October 1, 2020

“Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango, 1972

“Can't you pronounce 'makossa' like everyone else? You stutter: 'mamako mamasa.' You think they're going to accept that in Yaoundé?” (Dibango 1994:83) This was according to Manu Dibango his father’s reaction when listening to “Soul Makossa” for the first time.
September 1, 2020

“Bondeko” by Toto Bona Lokua, 2018

In 2004, the independent label No Format! recorded the first album of the friends Gérald Toto, Richard Bona, and Lokua Kanza, and the pan-African band project TotoBonaLokua was born. This is their second album, an easy and playful jazz record of three great vocalists, each being a master at their respective instrument, underlined with smooth atmospheric sounds by the producer and label founder Laurent Bizot.
August 1, 2020

“Twice As Tall” by Burna Boy, 2020

„Twice As Tall“ (2020) is Burna Boy’s fifth album, and the third one to be marketed to international audiences. Whereas „Outside“ (2018) was a respectable kick-off, „African Giant“ (2019) managed to fulfill the claim of its title with a Grammy nomination, Coachella performance and large popularity among critics and fans, both within Nigeria and abroad. It is thus no surprise that „Twice As Tall“ offers plenty of continuities.