Browsing Tag

Afro

OTH€LLO Delivered Sonics for the Soul with His Smooth and Sensual LP, Miss Mayotte

Posted on 24 November 2023

In the ever-evolving realm of modern hip-hop and afro-fusion, OTH€LLO emerges as an icon of raw individualism, candour, and undeniable sex appeal. His latest offering, “Miss Mayotte,” is a journey through the heart of a true artist. Born in Montreal’s vibrant culture and honed in the Bay Area’s heat, OTH€LLO’s transformation from a street busker to a hip-hop sensation is nothing short of remarkable.

“Miss Mayotte” kicks off with “Her Soul Speaks,” a track that effortlessly blends jazzy neo-pop with R&B, setting the stage for an album that’s as much a conversation with the soul as it is a musical experience. Each of the eight singles is a chapter in OTH€LLO’s story wrestles with societal norms and emerges as a bold statement of personal evolution.

OTH€LLO’s lyrical introspection is a masterclass in storytelling, with his voice dripping like honey over mellow instrumental arrangements. The production is deep and sonorous, creating a tapestry of scintillating textures that are both soothing and exhilarating.

“Afterglow,” the second single, is a fiery blend of salacious imagery and mellifluous melodies, wrapped in afro-fusion rhythms that redefine the auditory landscape. The album crescendos with the title track, “Miss Mayotte,” a powerful anthem that confronts misogynoir and celebrates the strength and beauty of the unseen queen. OTH€LLO’s journey from cynicism to belief in love’s true form is palpable in every note, making “Miss Mayotte” a symbol of hope and resilience.

OTH€LLO’s music is deeply rooted in his Congolese heritage, with influences from gospel and secular soukous tunes. His journey from performing in musicals in a conservative Edmonton high school to honing his craft in Toronto’s streets and church choirs has audibly imbued his music with intoxicatingly unique authenticity.

With over 84,000 streams on Spotify for his debut single “SZA 4 NGAZ“, which also features on the album, and critical acclaim from The Source and This is 50, OTH€LLO is not just an artist to watch; he’s an artist to experience. “Miss Mayotte,” available for streaming from November 24th, is a testament to the power of music to transform, inspire, and transcend.

Miss Mayotte will be available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arrive at the brink of bliss with ACTHEKIDFROMSPACE’s euphoria-fuelled summer cocktail, POR Ti, ft Martina

Posted on 24 September 2023

Proving that summer is as much of a vibe as it is a season is the latest in a long string of seminal singles from Montreal’s brightest RnB luminary, ACTHEKIDFROMSPACE.

POR Ti, which features sun-kissed harmonies from the Argentina-born singer and composer Martina, who has been elevating the RnB, trap, and soul genres with her mesmerising vocal register, is an intoxicating tropic melting pot of genre-fluid culture.

With a few salacious lines worked into the production that boasts the same sweet, sugared, and polished sound of Owl City, POR Ti ticks all the Afro-pop RnB boxes while transcending the contemporary curve and driving you to the brink of bliss and allowing you to drift through it on cruise control.

With over 17k monthly listeners locking into his expertly rendered rhythms, the self-made Canadian artist and sound engineer has easily reached his goal of visualising his memories and feelings and allowing his staunch fanbase to vicariously live in the rapture of them.

Stream POR Ti on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dara Blaxx poured straight from the soul in her stripped-back Afro RnB single, In My Cup

Posted on 24 September 2023

If you take your Afro-fusion tracks stripped and laid back, you will get right into the mellifluous groove of the latest single, In My Cup, from the breakthrough soulstress, Dara Blaxx.

Setting the mood for seduction, the British Nigerian singer-songwriter pulled out a front-row seat to a hot date you will want to be a voyeur for. With the smooth cadence in her crooned vocal lines, you couldn’t ask for more sensual proof that pace is the trick.

The independent artist may be reigning supreme in the underground right now, but it is only a matter of time before she ascends the charts with her velvety rich vocal register and her playfully compelling melodies that bring a touch of exoticism to our blighted and often bleak British waters.

Listen to In My Cup on all major streaming platforms from September 15 via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sterlen Roberts called ‘Time On It’ in his latest single, ft Kaii & JawnwitGreenhair

Posted on 24 August 2023

For his latest RnB rendezvous, Time On It, the prodigy of soul, Sterlen Roberts, co-collaborated with the luminaries in their own right, Kaii & JawnwitGreenhair, to produce the Afrobeat-flavoured hit of the summer.

With the rhythmic euphoria of dancehall paired with the pop-hooked RnB vocal lines and the slick-with-fire rap bars, Time On It is a dynamically soul-reviving release that may just spur you into turning your casual hook-ups into something far more meaningful.

The airwaves may be proliferated with hits that romanticise superficial connections and the even more vapid games we play in pursuit of cheap thrills, but as Sterlen efficaciously proved, there’s nothing like the real thing; lock it down.

Time On It will officially release on the 24th of August; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Audacity will be your motto: Ayekpa urges us to cut out the noise on Adrenaline Rush (Freakin’Out)

Posted on 15 June 2023

Fairly new to the music world but showing us her spirited nature and calming confidence, Ayekpa might shock many back into place via the tremendously exhilarating debut single Adrenaline Rush (Freakin’Out).

Ayekpa is a UK-based French indie afro-pop singer-songwriter and actress who sizzles with a captivating sound which will heal all frightened hearts due to her genuine vibrancy.

A multi-talented creative who seems to have the world at her tapping feet, Ayekpa shows us how to be successful in vanquishing the demons and rising above those sneaky clouds. Vocally exciting and capsulizing a finger-clicking beat, this is a winner of a single.

Adrenaline Rush (Freakin’Out) from UK-based French indie afro-pop singer-songwriter and actress Ayekpa is a catchy output of much quality which has perfect timing and guides us away from those noisy forces who are trying to bring us all down.

Closing the door on bad energy and bouncing us far from the bad vibes which help no one, we are delighted to the core by a spectacular single which seems to sound better each time it’s played.

Listen up on Spotify to sizzle the ears.

Find out more on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Trekkah & Nuzu Deep took us on an afro house journey of self-reflection with the IC remix of Voices

Posted on 26 April 2023

The ascent of the rising UK afro house label, WeAreiDyll, is unstoppable on the basis of the latest production, Voices, by DJ and producer Trekkah and the South African vocalist, Nuzu Deep.

Innovation gravitates around the luxe production that was reworked by the London-based producer and DJ, IC; as the vocals bring the ethereally warm soul, the fervent percussion provides the transcendent beats and breaks, which are as sultry as they are rhythmically arresting. The only real complaint is that the duration of Voices isn’t longer. But two minutes was all the originators needed to take the listener on an immersive journey of self-reflection. We can’t wait to hear what WeAreiDyll has locked, loaded, and ready to drop in the afro house pipeline.

Stream voices on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Angolan-Portuguese artist Dabie Simul impresses with the wonderfully catchy FOGO

Posted on 19 April 2023

With a cheeky and cute giggle to start off proceedings, Dabie Simul shall spark a ray of sunshine to emerge even if there are dark clouds brewing like a volcano on the sexy new single FOGO.

Dabie Simul is an Angolan-born, Portuguese music artist and student who blends jazz, soul, afro sounds and hip-hop into her introspective creations.

”The pure essence of who I’m choosing to be in this present moment.” ~ Dabie describing her new sound

Startling all innocent ears with a lovely single to hold tightly, Dabie Simul is on top form with a tremendously instinctive soundtrack. She sends our hearts into a whirlwind of emotions on a rather magnetic single to dance with all night.

FOGO from Angolan-born, Portuguese musician Dabie Simul is a rather catchy experience for the betterment of current society. Sung rather marvellously and with a  smile never far away, all moods are flipped over like a pancake on this gem of a single. Featuring positive vibes and loads of imagination to swim deeply into, this is a delightful track to simmer sweetly into.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Spotlight Feature: Jindi remixed fresh fire into his Afro Dancehall hit, HASSA, feat Kushman and MasterKraft

Posted on 5 March 2023

The award-winning world music artist, Jindi, has reached heights most could only dream of since making his debut; from international airplay to headlining major festivals, his sound could move mountains. For his latest drop, the Dubai-residing Afro-Dancehall artist infused Kushman’s Genge sound with his Afro-Sudanese style; to entrancingly hot effect. With MasterKraft in charge of production, the lusty earworm of a floor-filler was never going to fall flat.

The original version of HASSA left very little to be desired, but as the ancestral roots of Jindi and Kusman converge in the remix, galvanising cultural dynamism was always going to flood through the arrestive dancehall grooves.

“I originally wrote and performed HASSA; I wanted to spice it up with an East African touch; it’s my first venture into the Sudanese Arabic sound. Hassa translates into ‘right now’, which is the hook. It translates into my love for my girl and my compulsion to give her everything she wants.”

The HASSA Remix was officially released on February 10th. You can catch it on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Follow Jindi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Review by Amelia Vandergast

No More Struggle: Nana Motobi drops party-filled new single ‘Mic and Beat’

Posted on 18 October 2021

With the first track of his new 14-track album, Nana Motobi is in sizzling form as he checks the line and keeps it styling with much fire on the steamy single ‘Mic and Beat‘.

Nana Kofi Osei aka Nana Motobi, is a music producer, sound engineer, promoter, songwriter and Afro-Dance rapper from Ghana who is now based in ski-filled Trento, Italy.

There is much to dance with here on an African-inspired beat that is mixed so nicely with that European influence, packed with an exciting atmosphere that is perfect for those summer festivals. The bars are lit up like a bright fuse ready for the night, fueled with a confidence that has your feet tapping and your body grooving in utter delight.

‘Mic and Beat‘ from the Ghana-born, Italy-based indie Afro-Dance artist and music producer Nana Motobi, is the well-executed story about breaking in just the way you like it. After much struggle and sleeping way too deep in a coma, it feels like this anthem signals his compass-driven journey to the top of the Italian scene and beyond. With solid flows and a catchy beat that captures your attention like a flashy camera ready for action no matter what the weather, you can’t help but enjoy this quality track.

When you want it enough, anything really is possible.

Get wrapped into this fast-flowing tune on YouTube and see more news on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Larizzle freshens up the UK’s Tribal House Scene with the multi-layered masterstroke release ‘Ama Chill’

Posted on 25 November 2020

Ten years of DJ’ing at the forefront of the UK’s Tribal House and UK Funky scene, with a sound he describes as UK Afro House – taking in South African Amapiano along the way – Larizzle is already no stranger to the limelight. Performing in some of the biggest venues in the UK and Europe, providing guest mixes to the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra, Kiss Fresh, and Capital Xtra, and supporting big names such as Nas, Stormzy, Skepta, and Mark Ronson, might be enough for most people – not to mention twice winning the UK Official Mixtape Awards in 2012 and 2013, of course.

However, Larizzle is definitely not one to rest on his already sizeable laurels. ‘Ama Chill’ is his second personal music release, the follow up to October’s debut ‘Ama Play’, and it bears mention here the second release on his own ‘Larah Records’ label, founded in memory of Larizzle’s late daughter. Chilled yet funky from the first beat, ‘Ama Chill’ kicks in with irresistible afro drum beats and sonorous chants of ‘hey’, before melodic pipes build a repeating ariose mantra intensifying to a thumping drum-and-bassline climax. The whole track develops, piece by piece, into a multi-layered masterstroke, each section augmenting the previous parts whilst all carrying their own individual identities, that central repeated melody sticking in your head long after the final beat has echoed away.

You can check out ‘Ama Chill’ on Larizzle’s website, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes