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Sabo Kpade
Aug. 28, 2018 01:33PM EST
Kojey Radical & Juls "Normal."

The 11 Best Ghanaian Songs of the Month

Featuring Sarkodie, E.L, Juls x Kojey Radical, Shatta Wale and more.

The robustness and invention of Ghanaian pop music are evident in a bumper month of song making—from the grafting of trap to highlife, to continued displays of rap virtuosity and singing flourishes.

Read ahead for our selection of the Best Ghanaian Songs of August.

Medikal "Yesu"

Medikal's "Yesu," featuring Phil Blak, is a stream of consciousness display of verbal virtuosity about self-affirmation and triumph over adversity.

Juls & Kojey Radical "Normal"

An excellent pairing of vocal delivery and sensible beat-making that went to even more complex depths on 2017's "Temperature Rising."

Adina Thembi "On My Way"

Pertinent life advice sung with beautiful vocal clarity and graceful flourish.

Sarkodie "Can't Let You Go" feat. King Promise

Sarkodie and King Promise share a beautiful ode to a long term partner, celebrating everlasting love and companionship.

Strongman in "Change" and "Wappi"

A state of the nation address made even more brilliant by the clever blending of highlife and trap; a more adventurous endeavor but no less satisfying than "Wappi" with Gamebwoy.

Shatta Wale "Ginger"

A hortatory epistle with a reassuring yet inconclusive maxim—"some people say life no be fair / me say life just be test"—from Shatta Wale.

Qwesi Flex & Patapaa "Dirty Yourself"

A house banger with a clear directive from Qwesi Flex and Patapaa.

DJ J Masta "Magic Remix" feat. Bisa Kdei, Skales & Praiz

An exemplar of afropop's synergy with American R&B by a stellar line up of Bisa Kdei, Skales and Praiz, each of which is affecting and memorable.

Kumi Guitar "Konkosa"

Highlife goodness by singer-songwriter Kumi Guitar, whose smooth vocal muscularity is as old fashion as it reassuring over present-day production.

GuiltyBeatz & Joey Boy & King Promise "Fire"

"Fire," a song-title-as-song-description that for once is well earned.

E.L "Dare To Dream" & "Yo Geng"

Technically astute and emotionally precise verses whose lofty title undersells turns of earnest self-examination and social commentary over production of which J Dilla would be proud. Equally impressive is "Yo Geng" on which E.L brag-swags with real charm about his personality and prowess.

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Rema, image courtesy of the artist.

Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Rema, Teni & More Win Big at 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards

Check out the complete list of 2020 winners.

The Soundcity MVP Awards, the annual award show that recognizes the best and biggest in African music, took place over the weekend at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. Some of the biggest names in African entertainment took home awards.

The show was hosted by South African star Bonang Matheba and featured performances from Diamond Platnumz, Tekno, Tiwa Savage, Stonebwoy and more.

The big winner of the night was none other than Burna Boy, who took home the award for African Artiste of the Year for the second time, the first time being in 2018 in which his mother, Bose Ogulu gave us that memorable acceptance speech warning us "to expect more madness." He also won Song of the Year for "Killin Dem," as well as Best Male MVP.

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Photo by Abena Boamah.

Photos: Here's What Happened at Daily Paper & Free the Youth's Design Talk for Accra's Young Creatives

Founders of the popular brands discussed all things African streetwear in a conversation facilitated by OkayAfrica and moderator Amarachi Nwosu.

Last week, Amsterdam-based, African-owned streetwear brand Daily Paper and Ghanaian streetwear label Free the Youth held a talk for young creatives at the Mhoseenu design studio in Accra, Ghana.

Moderated by Melanin Unscripted creator Amarachi Nwosu and presented in partnership with OkayAfrica, the design-based conversation explored everything from sustainable practices in manufacturing, to the overall evolution of streetwear globally. The founders of Free the Youth, which was been called Ghana's number one streetwear brand, expanded on how they've been able to build their audience, and shared details about their community-based initiatives.

They event, which took place at the Daily Paper Pop-up Store in Accra last Friday, drew a fashionable and creative-minded crowd ready to partake in a design discussion between West Africa and Europe.

Check out some of the action that took place at the Daily Paper x FYT event below, with photos by Abena Boamah.

Find more upcoming OkayAfrica events here.

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Photo courtesy of CSA Global.

In Conversation with Congolese NBA Player Emmanuel Mudiay: 'I want more African players in the NBA.'

The Utah Jazz player talks about being African in the NBA, supporting basketball in the DRC and how 'everybody knows about Burna Boy'.

Inspired by his basketball-playing older brothers, by second grade, Emmanuel Mudiay already knew that he wanted to play in the American National Basketball Association. Then in 2001 his family, fleeing the war in Democratic Republic of Congo, sought asylum in the United States.

In America, Mudiay saw basketball as a way for him to improve his situation. After impressive high school and college careers, he moved to China to play pro ball. Picked 7th overall in the 2015 NBA draft, the now 23-year-old guard has made a name for himself this season coming off the bench for the Utah Jazz.

Mudiay attests to the sport having changed not only his life but that of his siblings. Basketball gave them all a chance at a good education and the opportunity to dream without conditions. Now he wants to see other talented African players make it too.

We caught up with him to talk about his experience as an African player in the NBA, his hopes for basketball on the African continent and who he and his teammates jam out to in their locker rooms.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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University lecturer and activist Doctor Stella Nyanzi (L) reacts in court as she attends a trial to face charges for cyber-harassment and offensives communication, in Kampala, on April 10, 2017. (Photo by GAEL GRILHOT/AFP via Getty Images)

Jailed Ugandan Activist, Stella Nyanzi, Wins PEN Prize for Freedom of Expression

The outspoken activist, who is currently serving a prison sentence for a poem she wrote about the president's mother's vagina, won for her resistance "in front of a regime that is trying to suppress her."

Stella Nyanzi, the Ugandan academic, activist, and vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni has been awarded the 2020 Oxfam Novib/PEN International award for freedom of expression, given to writers who "continue to work for freedom of expression in the face of persecution."

Nyanzi is currently serving a 15 month sentence for "cyber harassment" after she published a poem in which she wrote that she wished "the acidic pus flooding Esiteri's (the president's mother) vaginal canal had burn up your unborn fetus. Burn you up as badly as you have corroded all morality and professionalism out of our public institutions in Uganda."

According to the director of PEN International, Carles Torner, her unfiltered outspokenness around the issues facing her country is what earned her the award. "For her, writing is a permanent form of resistance in front of a regime that is trying to suppress her," said Torner at the award ceremony.

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