Video: Viral “Makmende” Signals Shift in African Music as Twitter Generation Takes Lead

Since 2004, we at Modiba Productions have aimed to be Purveyors of Cultural Dopeness. We're the crew who brought you "ASAP: The Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project," introduced you to the son-of-a-legend, Vieux Farka Toure (who you most recently saw at the World Cup's Opening Ceremony Celebration), and are bringing it up to the present with Sierra Leone's finest, Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew. Running an international record label, publishing and management company, we have the privilege of working with some amazing musicians, artists and organizations from around the globe, and have accordingly had the opportunity to share some of our stories via a column in The Huffington Post. The Modiba Column is HuffPost World's regular feature that highlights interesting musicians and musical trends around the world. So when our friends at Penya Records in Kenya saw the video for Just A Band's "Ha-He" turn into Africa's first "viral success," Modiba team writer Lars Russell dug a little deeper. To those who have heard at least one Chuck Norris joke (ie. Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in three moves), the premise of the video is a familiar one: Makmende Amerudi is the infallible gangster that guys what to be and girls want to be with. Check out the full video, and then continue reading Lars Russell's take on the video and band that came to be known as Africa's first viral hit.

Continue reading at The Huffington Post's Modiba Column.