I was in Maui last week – Maui is far its like one of the last places to celebrate new year normally
so i’m in this airport shuttle and some guy enters and right away i new he was African. He had a huge drum with him which took one of the rows of that shuttle. Anyway we got talking and i found out he was from Senegal and was there as musician doing performances all over the Island – Oh and the van driver was an Egyptian – how did 3 Africans end up on this remote island so far from Africa ?

One thing you got to give to Senegalese is that they are strong on culture, they feed off their culture the way Kenyans feed off Athletics and they have a deep bench of talent -  you can’t go to any major city in the US or the world without finding some Senegalese music group art group or somebody just selling curious and artifacts.

Anyway that conversation got me thinking about this post which i was working on earlier but did not have a story to go with it – i know people like background stories but in a perfect world i would rather just post a song and let it speak for itself.

I flew down to New York to kick it with Kim of Jamhuri wear. Kim has been a supporter and collaborator of GetMziki from day one. We share insight and ideas  - what is relevant though is that Kim has a key to the city. In the space of 2 days i have hanged out with Knaan, played ball with Steve nash, rolled with Vince of entourage – personally i think Kim should ditch the clothing label and become a community organizer here in Harlem then maybe work hes way to the oval office – but thats just me.

But my biggest revelation –  which i kindof been sleeping on is Blitz the ambassador . Blitz, from Accra ,Ghana is one special MC – who is making he’s mark on hiphop. He’s beats borrow heavily from old school hiphop, some Fela sensability – and mostly conscious lyrics.

Kind of late posting this, but here we go: In  other news the kokomaster has a reality show at the kokomansion with 12 Kokolettes – something like a flavor of love Nigeria style – http://www.kokomansion.tv/about.php

Download available below:

BLK JKS  is a group from Johannesburg ,South Africa – They have there own style of music which sort of defies attempts to pigeonhole them – though for me they closely resemble and look like Black Uhuru in the early 80′s

BLK JKS have been touring extensively in the US and Europe and you can catch more info about them here and their blog.

By the the way those are not pyjamas those guys are putting on check – see

This is a mix I did a couple of weeks ago and just now getting to post it. Some of the tracks driving the streets crazy and which we will be showcasing here at GetMziki in the next hrs/days are the Ken Razy bangers “Ashu Kwa Shu” and “Kupe” . I also world premier Rop’s street anthem “Ji Shugli” featuring Jua Cali and showcase Nigeria’s Ajufo where he jumps on P-Squares instrumental and HB Toxics Banger with AY “All I Need”.

If you need me to feature any of this songs on GetMziki let me know. Thanks and Enjoy!!!!

Tracklisting

1. Dead Prez Intro
2. Ali Kiba Feat Mwasiti -Waweru (TZ)
3. Matonya Feat TID – Sina La Kufanya (TZ)
4. Nonini – Kathaa (KE)
5. Rop Feat Jua Cali – Ji Shugli (KE)
6. Big Kev- Nicheki (KE)
7. Mad Traxx – Poa (KE)
8. DNA – Lets Go (KE)
9. Mwana FA and AY – Habari Ndio Hiyo (TZ)
10. K-Lynn – Chance (TZ)
11. Cindy Feat P-Square – You and Me (UG/NG)
12. Ken Razy, Iconic, Leduc and Dubz – Iconic (TZ)
14. HB Toxic and AY – All I Need (UG/TZ)
15. Ajufo – Secret Rendezvous (NG)
16. KenRazy and V6- Ashu Kwa Shu (KE)

Listen to the Mix below:
Download audio file (ISHIKE_RADIO_The_Ashu Mix.mp3)

Download The Mix Below:

The second tracks is from Samini from Ghana – where my baby deh. is definitely a club banger.

The third clip is Corneille from Canada via Rwanda this song is slightly old but good music is good music. Listen keenly because the youth about to blow up – back to life:

And last but not least this years Grammy Nominee – Wayna from DC via Ethiopia and former speechwriter for Bill Clinton (???).

Albert Mangwair aka Mangwea, Mangwair, Ngwea or Ngwair has been featured on Getmziki before (Click here), so I will just go straight to the songs “Speed 1-20 and “Nipe Deal” / “Nipe Dili”.  I’m sure all my Bongo fans will be happy with this post.

I had started writing the post for the “Nipe Deal” song when my Tanzanian contacts emailed me the “Speed 120″ song which I have been trying to find a good copy for a few weeks now. The song is currently a street anthem in TZ and slowly bubbling to the charts.  On “Speed 120″, he enlists the help of Chidi Benz (One of my favourite artists In TZ right now ) for a perfect blend and collabo. “Nipe deal” is a song that has been bubbling on the underground for a minute and its now spreading like world fire. Mangwair just recently wrapped up shooting the videos for the songs, which should take the songs to higher heights. I know I will be adding “speed 120″ on my serato and rocking it at my shows.

Enjoy the tracks!!!!!!!

Listen To The Tracks Here:

Mangwair Feat Chidi Benz- Speed I20

Download audio file (Mangwair%20feat%20Chidi%20Benzi%20-%20Speed%20120.mp3?)

Click Below To Download:

Mangwair – Nipe Deal

Download audio file (Mangwair%20-%20Nipe%20Deal.mp3)

Click Below To Download:

This is a big tune, big in 2008 and will be big in 2009. Ahmadou and Mariam are musical duo husband and wife from Bamako, Mali. Both are blind but what they lack in sight they more than make up for in music.

For more information checkout the website:

checkout the video

and download the song here:

This is a big tune right now. African Tonic for real combination of styles and cultures

download track here:

Its 2009 and my promise to everyone is to world premier some Bongo flava music every couple of weeks. The first exclusive is “Siwezi” by TID from his upcoming album “Prison Voice”.  A lot of my Bongo fans have been hitting me up for this track for a couple of weeks now and I’m sure my inbox will take a “breather” for a few days now.

After serving four months in jail on assault charges and being pardoned by the president In December, TID is hard at work in the studio crafting hits. The song first single “Siwezi” was released while he was in prison in November. TID’s music catalog is long too mention, but some of TID’s older songs I still bump today that show his longevity and artistic ability are “Watasema sana”, “Zeze” and “Siamini”.

On this post I’ll let the music speak for itself but I’m curious to see what people think of the track.

Enjoy and don’t forget where you first heard it!!!!!!

Listen To The Track Here:
Download audio file (TID%20-%20Siwezi.mp3)

Download the track here

I was going to write something long about the singer and the song but i figured sometimes its better to let the music speak for itself

Yéké Yéké’ was re-recorded in a shorter version (faster, electric and more conducive to dancing) for the album Akwaba Beach in 1987. The song’s dazzling success took everyone by surprise. The sales soared to more than a million singles and half a million albums and its listing on the hit parades around the world multiplied. When ‘Yéké Yéké’ reached the top spot on the Pan-European charts in Billboard magazine (USA) in 1988, the griot from Kissidougou had succeeded in giving African music the place it rightfully deserves (more..)

Mory Kante – Yeke Yeke:
Download audio file (13 – Yeke Yeke.mp3)
  download

Salif Keita (born August 25, 1949) is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he is an albino and a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita. This royal heritage meant that he should never have become a singer, which was deemed to be a griot’s role. (more ..)

Salif keita  – Madan (gekko remix)
Download audio file (01 – Madan.mp3)
download
Salif keita – Mosoulou (osunlade mix)
Download audio file (05 – Moussoulou.mp3)
download

Just A Band is a Kenyan house/funk/disco band whose career was launched with their debut album, Scratch To Reveal, in 2008. Their music has explored various musical directions such as, but not limited to jazz, hip-hop, disco and electronica.

The band are also notable for their DIY aesthetic. In addition to writing, recording and engineering their music, the band creates their own music videos, packaging and promotional items and establishing a strong web and blog presence, referencing elements from virtual band like Gorillaz and incorporating anime and animation, illustration and photography in their visual campaigns. (more ..)

Just a band – Owinyo Piny
Download audio file (12 – Iwinyo Piny.mp3)
download
just a band – twende kazi
Download audio file (09 – Twende Kazi (No Jokes).mp3)
download

The second born of twelve children to Nigerian émigrés in London, Siji spent much of his early childhood in Lagos and London before coming to the US to further pursue his musical ambitions. His own cultural heritage combined with the political and social movements of the age, exposed young Siji to the insurgent, politicized music of the Afrobeat legends Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Tony Allen as well as the soulful grooves of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Otis Redding. His parents, in particular, his father, loved music, but like most children of hardworking immigrants, Siji was urged by them to pursue a career in the professional fields of medicine or law. But the lure of the music was too strong. In the nineties, when London was bursting at the seams with new music and groups like Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and D-Influence dominated the scene, Siji’s attention was captured and he began to follow his passion for making and recording his own music. (more..)

Siji – irinajo
Download audio file (10 – Irinajo.mp3)
download
Siji – fantasy
Download audio file (02 – Fantasy.mp3)
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Born and raised in the Central African Republic, Boddhi Satva – real name Armani Kombot-Naguemon – was raised on an eclectic diet of Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop and Funk as well as traditional African music including Soukous, Makossa and Ndombolo. A move to Brussels in 2000 saw him begin to develop his production talents as he was slowly seduced by the sounds of House and most notably the productions of Kevin Yost and Alton Miller(more ..).

Boddhi  Satva – Moina na mokili
Download audio file (Boddhi_Satva-Moina_Ya_Mokili.mp3)
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Boddhi  Satva – Na uti ya musika
Download audio file (Na_Wuti_Musika-Afriki_Soul_Mix.mp3)
download

*All images and files copyright of their  respectiveowners

I know Liz from her days in LA, back in the day she recorded a dub plate for dj Lenoir in my garage though i cant seem to track it down. – It would have been interesting to compare the growth. Apart from singing Liz is a model , designer and  businesswoman  who runs a successful model agency – Imani models

Maro Paro More is a big tune,  not a club banger but still a big tune more like 21st century Ohangla, a must have on your ipod playlist.  The track is also available on Just a band’s – Scratch to Reveal album. This Track has remix written all over it. I’m waiting to see if the djs on this list are real dj’s or just human mp3 players.

Seun released his first album some of the highlight tracks include “many things” which sounds like “coffin for head of state” part II.

Even though Kwaito is not getting as much play as it was a couple of years ago and house music seems to be dominant in South Africa a couple of tracks from South Africa still manage to come through and catch peoples attention. Township funk is infectious in a way that i cant explain. This is the most remixed African song of the year.

Download audio file (01 – Township Funk.mp3)

more on DJ mujava here
and the Video is here

Elvis Maswanganyi aged 24 well know as DJ Mujava hails from Pretoria in a township called Attridgeville. He was raised in a family of 7, father, two sisters and two brothers. From all the family members he was the only one who had love for music as he used to be a dancer and he spent his spare time practicing with a small keyboard that he had at home. He was inspired by the likes of DJ Fresh, DJ Oskido ,Masters At Work, Revolution, Loop Masters, etc.

Unlike other producers who had a chance to go to school to study music, DJ Mujava had to learn the hard way, by striving very hard to get a way of knowing how to programme music. His brother sacrificed not to throw himself a party and decided to buy Mujava a computer so he could learn and master his production skills..

Pretoria based community stations played a huge role in honing and familiarizing DJ Mujava’s music to the masses. Within no time Mujava had become a household name in his neighborhood. Taxis and taverners were flocking to DJ Mujava’s house requesting that he gives them the music he was producing. Without any strains and hassles, Mujava would give these people his material as everybody was excited about this. His production became the talk of town and taxi’s started punting his tracks in a big way. This was now becoming a trend that every taxi has to play a DJ Mujava CD. Through all of this, he managed to learn the trade as he was becoming more exposed to the music industry. A recording deal was in the cards, however Mujava wanted to learn the business side of this industry.

Mujava as he was affectionately known in his High School days, met up with Cry, a Gospel producer who had an independent company called CSP. Cry suggested to Mujava that they should try a house project. The two (DJ Mujava & Cry) then started a company called House Therapy Productions.

He then worked with different artist within House Therapy Productions, producing music for the likes of Bujo Mujo, Casablanca(DJ Floit), DJ Cee, Getto Skwatt (Hip Group), Simon Makhatholele(Gospel), Tsala & Spoko and their songs were the most popular tracks in the year 2004 as BOP featured one of their songs on their album Skororo(BOP Killer “Naja”). Besides producing music for other artists he has five albums that he released under his name DJ Mujava titled, House Assignment 1 & 2, Bass & Drums 1 & 2, DJ Mujava presents Getto Skwatt, House Rawkers.and lastly DJ’s by Nature.

After establishing himself in the market, he then decided to spread his wings further by joining his production (Mujava’s Music Production & Entaertainment) with Sheer House, as they are the masters of dance music to date especially House Music, and now they bring you DJ Mujava’s latest works called DJ Mujava “Pretoria’s Exclusive V1″.

Bio courtesy of coda agency

As for Fally, he definitely has a HipHop swagger but manages to remain rooted in Congolese rumba. the track Mabele is a modern throwback.

Following is the video:

Listening to this track I get reminded of Taarab, which is music I grew up with for a long time having grown up in Dar es salaam. Taarab essentially is feel good music that women (ma mama) like listening to as their official friday outting. They get dressed in vitengez and lesos and they go to the spot to stun and listen to one lady sing and perfom taarab the whole day.

I found it a good look for Sanaa who has some swahili background, and to add JuaCali on the track its a killer combination.

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