The Best East African Songs Right Now

I had a thoroughly fun time listening to this month’s East African music picks. It was yummy to the ear throughout.

August gave us love songs and artists stretching their sounds in interesting ways. Some of the strongest releases leaned into romance, from Burundian artist Kirikou Akili and Rwanda’s Kivumbi King on the culturally rooted “YampayInka” to Nandy, Mbosso and S2kizzy on the deeply Tanzanian “Malaika.”

Elsewhere, the region’s global reach keeps widening, with Kenya’s Sofiya Nzau joining DJ Skyla Tylaa and singer Chlöe Bailey on “Makuhia,” while Uganda’s Joshua Baraka continues a standout year with “Yoyo.”

This month, the list also makes room for artists entering new chapters, including Adey, SHAFFY, Njerae, Abigail Chams and Lil Maina, in OkayAfrica’s best East African music picks.

Kirikou Akili x Kivumbi King — “YampayInka” (Burundi/Rwanda)

“YampayInka” brings together two hitmakers who understand how to turn a love song into a moment. The title roughly translates to “he/she gives me a cow,” a phrase that carries cultural weight in both Burundi and Rwanda, where cows are tied to respect and value. Kirikou Akili taps back into the Brazilian-inspired bounce that helped give him one of the biggest songs of 2025, this time alongside Rwanda’s Kivumbi King. The result is a cross-border collaboration that turns a love song into something playful and culturally rooted, with a viral dance challenge only adding to its momentum.

Skyla Tylaa, Sofiya Nzau & Chlöe Bailey — “Makuhia” (Kenya/U.K./U.S.)

“Makuhia” is the kind of collaboration that shows how far East African voices are traveling in global dance music. British DJ Skyla Tylaa brings together Kenya’s vocalist Sofiya Nzau and American R&B star Chlöe Bailey. Nzau, already familiar to many as the voice behind “Mwaki,” opens the track in Kikuyu before Bailey slides in with her signature vocal polish. 

Joshua Baraka - Yoyo (Uganda)

It has been a fruitful year for Joshua Baraka, who keeps finding new ways to capture magic with each release. After “Morocco” with Axon grew into a full remix run with Shenseea, then French Montana and Byron Messia on “Morocco 3.0,” he also joined Element EleéeH and Bien on the regional standout “AYAYAAH.” Now he is back with “Yoyo,” a love song that leans into the Konpa wave currently moving through East Africa (even as it opens with a distinctly Congolese feel through the voiceover and guitar at the top of the song). The track has the sweetness and ease that have become central to Baraka’s appeal, but it also shows how clearly he understands where the region’s sound is heading.

Nandy, Mbosso & S2kizzy — “Malaika” (Tanzania)

“Malaika” is Bongo Flava at its most romantic. Bringing together Nandy, Mbosso and producer S2kizzy, it is a true love song of yearning, built around the kind of longing that has always powered some of Tanzania’s best music. The title means “angel” in Kiswahili, and that idea runs through the record. With Nandy and Mbosso trading emotion over S2kizzy’s production, “Malaika” is sweet, heartfelt, and deeply Tanzanian in its feeling.

Adey — “Sandman” (Ethiopia/diaspora)

Adey’s “Sandman” carries years of history. As I wrote in a profile on her earlier this month, the Toronto-based Ethiopian singer first recorded the song in 2011, later making it a favorite in her live sets before returning to it for her upcoming debut album, Unorthodox. Built around the familiar melody of “Mr. Sandman,” this new version slows things down and turns the song into more of a mood. 

 SHAFFY — “Ninde” ft. Element EleéeH (Rwanda)

Two of Rwanda’s current giants join forces on this love song. Shaffy brings the warmth; Element EleéeH adds his now-signature polish to “Ninde”. While we are here, we are still waiting to hear Element’s album, expected later this year. After his run as one of Rwanda’s most important producers and his own step into artist mode, every new appearance feels like a clue to where he may be headed next.

Njerae x KayCyy — “On My Own” (Kenya)

Njerae is gearing up for a big second half of the year as she prepares to release her new album, and “On My Own” feels like a strong preview of where she may be headed. The Kenyan R&B songstress links with Kenyan-born, American-based artist KayCyy for a track that shows a different side of her writing. When OkayAfrica last spoke to Njerae, she was still firmly in her lover-girl era, but “On My Own” suggests a shift toward a more self-possessed perspective centered on choosing oneself.

Abigail Chams — “Yoyo” (Tanzania)

Abigail Chams has not released too many songs this year, so “Yoyo” feels especially welcome. After kicking off 2026 with “Your Loss,” the Tanzanian singer has continued to build her profile through major stages, including the Africa-France Forward concert in Nairobi, where she joined Youssou Ndour for a special rendition of “7 Seconds.” “Yoyo” brings the focus back to the music, and reminds us that craft remains Abigail’s strongest calling card.

Lil Maina — “Tetemesha” (Kenya)

From internet sensation to one of Kenya’s most distinctive new-generation artists, Lil Maina has always understood how to move with culture. Taken from his upcoming album, STUNNA, “Tetemesha” captures him in restless mode. Meaning “to shake things up,” in Kiswahili, the title fits the record’s spirit and offers a useful way to understand his next chapter.