James Stewart - Cotonou (Voilaaa Remix) by Mawimbi

Umoja - Avana Va (feat. Sidney Simila) by Mawimbi

Congratulations to @praktika for delivering a true banger

Full EP available on Bandcamp:

https://razandafla.bandcamp.com/album/the-cycle-remixes

Raz & Afla - This Cycle (Kalbata Remix) by Mawimbi

"No Food for Lazy Man" is a catchy feel good Afrobeats tune with a message of working hard to achieve what you need. The song was born out of a recorded jam between British producer Burland, keys player Joel Stevenson, guitarist Josh Valters and Antonio Roldao on drums. An instrumental arrangement was formed and sent to Ghanaian MC Zongo Abongo, who after hearing it for the first time, jumped on a studio session that very same day to lay down the evergreen hooks and deliver the powerful message.

Zongo’s message is that: “just because some people tried and they failed, they think it’s not possible for others to win. They try all means to discourage you from achieving your dream, they can’t do it so they discourage others from trying. So this song is to inspire hope to the hopeless... work hard to achieve your dream regardless of the difficulties you have to go through and never listen to those trying to discourage you because there is no food for a lazy man".

Energetic, fast paced and raw, "Do Something for Yourself" provides a more dancefloor oriented b-side to the slower, softer "No Food for Lazy Man".

Burland & Zongo Abongo met for the first time at the Meet Me There festival in Ghana (2018). Zongo was hosting the festival and delivered serious inspiration during his live set with The Busy Twist, who later introduced Zongo to Burland. There was an instant connection, discussing collaboration and sharing tunes. Born out of the same sessions, "No Food For Lazy Man" is the follow-up to their "Tell Me Why You Worry" EP, released on Mawimbi Records in 2019.

Taken from Jally Kebba Susso's forthcoming "Freedom" EP, out on digital and 12inch vinyl May 6th on Mawimbi Records. "Justice" is available on all platforms:

kuronekomedia.lnk.to/Justice

Pre-order vinyl on Bandcamp:

jallykebbasusso.bandcamp.com/album/freedom

Kora, vocals, tama, djembe and congas by Jally Kebba Susso

Drums by Yuval 'Juba' Wetzler

Bass by Nim Sadot

Saxophone by Oli Arlotto

Produced by Tom Excell and Jally Kebba Susso

Mixed by Lalang Fatty (GSC Records)

Mastered by Peter Beckmann

Artwork by Dohee Kwon

We put together a selection of some of our favourite tracks released or reissued in 2021 and compiled them into a mix for Rinse France! As always, this mix is as eclectic as can be! It includes music by personal heroes such as DJ Koze, Nu Genea, Voilaaa and Mdou Moctar, as well as beautiful tunes by friends such as Yeahman, Village Cuts and Onipa ... and some of the music we released this year!

From South African cosmic folk to melancholic Colombian folklore, forgotten Djibouti club sounds, Haitian amapiano, Napolitan disco hits, raving music from Niger, Malian electronic crossovers... Of course we could not include all of our favourite music, some choices were obviously made, hopefully for the better!

We want to thank all of the artists and record labels who have made 2021 another fascinating year of music, it really helped us through the year.

Support the artists and record labels on Bandcamp:

https://buymusic.club/list/mawimbi-mawimbis-best-of-2021

Urban Village - Ubaba [No Format Records]

Mdou Moctar - Tala Tannam [Matador Records]

Quantic - Macumba de Marea (feat. Nidia Gongora)

4 Mars - Tamarta (Power) [Ostinato Records]

Àbáse - Agangatolú (feat. Jadson Xabla, Gabriel Santana, Dr Drumah, Fanni Zahár)[Oshu Records]

Nubiyan Twist - Ma Wonka (feat. Pat Thomas)[Strut Records]

Mario Rui Silva - Kazum-zum-zum [Time Capsule]

Mawimbi - Fôli Kadi (feat. Fatim Kouyaté)[Mawimbi Records]

Yeahman - Ouloullou (feat. Omar Zidia)[Wonderwheel Recordings]

Bruxas - People [Dekmantel]

Nico Mauskovic - A Big Brain [Les Disques Bongo Joe]

Jimmy Blanche - Tamboula Ti Bois La (Mawimbi Remix) [Stima Records]

Mawimbi & Pouvoir Magique - De Amor (feat. Flavia Coelho) [BE Records]

Onipa - Waist [Boomerang Records]

Mawimbi - Malume (feat. Spoek Mathambo & Morena Leraba)[Mawimbi Records]

Nu Genea - Marechià (feat. Celia Kameni)[NG Records]

Village Cuts feat. Les Mangelepa & Shama - Baiskeli (Aroop Roy Remix)[INI Movement]

Lakou Mizik & Joseph Ray - Sanba Yo Pran Pale (DJ Koze Remix) [Anjunadeep]

David Walters - Papa Kossa (Batida Remix)[Heavenly Sweetness]

Joaquin Cornejo - Spatial Request [Earthly Measures]

STR4T4 - Vision 9 (Melé Dub)[Brownswood]

Cando - Clutch (Bakongo Remix)[Le Chatroom]

Greg & King Doudou - Dembow Tronico [Lavibe]

Raz & Afla - Shake It Mama [Afro Zone]

Voilaaa - Faut Pas (Dub 2000)[Favorite Recordings]

Mamaki Boys - Kagani [Sahel Sounds]

Kasai All Stars - Bird Woman Baby (Spooky J Remix)[Crammed Discs]

Alostmen - Carry Me Go [Strut Records]

Azumah - Emigodini [Nyami Nyami Records]

This month we've had the honour and luck to be invited again on our beloved @laradionova. This time we prepared a very special mix for @Getaroomofficial's show "sur le TrAnSmEtTeUr"! In this mix, we tried to dig a little deeper and put the focus on patient listening, rather than riding on the usual club sounds. This mix has a psychedelic vibe, drawing from afro-jazz to dub, via malombo and afro-brazilian grooves.  It features tunes by Kutiman, Supergombo, Thabang Tabane, Heliocentrics, Hector Zazou, among others. Try it! 

Drop a comment if you need a track ID :)

👉Listen on Deezer, Spotify & co: kuronekomedia.lnk.to/Bubbling

👉Listen and buy directly from the artist at Bandcamp:

wearemawimbi.bandcamp.com/album/bubbling

Eight years deep into their existence, Paris-based Mawimbi are proud to present their debut album “Bubbling”. Through their own label and events, the collective have championed up and coming artists who look to fuse african music with the modern dancefloor. They’ve released records from Lya, Onipa, Afriquoi and James Stewart and brought established artists and fellow travellers to such as Auntie Flo, Africaine 808, Awesome Tapes From Africa and Esa to Paris. Now it’s time for the collective to unveil their identity as producers and musicians in their own right.

“Bubbling” refers to the many ideas, encounters and projects that the collective have come into contact with over the past years. Through their events and their work as label curators and remixers (for artists such as Oumou Sangaré, Blick Bassy, Cerrone, Onipa), Mawimbi have become known as ambassadors for “afro-electro” - whatever that might mean - and their debut album buzzes with the contagious energy of the music they love. If you ask Mawimbi, Afro-electro is about global and local inspiration, from both sides of the Black Atlantic. It’s about paying tribute to the forefathers and the brothers and sisters in arms across the world. Afrobeat, highlife, South African bubblegum pop, Malian music, maloya… “Bubbling” seeks to connect geographically separate but spiritually similar club sounds.

Hence “El Caribe” (feat. Ghetto Kumbé) is half cumbia, half Carribean dancehall, while “Ngana” (feat. Fatim Kouyaté) has some elements of dub music and “Kakraa” (feat. K.O.G) nods to disco‐infused Ghanaian productions from the 70s. Despite the influences, this is a record designed for home-listening, a nod to our present circumstances, but also a deliberate step away from dancefloor. A moment of patience and reflection as much as joy and celebration.

Above all, “Bubbling” is a personal record, about unexpected cross-pollinations and the collective’s individual explorations of these musical territories. Mawimbi's own history is one of coincidences and chance encounters, and so is “Bubbling”. All the collaborations were born out of the connections made over the last 8 years. A WhatsApp chat with Zambian artist Mufrika, a spontaneous studio jam with Ghetto Kumbé in a Parisian Basement: these are captured moments of real, vital connections made.

Like Mawimbi itself, “Bubbling” is a collage of relationships and shared experiences, shaped by nascent friendships and musical encounters. It’s a truly DIY document in that sense, the sound of the last eight years of the Mawimbi adventure: free spirited, passionate, warm and generous.

👉 Listen on Deezer, Spotify & co:

https://kuronekomedia.lnk.to/Bubbling

👉 Pre-order Limited edition 12" on bandcamp

https://wearemawimbi.bandcamp.com/album/bubbling

This is the first time Zambian master musician Edward Mwanza, also known as Mufrika, collaborates with a European producer. When Adrien (Mawimbi) came across a video of Mufrika playing subtle melodies on his self-built kalimba, he was truly mesmerized. He reworked the song into an emotional, upbeat dance track and sent it to Mufrika. New vocals were recorded and a truly unique collaboration was born.

👉 Listen on Deezer, Spotify & co:

https://kuronekomedia.lnk.to/Bubbling

👉 Pre-order Limited edition 12" on bandcamp

https://wearemawimbi.bandcamp.com/album/bubbling