East Africa
In a year that saw an increase in music consumption worldwide, East Africa showcased its credentials. Stars like Diamond Platnumz continued to dominate the charts as bongo flava remained the top genre in the region. Compelled by the seemingly unstoppable takeover of the amapiano, Tanzanian artists fully embraced the genre and incorporated it into bongo flava, giving birth to a fusion style known informally as ‘Swapiano’ (Swahili piano). Meanwhile, Uganda’s flirtations with dancehall continued to pay dividends as star Joshua Baraka and industry diva Vinka set the movies on fire. Kenya’s knack for surprises came at the end of the year when an ‘unknown quantity’ by the name of Sofiya Nzau emerged as the face of what could be a global dance hit – Zerb’s ‘Mwaki’. It was also the year of Rwanda’s Israel Mbonyi. Rarely has a gospel number swept East Africa by storm like ‘Nina Siri’. The region’s favorite local genres remain Tanzanian bongo flava, Kenya’s Gen Z-driven Gengetone, Ugandan dancehall-fueled pop and a variety of alternative electro and hip hop sounds.
“Mwaki” by Zerb ft. Sofiya Nzau (Kenya)
“Nina Siri” by Israel Mbonyi (Rwanda)
“Bailando” by Vinka (Tanzania)
“Yatapita” by Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
“Nana” by Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
South Africa
South Africa is undoubtedly the leading music hub south of the Equator, and especially in the South African region. Amapiano, currently the leading genre in the country, is influencing the rest of Africa, even West Africa, where artists are using its characteristic beats and melodies in an increasing number of releases. In terms of hits, Tyler ICU’s ‘Mnike’ is just one example of a song that has had a global impact in 2023, with fans coming up with various dance challenges on video streaming platforms like TikTok. ‘Stimela’ was also among the best-performed songs on digital platforms and won two top awards at the South African Music Awards 2023. But South Africa also maintained its strong grip on hip-hop and house, even though these two genres have taken a back seat for now.
‘Mnike’ of Tyler ICU
Tyla’s ‘Water’
“Hamba Juba” by Lady Amar, Cici, Murumba Pitch and JL SA
‘Awukhuzeki’ by DJ Stokie
“Stimela” by 2Point1 ft. Ntate Stunna & Nthabi Sings
“Mina Nawe” by Soa Matrix
Anglophone West Africa
Anglophone West Africa, the birthplace of Afrobeats, continues to lead Africa’s pop sound, which is now very much a global sound. Among the standout hits is Rema’s ‘Calm Down’, which is not only famous for being the most exported track from sub-Saharan Africa, but also holds the distinction of being the first African-led single to top one billion streams on Spotify. It also set a YouTube record as the most viewed Afrobeats video. Other songs such as Asake’s “Lonely at the Top” and King Promise’s “Terminator” achieved worldwide success, highlighting the region’s international impact. It’s also worth mentioning that while there’s room for mainstream pop, there’s also a thriving underbelly driving the alternative (alté) scene, which now and then inspires the mainstream in profound ways.
Asake’s ‘Lonely at the Top’
“Calm down” by Rema
“Terminator” by King Promise ft. Young Jon
‘Elon Musk’ by Shallipopi
“Declan Rice” by Odumodublvck
Francophone West Africa
French West African songs also scored highly in terms of numbers and media coverage. The tracks below reflect the region’s dominant styles, including Afrobeats, Jolofbeats, gospel and ivory rap.
“C’est pas normal” by Toofan (Togo)
“Je te kala pas” by Josey (Ivory Coast)
“La vie est belle” by Mia Guissé (Senegal)
“Par Force” by Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
“Dieu pile pas foutou” by KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
North Africa
Away from the mainstream, Morocco is known for a variety of creative music genres that combine traditional music such as gnawa with modern sounds such as pop and hip hop, making it a dynamic hotbed of North African music. At the same time, the once marginalized hip-hop scenes of Tunisia and Egypt have moved to lead the charts, offering new perspectives to listeners. As a result, the North African music scene has expanded rapidly, with different artists reinterpreting Arabic music and traditional African inspirations to create a variety of distinctive local sounds.
“Dellali” by ElGrandeToto (Morocco)
“Zarzour” by Lartiste (Morocco)
“Nari Nar” by Mouh Milano (Algeria)
“Tetabtab” by Mohamed Ramadan and Stefanos Piciniagas (Egypt)
“Casanova” by Soolking ft. Lola Indigo and RVFV (Algeria)
“Dima mechi” by Balti (Tunisia)
Central Africa
There has been a change in the popularity of Central African music thanks to two singers from Cameroon, Libianca and Krys M, who are blazing fast. In addition to exporting their art beyond the borders of Cameroon, these two stars have forged their own distinct sounds among a sea of successful African artists. The list of popular tracks from Central Africa in 2023 also includes music from Afara Tsena, Fally Ipupa and Koffi Olomide.
“People” by Libianca (Cameroon)
‘SL’ by Fally Ipupa (DRC)
“Qui croira verra” by Krys M
“Achii” by Diamond Platnumz ft. Koffi Olomide (Tanzania/DRC)
“Afro Mbokalisation” by Afara tsena (Congo)