2022 was a great year for music. There was a consistent flow of good music across multiple genres and 2023 promises the same. The New Year offers a clean slate which gives artists more freedom, more inspiration, and to experience more growth. It also gives an opportunity for artists that have been in hibernation for…
Oluwatosin Ajibade or Mr Eazi has been one of the most prominent artists to come out from Ghana. His Banku style which fuses Ghanaian highlife music with Nigerian chord progressions has propelled him to the top of Africa’s streaming charts. From chart-topping singles to collaborations with some of the biggest artists in the world, Mr…
While Burna Boy is undoubtedly one of the most well known — if not the most well known — featured and globally recognised Nigerian musicians, the African Giant artist is by no means and in no way the only musician blessing us with sonic tapestries woven from this particular expression and genealogy of music. As…
Haich Ber Na is taking a new approach to his sound on his sophomore E.P Everywhere’s Home. On this new project, the London based artist plays with darker undertones to create a sound that feels different from his previous work. “I wrote the music last winter, so naturally I guess it has a darker feel….
Gaika’s addictive cocktail of grime, dancehall and futurism has made him one of the most exciting new artists of the last few years. But surprisingly, he hasn’t yet released a full length album. All that is about to change when Warp Records drops Basic Volume on the 27th of July. Coming in at 15 tracks, the…
Gaika‘s collision of dancehall, grime and ominous drone creates a charged atmosphere of dread. As audiences to his recent performances in South Africa can attest, the UK musician and visual artist’s work powerfully evokes themes of confusion, terror and exploitation. Via email, Gaika described this intensity as a response to the confusing social reality of the…
While West African pop has come to be dominated by the sounds of Afrobeat, it is more of a catch-all term for the variety of West African pop sounds that are emerging from the region. Arguably, it is Fela Kuti who laid the foundation by fusing Western sounds taken from jazz and funk with West…
Described as Family Tree‘s first lady, Nadia Nakai‘s guiding vision is to be the best rapper on the continent. All the decisions she makes with regards to her music and business ventures channel the energy that fuels the fruition of that vision. “That’s what I use as my benchmark. That is why I started working…
A chance meeting between Ruth Daniel of In Place of War (IPOW) and Malose Malahlela of Keleketla! saw the creation of a project that would result in legacy lasting beyond a week cross-border collaboration. Working with creativity and music in places of conflict or communities with conflict, IPOW organises music collaborations between famous international artists…
“I always had headphones on and I always knew I wanted to make music”, Ikonika told me. I sat down with the London-based electronic musician, producer, and DJ last week at KCB Braamfontein, where she and the Pussy Party posse were embarking on a nation-wide dancefloor revolution: a series of femme insurgencies to shake up…
A pool of blue light, ebb-flow bodies and scented smoke: It’s difficult not to close my eyes as I sink in. Little specks of orange rise to form shining patterns above our heads as we respond to the call ‘lighters up!’ Throats lifted to the stage lights, the crowd echoes Lucky Dube then plunges their…
