I’m taking cues from Africa is a Country’s contributors this week. First up, Boima dropped by Amsterdam’s African Hip-Hop radio’s studio and delivered this set. One of the tracks featured on there is ‘TOHL’ (above) by Togo-born tabi Bonney (real name: Tabiabuè — father: Itadi Bonney), featuring Fat Trel. I don’t believe it was aired on Dutch radio before. Next, Mali-born Abdoulaye Diarra aka Oxmo Puccino (I could have sworn Hinda already featured him in one of the Paris is a Continent posts): 

Etzia is part of the Swedish women’s dancehall reggae movement Femtastic. This is her most recent ‘Same Thing A Gwaan’:

Mikko (he knows his Nordic music) adds: “There’s also the more poptastic Serengeti with their new video, or one of their older ones.”

In ‘Izulu Lelam’ (“heaven is mine”), Cape Town’s Driemanskap family express their trust in a brighter afterlife. This is the first video from their forthcoming second album Hlala Nam:

Then The Weeknd’s saccharine ‘Enemy’ (H/T Dylan) — Abel Tesfaye likes to quote Haile Selassie, but here he channels Morrissey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3VIh8ZB-M8

Orlando’s piece on Hassan Hajjaj’s work (later reprinted in The Guardian as a wonderful spread) carried a photo of gnawa-player and Electric Jalaba member Simo Lagnawi together with Paris-based Kora-player Boubacar Kafando. Here’s an Electric Jalaba living room gig:

… and another live performance: the new project “Acoustic Africa: Afropean Women” is a collaboration between Côte d’Ivoire singer and percussionist Dobet Gnahoré, Manou Gallo, former Zap Mama bassist, and Cameroonian singer Kareyce Fotso. Siddhartha wrote a feature on them for The Boston Globe this week (they’re performing there). Here they are on stage in Bamako:

Ugochi plugged her latest music video on AIAC’s Facebook wall the other day, calling it “a product of my Naija root and Chicago soul influence”. It takes a while before the actual tune starts:

Football player Vincent Kompany — this is for Sean and Elliot — is getting into the music business. I read in the local (Belgian) press that he has plans to start up a new music label. Belgian-Congolese Coely already got a phone call:

And to wrap up the week: Zambian Zone Fam’s new video, shot in Nairobi. They’re getting big:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HMt7cp4yLA

That’s it, back on Monday!

Further Reading