As their Heavier Yet U.S. Tour continues to make its way across America, Seun Kuti—Nigerian musician and activist and son of the legendary Fela Kuti—will, along with backing band Egypt 80, perform at Atlanta’s City Winery on Friday, April 25th.
The twenty-five-show tour began on April 3rd in New York and will go until May 17th. For additional information, visit seunkutimusic.com.
On March 28, record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter Timbaland surprised us all with a ten-track afro-inspired album call “Timbo Progression.”
Although the project has been labeled Afrobeat, it is important to know that what Timbaland has given us has a more ancient feel as opposed to what we’ve become accustomed to hearing when we play Afrobeat records today.
In other words, Timbaland‘s rhythms are more relaxing and soothing and do not necessarily give off a party vibe like much of the Afrobeats we hear nowadays. Even the two visuals that he shared from the album are both heavily influenced by ancient African culture and lifestyle. Click here to stream/download “Timbo Progression” from your preferred music platform.
Poet and recording artist Sheldon Gava has just released a new single titled “Guns Down.” This is not just another record shared to extend his music catalog; it’s the single behind a carefully crafted campaign designed to highlight the dangers of guns.
Sheldon Gava‘s message about the risk involved in having a gun, whether for protection or outright evil intent, can be seen and felt in the short film (music video) for “Guns Down.” The visual, which preceded the audio by one day, was uploaded to Gava‘s YouTube channel on March 20. Acted out by Jamaican students, it shows three teenagers arguing in the streets in Old Harbour, with one eventually attempting to resolve the conflict by shooting another. The story takes a twist when the gun accidentally goes off and shoots the mother of one of the teens instead.
On its own the clip is very powerful; however, it’s even more impactful because Sheldon Gava has chosen not to appear in it at all, allowing viewers to focus all their attention on the story being told.
“Guns Down” is available on all streaming platforms, and the short film can be viewed on YouTube.
“Cold Fire,” the new record from Ivorian reggae singer Alpha Blondy featuring Jamaican dancehall giant Capleton, is nothing short of music mastery. Released on February 21, 2025, both men combine their respective styles to create a pulsating song with an equally strong message to Africans at home and abroad.
They further mesmerize their fans by delivering a captivating video that was shot in Africa and Jamaica. Click here or on the image above to check out the visual, and remember to like, comment, and share.
In keeping with the annual Black History Month celebration, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Hezron, in collaboration with Tad’s Record, releases “Kuja Nyumbani.” Kuja Nyumbani is a Swahili phrase that translates to ‘come home’ in English. However, Hezron, being the unexceptionable creative that he is, added a twist to the name of his song by using the subtitle “I want to go Home.”
“Kuja Nyumbani” was first shared in 2022 on Hezron‘s “M.O.A.M. (Man On a Mission)” 17-track album. The decision to publish “Kuja Nyumbani” now is very timely, and it is reassuring to Black History enthusiasts, Pan-Africanists, etc., who have become concerned that the observance of Reggae Month in February has diminished the commemoration of the Black story, which is also done at this time of year.
Hezron is a deep thinker, skillful writer, and masterful vocalist. All three can be heard on this very strong, extremely powerful record. What’s more, in anticipation of the song being re-released to streaming platforms today, February 7th, 2025, Tad’s Record uploaded the official video to their YouTube channel a few days ago. The visual is just as compelling as the audio.
Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Yemi Alade continues to share tracks from her 2024 album “Rebel Queen.” The latest is “Happy Day,” track #7, for which she has just published an official video.
As the name implies, “Happy Day” is a positive, up-tempo afrobeat record that encourages listeners to remain optimistic regardless of what is happening. The visual was uploaded to Alade‘s YouTube channel on January 29th. If you have not yet seen it, click here or on the image above to check it out.
Nneka is without a doubt one of the most inspirational secular artists from Nigeria. All her songs stir the soul and trigger deep thinking regardless of the audience. Her latest is called Mirror, and on this one she talks about the God within.
The official video for Mirror was uploaded to Nneka‘s YouTube channel two days before Christmas, on the 23rd. If you have not yet seen it, click here or on the image above to check it out, and remember to like, comment, and share.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 