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):

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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):