Chadwick Boseman Surprising 'Black Panther' Fans on the 'Tonight Show' Is the Best Thing You'll Watch Today
We're jealous and waiting for our Chadwick surprise, too.
We still have Black Panther fever, obviously. And after watching this video segment from Jimmy Fallon'sThe Tonight Show featuring T'Challa himself, Chadwick Boseman, it won't wane anytime soon.
Black Panther fans were called to "film a video message," describing what the film means to them. Not to their knowledge, Boseman was behind the curtain the whole time and surprised them.
Cute, right?
Loved every minute of this. https://t.co/Elz4RHTmK4
From a Howard University alum to a mother and her young son, Black Panther really hit home for the global black community, and their reactions to meeting Boseman were priceless.
Musicians like Bushali, Kivumbi King, Rita Ange Kagaju, and Alyn Sano have been putting their mark on the ever-changing Rwandan soundscape.
The current landscape of modern Rwandan music is more dynamic than ever before, from updated versions of traditional folk sounds to the recent 'KinyaTrap' phenomenon that has permeated playlists across the country. For decades, Rwandan airwaves have been dominated by international hits — and by a handful of established Rwandan superstars — but now, as the country continues to develop and diversify, so does its musical setting, with new and different sounds ascending from the hills. The past five years have seen the emergence of an army of young artists eager to reclaim their languages (Rwanda has four official languages) and identity, interlacing their music with influences that stretch far and wide.
Here are 11 artists that have emerged in the past five years to put their mark on the ever-changing Rwandan soundscape.
Bushali
Bushali came out with superstar energy straight out of the gate, delivering hit after hit and solidifying himself as a main pillar of the 'KinyaTrap' movement (Rwanda's spin on trap music). Now, with a few years under his belt, he keeps that same energy as he diversifies his sound. His two latest singles, "WAPFA" and "Amakosa," are the perfect example of that, with one showcasing the full KinyaTrap style and the other featuring him melodically serenading a lover over a slow beat. Pro tip: Check out "Nituebue" after this for a proper intro to KinyaTrap.
Kaya Byinshii
Kaya Byinshii made her musical debut in 2020 with the Nyabyinshi EP. The singer proclaims her thoughts and feelings in a unique raspy tone, inviting listeners to vibe with her on each track while her vulnerability is on full display. She released a music video for her EP single, "5AM," but the song that's been stuck in our heads is "Ibyejo" featuring Bushali.
Munyakazi Deo
It's pretty rare to see someone so young stay true to ancient traditional sounds while adding his own approach as flawlessly as Munyakazi Deo does. Deo started out playing the 'Inanga' (a traditional Rwandan string instrument similar to a guitar) and singing in the tone and style of the ancestors; a style to which he's added his own jazzy spin to make something new and exciting.
Mucyo
Mucyo is pure vocals and vibes. The combination of her deep, smooth voice and the laid back nature of her sound is the perfect backdrop to light some incense, kick back and reflect. She's been at it since 2018 and has dropped EP after EP of relaxed soul.
Kivumbi King
Kivumbi King keeps it all the way cool with his almost monotone flow while he serves danceable, downtempo afrobeats energy. There's no doubt where his influences lie and his music certainly has an international appeal, but Kivumbi King manages to keep it authentic like in one of his biggest songs, "Maso Y'Inyana," which is a traditionally romantic compliment in Kinyarwanda meaning, "you have the eyes of a baby cow." After checking out this one, peep his newest video release for "Kabisa."
Mike Kayihura
Mike Kayihura has been steadily building a following in Rwanda for several years. He got his start playing the keyboard and singing along to a mixture of original songs and classics like Bob Marley covers. His latest efforts have been catching mainstream attention, with his biggest hit thus far being a catchy song called "Sabrina" which features Instagram Live-themed visuals. Check out his latest release "Anytime" and hear how Mike Kayihura seamlessly mixes English and the national language, Kinyarwanda.
Angell Mutoni
From spoken word to belting vocals, Angell Mutoni makes sure to explore the full range of her creativity with her releases. Despite lockdowns and curfews characterising the year, she came out with a fun dance track last December specifically calling on Black women to "Let Loose."
Rita Ange Kagaju
Rita Ange Kagaju has the kind of voice you want to hear again and again. "You Are Mine" delivers a full on summer dance situation, you almost think it could be from anywhere in the world until you hear the Kinyarwanda verse during the breakdown. If you're learning the language, this video could be just the karaoke opportunity you were looking for.
Davis D
Davis D made a name for himself in a big way with his breakout song "Dede" at the end of 2019 and, since then, he's taken off with a string of hits. Check out his latest release, "Pose" after this one and see how he's held his own becoming an East African fave.
Alyn Sano
Alyn Sano started out singing in the hotel & bar nightlife circuit in Kigali, making a name for herself among evening revelers as a powerful voice and entertaining live performer. Over the last two years, she's managed to become a promising recording artist with several songs making the airwaves, landing her on the latest season of the Voice Afrique.
Dj Marnaud
Originally making a name for himself as one third of popular trio, Dream Team DJs, DJ Marnaud has since come to be recognised as a solo musician as well. Known for producing club favourites featuring established Rwandan superstars like Active, King James and Uncle Austin, DJ Marnaud has now started creating feature-less songs like his latest release, "Mundemere," from his Son of Rwanda EP.
YoungstaCPT explores, with great profundity, the complexity of Coloured identity and culture in his latest music video for 'Kleurling'.
South African rapper YoungstaCPThas released the music video for his track "Kleurling". The song features on his debut album 3T, the 22-track project which dropped in 2019. While "Kleurling" translates from Afrikaans to "Coloured", a member of a specific racial group in South Africa, the rapper has revealed his aversion to the term because of its historical implications. The visuals for the track, however, are an exquisite passage through Coloured identity, culture and origin with the cinematic execution to match.
The director of photography, Dale Fortune, captures the richness of Coloured culture in several scenes. The opening scene shows YoungstaCPT, appearing regal in his attire, in the District Six Museum. The museum was established in memory of the thousands of inhabitants of District Six, a former residential area in Cape Town, who were forcibly removed from their homes by the Apartheid government in the 1970s.
Through close-ups of symbols of Islam, images, old photographs and newspaper clippings as well as instruments and other artefacts, the music video highlights just some of the history of Coloured people and their place in South Africa. Shot in both Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town and Westbury, Johannesburg, the rapper says he chose these specific locations in order to "show the similarities in our environments even though we are separated." The way of life, the housing reality and diversity of Coloured people speaks to this very sentiment and is aptly portrayed.
YoungstaCPT poignantly and profoundly speaks to the essence of the track and the accompanying visuals saying:
"I wrote Kleurling in 2018 as I felt as though an authentic coloured narrative hadn't been properly decoded yet...I had done songs like SALUTAS and Wes-Kaap which detailed the lifestyle but as far as the coloured condition and what it was like to be coloured and have our thoughts and anger and knowing where it stems from through years of systemic oppression, I had never tapped into that before...South Africa has labeled coloured people as the bastard children of the nation and in some cases it maybe true but that doesn't makes us inferior! [sic]"
Muzi has released astonishing afro-futuristic visuals for his latest electro fusion single 'Interblaktic', off his forthcoming album.
Electronic musician Muzihas dropped the much anticipated single and music video for his lead single "Interblaktic". This latest offering is a smooth electronic number that reflects Black joy and freedom on an intergalactic level.
The "Interblaktic" music video kicks off with Muzi calmly floating in a natural green pool. A voice announces, "There seems to be a lot of Black people on Mars" before the scene shifts to where he stands on the famed and highly-contested red planet, Mars. Muzi, who also goes by the alias Zulu Skywalker, is seen dancing freely with fellow travellers. The music video is stunningly shot and heavily immersed in nature. The roaring waterfalls, Muzi's playful dance moves and beautiful natural Black women make this a true celebration of unhindered Black joy.
The single and the visuals blend effortlessly, making this a synergetic affirmation of Blackness in all its forms. "Tell me what you really wanna do/ Picture perfect, I enjoy the view/ Red lips, kinky hair, Black skin, free as hell", Muzi muses over and over again in the chorus, an expression of self-love, vulnerability and the imagined possibilities for Black people in the future. This is an artistically daring move by Muzi, especially considering that Black people's existence is often left out of the space exploration frontier. The "Interblaktic" music video shows how authentic Black people remain despite the changing times, while the resounding message is to fight the urge to conform, no matter what planet one finds themselves on.
The "Interblaktic" music video is a foretaste of Muzi's upcoming album featuring his alter ego The Zulu Skywalker. The video was shot in Johannesburg's scenic rustic red and white industrial mines. True to form, the music video maintains Muzi's love for Johannesburg while projecting millions of years into an alternative existence. Espacio Dios and Clout Killed The Kids are behind the music production and visual direction.
