Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Africa's Top 5 Happiest Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION
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.
Good Music:
In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino utters these immortal words: "If music be the food of life, play on; / Give me excess of it ..." I just want to endorse that here. 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. They breed happiness through the joyfulness of the words in the song and the soulfulness of the song in the words, the melody in the tunes, the liveliness of the body-language and suppleness of the assembled 'bodies', the harmony of the charged instruments, the pulsating visuals of the video, and the warmth of the stage 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 are times, if I may digress, that I have thought (sensed would be too strong a word) that truly throbbing drumbeat among the prayerful carries within it the voice of God in its surreal, surround beat, 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 that music videos that elicit the most happiness seem generally to have a street motif?
READ: World Happiness Report 2015
READ: "The Happiness Contagion" December 9, 2008
HERE, THEN, IS THE TOP 5 RANKING OF THE 2014 SELECTION
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
5. Double Wahala Part 2 by Oristefemi ft. D'banj (2014):
4. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2014):
3. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):
2. Tchelete by Davido ft. Mafikizolo x Uhuru x Eslido (2014):
1. Dorobucci by Mavin Don Jazzy, Reekado Banks, Dr. Sid, Korede Bello, Tiwa Savage ... (2014):
SELECTION/INCLUSION CRITERIA
To qualify for inclusion in this list, a song was required to meet the following criteria:
1. Released as music video in 2014. Broadly in any of these genres: Pop, RnB, Hip-Hop, Reggae
2 Available via YouTube or Otherwise available online
3. Predominantly sung by an artiste or artistes from Africa, PARTICULARLY Sub-Saharan Africa
4. Regularly played on one or more of Africa's leading music channels: Afro Pop and HipTV Music, in particular (they pay sustained attention to their African audience); Sound City, MTV Base and Trace Urban (all three of whose fare is significantly more diffuse).
5. Have a discernible "happiness" (or sunny) content/slant in terms of the following mix of considerations: beat, language (verbal or body), lyrics, melody, visuals (dance routines, 'stage sets' and video quality), voice (and audio quality) and use of vocal and technical instruments
6. Broad sensitivity to sub-regional tastes and artists' bases of operation (East, West, Central or Southern)
7. Gender: Minimum of 1/3 Rule, if short-listed songs make this possible.
Africa's Top 10 Happiest Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION
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.
Good Music:
In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino utters these immortal words: "If music be the food of life, play on; / Give me excess of it ..." I just want to endorse that here. 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. They breed happiness through the joyfulness of the words in the song and the soulfulness of the song in the words, the melody in the tunes, the liveliness of the body-language and suppleness of the assembled 'bodies', the harmony of the charged instruments, the pulsating visuals of the video, and the warmth of the stage 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 are times, if I may digress, that I have thought (sensed would be too strong a word) that truly throbbing drumbeat among the prayerful carries within it the voice of God in its surreal, surround beat, 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 that music videos that elicit the most happiness seem generally to have a street motif?
READ: World Happiness Report 2015
ALSO READ: "The Happiness Contagion", December 9, 2008
HERE, THEN, IS THE TOP 10 RANKING OF THE HAPPIEST SONGS OF 2014
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video clip]
10. Oshe by Praiz and Awilo Longomba (2014):
9. Awelewa Most Beautiful by Gabriel Afolayan (2014):
8. Chop Am by Reekado Banks (2014):
7. Taste The Money by P-Square (2014):
6. Fiko Fiko Fion by Claudia Bakisa ft. Koffi Olomide (2014):
5. Double Wahala Part 2 by Oristefemi ft. D'banj (2014):
4. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2014):
3. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):
2. Tchelete by Davido ft. Mafikizolo x Uhuru x Eslido (2014):
1. Dorobucci by Mavin Don Jazzy, Reekado Banks, Dr. Sid, Korede Bello, Tiwa Savage ... (2014):
SELECTION/INCLUSION CRITERIA
To qualify for inclusion in this list, a song was required to meet the following criteria:
1. Released as music video in 2014. Broadly in any of these genres: Pop, RnB, Hip-Hop, Reggae
2 Available via YouTube or Otherwise available online
3. Predominantly sung by an artiste or artistes from Africa, PARTICULARLY Sub-Saharan Africa
4. Regularly played on one or more of Africa's leading music channels: Afro Pop and HipTV Music, in particular (they pay sustained attention to their African audience); Sound City, MTV Base and Trace Urban (all three of whose fare is significantly more diffuse).
5. Have a discernible "happiness" (or sunny) content/slant in terms of the following mix of considerations: beat, language (verbal or body), lyrics, melody, visuals (dance routines, 'stage sets' and video quality), voice (and audio quality) and use of vocal and technical instruments
6. Broad sensitivity to sub-regional tastes and artists' bases of operation (East, West, Central or Southern)
7. Gender: Minimum of 1/3 Rule, if short-listed songs make this possible.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
East Africa's Top 15 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 Top 15 selection. All 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 15 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]
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):
East Africa's Top 20 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 Top 20 selection. All 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 20 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]
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):
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
East Africa's Top 25 Happiest Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION
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.
Good music: In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino utters these immortal words: "If music be the food of life, play on; / Give
me excess of it ..." 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. They breed happiness through the joyfulness of the words in the song and the soulfulness of the song in the words, the melody in the tunes, the liveliness of the body-language and suppleness of the assembled 'bodies', the harmony of the charged instruments, the pulsating visuals of the video, and the warmth of the stage 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 are times, if I may digress, that I have thought (sensed would be too strong a word) that truly throbbing drumbeat among the prayerful carries within it the voice of God in its surreal, surround beat, 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 that music videos that elicit the most happiness seem generally to have a street motif?
MEASURING HAPPINESS
Can happiness be measured? That's a question for another day.
BUT READ THIS IN THE MEANTIME: World Happiness Report 2015
DO ALSO READ: "The Happiness Contagion" that I posted on December 9, 2008
HERE, THEN, ARE EAST AFRICA'S TOP 25 HAPPIEST SONGS OF 2014
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
[For the selection criteria used in creating this list, go to the bottom of this post]
25. Baramushaka by Knowless (2014)
24. Barua Ya Dunia by Elani (2014):
23. Sugua Gaga by Shaa (2014):
22. Chuna Buzi by Shilole (2014):
21. Mfalme wa Mapenzi by Sanaipei [Sana] (2014):
20. Go Down Low by Palasso ft. Sheebah (2014):
19. Kanyaboya by Messen Selecta (2014):
18. Butterfly by Nameless (2014):
17. Bum Bum by Diamond Platnumz ft. Iyanya (2014):
16. Show by Victoria Kimani (2014):
15. Coco Baby by Waje ft. Diamond Platnumz (2014):
14. Koolio by Stella Mwangi (2014):
13. Nimempata by Pam Daffa ft. Mesen Selecta (2014):
[Video now unavailable]
12. Chapa Nyingine by Chege ft. Gift (2014):
11. Njoo by Shaa ft. Redsan (2014):
10. Mdogo Mdogo by Diamond Platnumz (2014):
9. Mfalme by MwanaFA ft. G. Nako Warawa (2014):
Epic ~ MY
8. Nikikutazama by H_ART THE BAND (2014):
7. Dabby Gololi by Emma Jalamo (2014):
The 2016 edition is much longer and more detailed
6. Wale Wale by Jose Chameleone (2014):
5. KooKoo by Elani (2014):
4. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz x Diamond Platnumz (2014):
3. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2014):
2. Be Happy By Eddy Kenzo (2014):
SELECTION/INCLUSION CRITERIA
To Qualify for inclusion in this list, a song Was required to meet The Following criteria:
1. Released as music video in 2014. Broadly in any of these genres: Pop, RnB, Hip-Hop, Reggae
2 Available via YouTube or Otherwise available online
3. Predominantly sung by an artiste or artistes from Africa, PARTICULARLY Sub-Saharan Africa
4. Regularly played on one or more of Africa's leading music channels: Afro Pop and HipTV Music, in particular (they pay sustained attention to their African audience); Sound City, MTV Base and Trace Urban (all three of whose fare is significantly more diffuse).
5. Have a discernible "happiness" (or sunny) content/slant in terms of the following mix of considerations: beat, language (verbal or body), lyrics, melody, visuals (dance routines, 'stage sets' and video quality), voice (and audio quality) and use of vocal and technical instruments
6. Broad sensitivity to sub-regional tastes and artists' bases of operation (East, West, Central or Southern)
7. Gender: Minimum of 1/3 Rule, if short-listed songs make this possible.
East Africa's Top 15 Happiest Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION
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.
Good music: In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Duke Orsino utters these immortal words: "If music be the food of life, play on; / Give
me excess of it ..." 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. They breed happiness through the joyfulness of the words in the song and the soulfulness of the song in the words, the melody in the tunes, the liveliness of the body-language and suppleness of the assembled 'bodies', the harmony of the charged instruments, the pulsating visuals of the video, and the warmth of the stage 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 are times, if I may digress, that I have thought (sensed would be too strong a word) that truly throbbing drumbeat among the prayerful carries within it the voice of God in its surreal, surround beat, 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 that music videos that elicit the most happiness seem generally to have a street motif?
MEASURING HAPPINESS
Can happiness be measured? That's a question for another day.
BUT READ THIS IN THE MEANTIME: World Happiness Report 2015
DO ALSO READ: "The Happiness Contagion" that I posted on December 9, 2008
HERE, THEN, ARE EAST AFRICA'S TOP 15 HAPPIEST SONGS OF 2014
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
[For the selection criteria used in creating this list, go to the bottom of this post]
15. Coco Baby by Waje ft. Diamond Platnumz (2014):
14. Koolio by Stella Mwangi (2014):
13. Nimempata by Pam Daffa ft. Mesen Selecta (2014):
[Video now unavailable]
12. Chapa Nyingine by Chege ft. Gift (2014):
11. Njoo by Shaa ft. Redsan (2014):
10. Mdogo Mdogo by Diamond Platnumz (2014):
9. Mfalme by MwanaFA ft. G. Nako Warawa (2014):
Epic ~ MY
8. Nikikutazama by H_ART THE BAND (2014):
7. Dabby Gololi by Emma Jalamo (2014):
The 2016 edition is much longer and more detailed
6. Wale Wale by Jose Chameleone (2014):
5. KooKoo by Elani (2014):
4. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz x Diamond Platnumz (2014):
3. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2014):
2. Be Happy By Eddy Kenzo (2014):
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++
SELECTION/INCLUSION CRITERIA
To Qualify for inclusion in this list, a song Was required to meet The Following criteria:
1. Released as music video in 2014. Broadly in any of these genres: Pop, RnB, Hip-Hop, Reggae
2 Available via YouTube or Otherwise available online
3. Predominantly sung by an artiste or artistes from Africa, PARTICULARLY Sub-Saharan Africa
4. Regularly played on one or more of Africa's leading music channels: Afro Pop and HipTV Music, in particular (they pay sustained attention to their African audience); Sound City, MTV Base and Trace Urban (all three of whose fare is significantly more diffuse).
5. Have a discernible "happiness" (or sunny) content/slant in terms of the following mix of considerations: beat, language (verbal or body), lyrics, melody, visuals (dance routines, 'stage sets' and video quality), voice (and audio quality) and use of vocal and technical instruments
6. Broad sensitivity to sub-regional tastes and artists' bases of operation (East, West, Central or Southern)
7. Gender: Minimum of 1/3 Rule, if short-listed songs make this possible.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Africa's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection Reissued
INTRODUCTION:
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 20 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
20. Koze Kuse by DJ Merlon ft. Mondli Ngcobo (2014):
In Koze Kuse, DJ Merlon and Mondli Ngcobo offer us a song with a powerful and assertive street-beat. Even the timed pauses, as you wait for them to exhale (so you can, too), project macho power and unfettered determination. One senses that apartheid READ MORE
Blessing, by Nigeria's Stormrex, is a marvellously crafted and artistically balanced music video, creatively produced by youthful Clarence Peters. It is a cleverly addictive song. You can READ MORE
13. Gallardo by Runtown ft. Davido (2014):
In Gallardo, Runtown and Davido overrun the town with absorbing Thum and Miel [= Music and Dance]. The ear and the eye finely catered for. Immersed in all that pampering, the spirit levitates and soars. Gimme mo!
Chop Am delivers quality and refinement here, in both the singing and the dancing. Reekado Banks performs his role delightfully. It's a thing to watch -- the whole thing. It'll remain an iconic representation of the spirit and styles of the time.
10. Fiko Fiko Fion by Claudia Bakisa ft. Koffi Olomide (2014):
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
Shekini is all about shakin' it -- the awesome, super-charged way. The song has a great, rousing beat. Fine dance moves, there. Superb choreography and sequencing. An enduring dance-hall banger. Quality video delivery, too. A visual feast.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Note: The above list was rearranged today (Feb 7, 2017) to start from 25th to 1st, and not from 1st to 25th. The post's heading was also changed somewhat, though the core message remains the same. This is a re-posting, since the original one (posted prior to February 7, 2017) became inaccessible.
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 20 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
20. Koze Kuse by DJ Merlon ft. Mondli Ngcobo (2014):
In Koze Kuse, DJ Merlon and Mondli Ngcobo offer us a song with a powerful and assertive street-beat. Even the timed pauses, as you wait for them to exhale (so you can, too), project macho power and unfettered determination. One senses that apartheid READ MORE
19. Awww by D'ija (2014):
In "Decoding Dorobucci", this is all I said about Di'Ja's memorable role in that iconic song: "Flirtatious n shy playfulness be the code here, too". Awww, recorded in the same year as Dorobucci, remains her signature song -- like first real (first true) love. READ MORE
18. Blessings by Stormrex (2014):
In "Decoding Dorobucci", this is all I said about Di'Ja's memorable role in that iconic song: "Flirtatious n shy playfulness be the code here, too". Awww, recorded in the same year as Dorobucci, remains her signature song -- like first real (first true) love. READ MORE
Blessing, by Nigeria's Stormrex, is a marvellously crafted and artistically balanced music video, creatively produced by youthful Clarence Peters. It is a cleverly addictive song. You can READ MORE
Ungowami is a lovely song sung passionately by four of Africa's stand-out artistes. And even though two, Uhuru and Wizkid, are given pride of place in the credits, the other two are comfortably in the mix of things. Right from the get-go, in fact, its super-confident Donald who takes the definitive lead in voice and posture. In Ungowami, we're all 'enmeshed' in the superb surround of a stirring beat, and funky melody. Great love lyrics, too. What sights!
16. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz and Diamond Platnumz (2014):
Prokoto is, from the look of it, all about fun-time somewhere on East Africa's expansive -- and sunny, and sandy -- "Indian Ocean" coastline. Revelers be hanging loose in elegant attire and fine singing -- and dancing, too. And VK is the heart of it all. So the locals join in! OK, domestic tourism, folks.
16. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz and Diamond Platnumz (2014):
Prokoto is, from the look of it, all about fun-time somewhere on East Africa's expansive -- and sunny, and sandy -- "Indian Ocean" coastline. Revelers be hanging loose in elegant attire and fine singing -- and dancing, too. And VK is the heart of it all. So the locals join in! OK, domestic tourism, folks.
15. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2014):
Sura Yako remains the emblematic song by Sauti Sol, Kenya's best known AfroPop group today. It is also the 'anthem' at many Kenyan weddings, certainly in Nairobi. Not surprisingly, 'betrothal' is its motif -- its reason for 'engaging' the audience READ MORE
Sura Yako remains the emblematic song by Sauti Sol, Kenya's best known AfroPop group today. It is also the 'anthem' at many Kenyan weddings, certainly in Nairobi. Not surprisingly, 'betrothal' is its motif -- its reason for 'engaging' the audience READ MORE
14. All Eyes on Me by AKA ft. Burna Boy x Da L.E.S x JR (2014):
Burna Boy's distinctive voice and his signature montage of jazzy-reggae sounds and circumstances dominate in All Eyes on Me -- from the very beginning. It's a pretty good song, too, with several angles of goodness from which to look at all the goings-on. Everyone is really gung-ho there. It's an unmissable party they're all having.
Burna Boy's distinctive voice and his signature montage of jazzy-reggae sounds and circumstances dominate in All Eyes on Me -- from the very beginning. It's a pretty good song, too, with several angles of goodness from which to look at all the goings-on. Everyone is really gung-ho there. It's an unmissable party they're all having.
13. Gallardo by Runtown ft. Davido (2014):
In Gallardo, Runtown and Davido overrun the town with absorbing Thum and Miel [= Music and Dance]. The ear and the eye finely catered for. Immersed in all that pampering, the spirit levitates and soars. Gimme mo!
12. Oshe by Praiz ft. Awilo Longomba (2014):
With Awilo in town, you do expect a musical feast of some kind. In Oshe, Praiz and his valued guest do give us a music and dance treat. It's a fine party. And it's in a back-to-the future mode. Something intriguingly, pleasantly, familiar here.
With Awilo in town, you do expect a musical feast of some kind. In Oshe, Praiz and his valued guest do give us a music and dance treat. It's a fine party. And it's in a back-to-the future mode. Something intriguingly, pleasantly, familiar here.
11. Chop Am by Reekado Banks (2014):
Chop Am delivers quality and refinement here, in both the singing and the dancing. Reekado Banks performs his role delightfully. It's a thing to watch -- the whole thing. It'll remain an iconic representation of the spirit and styles of the time.
10. Fiko Fiko Fion by Claudia Bakisa ft. Koffi Olomide (2014):
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
8. Double Wahalla Part 2 by Oritse Femi and D'Banj (2014):
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
Shekini is all about shakin' it -- the awesome, super-charged way. The song has a great, rousing beat. Fine dance moves, there. Superb choreography and sequencing. An enduring dance-hall banger. Quality video delivery, too. A visual feast.
6. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
5. Johnny by Yemi Alade (2014):
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
4. Tchelete (Goodlife) by Davido ft. Mafikizolo (2014):
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
3. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2015):
This Skelemba do, which sets off with rousing tonality, is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
This Skelemba do, which sets off with rousing tonality, is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
2. Peteru by Skuki ft. Olamide (2014):
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
"Ole Themba": Linah's Unforgettable Journey
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve.
The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are superbly, artfully, put together. The melody -- the whole ambience -- transports us, all of us, to a place no one wants to come back from in a hurry.
Linah is a pleasantly surprising 'discovery', and a full member of the superstar group that populates #TheYamboSelection of 2014. She brings along with her everyone, everyone bar none, in the video.
NOTE: This write-up was originally posted on February 25, 2017 in "Top 25 Happiest Songs By/Featuring African Divas in 2014", as an edition of #TheYamboSelection
Friday, January 12, 2018
Africa's Top 5 Pop Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION:
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 25 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
5. Johnny by Yemi Alade (2014):
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
4. Tchelete (Goodlife) by Davido ft. Mafikizolo (2014):
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
3. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2015):
This Skelemba set is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
This Skelemba set is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
2. Peteru by Skuki ft. Olamide (2014):
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only#Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Note: The above list was rearranged today (Feb 7, 2017) to start from 25th to 1st, and not from 1st to 25th. The post heading was also changed somewhat, though the core message remains the same.Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only#Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Africa's Top 10 Pop Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection
INTRODUCTION:
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 25 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Note: The above list was rearranged today (Feb 7, 2017) to start from 25th to 1st, and not from 1st to 25th. The post's heading was also changed somewhat, though the core message remains the same. This is a re-posting, since the original one (posted prior to February 7, 2017) became inaccessible.
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 25 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
8. Double Wahalla Part 2 by Oritse Femi and D'Banj (2014):
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
Shekini is all about shakin' it -- the awesome, super-charged way. The song has a great, rousing beat. Fine dance moves, there. Superb choreography and sequencing. An enduring dance-hall banger. Quality video delivery, too. A visual feast.
6. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
5. Johnny by Yemi Alade (2014):
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
4. Tchelete (Goodlife) by Davido ft. Mafikizolo (2014):
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
3. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2015):
This Skelemba set is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
This Skelemba set is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
2. Peteru by Skuki ft. Olamide (2014):
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2014 ~ #TheYamboSelection. A Reissue
[NOTE: The original version of this list was published on 4th October 2015. However, that original file inadvertently became inaccessible. It is now reissued with some editing, particularly in terms of how the videos are accessed. The publication date of course changes for this Second Impression]
INTRODUCTION:
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 25 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
25. Retaan by Viviane Ndour Chidid (2014):
Retaan is weaved into one piece of delightful music with a finely-crafted melody and a "supporting cast" of well-blended sounds. Isn't that the Kora one hears, for example? This is Senegal, stopped only by the Atlantic from being farther west for READ MORE
24. China by Naeto C ft. Phyno (2014):
China has its own beat-denominated currency. The song is beat-dominated, that is. And the beat is on f-i-r-e! It needs no crypto, though some lines in the lyrics are quite cryptic, and even unsettling. The hook, "any way is a way" -- any READ MORE
23. Paper by Boj (2014):
In Paper, Nigeria's Boj wraps his mind, and ours, around the certainty, and/or otherwise, of paper -- and the potential otherness of Self and Place -- in a life form such as ours. Not paper mache. Not paper tiger. Not paper money. Not travel paper(s) READ MORE
Baby Answer is a love story with a simple 'plot', which complicates it -- in this tuneful music video. It (the video and the story in it) ends before the 'plot' yields a resolution: a call answered and the dream of living together "happily ever afterwards". More's the pity.
21. My Body by Solidstar ft. Timaya (2014)
My Body overwhelms the eye, weary/wary eye, with all the fine forms that it is made to, um, regard, unblinking -- in arte's supple and blinding 'light'. In, hazard the thought, the READ MORE
20. Koze Kuse by DJ Merlon ft. Mondli Ngcobo (2014):
In Koze Kuse, DJ Merlon and Mondli Ngcobo offer us a song with a powerful and assertive street-beat. Even the timed pauses, as you wait for them to exhale (so you can, too), project macho power and unfettered determination. One senses that apartheid READ MORE
Blessing, by Nigeria's Stormrex, is a marvellously crafted and artistically balanced music video, creatively produced by youthful Clarence Peters. It is a cleverly addictive song. You can READ MORE
13. Gallardo by Runtown ft. Davido (2014):
In Gallardo, Runtown and Davido overrun the town with absorbing Thum and Miel [= Music and Dance]. The ear and the eye finely catered for. Immersed in all that pampering, the spirit levitates and soars. Gimme mo!
Chop Am delivers quality and refinement here, in both the singing and the dancing. Reekado Banks performs his role delightfully. It's a thing to watch -- the whole thing. It'll remain an iconic representation of the spirit and styles of the time.
10. Fiko Fiko Fion by Claudia Bakisa ft. Koffi Olomide (2014):
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
Shekini is all about shakin' it -- the awesome, super-charged way. The song has a great, rousing beat. Fine dance moves, there. Superb choreography and sequencing. An enduring dance-hall banger. Quality video delivery, too. A visual feast.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
INTRODUCTION:
If one were to ask me, as I have already asked myself, to name Africa's best/top 25 popular singles 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 '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 SELECTION:
[Click on a Song's title to watch the video]
25. Retaan by Viviane Ndour Chidid (2014):
Retaan is weaved into one piece of delightful music with a finely-crafted melody and a "supporting cast" of well-blended sounds. Isn't that the Kora one hears, for example? This is Senegal, stopped only by the Atlantic from being farther west for READ MORE
24. China by Naeto C ft. Phyno (2014):
China has its own beat-denominated currency. The song is beat-dominated, that is. And the beat is on f-i-r-e! It needs no crypto, though some lines in the lyrics are quite cryptic, and even unsettling. The hook, "any way is a way" -- any READ MORE
23. Paper by Boj (2014):
In Paper, Nigeria's Boj wraps his mind, and ours, around the certainty, and/or otherwise, of paper -- and the potential otherness of Self and Place -- in a life form such as ours. Not paper mache. Not paper tiger. Not paper money. Not travel paper(s) READ MORE
Baby Answer is a love story with a simple 'plot', which complicates it -- in this tuneful music video. It (the video and the story in it) ends before the 'plot' yields a resolution: a call answered and the dream of living together "happily ever afterwards". More's the pity.
21. My Body by Solidstar ft. Timaya (2014)
My Body overwhelms the eye, weary/wary eye, with all the fine forms that it is made to, um, regard, unblinking -- in arte's supple and blinding 'light'. In, hazard the thought, the READ MORE
20. Koze Kuse by DJ Merlon ft. Mondli Ngcobo (2014):
In Koze Kuse, DJ Merlon and Mondli Ngcobo offer us a song with a powerful and assertive street-beat. Even the timed pauses, as you wait for them to exhale (so you can, too), project macho power and unfettered determination. One senses that apartheid READ MORE
19. Awww by D'ija (2014):
In "Decoding Dorobucci", this is all I said about Di'Ja's memorable role in that iconic song: "Flirtatious n shy playfulness be the code here, too". Awww, recorded in the same year as Dorobucci, remains her signature song -- like first real (first true) love. READ MORE
18. Blessings by Stormrex (2014):
In "Decoding Dorobucci", this is all I said about Di'Ja's memorable role in that iconic song: "Flirtatious n shy playfulness be the code here, too". Awww, recorded in the same year as Dorobucci, remains her signature song -- like first real (first true) love. READ MORE
18. Blessings by Stormrex (2014):
Blessing, by Nigeria's Stormrex, is a marvellously crafted and artistically balanced music video, creatively produced by youthful Clarence Peters. It is a cleverly addictive song. You can READ MORE
Ungowami is a lovely song sung passionately by four of Africa's stand-out artistes. And even though two, Uhuru and Wizkid, are given pride of place in the credits, the other two are comfortably in the mix of things. READ MORE
16. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz and Diamond Platnumz (2014):
Prokoto is, from the look of it, all about fun-time somewhere on East Africa's expansive -- and sunny, and sandy -- "Indian Ocean" coastline. Revelers be hanging loose in elegant attire and fine singing -- and dancing, too. And VK is the heart of it all. So the locals join in! OK, domestic tourism, folks.
16. Prokoto by Victoria Kimani ft. Ommy Dimploz and Diamond Platnumz (2014):
Prokoto is, from the look of it, all about fun-time somewhere on East Africa's expansive -- and sunny, and sandy -- "Indian Ocean" coastline. Revelers be hanging loose in elegant attire and fine singing -- and dancing, too. And VK is the heart of it all. So the locals join in! OK, domestic tourism, folks.
15. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2014):
Sura Yako remains the emblematic song by Sauti Sol, Kenya's best known AfroPop group today. It is also the 'anthem' at many Kenyan weddings, certainly in Nairobi. Not surprisingly, 'betrothal' is its motif -- its reason for 'engaging' the audience READ MORE
Sura Yako remains the emblematic song by Sauti Sol, Kenya's best known AfroPop group today. It is also the 'anthem' at many Kenyan weddings, certainly in Nairobi. Not surprisingly, 'betrothal' is its motif -- its reason for 'engaging' the audience READ MORE
14. All Eyes on Me by AKA ft. Burna Boy x Da L.E.S x JR (2014):
Burna Boy's distinctive voice and his signature montage of jazzy-reggae sounds and circumstances dominate in All Eyes on Me -- from the very beginning. It's a pretty good song, too, with several angles of goodness from which to look at all the goings-on. Everyone is really gung-ho there. It's an unmissable party they're all having.
Burna Boy's distinctive voice and his signature montage of jazzy-reggae sounds and circumstances dominate in All Eyes on Me -- from the very beginning. It's a pretty good song, too, with several angles of goodness from which to look at all the goings-on. Everyone is really gung-ho there. It's an unmissable party they're all having.
13. Gallardo by Runtown ft. Davido (2014):
In Gallardo, Runtown and Davido overrun the town with absorbing Thum and Miel [= Music and Dance]. The ear and the eye finely catered for. Immersed in all that pampering, the spirit levitates and soars. Gimme mo!
12. Oshe by Praiz ft. Awilo Longomba (2014):
With Awilo in town, you do expect a musical feast of some kind. In Oshe, Praiz and his valued guest do give us a music and dance treat. It's a fine party. And it's in a back-to-the future mode. Something intriguingly, pleasantly, familiar here.
With Awilo in town, you do expect a musical feast of some kind. In Oshe, Praiz and his valued guest do give us a music and dance treat. It's a fine party. And it's in a back-to-the future mode. Something intriguingly, pleasantly, familiar here.
11. Chop Am by Reekado Banks (2014):
Chop Am delivers quality and refinement here, in both the singing and the dancing. Reekado Banks performs his role delightfully. It's a thing to watch -- the whole thing. It'll remain an iconic representation of the spirit and styles of the time.
10. Fiko Fiko Fion by Claudia Bakisa ft. Koffi Olomide (2014):
All laid back, two great sophisticates join to drop a lovely track: Fiko Fiko Fion. Koffi Olomide reigns still, an unobtrusive monarch. Claudia Bakisa patiently waits, with pent-up energy, for Africa's playing field to level.
9. Wanted by Tiwa Savage (2014):
Isn't Tiwa, in Wanted, in deliberately fake semi-rudeness (yes, nudity!) to score a point? It's all very suggestive; a bold expose of her inner what? Self-confidence/doubt? Conflicts? She's here daring to dare all settled rules of proper public "appearance". Thus: "By the way, nothing you can do", "I'm better than you", "That's why I'm wanted". Ah, yes, about the music: It's enchanting, too. Same mold as Beyonce. Creatively, tastefully delivered.
8. Double Wahalla Part 2 by Oritse Femi and D'Banj (2014):
In the honored tradition of the troubadour, Oritse Femi teams up with D'banj to offer us a delightful Double Wahala Part 2... They ask for silence, but there's no silence here. Non READ MORE
7. Shekini by P-Square (2014):
Shekini is all about shakin' it -- the awesome, super-charged way. The song has a great, rousing beat. Fine dance moves, there. Superb choreography and sequencing. An enduring dance-hall banger. Quality video delivery, too. A visual feast.
6. Ole Themba by Linah (2014):
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
Linah delivers a wonderfully, delightfully charming bouquet of colors and sound. And beauty. And verve. The dancing girls are a feast for the eye. The lyrics, in Kiswahili, are READ MORE
5. Johnny by Yemi Alade (2014):
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
You saw at the MTVMAMA2015 how Johnny gets to you at a public gathering. Does so too on radio, where I first heard it, with that distinctive (shall I say sexy?) Yemi Alade voice. A girl determined to get her Johnny (to behave) always wins hearts -- many, many more than she may lose.
4. Tchelete (Goodlife) by Davido ft. Mafikizolo (2014):
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
Lukadem go! Such spirited immersion in the song. Davido and Mafikizolo draw us all into this veritable trance -- this vortex of sound and sight.
3. Skelemba by Olamide ft. Don Jazzy (2015):
This Skelemba do, which sets off with rousing tonality, is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
This Skelemba do, which sets off with rousing tonality, is heavenly canvas, upon which to paint, with superstar Olamide and Maestro Don Jazzy, exquisite ocular-aural dreams. Read more
2. Peteru by Skuki ft. Olamide (2014):
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
Peteru is a wonderfully crafted music video, with a high level of artistry, Captivating, top-level dance routines by beautiful and super-confident girls. Yet it continues to be underrated by the fandom, but no matter.
1. Dorobucci by Mavins (2014):
Dorobucci has always scored big in my book, since I first heard it early this year. This, for example, is what I tweeted about Dorobucci on July 19, 2015: @MauriYambo Jul 19: #MTVMAMA2015 Best Song of the Year is my favorite song of 2014, the one and only #Dorobucci, spearheaded by maestro #DonJazzy
Note: The above list was rearranged today (Feb 7, 2017) to start from 25th to 1st, and not from 1st to 25th. The post's heading was also changed somewhat, though the core message remains the same. This is a re-posting, since the original one became inaccessible.
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