How Did African Artists Fare At Coachella 2025?

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 brought Afrobeat heat to the desert

The charismatic Kuti was the first African act to perform, introduced by a member of his band as "the Afrobeat chief priest." Kuti looked the part as he mounted the stage in a brilliant blue outfit. Resplendent and energetic, he carried the message of pan-African forebears whose faces were on the stage behind him: a mosaic of heroes that includes his father and grandmother, Malcolm X, Thomas Sankara, and several others.

He opened their performance with his fatherFela Kuti's "Everything Scatter," a tradition that Kuti described as "a sign of respect to the man." The band played with urgency while Seun Kuti skillfully transitioned between the saxophone, keyboard, and his powerful, unwavering voice. He went on to perform "T.O.P" and "Stand Well Well," both records from their latest LP,Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head), showing impeccable vocal control.

Transitions were smoothly handled, and the Outdoor Theatre stage amplified the music's fiery nature. He removed his blue shirt just before he performed "Emi Aluta," whose delicious highlife groove had kept the audience dancing. Kuti kept his performance direct and purposeful.

Tyla showed her personality as her 'popiano' hits ruled the stage

Some hours later, Tyla took to the stage for one of the most anticipated sets of the Coachella. Especially prevalent was the conversation of her genre classification, with her repping 'popiano' as she's always claimed. She performed amapiano songs in the middle of her set—"Bana Ba" and "Thata Ahh," both records she's featured in, using their heavy drum sound as an interlude into the performance's last arc. The use of on-stage drummers also gave a 'popiano' feel to her performance, even though her vocal sway—and the moves—belonged to the R&B tradition of slow whines and eye contact.

Tyla's choreography was especially catchy, as she alternated between moves and positions to effectively visualize the songs. "PUSH 2 START" and "On My Body"—for which she brought out Becky G— were very engaging, an early rendition that positively pushed the intensity of her set. Her alluring personality shone through the performance, like when she painted her name on the giant teddy tiger that shared the stage with her or when she changed her shoes mid-performance. After a memorable performance of "Water," which served as an expected closer yet turned out to be a resounding high point, she retreated into the tiger.

Shaboozey and Coachella's country hour sparkled

Shaboozey replicated Tyla's excellence. His performance is being heralded as one of the best across social media. Like Tyla, his outfit aligned with his sound, an immaculate astronaut-evoking two-piece that was primarily white but designed with intricate red and blue patterns.

The stage set was cinematic, with 'Coachella's Country Hour' inscribed on the backdrop and the actor RJ Cyler playing host to Shaboozey's TV show. The artist showcased his vocal versatility by transitioning from "Last Of My Kind" to "Annabelle" and then to "Highway." His creamy and vulnerable voice perfectly blended his hip-hop influences with country vocals.

He was especially vulnerable during his set, as the songs chosen spoke to a tired generation. Even Noah Cyrus's appearance on stage was very well done, as they dueted an intimate performance of "My Fault." Announcing a forthcoming deluxe of his last tape, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, the artist left the stage to rapturous applause after performing his smash hit "Tipsy (A Bar Song)."

Amaarae held it down for Ghana

The African excellence continued with Amaarae, who had been teasing a new sonic era before now. Sporting a black leather outfit, she was a strong presence on stage, with lush hair. Her choice to play songs from other Ghanaian artists such as La Meme Gang and Joey B was a nice touch, but even more astounding were Amaarae's vocals, performed live with the same thrilling sensuality as they sound on record. An acapella rendition of "SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY" segued into a remastered electro-influenced version of "Princess Going Digital" was a beautiful way of refreshing the sonic appeal of the records.

Rema was the unfortunate low of the weekend

Rema's performance on the Mojave stage was less than memorable, primarily due to the time he took to get on stage. The DJ's set, as interesting as it was, became evident that it was a ploy of distraction. Rema finally got on stage wearing a white tee and jeans about 30 minutes into his 45-minute set. He looked less than prepared and lip-synced for the majority of the performance. His rendition of "Soweto (Remix)" and "Calm Down" almost salvaged the set, as he began singing live, but then there wasn't much time, and a cut performance of "DND" would lead into another hurried performance of "Bout U," the artist's latest song.

Variety reported that Basement Jaxx, the British group who performed on the Mojave stage after Rema, also experienced technical difficulties after being delayed for about thirty minutes. With another set in the coming second weekend of Coachella, Rema will have another chance to deliver the enthralling performances he's known for and the good sound production he's always insisted on.

Nevertheless, it was a thrilling weekend for African music.