In this second episode of What’s Up Africa in Kenya, Ikenna takes on one of East Africa’s premier rugby clubs, The Harlequins. Team members twice his size are quick to pummel him during practice. Catch the first episode from WUA in Kenya below. OKA fav Just A Band toss Ikenna into a hotel pool (his Kenyan tour is rife with physical injury so far).
It’s tough to sum up a year, let alone a year in music. For our top 11 tracks of 2011 we opted to stick to songs that had been featured on Okayafrica in the past 12 months. Love the choices? Hate ‘em? Let us know in the comments. Browse our top tracks of 2011 below, check out our top music videos and top side-eye moments of the year, and stay tuned for top 11 LPs!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
CHLLNGR ft. Spoek Mathambo, Mpumi of BLK JKS, and Mo Laudi “Ask For (Africa Remix)”
CHLLNGR‘s nighttime dubby jam gets Africa remixed by Spoek Mathambo, Mpumi Mcata of BLK JKS, and Mo Laudi.
Grab it
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Philly-via-Dakar Zakee‘s ode to the ultimate squeeze.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Nneka ft. Black Thought “God Knows Why”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Soulstress Nneka featuring The Roots‘ own Black Thought.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Chopped-up soul samples in M.anfest‘s tougher life anthem “Suffer.”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Kwaito-tinged South African house from DJ Sbu with vocals from budding singer Zahara.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Just A Band, Michel Ongaro, and Gebrüder Teichmann & Jahcoozi “Away”
Reverb-layered collaboration from Kenya’s Just A Band, Michel Ongaro and German producers Gebrüder Teichmann & Jahcoozi.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Jonti ft. Hodgy Beats “Nagoya”
SA producer Jonti cooks up a flawless electronic breeze for Odd Future’s Hodgy Beats.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Collage of Zulu rhymes spread over house beats from SA’s BIG FKN GUN.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Kuduro beats and 60s semba guitar samples by Batida with verses from Luandan MCs Sacerdote and Dama Ivone.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
DJ Caise ft. Eldee, Jesse Jagz, & Grip-Boyz “Shake Bodi (Gidi House Mafia Remix)”
Naija-bred afro house banger from an all-star Chocolate City line up.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Zaki Ibrahim “Something In The Water”
SA/Canada’s Zaki Ibrahim delivers an undulating minimalist bass tune.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
It’s been a great freshman year for us at Okayafrica. To culminate it, we’re highlighting our choice content from the past 12 months. Browse our top 11 music videos of 2011 below and stay tuned for top 11 LPs, songs, and side-eyes lists!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Art Melody “L’ébène Est Dans Le Noir”
Montage by Guib.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Nneka “My Home”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Just A Band “Kichwateli”
Directed by Bobb Muchiri for BLNRB.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Tinariwen & TV On The Radio “Tenere Taqqim Tossam”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Spoek Mathambo “Control”
Directed by Pieter Hugo & Michael Cleary.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Blitz The Ambassador “Native Sun”
Directed by Blitz the Ambassador & Terence Nance.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Lexxus Legal ft. Leslyman “Fauchés”
Directed by Ronnie Kabuika
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Buraka Som Sistema “Hangover (BaBaBa)”
Directed by João Pedro Moreira & Carlos Afonso.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Mo Kolours “Biddies”
Directed by Stefan Asanovic.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Die Antwoord “Fok Julle Naaiers”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Ruffest “Siyabenzela”
Directed by Jasyn Howes.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The concept behind Just A Band‘s new video came about from a challenge — two Norwegian filmmakers in Kenya dared the band to shoot a video “with a bunch of constraints, such as having to include a movie reference… starting with A Clockwork Orange.” In response, the boys suited up in an array of improvised costumes and filmed this minstrel-like, ’20s feel clip for “Huff + Puff” in the outskirts of Nairobi.
Watch Elsaphan Njora, Kevin (K2) Maina and all of JAB duke it out and throw down some serious moves in A Tale of Graceless Shuffling above. The video-challenge is a part of the upcoming documentary The Big C. Find “Huff + Puff” on Just A Band’s excellent 82 LP.
Spoek Mathambo colludes with Society HAE for Afrika21 Mixtape Vol. 3. Spoek streamlines through past and current continent cuts from Okayafrica favorites Just A Band, Baloji, Zakee, BIG FKN GUN, Art Melody, BLK JKS, Nneka, and plenty others. Stream and grab it below! (via SHAE)
TRACKLIST
1. Manifesto
2. Tonight – Popskarr (South Africa)
3. Fire Dance – Seun Kuti (Nigeria)
4. Mikono Kwenya Hewa (version fiesta) – Muthoni The Drummer Queen (Kenya)
5. Beauty Shop – Thabile Rasa (South Africa)
6. Vem Rebola – Gregor Salto (Brazil)
7. Windeck – Cabo Snoop (Angola)
8. Ratanang – Das Kapital (South Africa)
9. Dope Girl – Zakee (Senegal)
10. Pop Models – Big Fkn Gun (South Africa)
11. Ubusuku – Jumping Back Slash (South Africa)
12. Afreeka (King Armatelo) – Art Melody (Burkina Faso)
13. The Rise – Zakee (Senegal)
14. Flight of The Robin – Das Kapital (South Africa)
15. Gwababa (DJ Mpula remix) – Spoek Mathambo feat. Avuyile and Yolanda (South Africa)
16. Beog Kamba – Art Melody (Burkina Faso)
17. Jol Vol (wavy x chopped edit) – Isaak Mutant (South Africa)
18. Filaw – Chief Boima (Sierra Leone)
19. City Staccs remix – Lamin Fofana (Sierra Leone)
20. Venison Collection Squad – Nicolaas Van Reenen (South Africa)
21. Whoop That Ass! – Nombolo#1 (South Africa)
22. 808 – Iyadede (Rwanda)
23. Makhathini – Nombolo#1 (South Africa)
24. Burning Bush Everybody – Nneka (Nigeria)
25. Ndekha (remix) – The Very Best & Moroka feat. Thandiswa Mazwai, Spoek Mathambo, Mo Laudi (Malawi/Sweden/South Africa)
26. Tout Ceci Ne Vous Rendre Pas Le Congo – Baloji (Democratic Republic of Congo)
27. Boogly Woogly – The Brother Moves On (South Africa)
28. Tselane – Blk Jks (South Africa)
29. Dog To Bone – Spoek Mathambo (South Africa)
30. Dreamer’s Soundtrack – Just a Band (Kenya)
31. Mara Hio Hio – Sauti Sol feat. General Pype & Sasha (Kenya)
We’ve been upping eclectic Nairobi trio Just A Band since day one — from the time their blaxploitation spoof became “Kenya’s first viral hit” to their recent BLNRB collaborations and Okaysummer Party throw-downs.
For Africa In Your Earbuds #5, JAB’s DJ Nairobi Dhobi (aka Dan) and DJ Bonyeza Kidude (aka Jim) hit us up with a 41-minute mix that plays in the vein of their group’s cross-pollinating style — an Afro-futurist blend of European house, hip-hop, and funk that’s almost impossible to pin down with genre specifics.
In crafting AIYE #5, the JAB boys mentioned wanting to integrate vinyls they listened to as kids in the 80s, showcase geographical diversity and, quite simply, make people dance. They succeed at all three, seamlessly weaving tracks by Ali Farka Touré, Black Coffee, Baaba Maal, Hugh Masekela, Sam Fan Thomas, Little Dragon, SBTRKT and plenty more.
Stream and download Africa In Your Earbuds #5: Just A Band below!
And check out our OKATV episode following Just A Band’s first New York visit.
TRACKLIST
1. Dela – “Ulivyo” (Kenya)
2. Vetkoek vs Mahoota – “Shukuma”
3. Psychedelic Nwomkro All-Stars (Kweku Ananse) – “Nwomkro Jam 2.0″
4. A Just A Band Mashup containing elements from of Little Dragon “Never Never (SBTRKT Remix)” and Yoko Kanno’s “Fantasie Sign” from the Cowboy Bebop OST.
5. DJ Cleo – “Katu Katu”
6. Just A Band – “Heat (Demo)”
7. Jali Bakary Konteh – “Combination (Hat and Hoodie Remix)”
8. Another Just A Band Mashup containing elements from Black Coffee + Hugh Masekela – “We Are One (Louie Vega Remix),” and a katitu song.
9. A snip-up of Hugh Masekela performing Fela Kuti’s “Lady”
10. Another snip-up of “Nanan” by Ali Farka Toure, Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, Papa Wemba, Franco, Manu Dibango
11. A mild remix of Sam Fan Thomas’ “Neng Makassi”
12. A mashup of “Freedom Is Coming Tomorrow” from the Sarafina! film soundtrack and dialogue from Tolu Ogunmefun’s 7th episode of “Don’t Jealous Me” (“Pronounce My Name – Shett Men!”)
13. Sam Fan Thomas’ “Noa”
Previously on Africa In Your Earbuds: STIMULUS, QOOL DJ MARV, SINKANE, CHIEF BOIMA.
Just A Band made their (first ever) trip to New York in early September to exhibit their video-art project Kudishnyao! and play a few gigs around the way, including our very own OKAYSUMMER Pop-Up Party.
Commissioned by the Goethe Institute, Kudishnyao! is a video installation that depicts a single story on six, perspective-differing screens. Okayafrica TV posted-up at the exhibit’s opening night and watched as the crowd interacted with Just A Band’s stories of “fate, love, deceit, and escape.”
The art show proved to be an exciting juxtaposition of modern Kenyan music and the Western modern-art world, as the band explained: “we’ve been handed down a million definitions of what African music should sound like, what African art should be like… if you go anywhere, from South Africa to the top you’ll find different young people are… finding their own way and reinventing their African belief.”
Another clip from Nairobi-meets-Berlin collaborative project BLNRB. For ‘Kichwateli,’ Just A Band is joined by Kenyan art group Maasai Mbili and Thom Yorke-approved German producer Modeselektor for an “Afro-Scifi music-mentary” that follows a Nairobi child’s transformation into a near-Orwellian half-human, half-television entity. The video was written and directed by Bobb Muchiri as part of Studio Ang‘s contribution to BLNRB.
This week on What’s Up Africa Ikenna checks out some of Africa’s most influential people: Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, Malangatana Ngwenya, one of Africa’s greatest painters, and OKA favorite Just A Band.
Watch previous WUA episodes here.
Video: Just A Band’s ‘Kudishnyao!’ Art Exhibit
In case you missed Just A Band‘s video art installation Kudishnyao! — which was exhibited at galleries in Nairobi and New York with help from the Goethe-Institut Nairobi — the group has released single-screen format recreations of the work on their youtube channel. In JAB’s words,
Stream two stellar Kudishnyao clips “I Am Not Yours” and “Migingo Express” above and below. And see the rest over at JustABandwith.