The 20 Best East African Songs of 2019

 Harmonize feat. Burna Boy & Diamond Platnumz 'Kainama'

Tanzanian bongo flava superstar Harmonize continued his hit-making trend in 2019 with the release of his 4-track Afro Bongo EP. The new EP showcased the artist's impressive blend of bongo flava with afropop elements and featured a top-tier list of collaborators like Burna Boy,Yemi Alade, and Mr Eazi.

The project's main single "Kainama" is an incredibly contagious bongo-pop track that became a massive hit in both the East and West, which was hardly surprising considering it featured three African heavyweights—and even had Burna Boy singing in Swahili flawlessly. This is definitely one of the best songs out of the continent this year.

Big TRIL  'Parte After Parte'

There's no other song that has captured the last quarter of the year like "Parte After Parte" by fast-rising Ugandan act Big TRIL. For a fun-loving East African audience, this is the perfect song to get into the festive mood. The track has recently caught on in Nigeria and other parts of the continent as well. This is definitely the song of the season.

Ethic 'Figa'

Ethic is the popular Kenyan music group that rose to stardom with their hit song "Lamba Lolo" last year. They continued to dominate the Kenyan charts with a track titled "Figa," which was released earlier in the year. The "genge-tone" pioneers certainly delivered one of the biggest party songs of 2019 with this one.

Rayvanny feat. Diamond Platnumz 'Tetema'

Wasafi Records star Rayvanny started the year off with a massive record called "Tetema" which features his label boss, Diamond Platnumz. The dance-ready tune was a huge hit all over the continent and really put Rayvanny on the map as one of the biggest stars in the continent at the moment.

Chris Kaiga 'Zimenice' feat. Tezzla

Chris Kaiga burst onto the Kenyan scene this year with "Zimenice" featuring Tezzla. The feel-good track quickly became a go-to party-starter and established Chris as one of the major artists to watch from Kenya at the moment.

Diamond Platnumz feat. Fally Ipupa 'Inama'

WCB Wasafi boss Diamond Platnumz teamed up with Congolese lingala heavyweight Fally Ipupa on a banger titled "Inama"—a collaboration that was long overdue. With the blend of French and Swahili language and it's contagious lingala rhythm, the song became one of the biggest hits in the Eastern and Central African region this year.

Irene Ntale 'Nyamba'

Ugandan singer Irene Ntale dropped "Nyamba" as her first single under a new deal with Universal Music Nigeria. The song has sweet vocals and a catchy melody. It clearly represents a new start for the popular singer—we are loving this new direction.

Sauti Sol 'Extravaganza' feat. Bensoul, Nviiri the Storyteller, Crystal Asige & Kaskazini

After launching their Sol Generation imprint this year, Kenya's most popular band Sauti Solset off to introduce their new label to the world. They did this through a catchy hit single called "Extravaganza," which featured all the newly signed artists: Bensoul, Nviiri The Storyteller, Crystal Asige and Kaskazini.

Harmonize 'Uno'

East African heavyweight act Harmonize did not disappoint with his newest banger "Uno." The track is the first single under Harmonize's new imprint Konde Music Worldwide and, as expected, it rose all the way to the top of the charts. The success of the single was a show of power and strength, proving to any doubters that he can do things on his own now.

INNA & Vinka 'Bebe'

With various chart-topping singles and pan-African collaborations, Ugandan pop singer Vinka truly made her mark this year. But nothing can top her latest collaborative single with Romanian superstar Inna. The song is called "Bebe" and it's a dancehall-infused pop banger sung in French, Swahili, English, Luganda and Romanian. This international hit is set to skyrocket Vinka to a new level of stardom.

Bensoul 'Lucy'

Sauti Sol protege Bensoul burst onto the Kenyan scene earlier this year with his debut single "Lucy." With it's unique blend of rock and dancehall, it captured Kenyan audiences pretty quick and placed the talented singer and multi-instrumentalist on the "ones to watch" list for the year.

Vanessa Mdee 'That's For Me' feat. Distruction Boyz, DJ Tira & Prince Bulo

Tanzanian pop star Vanessa Mdee kicked off the year with the major release "That's For Me," a collaboration with DJ Tira, Distruction Boyz and Prince Bulo. Since then, the gqom-infused banger has remained a popular club party-starter in the East African region and beyond.

Jux 'Sugarcane' feat. GNako & Tommy Flavour

Tanzanian R&B star Jux came through with a standout track called "Sugarcane," a collaboration with GNako and Tommy Flavor. The S2kizzy-produced song is the main single off his new record, The Love Album.

Le Rú 'Forbidden Fruit'

Fast-rising Kenyan R&B singer Le Rú (formerly RU.BY) dropped "Forbidden Fruit" as her debut release under a new name and identity. The vocal delivery from Nairobi's 'sweet and spicy hummingbird' is raw and persuasive on this upbeat alternative R&B rendition. It carries a sultry yet pure vibe to it, from the lyricism to the groove of the tune.

Nandy feat. Sauti Sol 'Kiza Kinene'

Tanzania's pop princess Nandy's "Kiza Kinene," which was dropped recently, features popular Kenyan band, Sauti Sol. The romantic bongo flava track is a perfect blend of both acts' sounds. This collaboration between these East African A-Listers has been a fan favorite.

Miracle Baby 'Wamlambez'

"Wamblambez, Wamnyonyez" has probably been the most popular phrase in Kenya this year. The sheng phrase means "licking, sucking" and it was popularized by rising gengetone sensation Miracle Baby with his song titled "Wamlambez." The song dominated the streets and quickly took over the charts, making it one of the biggest hits of the year in Kenya.

Nviiri The Storyteller Pombe Sigara'

The Sauti Sol protege Nviiri the Storytellerdelivered a smash hit this year with "Pombe, Sigara" which translates to "Alcohol, Cigarettes." The track resonated well with the Kenyan audience and easily topped the charts.

Kagwe Mungai 'Miss Obi'

Kenyan act Kagwe Mungai showed off his versatility with his debut album Spectrum, released earlier this year. The album includes jams like "Miss Obi," "Good Times," and "Till the End" featuring Niniola. "Miss Obi" in particular is a well-liked track with a catchy sample from a classic tune.

RIMON 'dust'

RIMON broke into the scene last year with her debut single, "Grace," a soulful RnB track that gets you hooked with its nostalgic feel. Her debut EP, BBYGIRL FOCU$, was released last year with a major single titled "dust." "The track is a continuation of a once very sweet love story which turned out to not be so sweet in the end. It's a song showing the pain, rage and confusion that I've experienced when someone who I really loved, broke my heart," says RIMON via e-mail. Rimon's style and voice are undeniably captivating and equally promising.

Bey T 'Wololo'

Fast-rising Kenyan rapper and singerBey T gave us an impressive club banger with "Wololo" earlier this year, a refreshing tune with a bouncy beat and infectious chorus.