Sounds From The East
With African music being the centre of attention nowadays, people naturally tend to focus more on West African music but I think it is about time to take a precise look at East African music. When it comes to Sounds From The East, you know The iMullar is your plug! With their diverse beat and flow, this week’s selection features artists like TooDope, Shay Lia, Diamond Platnumz, Sat-B, Oddisee, Vinka, Rayvanny, King Kaka, Femi One and Jadi.
1. The Marley Family & Amplified records – “One Love”
One of our fav artists from the 249, the one and only TooDope was featured on the reimagined version of the Bob Marley’s classic: “One Love”.
The Marley Family teamed up with Amplified records to deliver an upbeat creation in support of Unicef’s response to Covid-19. The song is an international collaboration with artists from everywhere, the UK, to Jamaica or Sudan and many other countries… It is safe to say TooDope made Sudan proud a
nd this collaboration will go down in history. Watch the music video here!
2. Shay Lia – “All up to you”
“All Up To You”, is the track you need in your life right now! If you have never heard of Shay Lia before, she is a French-Djiboutian independent singer based in Montreal. She released a song with KAYTRANADA a few years ago called Blue and it is safe to say it still slaps! Her sounds are a prodigious mixture of several influences and an amazing versatility. In her last single, she explores her versatility and how she masters this Afro-R&B genre with a funk/jazz feel… The song gets better with each second as she delivers her sweet velvety vocals on the beat. Listen here
3. Krizbeatz featuring Tekno & Diamond Platnumz – “Proper”
Krizbeatz the drummer boy finally dropped his “African Time” album and the reception is more than amazing! According to Unorthodox Reviews, his work on that project is described as him painting a mosaic of the African Music Experience… He teamed up with the best acts all over Africa to deliver a solid piece of work and there are a lot of bangers in it. “Proper” is one of the best tracks of the album, the chemistry of the 3 artists is wonderful and their vibes are addictive! You all know that when Krizbeatz joins forces with Tekno it can only be a banger and same for the King of Bongo Flava, Enjoy!
4. Oddisee featuring Ralph Real – “No Skips”
“No Skips” is the 8th track of Oddisee’s long-awaited project: “Odd cure”. The hip-hop track is an upbeat production embellished by Oddisee’s sharp rhymes and Ralph Real’s vocals. If you like dope bars on a minimalistic instrumental well you will have this song on repeat we promise! Make sure to check “Odd Cure” out, you won’t regret it and like the title perfectly says it, there are no skips on this project.
5. Vinka – “Love Panic”
It has been a while since Vinka gave us a new jam but she is back and better with her recently released single: “Love Panic”. In this song, the beautiful Vinka addresses the topic of love and how she finds herself panicking when in the company of her lover. Her stunning vocals are an auditive delight and you won’t regret listening to this amazing creation produced by Nessim Pan. Marvin Musoke did a great job on the music video, from the choreography to the outfits or the colourful settings showcasing Uganda’s beauty. Check it out!
6. Kaka Empire – “Deni”
King Kaka’s record label’s acts came together and gave us incredible visuals, worthy of a Hollywood movie. In this song, Kaka Empire’s very own, Jadi, Femi One and King Kaka are celebrating unity, success and the family mindset of the record label. Enjoy these visuals by Trey Juelz and the sweet fusion of Kenyan sound, Afro Hip-Hop and R&B.
7. Sat-B featuring Bain Turo – “Gacugere”
Burundi’s finest, Sat-B just dropped a heavy Bongo Flava/Afro-fusion banger and you need to hear it. His vocals alongside the fast-rising act Bain Turo’s are pure pleasure. Watch their colourful music video out and catch some vibes!
8. Rayvanny – “Magufuli Jembe”
As we addressed it in the last Sounds From the East editions, a lot of Tanzanian artists are releasing songs in honour of their current president and his party with the upcoming elections. In this energetic track, WCB Wasafi’s very own is being super patriotic and list the party’s achievements on a cheerful instrumental. Enjoy!
9. Oddisee featuring Olivier St.Louis & Sainte Ezekiel – “I Thought You Were Fate”
This song is probably one of the best on the album and the energy of this collaboration is just beautiful. The optimistic tone of the song -despite the storyline of the track- is what we liked the most and you need to hear it!
10. Krizbeatz featuring Reekado Banks & Rayvanny – “Aminah”
When Rayvanny hops on a track it is for sure going to be a hit! In this sweet groovy Afrobeat track, the 2 hitmakers delivered quality vocals and pure vibes but Krizbeatz as well showcased his vocals and we are impressed by the symmetry in their sounds. The song is a catchy one and will put you in a good mood. For the Eastside, the drummer boy really picked the best current acts to make magic on his project and clearly has the formula for hit songs. Check the other East-West African collabs on the project (Ogede featuring Fuse ODG, Falz, Nandy and Nicole featuring Ethics).