Top bongo flava songs of 2021

As is tradition, Music In Africa brings you a dynamic playlist of the most popular bongo flava tracks of the year. The playlist will grow as the year progresses and includes both established and upcoming acts working in one of Africa’s most dynamic music scenes.

Kamata – Diamond Platnumz

Diamond Platnumz’s new club banger is getting all the attention on the internet with videos of different ladies across the continent twerking on social media.

Basi Tu – Lava Lava ft. Mbosso

This record comes four months after Lava Lava released his debut EP Promise. He teams up with Mbosso, who sings about jealous love coupled with heavy intimacy. The beat is infectious, and Mbosso’s distinctive vocal style makes it a song only he could pull off.

Cheketua – Barnaba ft. Alikiba

Barnaba is a singer with sophistication, playfulness, and style. He teams up with Alikiba to record this sweet wedding track with a danceable beat.

Attitude – Harmonise ft. Awilo Longomba and H Baba

‘Attitude’ is a sing-along track that sees Harmonize collaborate with Congolese soukous musician Awilo Longomba. It is one of radio and party DJ’s favourites, enjoying constant airplay and getting the fans dancing on social media.

Komesha – Lava Lava

More than the irrepressible desire to tag himself “Mr Love Bite,” Lava Lava is putting in the work. This serenade sees the singer heartfeltly express sincere feelings to his love interest.

Sukari – Zuchu

Zuchu is the latest flower to blossom from the Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) label. ‘Sukari’ is a love song and has been popular with TikTok users in the region. While her vocals place her at the top of Tanzania’s bongo flava scene, it’s Zuchu’s songwriting prowess that enables her to dominate the charts. Last year, Boomplay announced that her debut EP I Am Zuchu was the most played album in Tanzania. Last month, the BBC listed her as a music star to look out for in 2021.

All Night – Harmonise ft. Anjella

It’s exciting for an emerging artist like Anjella to go from uploading YouTube videos of herself singing covers to landing a collabo with top regional singers like Harmonize. Word on the street is that Harmonize is keen on signing her to his Konde Music Worldwide label. With more collaboration between these two on the way, the talented Angella is expected to become a household name pretty soon.

Waiter – Darassa

Dancing requires good music, so be sure to play ‘Waiter’ next time you want to break a hip. The song is off his debut album Slave Becomes a King, which was released in December last year.

Number One – Nandy ft. Joeboy

Nandy is arguably Tanzania’s top bongo flava singer and is known for her formidable stage presence. Her first offering of the year features Nigerian singer Joeboy, who collaborated with Zuchu on ‘Nobody’ in October. ‘Number One' brings to light a conversation between two lovers professing their feelings for each other.

Valentine – Rayvanny

It seems we should be expecting a song for Valentine’s Day from Rayvanny every year. Last year, he released ‘Teamo’ featuring Mozambique’s Messias Maricoa. This year, he released ‘Valentines’ – a message to the singer’s lover where he expresses how much he cares for her.

Infidèle – Alikiba

A brutally honest lyricist, Alikiba is one of the region’s few artists who have managed to stay relevant despite being in the industry for close to two decades. ‘Infidèle’ is one of those songs that simultaneously forces a smile and tightens your throat with sadness. It tells the story of a man who discovers that his girlfriend has cheated on him with multiple men. He confronts her, but she plays the victim. The lyrics, which are delivered in English and French, capture the heartache caused by infidelity. This is juxtaposed with a catchy melody, urging the listener to put the song on repeat.

Bado Sana – Lava Lava ft. Diamond Platnumz

Bado Sana is a fast-paced track addressing competitors and haters with destructive criticism. They two advise critics to desist from antagonising them. Before signing with WCB and racking up millions of followers on YouTube, Lava Lava was just another singer hoping to make it. Now he is widely regarded as a skilled songwriter who has written songs for several artists including Diamond Platnumz.

Kiuno – Rayvanny

Compared to his label mates at WCB, Rayvanny sometimes breaks free from bongo flava conventions and experiments with other sounds. ‘Kiuno’ is heavy on the rumba beat and the production here is impeccable, especially the percussion and guitar, which ghost in and out of the song.

Leo Leo ­– Nandy ft. Koffi Olomide

Successful bongo flava singer and self-proclaimed ‘African Princess‘, Nandy is calculative and ambitious – the reason for her fanbase consistently soaring. The song is her second international collaboration of the year and features famous Congolese singer Koffi Olomide – making her the first female artist in East Africa to work with him. The release follows Koffi Olomide’s successful collaboration with Diamond Platnumz on ‘Waah’ last year.

Shusha – Baba Levo ft. Diamond Platnumz

Baba Levo and the region’s most prominent artist, Diamond Platnumz, team up to address their critics in the industry. While this track is a hit, the video also delivers high production value.

Nashangaa – Aslay

Aslay's innovative lyrical ideas combined with his memorable sing-along choruses and sweet melodies make his writing easy to spot. ‘Napenda’ is a love ballad where every word oozes with warmth, and it perfectly depicts the way he feels when next to his lover.

Kama – Anjella ft. Harmonize

This song is the first single by Anjella after inking a record deal with local label Konde Music Worldwide (KMW) in March. She features label owner Harmonize – but of course, the pair have history, having released their first collaboration, ‘All Night’, in February.

Baikoko – Mbosso ft. Diamond Platnumz

Mbosso teams up with Diamond Platnumz, whose flirty charm makes their collaboration devilishly irresistible. This track follows the release of his debut album, Definition Of Love, in March.

Bomba – Kayumba

Rising bongo flava act Kayumba is getting the fans dancing with ‘Bomba’. What does the word mean? Nobody really knows, but you’d have to have no pulse to resist dancing.

Wale Wale – Lava Lava

Love and hate are two sides of passion, but what about love and murder? Lava Lava, an expert at love ballads, writes this story of a man convicted of murdering his lover and the man she was having an affair with.

Lala – Rayvany ft. Jux

This record finds Jux and Rayvanny at their wittiest, singing about romance and seduction. It is off Rayvanny’s debut album, Sounds from Africa, released in February,

Mapenzi – Ibraah

The rising singer is having reservations about becoming involved in a romantic relationship. The lyrics portrayal a relationship that seems to have its red flags but at the same time contains genuine feelings and connections.

Ndombolo – Alikiba ft. Abdukiba, K2ga, Tommy and Flavour

Alikiba teams up with signees from his Kings Music Records label to deliver this catchy mid-tempo club banger. The record teases yearnings to spend quality time with one’s significant other.

Kiss Me – Mbosso

‘Kiss Me’ is all about embracing a new love, and that’s the kind of bliss we all need. The visuals do well to cast adorable scenes in places that render the perfect backdrop to his serenading.

For You – Marioo

‘For You’ is a love-themed track that will have you in your feels about a love that didn’t last for whatever reason.