The first half of the year has reminded us that there is no single sound that can contain the region. From all corners, artists continue to inject the restless energy of the present to create unforgettable, era-defining music.
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72 Hours at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival
Every year, the Moroccan coastal town of Essaouira hosts one of the world’s most spiritual and profound music festivals. Here’s a recap of the best I saw while there
This roundup is a snapshot of songs and projects that have stood out over the past few months. All are connected by a sense of purpose, a desire to document the moods and the sounds that define time and place. The songs speak to personal journeys, societal issues, celebrations, and the desire to be heard and felt.
These are the best Southern African songs of the year so far
Internet Athi – ‘Polymorphism’ [LP] (South Africa)
Internet Athi spent the past 18 months or so building his audience. He released “Wena,” a love song dedicated to ‘the one,’ and never really looked back, dedicating each step to moving further away from the things he feared and closer to the visions shaping his dreams. He sold out multiple shows across the country, collaborated with like-minded artists, and kept shoveling away at the weeds covering his destiny. His debut LP, Polymorphism, feels like hard work finally paying off. It sounds like being cradled by caring hands, with a flow state so constant you’ll find yourself playing it over and over again. This is how you announce yourself to the world.
Mila Smith – “Cake” (South Africa)
Mila Smith’s latest single, “Cake,” is something of a rabble-rouser moment, shimmering with the angst of early adulthood, encased in ambers of a fire that refuses to die out even when the storms are blowing hardest. “I live at home, don’t pay the rent / checked my card, I’m in the red,” she sings, singing and rioting at once, embodying a punk aesthetic that has soundtracked many a personal rebellion. When she sings — no, rages — “I wanna be part of your world,” it’s with the clear-eyed awareness that race and class, especially in the South Africa she inhabits, will always intersect to fuck over the most ambitious among us.
Golden Oldie – ‘Less Is Enough’ [LP] (Eswatini)
Hip-hop producers of the ‘90s really gave us something timeless with boom-bap, and it’s the template Golden Oldie employs on Less Is Enough, a ten-track compilation featuring raps from some of Eswatini’s sharpest artists. “Take Your Time” with BluuJay and Swiss is an early favorite; it kicks the album off and lays the foundation for the level of lyricism to expect throughout. Does it live up to the promise? We’ll leave that up to you to decide
Namakau Star, Daev Martian – “Let It Be” (South Africa/Zambia)
“Million-dollar baby, I hope that you know you’re enough,” sings Namakau Star on “Let It Be,” her collaboration with Daev Martian that takes us from the heights of innocence to the depths of searching for self, then right back up again, where self-knowledge and wisdom keep us connected to the world around us. It sounds like what walking barefoot on grass feels like: like a swim on a hot day; like exhaling after waiting anxiously. Namakau Star lets the soul guide her, and Daev Martian, an accomplished musician in his own right, follows close behind.
Kanu Ntshoko – ‘African Pulse’ [LP] (South Africa)
Kanu Ntshoko comes from a long line of musical royalty. Rooted in Cape Town, he has the distinct honor of being among the younger musicians mentored by Louis Moholo-Moholo, a champion of free jazz and a close friend of Ntshoko’s grandfather, Makhaya Ntshoko. African Pulse is his debut project, a collection of five songs anchored around freedom made manifest through sound. He gathers a quartet of some of Cape Town’s most conscientious musicians to help realize the vision, and the result is a clarity of purpose that stands firmly on its own.
Serokolo7 – “Dinaka” (South Africa)
Serokolo7 is having a moment. Following the April release of his debut album, Maramfra Music Pro, the Limpopo-based producer caught the attention of international media, while a recent clip of Björk playing one of his songs during her set at the Venice Biennale put him in front of even more eyes. Dinaka, a traditional dance of the Bapedi people, is a well-established form also known as kiba. In Serokolo7’s hands, its frantic energy — the reed and metal pipes, the drums, the antelope horn — finds electronic counterparts, bringing the directness and life of the party straight to our ears.
Tkay Maidza – “Pressed” (Zimbabwe/Australia)
Tkay Maidza activates infernal flows on “Pressed,” unleashing razor-sharp raps over a bop guaranteed to keep the dancefloor full. The way she settles into the rhythm, her word choice, and the aura she carries create an unusual level of joy, one that the Zimbabwean-born, Australia-based, multi-award-winning emcee and vocalist sustains throughout. Tough!
Jnr Spragga – “Twerka” (Zimbabwe)
Jnr Spragga does gymnastics on “Twerka,” bringing a distinct Zim dancehall flavor and a slang the streets can immediately relate to. One of the best out right now, the artist doesn’t miss a beat, threading together words and worlds that demonstrate a pristine understanding of the form he operates in. Jnr Spragga is exceptional with the bars
Denim Woods – “LVLM” (Zimbabwe/DRC)
Zimbabwe doesn’t get enough credit for constantly giving African rap some of its grandest ambassadors. Denim Woods is one such artist: an emcee so convincing in his outlook and so engaging in his content that it’s a wonder he isn’t part of mainstream conversations more often. “LVLM” — pronounced “leveling me” — is another imprint on his sonic legacy: flawless, effortless, and packed with standout moments
Voltz JT – “Isa Matext” (Zimbabwe)
Voltz JT can never put a foot wrong. It’s practically a statistical impossibility — just look at the discography. “Isa Matext” showcases his version of Harare: bold, restless, and undulating. Rapping over JaxTheBeatBully’s trap production, words form effortlessly on his tongue. His restraint is his strength; he knows he can rap, but that’s secondary to making you feel something. That’s where the melodic cadence comes in, wriggling its way into your soul while he delivers some of the meanest bars in African rap today.
Phillip Mweemba – ‘BAR UP!’ [LP] (Zambia)
Phillip Mweemba’s modus operandi is all about bars, and that’s exactly what he gives us across eleven songs on his newly released LP, BAR UP!, which features fellow countrymen: Holstar and K.R.Y.T.I.C. But he does most of the heavy lifting; the collection is part solo exhibition, part group project, and 100% certified
Nakhane – “A Different Corner” (South Africa)
Nakhane is artful. Every fibre of their being is steeped in creativity, and every world they thread together forms part of an ongoing inquiry into identity and mortality, expressed through words, film, and music. “George has been with me my whole life. When my voice broke as a teenager, I taught myself to sing again by singing along to Patience,” they shared in an email exchange with OkayAfrica about their cover of George Michael’s “A Different Corner.” The song has continued to follow the artist: when they were outed at 19, and when they inadvertently performed it while on tour in Perth. Now, we get to hear how Nakhane feels about it; to immerse ourselves in a generational conversation between two icons.
Lowfeye – ‘Nosange’ [LP] (South Africa)
Lowfeye has finally dropped his long-awaited solo album, Nosange; though it almost feels inaccurate to call it long-awaited, given how much music he’s released in the three or so years he’s been active
With features from artists like Danya Devs, Sjava, and Lia Butler, as well as members of his crew, The Qwellers, the album is filled with moments that could carry it to the top of year-end lists. An impressive statement
Tessi Nandi — “Missing Part” (South Africa)
From the first word she sings, it’s clear that Tessi Nandi is special, a rare kind of talent that arrives to cleanse the palate, to restore faith in music. “Missing Part” is disarmingly honest: “How can you love something you’ve never even had? / I’ll leave by the morning with a backpack slung over my left shoulder,” she muses. It’s in the detail: the vivid descriptions imbue her songs with a rare, intimate quality
Mohlaka Motšo, Mokoko — “Litilatila” (Lesotho)
Sesotho music is vast in its singularity. It contains multiple worlds, each a distinct creation with its own form and function. Mohlaka Motšo and Mokoko’s style aligns with the Seakhi movement, which originates from the southern districts of Lesotho, particularly Mafeteng, and has been championed by artists like the late Rantšo and his nephew Mahlanya, one of the greatest lyricists the music has ever had the honour of encountering. “Menyaka ea Litilatila” is, in essence, an invocation: a casting out of what does not serve them, and an invitation for all that is good and wholesome to enter their lives.
Sylent Nqo – “Sewe” (feat. Mann Friday) [Zimbabwe]
“Sewe” finds Sylent Nqo at his most charged — a Zimbabwean take on the rock template that also nods to the roots, from sungura to chimurenga, which have shaped how he hears music. The original received a makeover when the artist went back to his former school and invited the choir to join him. Joined by Mann Friday, the song’s pop-rock feel will have mainstream daytime radio queuing it up for playlists
