Category: African Music

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Alewya Teams Up with Dagmawit Ameha on Sultry and Propulsive “Night Drive”

JOVM mainstay Alewya is an acclaimed London-based singer/songwriter, producer and visual artist. Born in Saudi Arabia to an Egyptian-Sudanese father and an Ethiopian mother, the acclaimed London-based artist has spent her life surrounded by diaspora immigrant communities: She grew up in West London and after a several year stint in New York, she returned to London. Upon her return home, the Saudi-British artist developed and honed her ear for music through the sounds of the Ethiopian and Arabic music of her parents and the ambient alternative rock album of her brother.

The Saudi-born, British artist is part of a generation of artists actively redefining global music: They’re generally rooted in heritage yet unbound by it. Describing herself as a partner, who makes music, Aleway approaches sound as texture and feeling, guided more by intuition than structure. Her sound and story widen the Black-British frame, bringing the oft-under-heard North/East African perspective into a much-needed focus.

Back in 2020, the JOVM mainstay burst into the scene with an attention grabbing feature on Little Simz‘s “where’s my lighter,” which caught the attention of Because Records, who signed the rising artist and released her critically applauded debut, 2021’s Panther In Mode EP, which featured:

  •  The Busy Twist-produced debut single “Sweating,” a forward-thinking Timbaland-like mesh of trap, reggae and electro pop. 

  • “Spirit_X,” which paired elements of Timbaland, trap and drum ‘n’ bass paired with the rising British artist alternating between spitting fiery bars and sultry crooning

  • The sultry and defiantly feminist anthem “Play” 

  • “Channel High” a slick synthesis of grime, contemporary R&B, dancehall, electro pop and Afrobeats

The acclaimed JOVM mainstay’s latest single “Night Drive,” feat. Dagmawit Ameha is the first bit of new material in over three years. The new single sees the acclaimed Saudi-British artist boldly stepping forward into a new creative era and way of life.

“Night Drive,” is a lush, slickly produced, futuristic-leaning blend of 80s and 90s Detroit and Chicago house, minimalist beats, alt R&B, Ethiopian music, Afrobeats and komische musik with a playful and naughty nod to Grace Jones’ “Pull Up To The Bumper.”

Written and demoed by Alesha before being fleshed out and brought to live with long-time collaborators Craigie Dodds and Dean Barratt, “Night Drive” began as a minimal and intuitive feeling that evolved into an ode to Detroit house and the roots of Black electronic music.

Directed by Taichi Kimura, the accompanying video for “Night Drive” was shot during a recent, deeply influential trip to Japan, the video is a fever dream that follows the acclaimed JOVM mainstay through the heady, late night buzz of a neon-lit city, the backseat of a speeding cab and the sweaty pulse of a packed dance floor.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 87th Birthday, Fela Kuti!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 88th anniversary of the birth of Fela Kuti.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Amadou & Mariam Share Swooning “L’amour à la folie”

Over the course of their almost 50-year career run together, the iconic and beloved Malian duo Amadou & Mariam have had an illustrious career that saw them take the Malian blues that made them a household name in Africa and opened it up to rock, hip-hop and EDM/dance influences, which led to spreading their country’s culture and beloved sounds, as well as the pair’s unique joie de vivre. “We’ve always dreamed of tearing down walls and opening people’s ears to new sounds so the whole world can discover and appreciate Malian music,” Amadou & Mariam says.

Late last year, the pair released the compilation album La Vie Est Belle, an album that highlighted their legacy as one of Africa’s most famous duos and the massive influence they’ve had while paving the way for an exciting, new generation of African artists, who have begun to dominate the Western mainstream.

The legendary Malian duo have also acted as Afro-pop ambassadors, who have collaborated with some of the biggest names of Western mainstream music, including U2, Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Sofi Tucker, BLOND:ISH, Santigold, Akon, TV on the Radio, Damon Albarn and David Gilmour — with their seven studio albums selling over one million records globally. Adding to a globally recognized profile, the duo made the rounds of the global festival circuit, playing sets at Coachella, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury. They’ve also performed at The World Cup, NPR’s Tiny Desk and last year’s Paris Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony, where they covered Serge Gainsbourg‘s “Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je Me’n Vais.” And lastly, they made the run of the late night TV circuits of both the US and UK.

The duo’s final album together, L’amour à la folie is slated for an October 24, 2025 release. Written and recorded together over the past seven years, the acclaimed and beloved Malian duo’s soon-to-be released eighth album conveys the duo’s raw joy through incandescent, exuberant music that perfectly complements their messages of love and unity — and the hope of a peaceful world in which diversity is celebrated and championed. And with love with a capital L as the driving force, music and fuel and sharing as the spark, the duo’s radiant power continues to shine on their final album.

Final mixes of the album’s material were completed last winter. They shared a deep excitement about the album’s release in October. But sadly, Amadou Bagayoko died back in April. It’s Mariam Doumbia’s wish, after the mourning period, to return to stages and perform the album she spent seven years working on with her beloved while celebrating the music and life her and beloved created.

L’amour à la folie‘s latest single, album title track “L’amour à la folie,” is a defiantly upbeat and urgent declaration of a swooning and ridiculously passionate love, featuring a propulsive and funky Afro pop-meets-dance floor groove, driving polyrhythm and Bagayako’s woozy guitar riff paired with the duo’s unerring knack for incredibly catchy hooks and their imitable harmonizing. And at its core, “L’amour á la folie,”is a much-needed joy bomb in bleak, desperate times that reminds all of us that life isn’t worth a damn without a love that drives you mad.

The accompanying video features footage of the pair performing on stages across the world, bursts of behind the scenes footage from video and album art shoots, small moments of families together, behind the scenes footage of the duo together and more.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: LohArano Shares Bruising “Rodo (The Reign of Outlaws)”

Over the past couple of years of this site’s 15 year history, I’ve managed to spill copious amounts of virtual ink covering Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano. Since their formation, the Malagasy metal outfit  — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

The Madagascar-based outfit’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy youth that still honors, reveres and respects the traditions and practices of their culture and elders, while also being deeply inspired by contemporary, Western genres and styles. 

The JOVM’s latest EP YMAIMA as the band explains is “a mirror. It’s a finger pointed at a truth we’d rather keep quiet.” Thematically and lyrically, the EP’s material takes an unvarnished and unflinchingly honest look at the often brutal reality of their homeland, “which bleeds between muffled cries and complicit silence” they say.

Earlier this month I wrote about “Mpaka Taova (Organ Dealer),” arguably one of the most abrasive, Suicidal Tendencies-meets-Body Count-like tracks that they’ve released to date while retaining the accessible, mosh pit friendliness that they’ve long been known for. The song as the band explains talks about organ dealers who kidnap children. Frequently, these child victims are later found mutated — or never found at all. The song serves as a forceful refusal to forget these victims and cries out for justice for them.

YMAIMA EP‘s latest single “Rodo” is a System of a Down-like ripper full of weird time signature and tempo changes, bruising riffage, thunderous drumming paired with Ravoajanahary punchily delivered shouts and howls. The song as the band explains shines a spotlight on the dahalo (traditionally zebu thieves), who have transformed into more organized and violent groups, quickly become a symbol of the country’s disorder and insecurity, as these groups pillage communities across the island nation. The band mentions that musically, the song is inspired by Kilalaky music and dance, which originated in southwestern Madagascar. The music is frequently played during dahalo celebrations after a successful zebu theft.

They go on to say that the song thematically recounts a day in the life of a fictional dahalo, delving into the mental, spiritual and physical preparation until the moment he and his crew clash with locals and police officers in the village they wanted to pillage. The song — with an almost lived-in accuracy — describes the chaos of these violent clashes, including manhunts across the countryside, members of the crew getting caught and burned alive by villagers and ad desperately hasty retreat into the bush. This leads to a vicious and seemingly endless cycle of vengeance for our song’s narrator.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstays LohArano Share Energetic Visual for “Bae Nosy”

Throughout the course of this site’s 15 year history, I’ve spilled a ton of virtual ink on the Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano. Since their formation, the Malagasy metal outfit  — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

The Madagascar-based outfit’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy youth that still honors, reveres and respects the traditions and practices of their culture and elders, while also being deeply inspired by contemporary, Western genres and styles.

Back in 2023, the JOVM mainstays released the Bae Nosy EP, a title, which roughly translates into English as “beloved island.” EP title track “Bae Nosy” is an urgent, mosh pit friendly ripper built around rumbling down-tuned bass, thunderous drumming and Tom Morello-like guitar work paired with Mahalia Ravoajanahary’s furious roar. And at its core, the song evokes a real sense of nihilism and ennui, informed by the fact that the world is on fire and that everything is fleeting. So might as well have some fun while everything burns around us, right?

Recently, “Bae Nosy” was used as the theme song for season 3, episode 6 of the hit Paramount+ show Yellowjackets. And with the growing attention around the band, they shared a music video for the song, directed by Tsiory Andrianamanana.

The accompanying video features the trio in what appears to be a paper-strewn abandoned building. Throughout we see the band doing a mix of traditional Malagasy dancing, headbanging, moshing and just melting faces while displaying their remarkable energy.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: R.I.P. Amadou Bagayoko!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the life and music of Amadou & Mariam’s Amadou Bagayoko.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Michael O. Shares a Yearning Yet Catchy Bop

Michael O. is a New York-born, Portland, ME-raised singer/songwriter, who grew up within a fusion of American, Black American and Nigerian culture. His work is honors his upbringing and his roots rand is deeply inspired by both. And through his remarkably accessible music, he hopes to make avenues for the African Diaspora to connect, as well as to inspire all nationalities across the globe to tap into their respective ancestral lineages.

He attended Dartmouth, where he double majored in Global Health and History and joined an a cappella singing group, The Dartmouth Aires. The group participated on NBC’s The Sing-Off, finishing in second place, which helped the rising artist earn a national and international attention, as well as praise from the show’s judges, Ben Folds and Boyz II Men‘s Shawn Stockman.

After The Sing-Off, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he released his debut EP, 2013’s In The Beginning. Within 24 hours of its release, the EP cracked iTunes R&B Charts Top 5. The EP was also Northern New England’s best selling EP.

He appeared in 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2, playing the role of The Singboks’ lead singer, soloing with “Anywhere You Want It.” He was also featured on Pitch Perfect 2‘s American Music Award-winning, commercially successful soundtrack.

Back in 2017, he began diving deeper into West African and African-influenced music , winning a HAPA Best Upcoming Artist Award for that year’s “Your Way.” He followed that up with “Umbrella” “See Stars” and two remixes of “Umbrella — one sung in French and the second remix featuring Kenyan star Naiboi. Adding to a growing international profile, he has collaborated with FlexCop, Option4 and Gladiator.

Michael O.’s latest single “Attention” continues a run of remarkably breezy, accessible an downright catchy pop that meshes elements of Sade-like Quiet Storm R&B and Afrobeats paired with the rising artist’s plaintive, yearning delivery. At its core, the song is a love song for the grown and sexy out there.

“‘Attention’ dives deep into the emotions of a relationship unraveling,” Michael O. explains. The track captures the bittersweet beauty of accepting a relationship that’s ended — even if they didn’t want it to happen. “‘Attention’ is both a personal confession and a universal anthem for anyone navigating love’s complexities. This track is for everyone who’s been there—questioning themselves, searching for closure, and coming to terms with an ending they didn’t want but couldn’t stop.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Jupiter & Okwess Shares Defiantly Upbeat Banger

Jean-Pierre “Jupiter” Bokondji is a Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born and-based bandleader, songwriter and percussionist, who can trace the origins of his music career to his childhood: Bokondji’s grandmother was a traditional healer, who got introduced him to music by having him attend religious ceremonies and funerals, which he later would play percussion. 

His father was a Congolese diplomat, who received a post at the Congolese embassy in East Berlin — and as a result, the family relocated to Germany. While in Germany Bokondji started his first band Der Neger, an act that meshed the Mongo music of his native Congo with the European rock of his German-born bandmates. 

When his father’s post ended, the family returned to Kinshasa in the 1980s. Upon his family’s return, Bokondji traveled around the country listening to the music of the country’s different tribes, eventually developing and honing his own style and sound. In 1984, he formed a band called Bongofolk — and in 1990, he formed his best known and longest running band Okwess International, which currently features Staff Benda Bilili’s Montana (drums), Yendé (bass), Eric (guitar), Richard (guitar) and Blaise (vocals). 

When Jupiter was young, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a diplomat. But, as he says, “Destiny is complicated. Life changed, and my life was making music on the streets in Kinshasa. But now we are performing all over the world, doing interviews, telling the world about the Congolese people – well, now I have the chance to be a diplomat. I did it differently.” 

In the years immediately after their formation, the members of Jupiter & Okwess toured across Africa, playing a crowd-pleasing mix of Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk and rock paired with strong sociopolitical messages that Bokondji has dubbed “bofenia rock.” But unfortunately, as they saw increased popularity, a bloody civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the band’s members fled to Europe as a result of the war; however, Bokondji remained in Kinshasa. And as the war died down, the Congolese songwriter, bandleader and percussionist saw a resurgence of his popularity. 

Bokondji was featured in the 2006 documentary film Jupiter’s Dance. The film brought him to the attention of British producers and musicians: The following year Blur‘s and Gorillaz‘s Damon Albarn and Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja first visited Kinshasa. That first trip spurred various collaborations with Jupiter & Okwess opening for Blur and guesting on Albarn’s 2012 album Kinshasa One Two. Bokondji and his bandmates also joined the Africa Express tour and made the rounds of the global festival circuit, including sets at  Glastonbury Festival and Way Out West. Adding to a rapidly growing international profile, the act released their then-long-awaited full-length debut, 2013’s Hotel Univers.

In 2013, Massive Attack remixed “Jupiter (Battle Box).” As a result of this breakout success, the band toured across the UK, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand and France. 

The Kinshasa-based act’s sophomore effort, 2018’s Kin Sonic saw the band drawing from sounds outside of their homeland, incorporating elements of modern, contemporary music to the mix. The Afropop outfit supported the album with 180 dates across the globe, including performing in the Paris production of Abderrahmane Sissako and Damon Albarn’s opera Le Vol du Boli.

Their third album, 2021’s Na Kazonga saw the Congolese outfit meshing an array of sounds from across the African Diaspora including traditional African music, disco, jazz, New Orleans brass, samba and soul while still remaining committed to conscious, sociopolitical lyrics and a strong sense of purpose. 

The acclaimed Congolese outfit’s fourth album, Ekoya is slated for a February 7, 2025 release through Airfono. The album represents a new chapter for the band, as the material sees the band blending their signature mix of soulful Congolese funk, rock and soukous with influences from Mexico and across Latin America, informed by cross-cultural encounters and drawing from the shared history of African people in two continents. 

Ekoya was conceived in 2020 when the Congolese band were touring across South America, a tour shaped by the specter of lockdowns and interruptions. Once the tour was finished, the band was forced to pause in Mexico for a period of time, before returning home. For the band, it was a transformative experience, as they found themselves immersed in Latin American culture. “Latin America has influenced us a lot… but our music hasn’t changed, it has just been given a new dimension,” Bokondji says. “When we were there, we discovered things that pushed us to think differently. Because it’s like a continuation of Africa. There are people there who have African roots, Congolese roots – they are part of the story of Africa. They are part of us, and they are a part of our music.” 

Recorded in Mexico rather than the band’s hometown, the album explores themes of change and resilience, of Indigenous peoples’ issues and the joys and struggles of everyday life. The 12-song album features guest spots from Brazilian singer Flavia Coelho, Mexican Zapotec rapper Mare Advertencia and Congolese singer Soyi Nsele — and lyrics in eight different languages. The album sees the band as both proudly Congolese and profoundly global. 

The band explains that when it came time to record the album, Mexico was a natural destination with the band recording material in studios in Guadalajara and Mexico City, while working with a series of producers including Mexican Institute of Sound’s Camilo Lara. 

Late last year, I wrote about album single “Les Bons Comptes,” a collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals and a soulful contribution from Coelho. While being a soulful and effortless mix of Africa and South America, the song is rooted in the conscious, sociopolitical charged lyrics and warm welcoming spirit the Congolese outfit is known for. But the song is also underpinned by a desire to be the connective tissue and soul of the global African Diaspora.

Ekoya‘s second and latest single “Congo Blinders” is a joyous track anchored around collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals, a relentless four-on-the-four drum pattern and a fiery guitar solo. Much like its immediate predecessor, “Congo Blinders” further cements the Congolese outfit’s uncanny knack for pairing catchy hooks, hypnotic grooves with defiantly upbeat, politically charged messages.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Jupiter & Okwess Teams Up with Flavia Coehlo on a Globalist Banger

Jean-Pierre “Jupiter” Bokondji is a Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born and-based bandleader, songwriter and percussionist, who can trace the origins of his music career to his childhood: Bokondji’s grandmother was a traditional healer, who got introduced him to music by having him attend religious ceremonies and funerals, which he later would play percussion.

His father was a Congolese diplomat, who received a post at the Congolese embassy in East Berlin — and as a result, the family relocated to Germany. While in Germany Bokondji started his first band Der Neger, an act that meshed the Mongo music of his native Congo with the European rock of his German-born bandmates.

When his father’s post ended, the family returned to Kinshasa in the 1980s. Upon his family’s return, Bokondji traveled around the country listening to the music of the country’s different tribes, eventually developing and honing his own style and sound. In 1984, he formed a band called Bongofolk — and in 1990, he formed his best known and longest running band Okwess International, which currently features Staff Benda Bilili’s Montana (drums), Yendé (bass), Eric (guitar), Richard (guitar) and Blaise (vocals). 

In the years immediately after their formation, the members of Jupiter & Okwess toured across Africa, playing a crowd-pleasing mix of Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk and rock paired with strong sociopolitical messages that Bokondji has dubbed “bofenia rock.” But unfortunately, as they saw increased popularity, a bloody civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the band’s members fled to Europe as a result of the war; however, Bokondji remained in Kinshasa. And as the war died down, the Congolese songwriter, bandleader and percussionist saw a resurgence of his popularity. 

Bokondji was featured in the 2006 documentary film Jupiter’s Dance. The film brought him to the attention of British producers and musicians: The following year Blur‘s and Gorillaz‘s Damon Albarn and Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja first visited Kinshasa. That first trip spurred various collaborations with Jupiter & Okwess opening for Blur and guesting on Albarn’s 2012 album Kinshasa One Two. Bokondji and his bandmates also joined the Africa Express tour and made the rounds of the global festival circuit, including sets at Glastonbury Festival and Way Out West. Adding to a rapidly growing international profile, the act released their then-long-awaited full-length debut, 2013’s Hotel Univers.

In 2013, Massive Attack remixed “Jupiter (Battle Box).” As a result of this breakout success, the band toured across the UK, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand and France.

The Kinshasa-based act’s sophomore effort, 2018’s Kin Sonic saw the band drawing from sounds outside of their homeland, incorporating elements of modern, contemporary music to the mix. The Afropop outfit supported the album with 180 dates across the globe, including performing in the Paris production of Abderrahmane Sissako and Damon Albarn’s opera Le Vol du Boli.

Their third album, 2021’s Na Kazonga saw the Congolese outfit meshing an array of sounds from across the African Diaspora including traditional African music, disco, jazz, New Orleans brass, samba and soul while still remaining committed to conscious, sociopolitical lyrics and a strong sense of purpose.

The acclaimed Congolese outfit’s fourth album, Ekoya is slated for a February 7, 2025 release through Airfono. The album represents a new chapter for the band, as the material sees the band blending their signature mix of soulful Congolese funk, rock and soukous with influences from Mexico and across Latin America, informed by cross-cultural encounters and drawing from the shared history of African people in two continents.

Ekoya was conceived in 2020 when the Congolese band were touring across South America, a tour shaped by the specter of lockdowns and interruptions. Once the tour was finished, the band was forced to pause in Mexico for a period of time, before returning home. For the band, it was a transformative experience, as they found themselves immersed in Latin American culture. “Latin America has influenced us a lot… but our music hasn’t changed, it has just been given a new dimension,” Bokondji says. “When we were there, we discovered things that pushed us to think differently. Because it’s like a continuation of Africa. There are people there who have African roots, Congolese roots – they are part of the story of Africa. They are part of us, and they are a part of our music.” 

Recorded in Mexico rather than the band’s hometown, the album explores themes of change and resilience, of Indigenous peoples’ issues and the joys and struggles of everyday life. The 12-song album features guest spots from Brazilian singer Flavia Coelho, Mexican Zapotec rapper Mare Advertencia and Congolese singer Soyi Nsele — and lyrics in eight different languages. The album sees the band as both proudly Congolese and profoundly global.

The band explains that when it came time to record the album, Mexico was a natural destination with the band recording material in studios in Guadalajara and Mexico City, while working with a series of producers including Mexican Institute of Sound’s Camilo Lara.

Ekoya’s latest single “Les Bons Comptes” is a collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals and a soulful contribution from Coelho. While being a soulful and effortless mix of Africa and South America, the song is rooted in the conscious, sociopolitical charged lyrics and warm welcoming spirit the Congolese outfit is known for. But the song is also underpinned by a desire to be the connective tissue and soul of the global African Diaspora.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Mariaa Siga Performs “Boukanck” at Sensor Club

Over the past handful of years, I’ve spilled quite a bit of virtual ink covering Senegalese singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay Mariaa Siga. 

Siga continues an ongoing collaboration with ODDY on the slow-burning and heartfelt “Boukanack,” which pairs a shuffling and twinkling reggae riddims, bursts of soulful and meditative horn with the Senegalese JOVM mainstay’s gorgeous and expressive delivery. “Boukanack” continues a run of material that blurs and transcends cultural and international boundaries while celebrating diversity in all forms. With “Boukanack” in particular, the song is anchored in a much-needed message of peace and hope for all humanity. 

Recently, the Senegalese JOVM mainstay recorded a solo live session of “Boukanack,” that’s completely stripped down to Siga accompanying herself on guitar. The live version of ” Boukanack” gets down to the basics — songwriter, vocal and song — while reminding us that the star of the show is always her effortless and gorgeous vocal.