New Sounds Of Africa: Ayriq Akam

January 31, 2012 Leave a comment

New Sounds Of Africa is a new weekly series where we introduce need-to-know artists from the continent and the diaspora. Our third installment features Ayriq Akam, a dope MC repping Cameroon to the fullest. His 2010 album Puzzles (released by Amer Evolution) is as enigmatic as his recent music happenings. Basically, he’s dropped off the face of the internet. Maybe he’s in a rebuilding stage of his career, transitioning to bigger and better things, or maybe he vanished. Who knows, but one thing we do know is the mysterious Cameroonian has some flavor. The feel good production is funky, imaginative, has traditional Cameroon elements, full in sound when necessary and candy to hip hop ears.  We’re head nodding to “I Got Soul” (stream here) as he spits what sounds like a poem being recited.  ”We Back” (video below) is hard bodied, laced melodies, cultured swag, and french vocals with some sweet back production. Akam definitely understands how to flow with the music, which makes him a name to watch.

“Commenting on the New Sounds Of Africa helps the artist and expands the music universe!” -GiKu

 

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Video: Kastra “Brown Cacao”

September 23, 2011 1 Comment

There’s not a whole lot of info out there about Cameroonian rapper Kastra, but at least we have this headbanging, kitchen-themed clip for “Black Cacao.” Things we do know: dude founded the Streetbery music label out of Douala, he cites Diplomats and Wu-Tang as his influences and he somehow got all his boys to mug and wear aprons in the clip above. Where else are you gonna see a rapper in full chef get-up spit about wanting to be the “brown cocoa in your black cappuccino?” Watch above and check out the more introspective “fm 226.” (via AIAC)

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Audio: DJ Wonway Posibul “Makossa Classics Volume 2″

August 5, 2011 Leave a comment

Roy Ayers Project contributor DJ Wonway Posibul releases Makossa Classics Vol. 2 inspired by his popular Bay Area, and now Brooklyn global throw-down, Makossa. Judging from the mix it’s safe to say that his funky style was inspired by the popular Cameroonian music genre, Makossa- though it’s not for certain. Makossa as a genre is said to have been popularized by Manu Diabango with his corner stone tune “Soul Makossa” (if ya don’t know that, well, you actually do – check out Michael Jackson‘s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”). Listen to the mixtape (and download for FREE), and the historic original track, the inspiration behind more hip-hop samples than we can list, below.

Makossa Vol. 2 FULL MIX by Wonway

 

Originial: “Soul Makossa” by Manu Diabango:

 

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Video: “Stop Look & Listen” by Brams aka L’Insatiable feat. Juba Zaki

May 2, 2011 Leave a comment

Check out this new video from Brams, aka L’Insatiable, (born in Cameroon, living in Brussels) featuring Brooklyn emcee Juba Zaki. Both rappers flow freely complementing each others style. Brams spits in French, while Juba sticks with English: the language barrier is clearly no problem here.

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Les Nubians Take Their New Sound To The Stage

April 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Hol’ up, hol’ up, so these chicks ain’t had an album out in 6 years, mainly sing in French (sometimes in English), no radio play since ’99, no videos in a hot minute or any other mainstream press and they just sold out a big auditorium Thursday in downtown Philly? Philly ain’t nothin’ but some haters, who are these chicks, ock?!

None other than the beautiful talented Les Nubians were chosen as “cultural ambassadors” for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. PIFA’s theme for the year was the 100th anniversary of Paris’ cultural uprising in arts, music and politics (see ?uestlove Goes Classical for more on this) and who better than sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart of Les Nubians, with their French-African backgrounds (with roots in both Cameroon and Chad), messages of Nü Revolution, dreams, le femme mystique, poly-ethnic bandmates and Pan-Afropeanism to set it off.

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Benin’s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo is Back, and Better than Ever.

April 14, 2011


Vincent Ahehehinnou of Benin’s powerhouse band Orchestre Poly-Rythmo was one of the founder members, remaining with the band until 1978. He later enjoyed success with solo recordings during the late ‘90s. Now back as a core member of Poly-Rythmo, he talks to Strut Record’s Quinton Scott on behalf of Okayafrica during a press trip to promote their new studio album, Cotonou Club.

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Video: Ak Sang Grave Is Back

July 21, 2010 Leave a comment

Earlier this year, Ak Sang Grave came back. The Camerounian rap mainstay’s 2010 release, Au Fond Du Cœur, was preceded with the drop of the “Ak Sang Grave Is Back” video. Receiving less attention than Just A Band’s “Ha-He” remix of Makmende Amerudi antics, heralded in the Wall Street Journal of all places as Kenya’s first viral video, “Ak Sang Grave Is Back” has a similar kind of AfroFunk superhero feel to it. But instead of the existential ass-kicking of Makmende, Ak Sang Grave emcees Rizbo and Ebou lead their friends in a session of vintage goofing off. In an irresistible retro party scene the band members’ alter-egos are introduced with blaxploitation style pop-up credits, Panama – Mesure – Boss – Pianaba – Solofeling – Tamtamba – Ozamba. Curiously, the drummer gets no alias but instead lays in the cut rocking an appropriate ?uestlove-esque fro. A single groove and a Soul Train line gets the message across: Ak Sang Grave is apparently back.

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