MUSIC
The Best Southern African Songs Right Now
For the music highlights from Southern Africa in February, OkayAfrica digs into alternative genres from South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and beyond.
Asher Gamedze releases his album, ‘A Semblance: Of Return,’ today.
by Leila Khan
This month, we have some jazz music from South Africa courtesy of Asher Gamedze’s new album, Of Return; famo-adjacent sounds coming out of Lesotho, and of course, large doses of dancehall coming out of Zimbabwe.
The year is heating up, and artists across the board refuse to get left out. This is OkayAfrica’s selection of the best songs in Southern Africa right now.
Asher Gamedze - “A Semblance: Of Return” [LP] (South Africa)
Asher Gamedze’s album is out today, and the spirits are rejoicing. Titled Of Return, it peeks into the valley of our downtrodden past, picking at old wounds, studying the parts that still ache, exorcising accepted histories, raging against the machine, and emerging with eleven songs of steady, fiery intervention. He doesn’t carry the weight alone. The load is shared among a tight crew of collaborators he calls A Semblance: Ru Slayen (percussion), Nobuhle Ashanti (keys and synth), Zwide Ndwandwe (bass), and Keegan Steenkamp (trumpet). For this unit, music forms part of a broader shared life, one spent in laughter, in pain, in thought, and in revolutionary struggle.
Sannere, Phoka Ea Boroa - “Mosali” (Lesotho)
Sannere and Phoka Ea Boroa have proven their staying power, feeding off each other’s talents to unleash a flurry of bangers that have stood the test of time. A collaborative album felt inevitable, and on Makukuno A Pelo, they deliver six tracks that traverse romance (“Mosali”), resignation (“Ha Hona Taba”), and acceptance (“Batlohelleng”). The music balances the trap-infused Famo sound they’ve perfected with the Afro-pop sensibility that keeps listeners locked in. The Malome Vector feature — the album’s sole guest appearance — adds a welcome texture, ensuring the sound and message continue to resonate.
Litshepe Lr - “Karohano” (Lesotho)
“Karohano” is about heartbreak — the kind that stings, that leaves you breathless, that convinces you never again. It sparks internal dialogue, locates change in the clouds, and brings it to your doorstep. Litshepe Lr ruminates on his misfortune with a shattered heart, admitting the full depth of his pain. “Karohano” is from his latest album, Motheo.
SAN The Instru-Monumentalist - “Lumera” [LP] (Lesotho)
On Lumera, Lesotho-born, Washington, D.C.-based producer SAN The Instru-Monumentalist carries tradition forward, delivering a beat tape steeped in the approaches of ’90s and early ’00s hip-hop producers who inspired him — from Pete Rock to RZA, DJ Muggs to Hi-Tek. It’s a collection of 22 instrumentals, most just over a minute long: meditations on home and belonging. Voice snippets form the album’s narrative backbone, giving it a satisfying arc and emotional continuity. The textures are fully locked in, and he hammers away with some of the dopest boom-bap beats this side of the underground.
Nyasha David - “Tsvodi” (Zimbabwe)
“Tsvodi” is calming, built on a dancehall beat that anchors Nyasha David on a tightrope he walks without faltering. His disposition is assured, and his voice never wavers. This release adds to his growing catalogue of Afro-fusion singer-songwriter bangers. “Tsvodi” is a feel-good anthem for love and devotion, fitting for the month of love.
Poptain - “Money, Power, Respect” (Zimbabwe)
Zimbabweans rarely miss when it comes to dancehall, and Poptain’s “Money, Power, Respect” backs that claim. With its melodic chorus locked in, he shines lyrically, crafting an anthem of aspiration that stands tall among the best out right now.
Nisha Ts - “Miracle” (Zimbabwe)
Nisha Ts is rough and relentless, a lyrical juggernaut capable of penning songs that land and linger. “Miracle” is one of them: cinematic in scope and sonically fulfilling. Produced by Money Cure, it’s a testament to what can happen when one dares to believe in a higher power.
