What's on my Radar?

In which I consider songs worthy of our attention

The dance instructional has evolved a lot since Afrobeats began. A gimmick that predates Afrobeats, ditties about dance exist in abundance in our cultural archives, if not in our collective memory. Take, for instance, King Sunny Ade’s Synchro System. That slow-whine sensuous dance instigated by attentive guitar riffs. Or the more humorous Open and Close by Fela Ransome-Kuti. More recently, we have had Galala, Makossa, Swo, Alanta, Etighi, etc.

Enter Kiss Daniel’s Twe Twe, produced by the duo Killertunes and Blaise Beatz, with its production hooked on the talking drum. It is ancient and contemporary at the same time. It is the old call to dance. Drum instructing derriere. It is pared down to its tonal bone, and the effect is incredible. From children on playgrounds to adults under strobe lights, everyone is twerking their body.

Still on drums, Terry Apala and DJ Tunez have locked in two iterations of Apala Disco. Leading with the expansive remix featuring Musiliu Haruna Ishola and lasting close to seven minutes, this is a breezy Apala tune super-refined for the contemporary ear. Musiliu is true to his calling, channelling his father as if on a musical seance. Terry Apala has an incredibly rich and velvety voice for Apala, but he is let down by his sparse to non-existent lyricism. He rehashes a fine quatrain through the entire song as if expecting a different result. It is a miracle that it does not get boring until after three listens.

Recently re-issued for the streamers, Were Oju Le is a 70s Afrobeat tune from Trinidadian musician Oluko Imo featuring Fela Kuti. It speaks eloquently to economic austerity and the common man, that major triumph (and purpose) of Afrobeat. The uncanny pensive rhythm makes you consider side-stepping your pain and penury. It is music as salve and balm. The main vocalist reminds me of Beautiful Nubia, with his folksy tenor coasting behind the music in a way that differentiates Afrobeat from Soul.

Ahead of his tour, Adekunle Gold releases The Life I Chose. Produced by Kel P, this beat sounds familiar to smash hit Killin Dem, another Kel P production. Subtle sonic changes notwithstanding, this tune is a product of self-plagiarism, in and out of the recording booth. Adekunle Gold remains in Tio Baby character, despite the lacklustre performance of his fifth LP.

Ghetts’ Double Standard featuring Sampha makes for deep introspection. It is hard bars on pertinent issues, from race to Palestine to the NHS, that bring me back to my reality as a black migrant in cold London en route to my day job.