Hard to believe, but it was just over 2 years ago that our first release, Akwaaba wo Africa, came out worldwide. What a journey it’s been since then! 2 dozen releases spanning the gamut from Nigerian highlife to Gambian griot kora, Angolan kuduro to Benin salsa… We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with artists from 12 countries, not counting the numerous remixes pouring in from Mexico, Israel, Argentina, all over Europe and North America.

For us this release is at heart a big thank you, Thank you for helping us carve out a niche on this overcrowded web. Thank you for helping us connect the dots between talented, hardly-known local artists and music lovers worldwide. Thank you for playing our music on your radio shows, for pushing it on your blogs, for playing it at work and letting the world know where the music is coming from. We have been overwhelmed with the response, the emails, big ups and shout outs, and we start the year with a huge smile, filled with all the energy required to keep tons of fresh music coming your way.

So here it is, a collection of 50 songs giving a thorough taste of what Akwaaba is about: an open ear tuned in to sound made in Africa. We priced this mega-compilation at a ridiculous minimum price of $10. I mean, in many ways the price tag seems ridiculous, but if you feel differently, hell, shoot us an email and let’s bargain some more You can buy this compilation from us directly only, secured credit card payment and all that good stuff. It will not be available on iTunes or anywhere else.

Along with the songs comes a fantastic mix by DJ Zhao. We asked him to do this mix for us because he is one of the very few DJs we know, who can piece together a mix not made exclusively for the dancefloor. So here goes one hour covering so many of the sounds we have been pushing. Really, an epic journey into the heart of contemporary African pop music.

Diata Sya have got it going on. They took hip hop in their one hands, mashed it with their rich Malian tradition, called in top instrument players and MCs, and recorded a highly original album in Bamako. Stepping in the legacy of Soundiata Keita, one of the Manding people’s most notorious warriors and historical figures, Diata Sya tackle serious social and political problems, while sticking to both their Malian heritage and hip hop roots – Chanana and N’Bee have both been rapping for over 15 years. Djekafo was released with help from Ital Vibes and Kourtrajmé Africa.
The album is available in the iTunes store.

Directed By Diata Sya singer Chanana with Kourtrajmé Africa.

Directed by Diata Sya’s own Chanana with Kourtrajmé Africa.

Move it Chaleh! Words you might hear at an outdoor chop bar in Accra, Ghana, a calling for you to get up and shake it. A hint to the pungent grooves blasting out of subwoofers and beat up sound systems throughout West Africa today.

Smaller, cheaper studios are sprouting all over big African cities, allowing a new generation of artists to create and push the envelope of urban and dance music. In particular, Move It Chaleh! focuses on two underrated African trends:
Coupé décalé is the upbeat sound of Côte d’Ivoire today, a dance craze which can be heard throughout francophone Africa. It has roots in both Congolese soukous and Ivorian zouglou. It emerged at the height of the Ivorian crisis around 2002-2003, first in Paris, but it quickly spread to Ivory Coast, to Africa and now to the world.

Hiplife is a Ghanaian mish mash of hip hop, dancehall, calypso and other Caribbean styles, with highlife, itself a mix of soul and funk with more traditional Ghanaian rhythms. It has taken Ghana by storm, and it is well known to Ghanaian abroad, particularly in the US and UK, yet it is still off the radar for most.

Time to change that. Move it chaleh!

Chanana is half of Diata Sya, and a super chill guy who invited us to his unusually calm and breezy house in Bamako. It was nice to sit down with him and dodge the 100+ degrees under a mango tree, sip on some juice, watch some music videos and some… KUNG FU FLICKS! Not just any kung fu, but Bamako’s own take on it, via Chanana’s hilarious sense of humor. Chanana is one of Kourtrajmé‘s main guys in Bamako. If you don’t know about them, you should. A collective of non-orthodox film makers from France originally, who started doing their own shorts, and are now directing films and unavoidable music videos.

Through the CCF I also met two other great singers. First I met Lloyd, a Sierra Leonian who fled the war in his native land, and settled in Mali where he formed Eden Roots Liberation with his partner Patrick. I also met Jahman, who is originally from Cameroun but also chose to live in Bamako. Akwaaba will release both of their reggae albums, Genesis and Waiting for the News, which were produced and arranged by roots-sound wizard Manjul. Oh and Jahman’s album has some very nice dubs…

Eden Roots Liberation’s Sierra Leonese singer Lloyd Tommy (Bamako, Mali)