Celebrating Afrika
This week we spoke with a Serial Entrepreneur championing food tourism and Independent Music in Nigeria Founder of Afrovibes Africa, Abulafestival, Indienightlagos & Singalong concert. Bisilola Bakare’s life imprint is creating intimate and unforgettable experiences.
-Oibiee
This week, we present Femme Magique, a comprehensive selection of songs honoring the enchantment and power of women, handpicked by T’neeya. Every song is a woman’s experience expressed through a journey, a tale, or a prayer, validating feelings, expressing things we usually keep to ourselves, and offering advice on navigating life and love. The selections this week inspire you to adore women in your life or to embrace your own gender.
Continue reading “Psst! Cool Stuff : Femme Magique by T’neeya”
-Oibiee
This week is about a triathlete executive in the music industry who loves to cook Lasagne!
-Uzi
Whether you’re a fan of traditional African music or just looking for something fresh and exciting, you don’t want to miss out on the latest coolest African jams. From chart-topping singles to underground gems, there’s a world of amazing music waiting for you to discover. So, let’s dive in and explore the best of African pop/soul together!
Continue reading “Psst! Cool Stuff: 7 African Songs To Listen To”
– Oibiee
Alma Aboubakar Salum, alias Almah Bronxi, is a young entrepreneur in the entertainment industry who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tanzania’s Ardhi University in Dar es Salaam. She has worked with both national and international musicians, including, Patoranking (NG), Sauti Sol (KE), King98official (Zim), Maud Elka (Fr), Zlatan Ibile (NG), Barnaba (TZ), and Jux (TZ), to name a few.
With more than ten years of experience in the entertainment sector, she has a strong background in artist management, local and worldwide music distribution, media campaigns, and event planning, organizing, and coordination. Her professional career is a trip that she has traveled with passion, devotion, and hard work.
Love is in the air, and we have a lineup to remind you that loving yourself is a must for loving others. This week’s edition serves as a reminder to love yourself by transporting you to the appropriate locations, providing you with the appropriate mantras, and establishing the appropriate tempo for you in our fast-paced society. Groovy and calming music, blending Amapiano, Fuji, Afrobeats, and Afro-fusion.
Continue reading “Psst! Cool Stuff: 7 African Songs To Listen To”
– Oibiee
Can you imagine if Iron man also had the power of invisibility? This week our Superhero has the strength, intelligence, tech prowess and wits of Iron man and the power of invisibility…
-Oibiee
New year, New you? This week we bring you songs to keep you grounded and help you navigate 2023. Each song, a testament to a human experience with direction on how you can handle the situation, and inspiration to reframe your 2023 regardless of what 2022 showed you. If you are not sure about 2023 yet, these songs will show you a way through.
Continue reading “Psst! Cool Stuff: 7 African Songs To Listen To”
-Oibiee
Still speaking with Superheros, this week we met Lady Immortalius! Read on to find out a lot about her!
Morning Rabbit or Night owl? What are the top 3 spaces you enjoy working from?
Ironically I am both. I get super creative between 10 pm – 2 am and 5 am – 8 am. I guess it depends on what my daytime schedule looks like.
We are creating a comic book about the superheroes of the African music industry, describe your superpower as a music journalist?
Immortality, I definitely want to experience the evolution of music in 100 years and still be have the ability to tell the stories vividly.
Tell us the journey to becoming a Music Journalist?
I really can’t pinpoint when exactly my journey with music started. As a kid, I always sang along to radio songs word by word and also wrote a lot of poems and spoken word pieces, so I often thought I would be a rapper. Eventually, I gave up the dream and decided to be a journalist when I was in High School. I streamlined my passion for writing into being a culture and music journalist when I was 17 years. I initially worked as an intern for Ruby V who is a Hip Hop journalist and learned the foundations of Hip Hop. I also began writing Tangaza Magazine which focuses on East African music around 2018. Around this time my interest in Music Business especially PR carved out and I began working with my mentor Camille Storm at her PR boutique Camille&Co. Despite all this I would say my big break came in 2021 after I did an international piece for Pan African Music Magazine on the Rise of Drill in Kenya. Currently, I am a writer at NATIVE Magazine. My favourite part of being a music journalist is getting to collect music pieces from different timelines and seeing the deeper evolution of music not only as a genre but as a lifestyle. To anyone who considering a similar journey:
It’s not all glitz and glamour talking to artists but it’s more of documenting music so people can always go back to the archives and find more information on the craft. It’s never about your name because the story you tell needs to be bigger than you.
What is your favorite African meal?
Can I say potatoes? These were the best things ever created. From mashed potatoes to bhajia to masala fries I literally think if there is Potato Juice I’ll be the first to drink it up.
What passion projects are you managing at the moment? What inspired you to start or join them?
I am working on getting my music podcast back on track. It’s called the Newz Podcast and I started it with my best friend Fadhili mainly because there is too much music coming out of Kenya and the mainstream media only supports mainstream artists. We mainly wanted to plug the people into new underground music. Apart from that, I am also working on another music podcast with a good colleague of mine called Antoine. It’s called Underground 10 and this is more of a comical and music podcast where we discuss the latest happenings in Kenya’s music scene.
Team Apple Music/ Spotify/ Boomplay/ Soundcloud? Tell us the Top 5 songs on your music player
TEAM APPLE TILL THE DEATH OF ME.
1. God’s Incense – Shooterkhumz
2. I Get Around – 2Pac ft Digital Underground
3. Love Me or Leave Me – UKWELI ft Xenia Manasseh
4. Bag – Kxffy ft Gaccu OukoSeason & Muthoka
5. Tingisha Kidole – XPRSO ft Rvmp, Mars Maasai &MR.LU*
Where is the most unlikely place you have found an artist or a songwriter and how did it happen?
TikTok. There is an artist called Unco Jingjong and his chorus from “Dancehall” was trending for a hot minute on Kenyan Tiktok but I couldn’t really identify the song or the writer because there were no credits to the song and his voice is pretty deep so you can’t hear some of the chorus words.
Who are some of your favourite African writers and editors in the music industry?
First off, the whole NATIVE newsroom. I honestly feel blessed to be surrounded by such a competent team that I continuously get to learn from on an everyday basis. Itty Okim also, pens his stories so passionately and meticulously. Also, Charles Myambo who writes for the Hype Magazine
Your name is going in the hall of fame for people who impacted the music industry, what would your quote be?
Those who are blinded by grief can’t differentiate between prey and bait.
– Tela wangeci
-Morola
This edition of cool stuff places special focus on sounds Africa has been fusing into dance floors. We all witnessed the buzz of Amapiano, captivating drums so hard to resist even after almost two years of holding our speakers hostage. This year also saw the blossoming of electronic dance and deep house music on the dance floor and at raves.
Now imagine the fusion of Afro-house and Afro Techno music, the Amapiano drums, and its spiritual and liberating groove with the deep effects of Electronic dance music. A no-brainer right? Well, it’s already happening and we’ve curated these sounds, especially for you so crack open that prosecco and take off your shoes.
Continue reading “Psst! Cool Stuff: 7 African Songs To Listen To”
We Soko Afrika 