Wiz Designer/Instagram
African music never sleeps, and neither does Leonel.
Wiz Designer â âNi Mutuze Peâ
From Burundi: Burundian deejay Wiz Designer is a natural crowd mover; his commanding presence, his impeccable beat selection and emphasis on immediacy set him apart from so many other fellow countrymen connecting the worlds of dancehall and urban pop. His tunes stand out due to his effortless, matter-of-fact delivery, but in the case of âNi Mutuze Peâ, letâs not fool ourselves, itâs mainly the funk bass. That low end jumps on you and never lets go.
Talon Pillon x Gwada Maga â âBinta Bidhonâ
From Guinea: And speaking of dancehall, like, real-ass, piano sprinkled, digital tumpa tumpa dancehall, it doesnât get any better than this. Gwadaâs shouty, humorous flow and Talonâs heavy autotune are a match made in heaven.
Habib Fatako â âGuidhoâ
From Guinea: Habib Fatakoâs voice is one of Guinean musicâs best on the strength of his melismatic ability. He goes up and down the scales almost as cleanly as the guitar (playing kora moves, by the way), and he does need to do much in the way of phrasings; there are times he just lets the beat breath and guide the way.
VDA â âMĂŽgĂŽ KĂ©lĂ©â
From Ivory Coast/Mali: Zouglou legends VDA are the kind of group you expect a song like this from; part pop single, part diplomatic effort, âMĂŽgĂŽ KĂ©lĂ©â speaks about unity, and the pride of sister nations Mali and Cote DâIvoire, pictures of their presidents and all. Whatâs more surprising though, is the fact that the vocal layering and harmonies to be this compelling. Just listen to those coming together as one.
BebĂ© Cool â âBoss Ladyâ
From Uganda: Luga flow is getting bouncier and bouncier lately; yes, the genre has always taken serious cues from dancehall and soca (especially soca in its more melodious elements), but the East African log drum sounds prevail and the artists are getting more committed to fusing their countries traditional sensibilities while making it accessible to continent-wide pop markets. And yes, âBoss Ladyâ is a textbook example of this trend, in all of its afropop glory.
Bonus Jams: