Africa's Top 20 Happiest Songs of 2015 ~ #TheYamboSelection

I. INTRODUCTION

You cannot do as they do in Nana, Reggae Blues, Enemy Solo, Kaunyaka, Sukus and all the rest -- all of which have the halo and the tone and the body text of happiness -- and not be happy yourself inside, and outside; if only for a brief 3 to 4+ minutes of magic. That's all I want to say here, for now, about all the lovely offerings listed below -- and about which we can talk endlessly about. 

This is the second annual edition of Africa's Top 20 Happiest Songs of The Year. It covers only songs released in 2015.

READ: Africa's 25 Happiest Songs of The Year, 2014

Happiness is a state of mind, a feeling - with feelers to the 'outside'. Outside becomes what things we allow it to become, and what things we have no control over and so impose themselves. Happiness and Love? They are twins. Twins, which, sometimes, alas, we find in mortal combat, inside one body.

Good music is at once a convergence of happiness -- happy feelings -- and its source. Happy songs make people happy, happy people arguably happier, and less sad sad people (and even, perhaps, happy -- if they're not too deep into their own sadness). Happy songs breed happiness through the joyfulness of their words (and through their inner soulfulness which flavors the words and nurtures the very joyfulness). 

Happy songs move us as well by means of the melody in the tunes, the liveliness of the body's texts and the suppleness of the assembled 'bodies'. And they win us over with the harmony of the charged instruments, the pulsating visuals of the video clip, and the warmth of the stage and the body-politic upon which everything, and everything else, is set.

There is magic in the happy song, then. The song that makes people happy has magical power over 'em. So, oh my goodness, does the song that makes people truly sad. There's song, too, you bet, in what Dawkins has called The Magic of Reality. And in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, we find, Duke Orsino utters these immortal words, which I want to endorse here:

"If music be the food of life, play on; / Give me excess of it ..." 


If good music be what it is, thus, let it be. Give me more, is all I should say! There are times, if I may digress, that I have thought (sensed would be too strong a word) that a truly throbbing drumbeat among the prayerful carries within it the voice of God in its surreal, surround going, as it's heard among the gathered, and as it cascades across the land - and even among the landless and the faithless.

So good music, howsoever it is delivered, has the powers -- howsoever we c these powers. But, I ask: Why is it (is it true) that music videos that elicit the most happiness seem generally to have a street motif; and if not, then grudgingly a theatrical setting? Is it perhaps because there are no other actionable options?


II. MEASURING HAPPINESS:

Can happiness be measured? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Perhaps, which is what I want to go with, yes -- but not too well.
Still, we have endeavored to do so here. For the selection and ranking criteria used in creating this list, click here.


III. LIST AND RANKING OF AFRICA's TOP 20 HAPPIEST SONGS OF 2015:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]


20. The Banger by Runtown ft. Uhuru (2015):

19. Gaara by Brain (2015):

18. Favorite Song by Skalled (2015):
The video is no longer in circulation.

17. Aiye Mi by El Phlex ft. OritseFemi (2015):
Click here to read comment

16. JantaManta by Mavins (2015):

15. Take it Slow by Zikki ft. Jaguar (2015):
Views on record just prior to the publication of of this post: 146,973
Click here to read comment

14. Igbeyawo by OritseFemi (2015):
Views on record just prior to the publication of of this post: 213,718
Click here to read comment

13. Don't Stop by Olamide (2015):

12. Shower Me by Jumabee ft. Cynthia Morgan (2015):
Click here to read comment

11. Feel Alright by DJ Kaywise ft. Ice Prince, Mugeez, Patoranking (2015): 

10. Taking Over Me by Yemi Alade ft. Phyno (2015):


9. Be With Me by Addiction (2015):

8. Ebelebe by Tee tee (2015):
Views on record just prior to the publication of of this post: 920
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7. Sexy Rosey By Mr. Flavour ft. P-Square (2015):
Views on record just prior to the publication of of this post: 3,245,677

6. So Good by Eddy Kenzo (2015):
Click here to read comment on this song

5. Sukus by OritseFemi ft. Harry Song (2015):

4. Kaunyaka by Chege + Mh Temba ft. Dj Maphorisa (2015):
Click here to read comment on this song

3. Enemy Solo by Awilo Longomba ft. P-Square (2015):
YouTube views on record just prior to the publication of of this post: 2,097,063

2. Reggae Blues by Harrysong ft. Olamide + Iyanya + Kcee + Orezi 015)
Click here to read comment on this song

1. Nana by Diamond Platnumz ft. Mr. Flavour (2015):
Click here to read comment on this song
READ: Diamond Platnumz's bioinfo


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READ: World Happiness Report 2015
ALSO READ: "The Happiness Contagion" that I posted on December 9, 2008