THE LOCAL & FLY

Music is an age-long craft that will always be there to represent the lifestyle of the African people. For top African artists, representation of the continent through music and authentication of their origin is merchandise, so they do it well. This single act of authentication makes all albums on this list essential and relevant for many years to comes.

Many songs alike from the days of E .T Mensah in 1919 till date, have had an inexplicable hold on us. They touch both the dirty and clean shades of the social, political and cultural experiences of the African people. We have decided to preserve the memories of them in this space. On this list are a number of albums dedicated to the African continent in this decade.

11. ‘African Revolution’

• Artist – Tiken Jah Fakoly
• Year – 2010
• Genre – Reggae

Freedom found a voice in reggae long time ago with singers like Jamaican Bob Marley and South African Lucky Dube. Artists in Africa today venerate the memory of these two and many other reggae legends every time they sing of freedom and revolution. Tiken Jah Fakoly explains the imbalance in freedom with reggae blended with the finest musical instruments that Africa has got.

10. ‘Viva Africando’

• Artist – Sekouba Bambino
• Year – 2013
• Genre – Salsa & Tropical

African languages were matched together in this Latino themed album that connects the Carribeans and the West Africans in a lot of ways. This wild imagination to combine these sets of people and culture in ‘Viva Africando’ must have given the patrons of the black race reasons to grin down on us all.

9. ‘Mama Africa’

• Artist – Yemi Alade
• Year – 2016
• Genre – African

With her novice album called ‘Mama Africa’ which was medium to express societal issues as well as create a dancing mood. The singer notably crafted colourful concepts and new sounds within the African culture to describe the highs and lows of the African woman.

8. ‘Mother Afrika’

• Artist – Babaa Maal 
• Year – 2015
• Genre – World

Singers will always use their voice to back up the voice of Africans who cry daily to bring awareness to the inhumanity of the world. You will appreciate ‘Mother Afrika’ for its ability to take you down to the African roots.

7. ‘African Grace’

• Artists – Soweto Gospel Choir
• Year – 2011
• Genre – Gospel

In an atmosphere of music, love and life can not be absent. There is this graceful energy in ‘African Grace’ that confirms that these three elements are inseparable.

6. ‘Beautiful Africa ‘

• Artist– Rokia Traore
• Year – 2013
• Genre – International

The drum beats from the songs in this album like the sounds of magic from Africa and nicely wrapped with the sound of the guitar. When you listen more closely, the album reveals its true harmonic elegance.

5. ‘Africa for Africa’

• Artist – Femi Kuti
• Year – 2010
• Genre – International

Am album that clearly shows Femi Kuti is a true successor of his father, the afro juju king. His father’s nature of singing clearly embodies a distaste for bad leadership, and this album follows in that step.

3. ‘Say Africa’

• Artist – Vusi Mahlasela
• Year – 2017
• Genre – Pop

Hope for Africa is in the heart of every African singer. Music has since enabled messages of peace to reach everyone who wishes for peace. This album divulges hope and peace for Africa

2. ‘African Giant’

• Artists – Burna boy
• Year – 2019
• Genre – Afrobeat

The family root is important to Burna Boy, the African Giant as he is now known. He utilized every space of the African Giant strip as wells as every word of it to proclaim that his root must not be disregarded. If you are African, you should also be reminded by this album that you are a giant and should not be overlooked

1. African Rhythm Anthology – Various Artists in Africa

Music in Africa was rebranded in 2012 when these iconic singers lent their voices in a contemporary fashion to make this album.

With the infusion of pop, electronic sounds and more into Afro sounds, African Rhythm Anthology harmonically unloads similarities in West African and Western music.

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