Happy New Year. The future looks bright for African musicians and content creators as their ingenuity and talent are changing the global cultural landscape. Like the abundance of mineral wealth on the Continent, underground the cultural wealth of Africa and its diaspora runs deeper and hits are non-stop at the source. Many artists have been successful this past year but here are a few bands and artists who have changed the game completely for the dancefloor in 2024.
Flavour - Game Changer (Dike) [Official Video]
This is my number one for 2023 for the set design, styling, choreography, and bombastic confidence of Flavour, who presents us with an unapologetic display of his Igbo roots from Biafra.
Kin'gongolo Kiniata - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)
http://KEXP.ORG presents Kin'gongolo Kiniata performing live at Salle de la Cité in Rennes, France, during Trans Musicales 2022. Recorded December 7, 2022. Banning Eyre saw them live at WOMEX in September and we have featured them in our Year End edition of Planet Afropop. My top pic for just using utilitarian kitchen utensils and found objects to make instruments. They are revolutionizing our idea of how and what materials are used to make music and exposing their incredible musicality.
Dalie [Kamo Mphela, Khalil Harrison & Tyler ICU Feat Baby S.O.N] [Official Music Video]
This song is pulverizing the competition in South Africa and has taken TikTok dance challenges to a new level. Aside from good storytelling, the music video exposes the unmistakable takeover of Amapiano on the global pop music scene with this feminized, Mapantsula-inspired aesthetic.
Kcee - Ojapiano (Official Video)
Traditional classical African instruments are making a huge comeback and the Ọjà flute of the Igbo has changed the landscape for dance music. Aside from the visually stunning masked dancers and mind-boggling choreography, this track seamlessly blends Amapiano with traditional Igbo musical instruments such as the ekwe, udu (percussion instrument), igba (drum), ogene (bell), ichaka/0sha (rattle), okwa (gong), is set to make this song a classic.
Sidiki Diabate - Nankama (clip officiel)
Heir to the Kora crown, taking the instrument onto the dancefloor is Mali prodigy and son of Djeli Toumani Diabate. His experimentation with inserting the instrument in popular Afrobeats music but using ancient riffs is riveting in its innovation.
Queen Omega - No Love Dubplate
Jeneile Osborne, better known as Queen Omega, is a roots reggae singer Dancehall sensation born in Trinidad, who is blowing up this year with her anthem, No Love off the album Freedom Legacy (2023).
Mercure du Zouglou- Yakoi [Official Music Video]
Next up, homegrown talent from a Cote dÍvoire market, who came out of obscurity and inserted himself into the music scene via a viral YouTube video.
Aya Nakamura - Baby (Clip officiel)
It is no surprise that a star like Aya Daniako, aka Aya Nakamura, born in Bamako, Mali to a family of Djeli, (stage name Aya Nakamura), has passed the billion streams mark on Spotify, making her the most listened-to French-language female artist on Spotify or the world ever surpassing Piaf.
Teejay - Drift (Music Video)
A Jamaican artist and Dancehall song lighting dancefloors all over the world with some naughty lyrics.
Chris Brown - Sensational (Official Video) ft. Davido, Lojay)
It is fair to say Afrobeats saved R & B as American artists scrambled to collaborate with Africans in 2023. Chris Brown's career and his continued collaboration with African artists like NIgeria's Davido has led to his great success. Taking inspiration from newcomers like Tyler and Naledi from South Africa, with this move he will continue into 2024 as a top R&B artist in the US market.
Davido - Unavailable (Official Video) ft. Musa Keys
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Mr. Afrobeats Hitmaker himself Davido continues his love affair with Amapiano, by inserting himself into South Africa's landscape with his visually stunning storyline for this song.
Bongeziwe Mabandla - Ndikhale (official visualizer)
Mexico was the inspiration for this video from South African Bongeziwe Mabandla. This infectious melody and collaboration with Mozambican producer Tiago Correia-Paulo, is an uplifting anthem to get you feeling hopeful into 2024.
Elyanna - MAMA EH (Official Video)
A newcomer on the block is Elian Amer Marjiya known as Elyanna, a Chilo-Palestinian singer and songwriter changing the landscape visually and with her taboo-breaking Arabic hip-hop-inspired hit Mama Eh.
Mnike - Tyler ICU & Tumelo.za ft. DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha 808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee
This Amapiano song creates traffic jams as people in South Africa spontaneously start to dance and go crazy so clear the road if you hear it. You might get trampled on.
