singale NIG 34 (2)
690 Amani - Heartbreaker KEN 32 (1)
762 DJ Nigga Fox - Apocalipsiii **POR/ANG 26 (1)
876 Heavy-K ft. Professor & Mpumi - Umoya RSA 25 (1)
882 Patoranking - Make Am NIG 24 (1)
904 Nidia Minaj - Puto Luri **POR 22 (1)
939 Timaya ft. Destra - Sanko (Remix) NIG/T&T 20 (1)
939 Victoria Kimani - Show KEN/NIG 20 (1)
939 Yemi Alade ft. Mugeez - Pose NIG/GHA 20 (1)
962 Masterkraft ft. CDQ & Olamide - Indomie NIG 18 (1)
962 Olamide ft. Wizkid - Confam Ni NIG 18 (1)
962 Presh ft. Davido - Say Dem Say NIG 18 (1)
989 Seyi Shay - Right Now NIG 16 (1)
989 Sir Bubzin - Desha RSA 16 (1)
1022 Sexy Steel - Sisi NIG 12 (1)
1046 Skales - Je Kan Mo NIG 10 (1)
1086 Burna Boy & Wizkid - Single NIG 4 (1)
1086 Davido ft. Uhuru & DJ Buckz - The Sound NIG/RSA 4 (1)

Everything can be found on Spotify and/or YouTube, except for "Attention" by Rush, that's why I linked it. Linked to the full-length version of Busiswa's "Lahla" as well, because it's essential. And linked to Bra Qwequ's "Fraud Money" too, just because I wanted to.

*The only North African/Maghrebi track (unless I've overlooked something).
**I included the Portuguese batida stuff, cause it's so strongly connected to (especially) Angola.
***I feel "Lahla" should have/could have/would have placed big if the timing had been right, but it fell between the cracks. Picked up too late for 2014 (#937), too 2014 to get the full 2015 vote (#625). No biggie, people are having fun to it just the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP-afV73uI8

I like your style

thanks, forks. is it the list thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO1oUY6HS90

Quite the cliffhanger, but it was worth the wait. Total clarification!

that swimming pool video is so joyous