This Is Africa

Under the TIA spotlight this episode are two fresh talents from Chad. Kadeux and Kaezy are both winning young fans by singing to them in Chadian Arabic as well as French, and talking in their songs about everyday experiences young Chadians can relate to.

It all started when Kadeux used a popular Chadian Arabic expression – Ayéhan – in his song of the same name. Ayéhan means yes, or yeah, and it’s something young Chadians say all the time, and Kadeux thinks his use of this word was one of the reasons the song became a hit.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Love You - Criss Calisto & 3 Finer (Angola)

Presenter - DJ Edu

Illbliss - who is also known as the Oga Boss - is one of Nigeria’s most influential rappers. He first made a name for himself back in 2008 and pioneered the use of indigenous languages in hip-hop, which led to the birth of the so-called Eastern-Igbo Boy Movement.

Illbliss has collaborated with global stars such as WizKid on Many Men, Odumodublvck on Full Chest, and Runtown on Alhaji (Can’t Hear you) - which is one of his most streamed songs ever.

In this episode, he shares his insights with old-time friend DJ Edu on the state of Nigeria’s music industry – including whether the streaming numbers add up to financial security for artists, the role of social media and how he’s kept relevant in the ever-changing Afrobeats scene.

Illbliss also talks about the influence of his wife and his daughters on his song-writing, and gives a shout to DJ Edu for the role he played in helping bring to life the song that changed the course of his career: OMG with Mr Eazi and Reekado Banks.

DJ Edu’s 10in10 tracklist:

Angelina - Masauti (Kenya)

Presenter: DJ Edu

DJ Edu is joined by two of Zambia’s most groundbreaking musicians, Sampa the Great and Emmanuel Jagari Chanda.

Sampa the Great’s career took off in Australia, where she was a student. Heavily hip-hop influenced, her first body of work, The Great Mixtape, introduced a bold, distinctive, politically engaged voice, proudly feminist and proudly African, with a rich and inventive sound. Birds and the Bee9, dropped in 2017, brought Sampa critical acclaim and fans around the globe. It was followed by The Return in 2019, and As Above So Below in 2022.

Sampa has performed at Glastonbury, Coachella and the Sydney Opera House, and has collaborated with the likes of Angelique Kidjo, Tricky and Ezra Collective. Her song Never Forget featured prominently in the promotional material for the Marvel movie Black Panther – Wakanda Forever.

Sampa’s latest album Nu Zamrock is, as the title suggests, deeply influenced by Zamrock, a musical genre that shook up Zambia in the 1970s.

Jagari Chanda is the lead singer of Zamrock band Witch, which stands for We Intend to Cause Havoc. Fired up by western musicians including Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, Witch shook up conservative Zambia with their wild performances, which were mobbed by fans. Thanks to US record label Now-Again, and the re-release of their music, WITCH has been enjoying a revival, and, for the first time, global fame.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Nta Liya - أنت ليا - Inez ft Najm (Morocco)

Presenter: DJ Edu

Yilim is the younger sister of one of the biggest names in music in the Ivory Coast, Didi B. Following in the footsteps of a superstar can be a blessing or a curse, especially if you are trying to build your own career as an artist, but Yilim focuses on the many positive opportunities her brother’s success has brought her. They have collaborated on several popular songs, as well as performing together at a sold out show in Paris’s Zenith arena.

But Yilim is her own woman and a talent in her own right, as songs such as Si Tu Veux Partir demonstrate. It was her first hit, securing her place in Ivory Coast’s music scene. The lyrics also typify her authentic, frank storytelling which is often based on her own experience. In Si Tu Veux Partir, she sings "if you don’t love me anymore, love can’t be forced, there’s nothing I can do, if you want to leave my life, you are free to go, the door is open…"

Presenter: DJ Edu

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

My Woman – Pson ft Ya Levis (Congo)

There are thousands of girls with beautiful voices in Nigeria, and hundreds who sing covers of afrobeats hits and post them on social media. But there are not many who get spotted by Davido.

As she tells DJ Edu, Morravey was dumbstruck when Davido reached out to her, having seen her cover of Bandana by Fireboy DML and Asake. It didn’t take long for her to abandon her studies, pack up her bags and leave Port Harcourt for Lagos.

That was in 2023, and now Morravey, still only 22, is signed to Davido’s label, has performed with him and features on his song In the Garden. Davido also appears on her own title, Magician.

Morravey has a string of popular tracks including Ifineme, Condo and You. She tells DJ Edu she has had no singing lessons, but has been watching and learning from other artists, imitating their vocal techniques, since she was 15. Beyonce and Zara Larsson are especially big influences.

When it comes to her storytelling, Morravey’s sources are wide ranging, but she likes to watch movies and imagine herself in the shoes of the characters on screen.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Ngiyaphuza Ngijabula - Way Kay & Piano Ya Africa (Botswana)

Presenter - DJ Edu

Moliy is a superstar, thanks to her viral hit Shake It to the Max which charted in countries all around the world. She’s a bubbly, chatty, confident Ghanaian-American 24-year-old woman, happy to post about her life and twerk in unlikely places. But as she tells DJ Edu in this episode, she’s also a real girl who has had to overcome anxiety and the impact of body shaming.

Moliy first started getting noticed around the world in 2021 when she featured on Sad Girlz Luv Money with fellow Ghanaian Amaarae, a female empowerment song with a hypnotic fusion of Afropop and RnB.

She’s just released a 12-track mixtape called Baddies Love Moliy, featuring South Africa’s Grammy-winning Tyla, Jamaica’s dancehall sensation Shenseea and fellow Ghanaian Sarkodie.

In this free-wheeling conversation, Moliy shares the impressive thinking that got her through tough times, as well as her musical journey, her inspirations and her aspirations.

DJ Edu’s 10in10 tracklisting:

XIXANMIN - NIKANOR (Benin)

Presenter: DJ Edu

In the TIA house this week with DJ Edu the Afroboss is Ms Gideon, a rising star from Namibia. She was only 18 when she shared a New York City stage with afrobeats greats like Adekunle Gold and Patoranking, after winning the prestigious New Narrative Africa competition in 2024. Two years on, and she’s signed with Sony Music Africa, the first Namibian artist to join the global label.

Ms Gideon tells DJ Edu that it was her covers of some of her favourite songs that first got her noticed in Namibia. She was then surprised and delighted when her own song, Home, became the first Namibian track to notch up a million views on YouTube in a country of just over three million people.

Ms Gideon also talks about the differences between making music alone and with the support of a label, and shares her dream to collaborate with Tiwa Savage, whose music she adores.

Presenter: DJ Edu

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklist:

Show Me - Hadaya Eliana & Genes1s (Kenya)

Phillbill from Cameroon is a talented producer and artist who is succeeding despite the odds. He comes from Buea, in Cameroon’s south-west region; it's part of the anglophone territory which has experienced awful violence since 2017, following a separatist uprising.

Phillbill has had to relocate to Douala and, as he tells DJ Edu, navigate the complex social landscape of his country. His songs are sung in a mixture of French and pidgin English, and he also draws on the numerous African languages of Cameroon as well as the musical traditions of various ethnic groups including the Doula, Beti and Bamileke peoples.

Phillbill has produced songs for a long list of other artists, including Kocee, Daphne and Blanche Bailly from Cameroon, and Roseline Layo from Ivory Coast. He produced Paris Fever, a collaboration between Senegal’s Wally Seck and Chris Brown from the US, and he’s had hits with his former band Ridimz.

But now he’s focusing on his own music and his passion for promoting the rich culture of Cameroon, making music which celebrates the positive and brings divided people together as well as bringing them solace. He calls his sound Afro-moderne, and he’s also coined a new term – Bikossa - because he blends Makossa, Bikutsi and other Cameroonian popular musical forms with urban genres like afrobeats, hip hop and afro house.

He’s already a big star at home, but he’s determined to bring his music to a global audience.

DJ Edu's 10in10 Tracklisting:

Lolendo - Yuma Yeyo & Héritier Wata (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Presented by DJ Edu

Davido sits down with DJ Edu to celebrate his 15-year career, and a new album, Oriadé, which he says is all about going back to his roots.

Davido has been a huge player in taking Afrobeats to the next level, and in particular gaining visibility in the US and globally. He has sold out London’s O2 and New York’s Madison Square Garden, he is five-times Grammy nominated, and his 2019 hit Fall had the longest run for a Nigerian song in Billboard chart history.

However, in this interview, Davido reminds us that he has always made a point of touring Africa, and believes African artists are now too obsessed with success in the US and the wider world, forgetting that there are a billion-plus music lovers in Africa.

He expresses his concern about the anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, as well as his enthusiasm for South Africa’s 3-step Afro house subgenre.

Davido also talks about the toll touring takes on him, his huge wedding in Miami, spending time with his wife and two-year-old twins, and working in his new state-of-the-art home studio.

Presented by DJ Edu

DJ Edu's 10 in 10 tracklist:

Maria - Rita Wangui (Kenya)

From thief to music star whose greatest wish is to make money to help the poor – that’s the inspiring story of Gabon’s L’Oiseau Rare, DJ Edu’s featured artist this week.

L’Oiseau Rare is now one of Gabon’s most successful artists. His numerous hits include Kati-K and Niamatos, as well as collaborations with Didi B from Ivory Coast and Shatta Wale from Ghana.

As he tells TIA, L’Oiseau Rare originally wanted to be an architect, then a pilot, but fell into a life of crime and ended up spending time in prison for theft.

While he was behind bars, he discovered his musical talent. Thanks to the encouragement of the other inmates, he was determined to turn his life around and make a career in music once he had served his time.

He says his experience has made him very focused and hard working and he is now a devout Muslim. He takes pleasure in inspiring others to quit crime as he did, and he wants to become a big philanthropist.

Presenter: DJ Edu

DJ Edu’s 10in10 tracklisting

Perfect Timing - Yeezir (Namibia)