Welcome to 2025, a year when we’re going to need musical diversion and engagement more than ever! Here are eight items to start off Afropop’s video list for the year. You could argue that it’s a tad pretentious for us to call our playlist “top” videos. After all, in our vast Afropop universe, hundreds of new videos come out every week, more than we can possibly keep track of or evaluate. But we can say that the videos on this growing playlist have moved us, and represent our multi-genre, multi-generational global take on African music. This set includes two lo-fi live performances by hot West African combos, as well as new work from Salif Keita and Ramy Essam.
If you have suggestions for videos our fans would love, send them to info@afropop.org with the subject line “Top Videos 2025.”
Check out the full Afropop Top Videos playlist for all our selections. Enjoy!
“Tassi” – Salif Keita
Rumors of Salif Keita’s retirement from recording and from the stage have been greatly exaggerated, despite Keita’s active participation in spreading those rumors. Despite all, the Golden Voice of Mali—and we don’t use the term lightly—has recorded something truly unique in his career, a solo acoustic album with just the man himself accompanying that golden voice on acoustic guitar. We’ve heard the album and it’s a treasure. You’ll get a taste from this video. And be on the lookout for tour dates. He’s coming back to us after all.
“Ra7 Nelte2i (We Shall Meet Again) رامي عصام - راح نلتقي” – Ramy Essam
From his beginnings with legendary Tahrir Square performances during the 2011 Egyptian uprising to his global career as a leading Egyptian rocker, Ramy Essam has never lost his passion for the thwarted ideals of the revolt. On this track he renews his anguished plea for us not to forget Egypt’s many prisoners of conscience who continue to suffer in confinement for their beliefs. Chief among those is Essam’s friend and colleague the poet Galal El-Bahairy who penned the lyrics to this song from behind bars.
“Me Pasa (Piscis)” - Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL
Hot off the press as this post goes up, Colombian stars Bomba Estéreo and powerhouse Venezuelan band Rawayana have joined forces to create the supergroup ASTROPICAL – a one-song collaboration that quickly evolved into a full project – combining the worlds of astrology and tropical grooves. Today ASTROPICAL releases their lead single "Me Pasa (Piscis)" accompanied by an official video directed by Edgar Esteves, Paola Ossa and Ana Peralta Chong.
“Sawaye”- Sofaz
This ripping studio performance was posted a few months ago, so we’re late on the draw. But we were so wowed by this Tolouse, France, based band with their blend of Gnawa and Reunion Island melodies and rhythms at the 2024 Nuits D’Afrique Festival in Montreal that we couldn’t overlook this. The track perfectly captures their uniquely brilliant concept. For more on Sofaz, checkout their segment on our Planet Afropop podcast. By the way if you’re not a subscriber to Planet Afropop, what are you waiting for?!
“Dama Bëgga Ňibi” - Live in Dakar | Aron & The Jeri Jeri Band
This young combo out of Dakar, Senegal, mixes local mbalax with flavors of Afrobeat, funk and jazz. Check them out on Bandcamp. For a taste, here they are live at the Pied Tanqués Club in Dakar.
Rami Gabriel and Prekese in Accra
Okay, this one is not at all new, but while we’re on live African video, never mind high production values or even multi-cam shoots. This homemade, single-shot video puts you right up front at a down home Accra urban bar to see some hot urban highlife, played by young musicians. We get fans dancing amid the band, a selfie shot and plenty of casual ambiance. If you dig this one, keep watching this stream. YouTube will serve up plenty more along the same lines. By the way, Rami Gabriel is one half of the band The Arab Blues out of Chicago.
"Kusi Na Sibo" - Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
At 88-years-old, Ebo Taylor is truly a living legend of highlife and Afro-Funk. His composing skills, brass arranging and endless originality truly plade him among the greats. Kudos to Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammed of Jazz is Dead for creating a collaborative album with him, including this track. We generally don’t include audio-only items on this playlist, but we make an exception for royalty! The Jazz is Dead team are also producing Taylor’s farewell tour this year. Check tour dates at the end of this post.
"Djelimady"- Boubacar "Badian" Diabaté and Banning Eyre
Boubacar "Badian" Diabaté and Afropop’s own Banning Eyre met in Bamako, Mali, in 1995 and have remained friends ever since. In 2024, during Badian's visit to New York City, the two got together for a few sessions. This is one of the songs they played together. It's a piece Banning composed in honor of his one-time mentor and teacher, Djelimady Tounkara, as it happens, the man who first introduced these two guitarists all those years ago.
