Many artists strive to introduce new musical themes to the world ahead of the holidays and for this reason January is usually a quieter month and with less news on the market. Nevertheless, the record business does not stop and there are always surprises that can amaze music lovers. The list of musical themes to be presented this Friday features some of the musicians who have gained the most recognition over the past year, who meet various newcomers from corners of Africa who are usually little heard. An opportunity to explore other musical universes.
Sunday 15th January ended the week of African music celebrations organized by the eighth edition of the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) in Dakar, Senegal. Once again, Nigerian stars such as Burna Boy (Artist of the Year), Davido and Wizkid received the most awards. Even the 2022 Breakout Artist of the Year Asake hails from this West African country. The year that has just ended has been marked by the explosion of this composer and singer, who has been releasing since 2018. Definitely the Afrobeat music scene has been dominated by his songs. Suffice it to recall Sungba having a remix that Burna Boy is collaborating on.
However, the best composition of the year went to the Ivory Coast. This is Tala by Didi B. The former leader of one of West Africa’s most interesting hip-hop groups, Kiff No Beat, released a solo album, Mojo Tröne II History, last June, on which he performs the winning composition.
As well as the grand prize winners, there are also some novelties – few, as mentioned earlier – that have recently been announced. One of the first songs to hit the airwaves came from Black Sherif, an artist for whom 2022 was a great year. He already has a new single, Konongo Zongo, off his album The Villain I Never Was. The Ghanaian is calmer in this composition, but without losing his social criticism and his sour side.
After so many household names, it’s okay to inquire about other music that’s barely making the western hit charts. We share some of the discoveries made after diving into the lists of different countries.
Towela Kaira is an artist from Zambia. It’s not easy for the music of this country to cross borders, but it’s getting there little by little. An example of this is Mutima, which also features Zambian Chile One and a song that is already being danced in many places.
Another artist, little known to the general public, who has been making a name for himself in Mali, his country and its surroundings for some time is Gaspi. A young rapper who started with the group Ghetto Kafry more than a decade ago and has continued his solo career. Contrary to what Malian rap usually does, this singer has turned his back on political involvement and focused on simple lyrics that excite the youth. His new song, Dougou be kaak, follows the same line.
But if we talk about music completely unknown to the profane, perhaps Burundi occupies one of the first places on the podium. So we close with a theme that is now ringing strong in the country. This is Hakuna Matata, that mythical Swahili phrase meaning “no problem” that every tourist coming to East Africa is forced to repeat left and right. It is a composition of R-Flow. He collaborates with most artists in the country: B Face, Mo’w Kanzie, Drama T, Trey Zo and Rappy Boy.
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