Africa Is a Country

Friday Bonus Music Break, N°27

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Friday Bonus Music Break, N°27

By
Tom Devriendt

Azonto and its growing global reaches… Somebody should write a book about it. ‘Tribal Azonto’ above: Ghana via the UK — sampling South African electro? Next, from Accra proper, a rap convo with Trebla, Hotjam, EL and Stargo (and many other cameos):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMCpxdneQCw

Rap from a different kind and country: here’s a new video for Milk Coffee & Sugar (that’s Edgar Sekloka and Gaël Faye):

Nigerian D.i.s Guise’s track ‘Mr Bambe’ now has a video:

And one last rap. The video is older, but Tanzanian collective X Plastaz released the long (and excellent) Shule mixtape this week. Ziggylah’s ‘Bang Bang’ is on it:

‘Mabone’ is a dance tune by Lesotho-born Refiloe “Chocolate Soul” Thoahlane. It comes with a glorious video:

We haven’t included too many Mozambicans here recently. A pretty wild video for Dama do Bling’s poppy ‘Champion’:

More pop, from Uganda come Radio and Weasel (remember their 2010 classic ‘Heart Attack Vuvuzela’ — they’ve upped the production quality of their music videos since):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZpinLkjyi8

Meanwhile in London: DJ Yoda, Afrikan Boy and Soom T throwing a party on a bus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azvirURDc1

And Melina Matrsoukass shot the video below in Jamaica for Chicago dance-hall duo Wild Belle’s (brother and sister in fact) track ‘Keep You’. It has elicited some interesting YouTube comments:

H/T’s to @zach_rosen, @TIholie (via @nemesisinc), @ianbirrell, @Tribalmagz, @25toLyf and @Birdseeding.

Further Reading

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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.