8 African Country Musicians You Should Check Out
On the heels of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, here are some African country musicians you should check out.
Promotional image for Jess Sah Bi and Peter One.
A new Beyoncé album is always a memorable event. For the first time on a full-length project, the global superstar is delving into country music, sparking a discourse that has followed since its announcement some weeks ago.
Cowboy Carter has raised dust due to the perceived notions of country music's white history. Contrary to those opinions, it is worth knowing that country music since it was created in the 1920s has an equally vibrant Black history, which would expectedly be the sonic direction Beyonce turns towards, especially given her preference towards incorporating African cultural elements into her music.
Cowboy Carter highlights the consistently intentional vision of Beyoncé. As she reflected in a statement on Instagram, “this ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyonce’ album." She further elucidated that “the criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre (referring to her performing the country-tinged “Daddy Issues” at the Country Music Association Awards in 2016) forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."
The appeal of country music across Africa is avowed, and this Beyonce album may be another reason for the continent to burnish its sonic relationship with the Black diaspora. Played regularly on the radio in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, the artists featured are overwhelmingly white and American. African country singers do not get the respect they deserve or are seen as anomalies.
With the growing number of them making country music, here is a list of the ones you need to listen to right now.
Jess Sah Bi & Peter One (Côte d'Ivoire)
The Ivory Coast duo Jess Sah Bi & Peter One gained fame and recognition in Western Africa after the release of Our Garden Needs Its Flowers in 1985, an album that was influenced by country, disco and folk music. Their lyrics — sung in English, French and Gouro (a Mande language from Ivory Coast) — were pretty political, calling out inequality and social issues across African countries. One of the reasons behind their pan-African appeal was that they encouraged African people to stand together in unity and called for an end to apartheid. Their album was re-released in 2018 by Awesome Tapes From Africa, helping a new generation of music lovers to discover them. — Aude Konan
Alick Nkhata (Zambia)
The Zambian artist Alick Nkhata produced and recorded the country’s traditional music throughout his lifetime. After returning from World War II, where he was stationed in Burma, he became a field recording engineer, from there going on to work in broadcasting and also evolve into an important cultural personality for his nation. Nkhata’s songs were heavily reliant on guitar and piano accompaniments, whose relaxed pace gave them the undeniable taste of country music. Shalapo and Other Love Songs: Original Zambian Hits From The 1950s was an album of his best-known songs, including “Nalikwebe Sonka (Bemba 1949),” a record whose sound cannot be described by anything other than country music. — Emmanuel Esomnofu
Sir Elvis (Kenya)
Elvis Othieno, also known as Sir Elvis, is a popular Kenyan musician who grew up with country-loving parents. Elvis is his real name (no, really) and he was born three months after the legendary singer died. Inspired by Gary Brooks and Hank Williams, he started making music while attending college. He wanted a unique name, while paying his dues, and picked his moniker to stir away from the obvious Elvis Presley reference. Sir Elvis has contributed largely to the popularity of country music in Kenya. Since Agriculture dominates the Kenyan economy, it's no surprise that country music is especially popular in the nation's farming areas. — A.K.
Ogak Jay Oke (Nigeria)
Nigerian country singer Ogak Jay Oke, like most people on this list, was introduced early to country music through his religious upbringing and church ties. He's pushing to make the genre more popular across Nigeria and is the president of the Country Music Club in his hometown of Port Harcourt. Inspired by Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davies and Don Williams, he released his first album, Another Day, in 2016. He recently released a new single "Here Comes the Bride," an homage to his wife. — A.K.
Esther Konkara (Kenya)
Christian country singer Esther Konkara hails from Kenya and is heavily inspired by Dolly Parton. Themes such as love, financial hardships, heartbreaks and the striking descriptions of small towns are what drew her to country music. It makes sense, since she grew up in a small rural village herself. Her album Turi Ahotani was released in 2015 and she recently shared her new single, "Rimwe Ria Kuigana." She took part in Kenya's first ever country music festival, The Boots And Hats Festival, in 2015 and performs across the country. — A.K.
Poor Charley Akka (Nigeria)
Nigerian act Poor Charley Okaa released his album Don't Cry in 1983 — a funk, soul and country infused EP. Very little is known about the musician and his music is notoriously hard to find. However, his song "Be in Your Arms" is one of the most famous Nigerian country music tracks and was featured on the album Like Nashville In Naija, a compilation featuring many country or country-inspired musicians from the West African nation. — A.K.
Emma Ogosi (Nigeria)
One of the pioneers of country music in Nigeria, the singer Emma Ogosi released a country-disco album entitled Nobody Knows in 1981. Inspired by the thriving disco scene at the time as well as multiple country influences, he came up with a record that's both groundbreaking and intimate. Ogosi was once married to popular Nigerian reggae artist Evi-Edna Ogholi. He was also a band member of The Expensive and a former air officer. When Evi-Edna fled Nigeria to Paris, he stayed. Despite the fact that he hasn't released an album in years, the mysterious man still sings and is the head of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria. — A.K.
Shaboozey (USA/Nigeria)
Born in Virginia to parents of Nigerian descent, Shaboozey is an exciting fusion artist. He bridges the distinct sounds of hip-hop and country music, wielding an awareness of evocative songwriting that has led him onto the radar of prominent artists and labels (he’s currently signed to Empire). Shaboozey’s refreshing style has also resulted in a working relationship with Beyoncé, who features him on two records from her groundbreaking Act II: Cowboy Carter album. As you’ll hear on the records “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” there’s a finely-realized gravitas his bold vocals brings into the composition, and if one thing’s sure, it’s that Shaboozey has a lot of good music in the locker. With talks of an album arriving later this year, country music seems set to return to popular consciousness and Black artists such as Shaboozey are important figures in the reclamation of its history and evolution.
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