Tag: African music

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Les Amazones d’Afrique Share Sleek and Righteous “Kuma Fo (What They Say)”

Founded in Bamako back in 2014 by three renowned Malian artists and social change activities Mamani Keïta, Oumou Sangaré and Amadou & Mariam‘s Mariam Doumbia, Les Amazones d’Afrique is a All-Star collective of female, West African artists that embraces international voices through a meshing of heritage and new generation talent while advocating for the rights of women and girls across the continent and elsewhere. Since their formation, the collective has expanded to involve female artists from across Africa and the African Diaspora, including Angélique Kidjo, Nneka, and rising Malian artist Rokia Koné.

Through the release of two critically applauded, Doctor L-produced albums, 2017’s République Amazone, which landed on The Guardian‘s Top 50 of 2017 and 2020’s Amazones Power, which was featured on President Barack Obama’s Spotify playlist, the collective firmly cemented a sound that blends a number of African styles and richly melodic, collaborative harmonies with gritty, contemporary pop. Adding to a growing profile internationally, the members of the pan-African collective have played Glastonbury Festival‘s Pyramid Stage and BBC’s Later . . . with Jools Holland.

Les Amazones d’Afrique’s third album, the forthcoming Jacknife Lee-produced Musow Danse is slated for a February 16, 2023 release through Real World Records. The album reportedly sees the collective embracing a contemporary pop that draws from contemporary hip-hop and trap and is driven by 808s and glitchy synths while still vociferously campaigning for gender equality and the eradication of ancestral violence.

The All-Star collective’s latest single, and first off their forthcoming album, the sleek and hyper modern “Kuma Fo (What They Say)” features five members of the collective — longtime members Mamani Keïta, Fafa Ruffino and Kandy Guira and new members Alvie Bitemo, an activist and actress from Congo-Brazzaville and renowned Ivorian artist Dobet Gnahoré — singing in the native languages from Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso, C’ôte d’Ivoire, and Congo-Brazzaville. Built around stuttering 808s, glitchy synths and the collective’s gorgeous powerhouse vocals, “Kuma Fo (What They Say)” is a seamless synthesis of the ancient and contemporary that’s roomy enough for each artist to showcase their unique talents while still rooted in a powerfully relevant social message, advocating for women to step out and seize their place at the proverbial table.

“‘Kuma Fo’ is about women’s freedom of expression.” Alvie Bitemo says. “It’s about speaking up — not asking, not waiting for us to be given the floor. We need to seize it.”

When you look at the Amazons of Dahomey, it was female warriors who made the decisions and took power. It feels like since colonization, certain countries in Africa have moved further away from women’s rights. And in this song, we say that if you bring life into the world, you educate, you organize the family, then you should reclaim your power: your female power.”

Directed by Valérie Malot and Odhrán Mullan, the gorgeous and cinematically shot video was mostly shot in Morocco during the collective’s visit to perform at last summer’s Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira — and displays the collective’s women with their regal, self-assured power and in gorgeous traditional outfits.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Partisan Records to Release Idris Elba-Curated Sixth Box Set Reissue Compilation of Fela Kuti and Shares Funky “Stalemate”

Fela Kuti (1938-1997) was a pioneering Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer and an eccentric, political radical, outlaw and originator of Afrobeat, whose musical and sociopolitical legacy spans decades and genres — with his work drawing from jazz, pop, rock, funk, soul, traditional Yoruba and Igbo music and Nigerian highlife among others.

While Kuti is a beloved icon in his native Nigeria, he didn’t receive much international attention during his lifetime. However, over the past 10-15 years, there has been a broad resurgence in his popularity and a critical re-evaluation of his life, music and influence.

Back in 2008, the Jay-Z and Will Smith co-produced biographical musical Fela! was a surprise hit off-Broadway and then later on Broadway. Since then, Beyoncé performed Fela’s “Zombie” at Coachella, he has been referred to as influencer by a diverse array of artists from Paul McCartney to Questlove and his work has been sampled by Missy Elliot, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Nas and more. And Vice President Kamala Harris has even used Kuti’s music at her and President Joe Biden’s first joint public event together.

Partisan Records recently announced Box Set #6, the latest installment in an ongoing series of expansive box set reissues of Fela Kuti’s beloved, expansive and influential back catalog. Following on from previous editions curated by Chris Martin, Erykah Badu, Ginger Baker, Brian Eno and Questlove, the sixth edition is curated by actor, producer, DJ, rapper and vocalist Idris Elba, a.k.a. Big Driis, and features 1972’s Open & Close, 1980’s Music of Many Colours, 1977’s Stalemate, 1977’s I Go Shout Plenty!!, 1983’s Live in Amsterdam and 1977’s Opposite People.

Limited to 5,000 copies, the set features artwork for each album meticulously recreated from the original vinyl pressings, alongside vintage vinyl label artwork, a 24-page booklet featuring lyrics, commentaries on each record by noted Afrobeat historian Chris May, never-before-seen photos and an introduced from Elba. And all sets come accompanied by a special 16″ x 24″ poster designed by Remi Ghariokwu, the creative force behind many of Kuti’s seminal album covers.

To celebrate the announcement is the digital release of “Statement (Edit)” drawn from the A-side title track of the album also included in the collection. Built around a laconic yet irresistibly funky groove, the song features Kuti musing on the face-off Nigeria’s military regime and the social groups, who made up the bulk of his audience: students, intellectuals and sufferheads (as he called the urban working class). It’s perfect mid-late 70s Fela Kuti pairing deep groove with urgent sociopolitical messages.

Box Set # 6 is slated for a December 1, 2023 release. Be on the lookout y’all.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Mariaa Siga Shares Breezy and Uplifting “Mame Bamba”

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past couple of years, you’d probably recall that I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of virtual ink covering Senegalese-born and-based singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay Mariaa Siga. 

So far, Siga has released three singles, which I’ve written about on this site:

  • “Le murmure des anges,” a track that saw her collaborating with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and buoyant reggae riddim paired with a slow-burning and soulful guitar solo and the Senegalese-born and-based artist’s expressive delivery. “Le murmure des angels” is a song that does two things — give thanks to the enteral while reminding listeners that they should listen to the little voice inside of us, which arms us with much-needed confidence; that voice that frequently says “You know, you got this. You know you’re dope.” 

  • “Ni Mama,” which in her native Diola means “I’m Leaving” sees the JOVM mainstay continuing her ongoing collaboration with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and breezily upbeat reggae riddim paired with wah wah pedalled guitar, shimmering keys serving as a supple bed for the Senegalese artist’s effortlessly soulful and earnest vocal. “Ni Mama” features lyrics in both her native Diola and in French that discuss a familiar sensation for many of us — the need to escape things when daily pressure and stress becomes overwhelming.

  • The FissBassBeats-produced “Daaray Dunya,” a track that saw the Senegalese artist alternating between singing and spitting bars about the difficulties young people face in a mad, mad, mad, mad world while still continuing to hold on to the belief that they have bright future ahead of them. FissBassBeats contributes a tweeter and woofer rattling drill production featuring looped guitar, skittering beats and deep low end. While “Daaray Dunya” is a bit of a sonic departure from her previously released singles, it continues the Senegalese artist’s unique meshing of the ancient and the modern.

Siga’s fourth single, “Mame Bamba” was recorded in Montpelier, France and continues her ongoing collaboration with Artikal Band. Built around a lush and soulful reggae-influenced riddim featuring a supple bass line, shuffling rhythm and twinkling keys paired with the Senegalese JOVM mainstay’s gorgeous vocal, “Mame Bamba” much like the previously released material pairs social messages with breezy and uplifting arrangements.

The Senegalese JOVM mainstay explains that the song pays tribute to Cheikh Amadou Bamba, a Senegalese poet and the founder of the Mouride Brotherhood, a Sufi Islamic sect best known for its focus on work and non-violent resistance to the French.

Directed by Mao Sidbé, the accompanying video reverentially honors Senegalese women, showcasing their industriousness, their beauty and kindness.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay Vincent Bugozi Shares Earnest and Summery “Be Honest”

Vincent Bugozi is a Tanzanian-born, London-based artist, bandleader and JOVM mainstay. Along with his backing band, Bugozi specializes in a genre-defying and crowd-pleasing take on Afro Pop that meshes elements of of Afrobeat, reggae, Afro-Cuban music and pop among others.

The Tanzanian-born, London-based artist and his backing band aim to combine the sounds of different cultures to connect people through music and an energetic live show — and help bring positivity and unity in a world that desperately needs it. Bugozi and company will be releasing their latest album AFRICAN SEBA! later this year. Inspired by Tanzanian Tinga Tinga art, AFRICAN SEBA! sees the act drawing inspiration from an eclectic array of sources and collaborating with a collection of musicians from the United Kingdom and European Union, while still deeply rooted in the sounds and styles of Africa. Thematically, the album’s material touches upon the “big themes” — love, sorrow and joy. Interestingly enough, the album will be his first multilingual album. 

So far I’ve written about three of the album’s singles:

  • “Tinga Tinga,” a breezy, genre-smashing banger featuring skittering dancehall-meet-trap beats, 80s Quiet Storm soul-like saxophone and twinkling keys paired with Bugozi’s plaintive vocals and an infectious, razor sharp hook. Pulling from a variety of sounds and styles across the African Diaspora, the song manages to be a wildly accessible bop that will get a lounge or a club rocking and grooving. 

  • “Bossa Nova” is a slickly produced, seamlessly mesh of elements of Afro-pop, reggaeton and Bossa Nova that further cements Bugozi and company’s unerring knack for catchy hooks. 

  • “African Fever,” a track that continues a remarkable run of crowd-pleasing bops featuring a production that meshes elements of dancehall, Afropop, Afrobeats and contemporary electro pop paired with a sultry, dance floor rocking groove.

AFRICAN SEBA!‘s fourth and latest single “Be Honest” pairs Bugozi’s plaintive and yearning R&B delivery with paired with a sleek, glitchy club and lounge friendly production featuring skittering beats, wobbling low end and glistening synth arpeggios and the JOVM mainstay’s unerring knack for catching hooks. But underneath the slick, club friendly production is an earnest, lived-in plea to a lover — or love interest — for honesty, before their heart is unnecessarily broken.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Lyric Video: JOVM Mainstay Mariaa Siga Teams up with FissBassBeats on a Banger

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

So far this year, she has released two singles which I’ve written about:

  • “Le murmure des anges,” a track that saw her collaborating with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and buoyant reggae riddim paired with a slow-burning and soulful guitar solo and the Senegalese-born and-based artist’s expressive delivery. “Le murmure des angels” is a song that does two things — give thanks to the enteral while reminding listeners that they should listen to the little voice inside of us, which arms us with much-needed confidence; that voice that frequently says “You know, you got this. You know you’re dope.” 

  • “Ni Mama,” which in her native Diola means “I’m Leaving” sees the JOVM mainstay continuing her ongoing collaboration with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and breezily upbeat reggae riddim paired with wah wah pedalled guitar, shimmering keys serving as a supple bed for the Senegalese artist’s effortlessly soulful and earnest vocal. “Ni Mama” features lyrics in both her native Diola and in French that discuss a familiar sensation for many of us — the need to escape things when daily pressure and stress becomes overwhelming.

The JOVM mainstay’s latest single “Daaray Dunya,” was produced by FissBassBeats and sees the Senegalese artist singing and rhyming about the difficulties young people, who struggle to get by in a mad, mad, mad world, and yet continue to believe that they have a bright future. FissBassBeats contributes a tweeter and woofer rattling drill production featuring looped guitar, skittering beats and deep low end. While “Daaray Dunya” is a bit of a sonic departure from her previously released singles, it continues the Senegalese artist’s unique meshing of the ancient and the modern.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Lyric Video: JOVM Mainstay Mariaa Siga Shares Breezy Ni Mama”

Over the past couple of years, I’ve spilled quite a bit of virtual ink covering Senegalese-born and-based singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay Mariaa Siga. As you might remember, Siga started off 2023 with “Le murmure des anges,” a track that saw her collaborating with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and buoyant reggae riddim paired with a slow-burning and soulful guitar solo and the Senegalese-born and-based artist’s expressive delivery. “Le murmure des angels” is a song that does two things — give thanks to the enteral while reminding listeners that they should listen to the little voice inside of us, which arms us with much-needed confidence; that voice that frequently says “You know, you got this. You know you’re dope.” 

Siga’s latest single “Ni Mama,” which in her native Diola means “I’m Leaving” sees the JOVM mainstay continuing her ongoing collaboration with Artikal Band, who contribute a shuffling and breezily upbeat reggae riddim paired with wah wah pedalled guitar, shimmering keys serving as a supple bed for the Senegalese artist’s effortlessly soulful and earnest vocal. “Ni Mama” features lyrics in both her native Diola and in French that discuss a familiar sensation for many of us — the need to escape things when daily pressure and stress becomes overwhelming.

singer/songwriters by William Ruben Helms

Last night, I DJ’ed for the first time at Clem’s. I was a little nervous at first — it was my first public DJ set in which regulars, friends, loved ones and strangers would be hearing what I selected. But it turned out to be a lot of fun.

I’m now sharing the set with y’all. Four + hours of soul, funk, house music and more. Put on your dancing shoes and get on down!