Anglophone and Francophone Music Collaborations We Want to See

For decades, artists from both the Anglophone and Francophone sides of Africa have always been in conversation with one another. In the early 2000s, Congolese artist Awilo Longomba was a mainstay on Nigerian airwaves. He would go on to collaborate with legendary Nigerian duo, P-Square. In recent times, new-age artists like Didi B have regularly collaborated with Nigerian artists. In contrast, Nigerian acts like Burna Boy and Wizkid have regularly sought features from icons like Youssou N’Dour to new-age artists like Tiakola.

Despite these efforts, these musical regions currently exist in a kind of silo, never truly inspiring each other beyond one-off collaborations. While South Africa’s amapiano and House genres have influenced Afropop, shaping sounds from Nigeria to Ghana, Nigeria’s Afro-pop has served as a jump-off point for much of Afropop music across West Africa and beyond. In fairness, many factors, from language barriers (not many people speak French in Nigeria, just as very few people speak or sing in English in Côte d’Ivoire), make it difficult for other aspects of pop culture beyond the music to travel between these countries and regions. 

So what would it look like if more collaborations happened between Anglophone and Francophone artists? To try to answer that question, OkayAfrica put together a speculative list of collaborations we would like to see between Anglophone and Francophone artists. Check out the full list below, along with why we made these selections.

Didi B and Sarkodie

When legends are paired together - one leading the wave of contemporary Ivorian music after a successful reinvention (Didi B), the other still expanding his influence many decades after popularising mid 2000s Ghanaian rap (Sarkodie) - something iconic is bound to happen. Both stars collaborated on a cypher in 2024 alongside other African rap stars, but it would be interesting to see what a singular, fresh collaboration might look like. Sarkodie and Didi B are important voices in their respective countries. Didi B has been reinventing himself since going solo after his group Kiff No Beat disbanded. He has made hits, performed globally, and collaborated with artists outside the Francophone African music sphere. Sarkodie has been just as legendary. Completing global tours, supporting emerging artists, and commanding an impressive fanbase. A collaboration between these two would be the acme of two unbeatable legends, seeing what they have to say to and through each other.

Roseline Layo and Yemi Alade

While they have yet to collaborate, Nigeria’s musical darling Yemi Alade and Côte d’Ivoire’s beloved songstress Roseline Layo are artists who are united in their thirst for defying genres, extending their creative ambitions, and challenging conventions of what an African superstar can be. Other similarities exist. They’ve both collaborated with Angelique Kidjo, and they are incredibly energetic performers who have graced the stage of one of Côte d’Ivoire’s biggest festivals, FEMUA, although at different times. A collaboration between Layo and Alade would see Alade exercise her multi-lingual side; both artists have also shown an incredibly wide range in their ability to flow with any kind of artist. Both artists have collaborated with artists of different genres and have achieved incredible results. A collaboration between these two would be natural and even expected. 

Oumou Sangare and Tiwa Savage

Malian legend Oumou Sangare and Nigerian Afrobeats Queen Tiwa Savage are singers who have a strong footing in the soulful. Thematically, their music and sonic compositions draw on diverse elements and influences, but their delivery is often the same: deeply grounded and intensely moving. Sangare has been known to perform in Nigeria and recently went viral when her song “Kun Fe Ko” found a new generation of Nigerians on social media. It is hard to tell just where these two powerhouses would take a musical collaboration, but there is a strong chance it would be thematically interesting, sonically refreshing, and a new way of seeing two artists who are great at moving through genres.

Himra and Odumodublvck

Ivorian rap artist Himra is best known for the grittiness of his lyrics. In songs like “B**ch & Money”, he has shown a taste for the provocative while displaying a strong sense of craft. In many ways, this aligns with Odumodublvck’s equally provocative and plain-speak rap pattern. Both artists are regular merchants of edgy subject matters. They are also used to courting fueds and controversies, which blur the lines between their perceived image and the thematic concerns in their songs. On his part, Odumodublvck has been called out for sexist lyrics that denigrate women, while Himra has courted several rap feuds with peers such as Cameroon’s Tenor and Kocee. Still, both artists have shown a penchant for music that excites as much as it pushes the needle on how ideas are delivered and who gets to say them. This collaboration will be even easier as it won’t be Himra's first collaboration with a Nigerian artist.

Lady Donli and Fatoumata Diawara

The reasons one is bound to love Lady Donli — her sharp-witted writing, boundlessly experimental music, and a particular imagery — are likely also the reasons one might love Fatoumata Diawara. Both artists sing in completely different languages and come from different parts of West Africa, but are similar in the very specific ways they present themselves, their theatrical performance styles, and the inclusion of influences from their upbringings in their music. On the sonic side, Diawara and Donli are both insatiable students of music. Where Diawara has combined elements of rock music into local instrumentation, Donli has shifted from indie to zamrock and soft Afro-pop. Together on a record, both women would be absolutely unbeatable.

Wendy Shay and Viviane Chidid

Ghanaian Wendy Shay has been on an impressive run these past few years. Her song “Too Late” has been a TikTok darling for a minute now. Senegal’s Viviane Chidid, on the other hand, has maintained a strong position at the top of the recent wave of Senegalese music. Both artists are expert experimentalists, mixing local genres like highlife with reggae, or mbalax with R&B and Country Music. A collaboration between these two artists would certainly result in music with a strong narrative and a catchy hook. While it might seem like an unlikely pairing, both women are such wonderful storytellers in their music, and that combination holds so many possibilities.

Denden and Fave

French-Ivorian singer Denden and Nigerian popstar Fave both approach Afro-pop from very distinct directions. They keep their messaging lighthearted and pack their beat with immense energy. They build worlds that explore the innate complexities of being young and African today. A collaboration between these two would see Denden lend the fast-paced flow of her songs to the energetic Afropop structure that defines Fave’s music.