The Best North African Songs Right Now

This month’s list of the best North African songs includes a track from every country that encompasses the continent’s north — and most of these releases are by women. Generally, musicians are going for a smooth, easy listening experience that sounds like RnB, pop and neo-soul, sometimes with a regional twist like Amaka’s desert blues influences. Sulaf’s brilliant “Bitti Alhitali” is the list’s only outlier, deeply rooted in heritage and the sounds that have been passed down to her by older generations. 

Sulaf - “Bitti Alhitali” (Sudan)

Sudanese singer, oud player, and composer Sulaf released her debut album ABA, drawing on Sudan’s musical heritage from Nubian-rooted rhythms to devotional and folk traditions. The album is named after her great-grandfather, a Sufi poet, and inspired by his legacy. Track two, “Bitti Alhitali,” opens with a vintage recording of a man chanting before Sulaf chimes in with a heartfelt vocal line, reiterating that “we will not forget you” over analog syncopated percussion and interweaving string arrangements. 

Sumaya Nazar - “minute” (Tunisia, Haiti, US) 

New York-based Tunisian Haitian rapper Sumaya Nazar gets vulnerable on “minute.” Over light piano chords and stripped-back synthscapes, she reflects on hopes and dreams that are being squashed by someone who keeps breaking her heart and never calls her, all in silky smooth vocals that remind of bygone music eras. The perfect track to stare out of the train window to and hit repeat when it’s over. 

Felukah - “KALIMNI BB” (Egypt) 

Egyptian rapper and songstress Felukah released her third studio album Hibiskiss, blending the rap that first drew listeners to her sound with a newer pop trajectory that unites Middle Eastern rhythms and Western hip-hop production. She hit the road touring it across Europe and the US and OkayAfrica was right there with her. “KALIMNI BB,” is the album’s playful closing track, flowing through dreamy synth chords, Egyptian percussion and nostalgic echoes as Felukah, like Sumaya Nazar, is waiting for someone to call her back. 

Manal, Zeyne - “Kentili” (Morocco, Palestine, Jordan)

“Kentili” is a bi-lingual collaboration between Moroccan star Manal and Palestinian Jordanian singer Zeyne. In their respective Arabic dialects and from differing perspectives, both artists sing about a shared story of reaching the breaking point in a relationship after giving everything to someone who never met you there, and finally finding the clarity to let go. Their voices take center stage over a stripped back and repetitive backdrop of muted syncopated rhythms. 

Rotation, Hleem Taj Alser - “Flashback” (Sudan, Libya) 

“Flashback” is track three off of Sudanese rapper Hleem Taj Alser’s Mackintosh’s EP. Teaming up with Sudan’s primary voice of smooth RnB, Rotation, the song’s mellow, late-night vibe is built around Taj Alser’s signature melodic trap delivery and atmospheric beats. In bi-lingual verses, the two artists conjure a type of nostalgia and bedroom slow jam that is not commonly heard in Sudanese music. 

TIF - “Peace&Love (LIVE)” (Algeria, France)

Algerian French rapper TIF impressed with this live performance of “Peace&Love,” a call for peace which he released on October 7. Into an acoustic space that reminds more of a jamming session made up of keys, an acoustic guitar and a simple frame drum, he delivers flows in a fluidly changing cadence and sings a passionate chorus that breaks with conventional formulas of a rap song. 

Exp, Gaidaa, KAMAE, Akemi Fox, Apollo Vizion, Deyah - “Like That” (Sudan, Netherlands, UK)

Amsterdam-based record label Exp. Share Records runs the artistic project EXP, which invites a group of artists from around the world to travel to an inspiring location, a different country each year, and create an album and documentary in just one week. This year marked the first edition on the African continent, in Morocco's desert. On the neo soul and RnB track “Like That,” Sudanese Dutch musician Gaidaa collaborates with the UK’s Akemi Fox, Apollo Vizion and Deyah as well as the Netherlands’ KAMAE. The result is an infectious and groovy dance track.

Wegz, Amaka Jaji - “Muqattel” (Egypt, Libya)

Egyptian superstar Wegz releases yet another expansion of his Aqareb album, increasing the original 24-track offering to a 30-track LP. One of the new additions, “Muqattel,” sees him teaming up with Libyan Tuareg musician Amaka Jaji who sings about the warrior lifestyle of a Saharan. The track is fast-paced and chaotic as it draws on several different sounds from across the continent, but it’s intriguing in its diversion from the rest of the album’s sound. 

Nadine El Roubi - “Concrete” (Sudan, US)

New York-based Sudanese singer Nadine El Roubi unveiled her long-awaited debut album Life is Beautiful Again, a slow and soulful introspection that departs from the Nuclear EP she released earlier this year. Track seven, “Concrete,” captures the inner stillness and determination one has to preserve to survive in chaotic, claustrophobic cities. El Roubi’s soft, but authoritative vocal line flows and hovers over trap-beats, dreamy piano moments and guitar arrangements.