MUSIC (Uganda): So Good: by Eddy Kenzo ~ #TheYamboSelection

[Note: This archival material was extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

Eddy Kenzo is a Ugandan artist who is well-know in Eastern Africa; and who has, so to speak, a distinctive gift of the musical gab. If you don't know him yet, don't worry, you will. He has a number of tuneful songs to his credit, already. And he's been otherwise there (wherever), done that. Earlier this year, for example, he was one of a team of African artistes selected to sing the anthem for Africa's soccer extravaganza: CAN 2015: Hola, Hola. 

Click here to rate Hola, Hola.

Hola, Hola turned out pretty good, even though such anthems have become something of a copy-cat do since Queen (the British Rock Band led by Zanzibar-born Freddie Mercury) released their iconic anthem of all sports anthems, We Are the Champions, in their 1977 album titled News Of The World.

He also won the BET 'Best New International Artist' Award thsi year, against stiff competition.

READ: Eddy Kenzo Wins BET 'Best New International Artist' Award

So Good is a celebratory -- self-congratulatory -- song; the very kind Freddie Mercury had wanted everyone to know wasn't the driving purpose in We Are the Champions. Be that as it may, everything in and about So Good stays the course set by the singer, and adds verve to his celebration. 

Everything: The opening tune, the unfolding simplicity of the set, the beat that 'runs through', the lyrics, the vocals (the voices), the instrumentation, the stylized dances, the colors, the self-choreographed chaos that's the spontaneous, cheering crowd -- and even the boda boda 'horde'. Everything! 


NOTE: This song was published on November 11th, 2015. It had a total of 377,049 YouTube views at 10:05 p.m. (GMT + 3) on December 29th, 2015.

The Audio v. The Visual: Olamide's Music Video "Melo Melo"

PART I: (February 10, 2017)

[PART 1 presents archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list of 2015. The extract was effected in order to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

Olamide's Melo Melo video was released on June 1, 2015. This is, with a little re-touch, what I said in two tweets on June 10 about this haunting, entrancing song:

1. "Melo Melo", straight off #Olamide's master oven, delivers a mellow-sombre mood unto the soul and unto the ether.
2. #Olamide works very hard, as 'Melo Melo' shows. Heard that? A harmony of voices and things -- framed with the strings of 2 violins and 2 cellos.

The song is indeed sung in a distinctly brooding, "solitary" mood, and this leads me, even now, to ask: What exactly is one to think was going on in Olamide's mind with this song? Was it plainly an actor's pose, as it might very well have been? Whatever the case, Melo Melo is certainly one of Africa's top songs of 2015.


Click to watch the Melo Melo video


Here is an earlier take on Melo Melo

NOTE: By 3:40 p.m. (GMT + 3) on Boxing Day 2015, Melo Melo had been viewed 1,459,226 times on YouTube.

PART 2: (Updated on February 14, 2018)

For a non-Nigerian, it's the translated lyrics (click here to read) that at last reveal what was going on -- not in Olamide's mind, but in the mind of the character Olamide plays in his own song. "Melo, melo", it turns out, simply means "How many, how many" [In Swahili, that would be "Ngapi, ngapi"]

Melo Melo is mostly a song of gratitude, love and commitment. That is, a feeling of gratitude toward someone, his Babe, who'd stood by him when the rest of the world had judged him a loser.

"My baby you are the best" [...]
"...there's no other person, only you" 
[The two lines sound too prosaic, though, written down]

Why the disconnect, then? Why, given the feelings of deep love, such a brooding mood (a mood of the defeated, even) as we hear in the singing and in the instrumental ph(r)ases and tunes, and as we see in the visuals with our own eyes?  The answer, I think, lies in 'the genre'. I have two broad genres in mind: cinema and music video. In cinema, the sound track faithfully tracks the twists and turns -- indeed, the dictates -- of the screenplay. In music video, it seems to me, such fidelity remains atypical in many enough #AfroPop cases to constitute a distinct 'pattern' of its own. 

Often enough, then, the eye follows the optics into terrains quite at variance with the aural muses which the ear by its nature must follow. Thus, two discrepant stories often contend for the undivided attention of the 'divided' fan. The experience can be quite enriching in subtle ways, powered by the magic of an engaging and unexpectedly delightful montage; but it can lead to much misreading of what's really up as well. 

MUSIC(Tanzania): Chekecha Cheketua by Alikiba ~ #TheYamboSelection

[Note: This is archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

Why is Alikiba so underrated, by seemingly everyone, when his singing is so good? He simply "don't get no respect". Let's hope that this ranking, fully justified by the musical quality of Chekecha Cheketua, will help. Let us hope, too, that the kind of exposure he has recently gained in Coke Studio Africa, and on Kenya's NTV, will begin to turn the tide and expand his fan base. 

I am not so sure, though, that the format adopted in Coke Studio really enhances the stature, or self-image, of artistes already at or near the top of their game. Instead, it seems to level both, and the artiste's differentiating edge, downwards -- toward the LCD. Perhaps the attendance fee that they receive is too attractive for critical thinking, or simply saying no. 

Another thing: the stage format does not avail the versatility that shooting on location does, and so it remains constricted and constricting training 'ground'. Nor do the organizers of Coke Studio appear to understand that providing for large live-audiences (costly as this may be) is crucial to having the performers really fired up and tightening the loose ends. No artiste has excelled in any of the video-clips (including the vaunted "mash ups") that I have looked at; but enough of that.

Chekecha Cheketua, directed by Meji Alabi, was shot on location in South Africa, as is evident in the video scenes themselves. It is a really good song, as the video availed below shows. Melodious guitar tunes thread through its entire spread, taking the listener's attention away from all potential distractions, and so focusing one's sentiments to the merriment at hand. 

Alikiba's own voice is a fine-tuned musical instrument in itself, which he uses to captivating effect. Fine lyrics please the ear unceasingly, even if one does not understand a word of Swahili -- but I do. The dance elements are sensuous, and the dancers themselves are in unflagging high spirits from beginning to end. The costumes are colorfully and creatively selected for the various roles, and provide their own community of visual ebbs and flows. The Director's controlling hand appears effortless, but clearly controls with a knowing eye and ear. And there is, thus, a near-perfect harmony of strings, percussion, voice, light, colors, movement, dance and shifting micro-locations.

NOTE: This song was published on June 29, 2015. It recorded 2,071,728 YouTube views on December 29th, 2015, at 9:55 p.m. (GMT + 3).

MUSIC (Angola): Muita Areia by C4Pedro ~ #TheYamboSelection

[Note: This is archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

This Angolan music video, this Muita Areia, is a bunch of surprises. First, for a country which, thanks perhaps to Big Brother, is mostly associated with Cabo Snoop's style of music and dance, Muita Areia is a huge departure from one's expectations. Secondly, who on earth would have had reason to know that Angola was 'quietly' crafting this sort of continental conquest, when all (all but the oil-driven tills) was so eerily quite on that African front?
Thirdly, the video script, which in hindsight is simple enough, produces, for a few brief moments of funk, an astoundingly imaginative and mesmerizing catwalk scene upon which the protagonists appear and approach each other like soft-power gladiators. 

All the while, last but not least, the accompanying music, particularly the beat, lulls us, like the snake-charmer's charm, into a levitated consciousness which...how did they do it, how did they think of that! 

Encore: O play the catwalk again and let the sounds, the beat -- the rhythm -- and the supercharged ears (and eyes) speak for themselves!

Overall, the video is a gracefully sophisticated production: tastefully and absorbingly presented from beginning to end. The style, manifested in all the protagonists's moves, is, well, haute. At the beginning of the video, you don't quite know how it'll all end, even as the beat, which keeps you going regardless, begins to have its luring effect. 

And the suspense mounts because, though you're sure she won't go the whole hog, you don't know where or how the script brings her assault on sensibilities to a stop. What is more, you don't quite have the time to decide who the snake-charmer really is, and who the snake. Suddenly, the invisible curtain -- falls!

NOTE: Here is a 'Sneak Peek' at Muita Areia, Written Earlier

NOTE: Muita Areia was published on September 10th, 2015. It had recorded 2,451,850 YouTube views by 3:55 p.m. (GMT + 3) on December 26, 2015.

MUSIC (Tanzania): Write-up on Never Ever, Sung By Vanessa Mdee ~ #TheYamboSelection

5. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

Click here for the write-up on Never Ever

Fakosi by Sun X ft. Timaya, Write-Up on Africa's Top 10 Pop Songs of 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

Fakosi, which ranked 4th on Africa's Top 10 Pop Songs List of 2015, is a delightful but relatively unknown and seemingly little appreciated song-and-dance video among fans, going by the number of views it has garnered (just over 45k so far). It has a great beat, and a fine tempo. Both qualities should make an ideal dance floor selection. [The video packs a truly humorous turn towards the end, which is a thing to see]

Sun X likewise remains a relatively unknown singer. But that does not diminish his artistry, certainly in Fakosi. He has a wonderful voice, and reminds one very much of Solidstar's star quality. Timaya, who teams up with him here, is, on the other hand, a giant of Africa's musical universe -- for, figuratively, 101 reasons.

Fakosi was published on November 10, 2015. It had gained 8,366 YouTube views by 3:50 p.m. on December 26, 2015. 

Click here to watch the Fakosi video

The two links given below replace material which featured in an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The material was excluded from the trimmer Top 40 list in order to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the list.

READ: Fakosi by Sun X and Timaya Ranks 4th...

READ ALSO: Fakosi ... is a Moveable Feast


Note: This post was updated on February 24, 2018

Reggae Blues by Harry Song ft. Olamide x Iyanya x Kcee x Orezi ~ #TheYamboSelection

[Note: This is archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

 Reggae Blues is an oxymoron, and a playful one at that, which adds spice to the song whose name it is, and intrigues those yet to hear it. The presence of five Master Artists in this music video is a brave statement of purpose, which is ultimately well-justified by a very high quality of vocal and instrumental delivery, as well as the high spirits that they thereby infuse into the video and the club atmosphere. Both of these are surely noticed and appreciated by all who have the chance to watch and the time to contemplate, and so savor, Reggae Blues.

Click here to watch the Reggae Blues video


READ: (1) Olamide Baddoo's bioinfo, (2) Harrysong's bioinfo, (3) Kcee's bioinfo, (4) Orezi's bio info, (5) Iyanya's bioinfo.

READ: What Reggae Blues means to Harrysong

READ: An Earlier Copy of This Write-Up on Harry Song's Reggae Blues


The video's dance-acts are easy-going and self-assured, performed by known impresarios, here blended by team spirit into one but many-sided and swinging and swaying and vibrant thing -- a tour d'force kind of thing inside the virtual live-entertainment spot.

Everyone's just having a good time in the kanightclub, and not minding all that raw slang -- whose meaning everyone knows anyway (which is what I gathered from a recent Harry Song interview with that lovely hostess on HipTV). Not at all.

The song's tune is very easy to follow, and easy to appropriate -- with body and soul. But its simplicity is deceptive. The thinking behind its use is accomplished thinking and, given the effect it has on one, admirable. One beat, and the one tune, subtly run and loop through the whole song, which is just four seconds short of five minutes long. The sum total of all this creative endeavor is a song that will be liked by almost all who hear it, and who watch the video -- or feel moved by it to dance.

NOTE: Reggae Blues was published on August 7, 2015. It was directed by Adasa Cookey of Squareball Media. It had a total of 1,600,346 YouTube views as at 3:45 p.m. on December 26, 2015.

Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour ~ #TheYamboSelection

[Note: This is archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

Diamond Platnumz and Mr. Flavour, the two artistes behind Nana, are among the very few everyone seems to place at the summit of Africa's musical mountain these days. The accolade validates the great and sustained -- and smart -- effort that they continue to put into their respective creative works. They are versatile, and they are inspired. Nana deservedly places them jointly in the second spot in 2015.

 Nana is a lovely song to listen to. The video -- with obviously well-practiced and finely choreographed dance-routines fused with a heart-warming story-line -- is great fun to watch, over and over. And over: if, that is, you want to try some of those seemingly effortless moves in the privacy of, of...wherever it is you are free to goof and stumble (in safety).

Several superstars make cameo appearances in the video. Those mentioned by this source are: Iyanya, Bracket, Sean Tizzle, Praiz, A.K.A. But the first two that I see, and who are not mentioned, are Vanessa Mdee (perhaps her shades conceal her) and, I believe, Donald. One other person remains anonymous, I think (but someone correct me, svp).

The Nana video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa. The finished work was published on May 29, 2015. That's 2015. By July 6th, 2015, Nana had gained a total of 2.24 million YouTube views. This number rose to 7,978,094 views in the early afternoon of Boxing Day 2015.


Click to watch the video


READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo

King Kong Remix: Write-Up 1 on Africa's Top 10 Pop Songs of 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

1. King Kong Remix by Vector, Phyno, Reminisce, Classiq and Uzi (2015):

[Note: This is archival material extracted from an earlier version of the Top 40 list published in 2015. The extract was effected to ease (speed-up) navigation up and down the Top 40 list]

King Kong is Africa's best pop video of 2015. This is probably no surprise to connoisseurs of African pop music, as there have been certain indications of it over the last five months or so. Lots of credit go to the five high-profile Nigerian artistes and their enigmatic Director, Matt Max. Shot in Lagos, the video is a brave and adventurous proposition, with a profuse montage of high-voltage images and memes. It's avant-garde in a wonderfully creative, world-beating way. The fusion of audio and visual dimensions of this song takes it beyond compartmentalization into any simplistically defined genre, rap, hip hop or otherwise.

READ HERE: My more detailed appreciation of King Kong
READ: Nairaland Forum: Opinion ~ King Kong Remix is the Best Nigerian Rap Song
READ: Naija.com "The 'King Kong' Remix is Sublime"
ALSO READ: Adesola Ade-Unuigbe "5 Rappers, 1 Remix..."

NOTE: King Kong was published on July 10, 2015. It had 255,920 YouTube views at 3:45 p.m. on December 26, 2015.

Top 25 Pop Songs By/Featuring Female Singers in East Africa, 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This segment of #TheYamboSelection presents the top 25 songs of year 2015 released by, or featuring, female singers across East Africa. The same broad criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs.  

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. So one singer may appear more than once in the list -- but not more than three times. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DStv: Trace Urban (which was 'split' in September 2016 into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV, Sound City and TVE (on DStv channel 295 since December 2016). Remember in this context that though the list below refers to 2015 releases, it is published in February 2017. 

Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand (not to exhaust, ideal as that goal would be) the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource for curating clips not necessarily or frequently featured on dedicated TV channels.

CLICK HERE For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria

SEE: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014

II. THE 2015 LIST OF TOP 25 POP SONGS BY/FEATURING EAST AFRICA'S FEMALE SINGERS

25. Chill by Gasha ft. Eddy Kenzo (2015):

24. Brikicho by Femi One (2015):

23. Ndio Kusema by King Kaka ft. Femi One x Avril (2015):

22. Sili Zari by Sheebah (2015):

................................................................................................................................
21. Katono Katono by Winnie Nwagi (2015):

20. Kalibatanya by Juliana Kanyomozi (2015):

19. Parting Time by DJ Shiru ft. All Stars (Eddy Kenzo, Apaas, Nutty, Bafana, Jackie, Mun G, Saha) (2015):

18. Nduta by Njeri (2015):

17. Miti ni Dawa by Njeri ft. Stella Mwangi (2015):

16. Mafeelings by Dela (2015):

15. Hello Baby by Avril ft. Ommy Dimpoz (2015):

14. Eish by Buganya ft. Petra x Ulopa x Kristoff x Yvonne D'Arcq x Abbas (2015):

13. Ruka by Phy ft. King Kaka x Khaligraph Jones (2015):

12. Cheza Kidogo by Serah Sarah ft. Dazlah (2015):

11. Malele by Shilole (2015):

10. Two of Dem by Victoria Kimani (2015):

9. BougerLe by Akothee (2016):

8. Aya Yaa by Abdu Kiba ft. Ruby (2015):

7. Ooh Lala Oui Oui by Yvonne D'arq ft. Victoria Kimani (2015):

6. Nobody But Me by Vanessa Mdee ft. K.O (2015):

5. Kidawa by Izzo Bizness ft. Shaa (2015):

4. Toba by Shaa (2015):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Baby Don't Go by Muthoni The Drummer Queen and Khuli Chana (2015):

2. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

Top 10 Pop Songs By/Featuring East Africa's Female Singers in 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This segment of #TheYamboSelection presents the top 25 songs of year 2015 released by, or featuring, female singers across East Africa. The same broad criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs.  

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. So one singer may appear more than once in the list -- but not more than three times. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DStv: Trace Urban (which was 'split' in September 2016 into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV, Sound City and TVE (on DStv channel 295 since December 2016). Remember in this context that though the list below refers to 2015 releases, it is published in February 2017. 

Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand (not to exhaust, ideal as that goal would be) the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource for curating clips not necessarily or frequently featured on dedicated TV channels.

CLICK HERE For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria

SEE: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE 2015 LIST OF TOP 10 POP SONGS BY/FEATURING EAST AFRICA'S FEMALE SINGERS

10. Two of Dem by Victoria Kimani (2015):

9. BougerLe by Akothee (2016):

8. Aya Yaa by Abdu Kiba ft. Ruby (2015):

7. Ooh Lala Oui Oui by Yvonne D'arq ft. Victoria Kimani (2015):

6. Nobody But Me by Vanessa Mdee ft. K.O (2015):

5. Kidawa by Izzo Bizness ft. Shaa (2015):

4. Toba by Shaa (2015):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Baby Don't Go by Muthoni The Drummer Queen and Khuli Chana (2015):

2. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

Top 5 Pop Songs By/Featuring East Africa's Female Singers in 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This segment of #TheYamboSelection presents the top 25 songs of year 2015 released by, or featuring, female singers across East Africa. The same broad criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs.  

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. So one singer may appear more than once in the list -- but not more than three times. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DStv: Trace Urban (which was 'split' in September 2016 into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV, Sound City and TVE (on DStv channel 295 since December 2016). Remember in this context that though the list below refers to 2015 releases, it is published in February 2017. 

Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand (not to exhaust, ideal as that goal would be) the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource for curating clips not necessarily or frequently featured on dedicated TV channels.

CLICK HERE For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria

SEE: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE 2015 LIST OF TOP 5 POP SONGS BY/FEATURING EAST AFRICA'S FEMALE SINGERS

5. Kidawa by Izzo Bizness ft. Shaa (2015):

4. Toba by Shaa (2015):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Baby Don't Go by Muthoni The Drummer Queen and Khuli Chana (2015):

2. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

East Africa's Top 40 Pop Songs of 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This is the second annual edition of #TheYamboSelection, presenting several segments of East Africa's Top 40 Pop Songs of 2015. The same criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs out of those released or published during the year, and which were accessible in video form for this purpose. However, the final list has grown from 25 in 2014 to 40 in 2015. 

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DSTV: Trace Urban (now split into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV and Sound City. Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource in regard to the curating of clips not necessarily or frequently featured on the specified TV channels.

READ: The Full Introduction and Selection Criteria

READ: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE LIST OF E. AFRICA'S TOP 40 POP SONGS OF 2015
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]

40. Chill by Gasha ft. Eddy Kenzo (2015):

39. Katono Katono by Winnie Nwagi (2015):

38. Karibu Nairobi by jua Cali (2015):

37. Kalibatanya by Juliana Kanyomozi (2015):

36. Parting Time by DJ Shiru ft. All Stars (Eddy Kenzo, A paas, Nutty, Bafana, Jackie, Mun G, Saha) (2015):

35. Nduta by Njeri (2015):

34. Miti ni Dawa by Njeri ft. Stella Mwangi (2015):

33. Mafeelings by Dela (2015):

32. Hello Baby by Avril ft. Ommy Dimpoz (2015):

31. Yego by Khaligraph Jones (2015):

30. Eish by Buganya ft. Petra x Ulopa x Kristoff x Yvonne D'Arcq x Abbas (2015):

29. All Day by Atwal ft. Kelvin K x Timmy-Tim x Khaligraph Jones x Chief Mufasa x Zonda (2015): 

28. Vuvula by Madee ft. Chege (2015):

27. Ruka by Phy ft. King Kaka x Khaligraph Jones (2015):

26. Cheza Kidogo by Serah Sarah ft. Dazlah (2015):

25. Malele by Shilole (2015):

24. Nudahinduka by Aime Bluestone (2015):

23. Two of Dem by Victoria Kimani (2015):

22. Hotter by Wyre ft. Khaligraph Jones (2015):

21. Sibyo by Kitoko + Meddy (2015):

20. BougerLe by Akothee (2016):

19. Haina Budi by Eko Dydda (2015):

18. Aya Yaa by Abdu Kiba ft. Ruby (2015):

17. Ooh Lala Oui Oui by Yvonne D'arq ft. Victoria Kimani (2015):

16. Nerea by Sauti Sol ft. Amos x Josh (2015):

15. Nobody But Me by Vanessa Mdee ft. K.O (2015):

14. Kidawa by Izzo Bizness ft. Shaa (2015):

13. Toba by Shaa (2015):

12. Baby Don't Go by Muthoni The Drummer Queen and Khuli Chana (2015):

11. Love Phobic by H_ART THE BAND (2015):
Click here to read comment

10. Shake Yo Bam Bam by Sauti Sol (2015):
Click here to read comment

9. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

8. Ihale  by Susumila (2015):
Click here to read comment

7. Sijazoea by AT (2015):
Click here to read comment

6. Take it Slow by Zikki ft. Jaguar (2015):
Click here to read comment

5. So Good by Eddy Kenzo (2015):

4. Kaunyaka by Chege + Mh Temba ft. Dj Maphorisa (2015):

3. Chekecha Cheketua by Alikiba (2015):

2. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour (2015):

READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo

East Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs in 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This is the second annual edition of #TheYamboSelection, presenting several segments of East Africa's Top 40 Pop Songs of 2015. The same criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs out of those released or published during the year, and which were accessible in video form for this purpose. However, the final list has grown from 25 in 2014 to 40 in 2015. 

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under  #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DSTV: Trace Urban (now split into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV and Sound City. Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource in regard to the curating of clips not necessarily or frequently featured on the specified TV channels.

CLICK HERE For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria

SEE: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE LIST OF E. AFRICA'S TOP 20 POP SONGS OF 2015
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]


20. BougerLe by Akothee (2016):

19. Haina Budi by Eko Dydda (2015):

18. Aya Yaa by Abdu Kiba ft. Ruby (2015):

17. Ooh Lala Oui Oui by Yvonne D'arq ft. Victoria Kimani (2015):

16. Nerea by Sauti Sol ft. Amos x Josh (2015):

15. Nobody But Me by Vanessa Mdee ft. K.O (2015):

14. Kidawa by Izzo Bizness ft. Shaa (2015):

13. Toba by Shaa (2015):

12. Baby Don't Go by Muthoni The Drummer Queen and Khuli Chana (2015):

11. Love Phobic by H_ART THE BAND (2015):
Click here to read comment

10. Shake Yo Bam Bam by Sauti Sol (2015):
Click here to read comment

9. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

8. Ihale  by Susumila (2015):
Click here to read comment

7. Sijazoea by AT (2015):
Click here to read comment

6. Take it Slow by Zikki ft. Jaguar (2015):
Click here to read comment

5. So Good by Eddy Kenzo (2015):

4. Kaunyaka by Chege + Mh Temba ft. Dj Maphorisa (2015):

3. Chekecha Cheketua by Alikiba (2015):

2. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour (2015):

READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo

East Africa's Top 10 Pop Songs in 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This is the second annual edition of #TheYamboSelection, presenting several segments of East Africa's Top 40 Pop Songs of 2015. The same criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs out of those released or published during the year, and which were accessible in video form for this purpose. However, the final list has grown from 25 in 2014 to 40 in 2015. 

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DSTV: Trace Urban (now split into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV and Sound City. Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource in regard to the curating of clips not necessarily or frequently featured on the specified TV channels.

READ: For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria
READ: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE LIST OF E. AFRICA'S TOP 10 POP SONGS OF 2015
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]

10. Shake Yo Bam Bam by Sauti Sol (2015):
Click here to read comment

9. Game by Navy Kenzo ft. Vanessa Mdee (2015):

8. Ihale  by Susumila (2015):
Click here to read comment

7. Sijazoea by AT (2015):
Click here to read comment

6. Take it Slow by Zikki ft. Jaguar (2015):
Click here to read comment

5. So Good by Eddy Kenzo (2015):

4. Kaunyaka by Chege + Mh Temba ft. Dj Maphorisa (2015):

3. Chekecha Cheketua by Alikiba (2015):

2. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour (2015):

READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo

East Africa's Top 5 Pop Songs in 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

This is the second annual edition of #TheYamboSelection, presenting several segments of East Africa's Top 40 Pop Songs of 2015. The same criteria were used for 2015 as for 2014 to select and rank the best songs out of those released or published during the year, and which were accessible in video form for this purpose. However, the final list has grown from 25 in 2014 to 40 in 2015. 

There is just so much really good lay music out of Africa these days that you sense you are not doing anyone justice by listing less rather than more; but there is a limit to any leeway. The listing task requires more and more meticulous attention  because of growing complexity arising from a discernible and laudable burst of creativity up and down sub-Sahara, and with easier and faster online access to artists' creations, and 'the market'. Every region seems to be catching up with the 'pioneers' and demanding attention by sheer activity and flashes of brilliance. No one can sit on their laurels.

The focus of the lists released under #TheYamboSelection is the song, not the singer. There is an added requirement: that only songs in video form qualify. In addition, any song under consideration must broadly fit the standard definition of popular (or pop) music. 

The main sources of the songs considered for listing are the music channels hosted by DSTV: Trace Urban (now split into Trace Mziki and Trace Naija), MTV Base, AfroPop, HipTV and Sound City. Certainly, YouTube is very important in this exercise. It is actively searched to expand the pool of qualifying clips, and relied upon for online links to the songs specifically listed below. YouTube is indeed a vital, but far from 'straightforward', resource in regard to the curating of clips not necessarily or frequently featured on the specified TV channels.

READ: For the Full Introduction and Selection Criteria
READ: Africa's Top 25 Songs of 2014


II. THE LIST OF E. AFRICA'S TOP 5 POP SONGS OF 2015

5. So Good by Eddy Kenzo (2015):

4. Kaunyaka by Chege + Mh Temba ft. Dj Maphorisa (2015):

3. Chekecha Cheketua by Alikiba (2015):

2. Never Ever by Vanessa Mdee (2015):

1. Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour (2015):

READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo

East Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection

INTRODUCTION

If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name East Africa's best/top 25 (or 10 or 5) pop songs released or published in 2014, here below would be, and is, my selection. My selections have a decidedly audio-visual focus, and so only rate music videos.

Of course, the naming of more than one 'like' inevitably prompts the question as to which 'like' comes first, and which next or last. In selecting and ranking my top African or East African  'likes' -- I limit myself to Sub-Saharan Africa -- I have been broadly guided by the following six criteria (each on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest score):
1. The creative appeal and musicality of the voice asset.
2. The choice and mastery of the musical instruments in play.
3. The poetic form and content of the lyrics.
4. The artistic and aesthetic depth of the video component.
5. The synchronic quality of the audio-visual product, in terms of: harmony, tone, melody, rhythm, beat and color display.
6. Based on the foregoing, how the entire single, from beginning to end, impresses me -- or makes me feel about my encounter with it. This criterion also serves as a qualitative tie-breaker; that is, a virtual 'casting vote' whenever any other criteria yield a quantitative tie.

RANKING THE TOP 25 SELECTION:
[To watch the video, you may have to Right Click a Song's title and choose the "Open link in a new window" option]

25. Woman in Love by Vivian (2014):

24. Nikimuona by Avril (2014):

23. Only You  by Nene ft. Jay A (2014):

22. Mbele by Nonini ft. Wyre (2014):

21. Baramushaka by Knowless (2014):

20. Barua ya Dunia by Elani (2014):

19. Sugua Gaga by Shaa (2014):

18. Chuna Buzi by Shilole (2014):

17. Mfalme wa Mapenzi by Sanaipei [Sana] (2014):

16. Go Down Low by Palasso ft. Sheebah (2014):

15. Kanyaboya by Messen Selecta (2014):

14. Butterfly by Nameless (2014):

13. Bum Bum by Diamond Platnumz ft. Iyanya (2014):

12. Show by Victoria Kimani (2014):

11. Coco Baby by Waje ft. Diamond Platnumz (2014):

10. Koolio by Stella Mwangi (2014):

9. Nimempata by Pam Daffa ft. Mesen Selecta (2014):
    [The YouTube account of the 2014 version of the song was closed]

8. Chapa Nyingine by Chege ft. Gift (2014):

7. Kookoo by Elani (2014):

6. Njoo by Shaa ft. Redsan (2014):

5. Mdogo Mdogo by Diamond Platnumz (2014):

4. Mfalme by MwanaFA ft. G. Nako Warawa (2014):
Epic ~ MY

3. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz x Diamond Platnumz (2014):

2. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2014):

1. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):