Wherever the sun is in the sky, it’s the right time for new music. Here’s this week’s collection.

French producer Débruit’s entrancing beats act as a surprisingly strong compliment to Sudanese singer Alsarah’s mesmerizing vocals. Gorgeous otherworldly visuals in the video for “Jibal Alnuba” off the two artists’ new collaboration album aljawal الجوال (The Traveler), blend with the music to make the whole ensemble an impressive creation.

Fata, Mbaye Dieye and Waly Seck demonstrate just how naturally hip-hop blends with popular Senegalese Mbalax rhythms in “Nguenté”.

MC/Singer Esperanzah Denswil from Holland by way of Suriname transforms into her captivating, resurrected alter ego Pink Oculus in her new single “Sweat”. And she certainly knows how to weave a story: “Legend has it that Pink Oculus once made a journey through the Egyptian desert with just a pouch of gold dust, 8 pairs of phoenix wings and a drink of water. This journey lasted 13 days and 13 nights and when she had found her way back to her homeland all her hair had gone from black to bright pink.”

The Finest Lady of South African house DJ CNDO delivers another addictive track with “Intokazi”.

Elevating Cameroonian hip-hop are JOVI and Eko Roosevelt in the jazz-infused “Bush Faller”.

Color saturated footage from the cellphone of South African producer MUZI acts as fitting visuals for the intense driving energy of his banger “SYMBOLS”. Download MUZI’s Bundu FX EP here.

Mozambican singer Kakana’s voice exudes positive vibes amidst vibrant colors in “Xiluva”.

Young South African singer Nakhane Toure proves he’s one to look out for in his passionate first single, “Fog”. In the video, simple black and white visuals show how complex identity can feel.

Leather and levitation characterize the high energy Duas Caras & Trez Agah track “Um em um milhão”.

Kanana and Rabbit are the Kenyan Bonnie and Clyde in “Ni Mapenzi Tu”.

And as a bonus this week we have the new single from Ghanaian singer Jojo Abot, the unique electronic-jazz fusion “Aim Straight”. With such a dynamic voice, Jojo is poised for takeover.

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Further Reading

On Safari

On our year-end publishing break, we reflect on how 2024’s contradictions reveal a fractured world grappling with inequality, digital activism, and the blurred lines between action and spectacle.

Rebuilding Algeria’s oceans

Grassroots activists and marine scientists in Algeria are building artificial reefs to restore biodiversity and sustain fishing communities, but scaling up requires more than passion—it needs institutional support and political will.

Ibaaku’s space race

Through Afro-futurist soundscapes blending tradition and innovation, Ibaaku’s new album, ‘Joola Jazz,’ reshapes Dakar’s cultural rhythm and challenges the legacy of Négritude.

An allegiance to abusers

This weekend, Chris Brown will perform two sold-out concerts in South Africa. His relationship to the country reveals the twisted dynamic between a black American artist with a track record of violence and a country happy to receive him.

Shell’s exit scam

Shell’s so-called divestment from Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a calculated move to evade accountability, leaving behind both environmental and economic devastation.

Africa’s sibling rivalry

Nigeria and South Africa have a fraught relationship marked by xenophobia, economic competition, and cultural exchange. The Nigerian Scam are joined by Khanya Mtshali to discuss the dynamics shaping these tensions on the AIAC podcast.

The price of power

Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.