Introduction and Selection Criteria for Africa's Top Songs of 2017
After the belated publication of Africa's Top Songs for each of the years running from 2010 to 2013, the 2017 list now represents the eighth annual ranking in #TheYamboSelection series. The same criteria have been used this year (January to December 2017) as were used last year to select and rank the best pop songs out of those released or published during the year. The longest list of top songs had 25 titles in 2014, but this number has been set at 40 since 2015.
Before the entirety of the Top 40 list is released, smaller "vertical" segments are released as follows: Top 5, Top 10, Top 20 and Top 25 (where we can't go from 20 straight to 40, for one reason or another). This is intended to facilitate subsequent online search by individuals who may be interested only in specific segments...READ MORE
Before the entirety of the Top 40 list is released, smaller "vertical" segments are released as follows: Top 5, Top 10, Top 20 and Top 25 (where we can't go from 20 straight to 40, for one reason or another). This is intended to facilitate subsequent online search by individuals who may be interested only in specific segments...READ MORE
List of Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2017 ~ #TYS
[Note: Lists for earlier years appear at the bottom of this page]
20. Makulusa by Rayvanny ft. Maphorisa x DJ Buckz (2017):
Let not Makulusa's briefly nonchalant start deceive you. Published just six days to last Christmas, it is the product of astute design. What with DJ Maphorisa and DJ Buckz on hand, this 'package' incorporates signature dance-routines from South Africa. But Tanzania's Rayvanny fits right in. He even belts a few lines in English. As what we see in this songs suggests, the musical scene is certainly in a state of ferment, all across sub-Sahara. There will be more ferments in the years ahead.
19. Kiba_100 by Rostam ft. Maua Sama (2017):
Gifted with such a precious voice as she has, Maua Sama (Summer Flower, if you want) is at the top of her game in this finely weaved song -- a song with what a drab title! We've seen her with 'Vee Money' in that blast of a song, Bounce, and know that more good stuff is to come. In Bounce, they were 'tussling' and baring their cute nails over a guy. Here, in Kiba_100, two guys swoon over her, in a futile attempt. Listen keenly, she'll make your day. She makes days.
18. Pepeta by Chin Bees (2017):
Released in March 2017, and directed by Rahul Kumar Singh, Pepeta launches with what a dramatic beat! Chin Bees sustain it to the end, in this 3:00-minute spectacle. These youthful Tanzanian artistes, suddenly sprung upon the continental stage literally by storm, are a Tsunami dressed up in full hip-hop regalia. They are here plainly to assert their unbridled artistic presence. Is all. They might as well be from LA, if that's a useful allusion in any way. They have a "foreign accent" -- but what's "foreign" to world-beating post- READ MORE
17. Baby Na Yoka by Mr. Flavour (2017):
In Baby Na Yoka, Mr. Flavour offers a distinctly summer fare. All around, the spirits are high and ready for a good time. The weather is at once sunny and 'tropical'. The crowd has the time. And Mr. Flavour inserts into this mix an explosive dose of Caribbean street-dance. By design, the singing is mostly Nigerian. And the flavour which envelopes the whole do is Afro, as only Mr. Flavour can make happen. All he wants to know is: What's Up! The rest of whatever he can make history. "Fire, baby, Fire!"
16. Enfant Beni by DJ Arafat (2017):
Enfant Beni has a very catchy beat, which is used sparingly. It has a tune which readily excites everyone's spirit, and which we hear almost throughout the song's 3:09 minutes. This is a very macho production, with distinct military memes, We see this in the vigour with which the actors execute their assigned roles, led by Ivorian DJ Arafat, and in the dances associated with them. The dress-code is military. Only one female has a distinct dance role, which she performs with enthusiasm. It's all very crowd-friendly, and clearly generates a strong feel-good view of life. But it is only one song.
15. Kilamity by Sugar Boy ft. Kiss Daniel (2017):
14. 911 by Krizbeatz ft. Yemi Alade x Harmonize (2017):
As the video shows, the whole crew caught up in this 911 situation has contributed massively to its obvious and growing success. Everybody in it goes with the tastefully choreographed flow, and understated humour. Still, special mention must go to three individuals: Krizbeatz, Harmonize and Yemi Alade. One takes it that Krizbeatz it is who made the do at all possible. Never a mean feat. And so And so he must feel fully validated by the accolades that are flowing in. Yemi Alade is the most widely known of the three and the heart of this...[READ MORE]
13. Mannequin by Fally Ipupa ft. KeBlack x Naza (2017):
In Mannequin, the catwalk rump isn't really for "the walk." That was a ruse everyone went along with, though a few do get to walk. Or perhaps those gathered there couldn't find a more appropriate venue for their purposes The real business in this music video is "talk". But everyone is agreed, it seems, that the talk shall be walked, without any strict "runway" rules. Still, everyone, aware of the venue, is dressed for the part they imagine will be theirs, when the "show" gets going...[READ MORE]
12. Your Matter by Seyi Shay ft. Eugy x Efosa (2017):
In "The Ballad at (as) the Core...", I pointed out that the dominant genre of modern African music in 2013-14 was the ballad. That's what the evidence I had seen told me. And I listed Seyi Shay, with her Jangilova, among African pop musicians whose songs were mostly about love and loneliness (and even 'aloneness') -- and loss. READ MORE
11. Bad Things by Tenor (2017):
Bad Things is a very theatrically-oriented production, tastefully laid out. The collage of images which the 'bold' eyes (our eyes) feast on is put together with a sure hand. Let not Tenor's torching-laser eyes from another place scare anyone with you. And do call back any who may, nonetheless, have scampered as you were distracted. Tenor means no ill. It's all an act... READ MORE
10. Tito Mboweni by Cassper Nyovest (2017):
The Tito Mboweni lyrics are a nugget for those who seek to more clearly understand Cassper Nyovest, South Africa's musical icon. They are an astute and poetic blending of English and Nyovest's 'home' (or ethnic) language -- Setswana. But that means that less than half of his message avails itself to folks who speak only Setswana or English -- that universal language which so many millions of us across the world and away from England have appropriated. We have even, in effect READ MORE,
9. Bolingo Mabe by Anita Mwarabu ft. Innoss'B (2017):
In Bolingo Mabe (Lingala phrase for false, untrue or unfaithful Love), we renew our acquaintance with super-talented but unassuming Innoss'B, who hails from the DRC -- and speaks Swahili too. We last saw (and heard) him with Koffi Olomide in that blast of a song titled Elengi. Here he sings with his compatriot, sophisticated and self-confident Anita Mwarabu, who also speaks Swahili. That's a plus, for both. She sings in To Dondwa as well, with maestro Fally Ipupa and company. The theme in Bolingo Mabe READ MORE.
8. Inspire by Nameless (2017):
Inspire has a truly inspiring tone and an amazingly sunny tune. Nameless, whom we will call Adam, has gone (to the Maasai Mara) and done it, all within sight of the great and imposing Kilimanjaro. This is without question his greatest song -- ever. And it just goes to show that great and greater potential and talent may lie untapped and perhaps unsuspected even in those who have already scaled heights. Nameless has obviously worked very hard to let us have Inspire, on a platter READ MORE
Inspire has a truly inspiring tone and an amazingly sunny tune. Nameless, whom we will call Adam, has gone (to the Maasai Mara) and done it, all within sight of the great and imposing Kilimanjaro. This is without question his greatest song -- ever. And it just goes to show that great and greater potential and talent may lie untapped and perhaps unsuspected even in those who have already scaled heights. Nameless has obviously worked very hard to let us have Inspire, on a platter READ MORE
7. Bounce by Vanessa Mdee ft. Maua Sama x Tommy Flavour (2017):
Bounce features two Tanzanian Divas with smooth-as-silk voices, and a style and charm to match the whole do: Vanessa Mdee and Maua Sama. It might as well be summer in this suggestive video. Wait, it's always summer in coastal TZ! The third artiste, Tommy Flavour, lives up to his surname, looks like, with these gals, in a no-holds-barred but gentle and consensual threesome. He's the 'boy-toy'. He's the ball of string the cats 'fight' over in this giddily furnished and leisurely hideout -- this burudani. READ MORE.
6. Zamba by Magasco ft. Jacques-Greg Belobo (2017):
For an explanation for this powerful song -- a lyrical narrative with an obvious religious slant -- one need not go further than Magasco's very own. As to whether it qualifies as a variant of pop, there's no simple answer. Certainly, the song Zamba (that is, God) is not pure Gospel. However, not being conversant with the surface and deeper import of many of the African phrases and lines sung in Zamba complicates matters. But here's what Magasco himself says. We classify the song as pop here. READ: The Zamba lyrics.
5. Esopi Yo by Awilo Longomba ft. Tiwa Savage (2017):
As a performer, Awilo Longomba hardly ever disappoints those who have become attached to his musical persona. Not in his vocal delivery. Not in his body texts. Not in his energy output. And not in the totality of his performance. In Esopi Yo, he delivers an exquisite act on a finely crafted set. The singing is mellow, the music superbly pitched. The ambience, inside a veritable 'chateau' somewhere in McCain's Arizona, is pure sapeurisme. The ebb and flow of body texts is haute art in motion. READ MORE
4. Leg Over by Mr. Eazi (2017):
Leg Over is a great piece of music, with vocal and instrumental cords finely weaved and even more tastefully pitched. The two (voice and sound), heard so seamlessly as one, deliver a delightful audio experience. With his distinctive and powerful voice, Nigeria's Mr. Eazi is one of Africa's leading pop stars. His voice is a veritable 'tool' for cultural innovation. While the dancers whom we see in Leg Over give just as fine a show (and even look happy doing so), in harmony with the voice and the sounds, the video's overall mood rings... READ MORE
3. Yeba by Kiss Daniel (2017):
In Lingala language, the word Yeba means to know, or to become acquainted with. The music which those of my generation grew up with (and were nourished by) in Nairobi, and other parts of Kenya and the larger East Africa, was mostly Congolese, rendered in Lingala -- with a sprinkling of French and even 'broken' Swahili (nuggets of the latter which it was fun to rummage for). All too often, in the course of the lyrics, one would hear the intriguing word... READ MORE
3. Yeba by Kiss Daniel (2017):
In Lingala language, the word Yeba means to know, or to become acquainted with. The music which those of my generation grew up with (and were nourished by) in Nairobi, and other parts of Kenya and the larger East Africa, was mostly Congolese, rendered in Lingala -- with a sprinkling of French and even 'broken' Swahili (nuggets of the latter which it was fun to rummage for). All too often, in the course of the lyrics, one would hear the intriguing word... READ MORE
2. Man's Not Hot by Big Shaq (2017):
Big Shaq ain't Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) by any stretch. But, by some accounts, Shaq suspects that Big Shaq is belittling him; insinuating that Shaq ain't 'hot' (that is, "cool") or big enough (that is, big) any more. What's more, he's scheming rather loudly to take Shaq's inalienable name -- even if the 'alien' is the newly-arrived Big Shaq himself. Meanwhile, Big Shaq markets his brand as not hot at all -- as never hot, in fact; but rather, by some kind of super-providential twist(er), Shaq's ordained successor -- nay, 're-placer'. He's never... READ MORE
1. Africa Unite by Nsoki ft. DJ Maphorisa and DJ Paulo Alves(2017):
Seven years after Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), that iconic song sung and danced by Shakira and her South African companions at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, comes a worthy successor -- Africa Unite. The new song is sung by the equally fine and animated Nsoki, from Lusophone Angola. It is danced by her superbly choreographed dance-troupe. They are all so wonderfully 'backstopped' by the ever-resourceful DJ Maphorisa, and DJ Paulo Alves. The stage is a feline high-voltage affair from beginning to end. The singing makes the aural READ MORE
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1. Africa Unite by Nsoki ft. DJ Maphorisa and DJ Paulo Alves(2017):
Seven years after Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), that iconic song sung and danced by Shakira and her South African companions at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, comes a worthy successor -- Africa Unite. The new song is sung by the equally fine and animated Nsoki, from Lusophone Angola. It is danced by her superbly choreographed dance-troupe. They are all so wonderfully 'backstopped' by the ever-resourceful DJ Maphorisa, and DJ Paulo Alves. The stage is a feline high-voltage affair from beginning to end. The singing makes the aural READ MORE
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Links To Relevant Lists From Previous Years
Africa:
1. Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2016
2. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2015
3. Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2014 Reissued
4. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2013
5. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2012
6. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2011
7. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2010
East Africa:
1. East Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2016
Africa:
1. Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2016
2. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2015
3. Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2014 Reissued
4. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2013
5. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2012
6. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2011
7. Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2010
East Africa:
1. East Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2016
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