This Is Africa

Harmonize is one of Tanzania’s biggest stars. He has millions of fans in Tanzania and across East and Central Africa, and he’s determined that his name will be known worldwide.

He has collaborated with Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Stonebwoy, Ya Levis and many others, and he’s been in London recently to promote his latest album 31, which is topping charts in East Africa.

Harmonize is no stranger to controversy. The video for his song Kudos was banned by Tanzania’s censors and he was fined, as well as being prevented from performing in the country.

On the other hand, Harmonize has faced criticism for being too close to the government. He has lent his support to president Samia and even wrote an album of songs in her honour. He has not distanced himself from her after the country’s recent elections, when protests were violently suppressed.

DJ Edu’s 10in10 Tracklist

Nor Touch Am - Salone Cool J (Sierra Leone) Somakalan Den - Lima Stonne ft Boubacar Samake (Mali) Isondeze - Harmonize & Qing Madi (Tanzania/Nigeria) 40 Ng'ombe - 76 Drums ft Chanda na Kay & SHANGA love (Zambia) Hallelujah - Kwesi Dain & Medikal (Ghana) Inshallah - The Ben (Rwanda) Mufa$aa - ELKEY (Equatorial Guinea) Hold Somebody - Young Jonn (Nigeria) Karaté - Anatal (Madagascar) Kondoko - Gaz Mawete, Chily, Werrason & Suintement (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Under the TIA spotlight this episode are two fresh talents from Chad. Kadeux and Kaezy are both winning young fans by singing to them in Chadian Arabic as well as French, and talking in their songs about everyday experiences young Chadians can relate to.

It all started when Kadeux used a popular Chadian Arabic expression – Ayéhan – in his song of the same name. Ayéhan means yes, or yeah, and it’s something young Chadians say all the time, and Kadeux thinks his use of this word was one of the reasons the song became a hit.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Love You - Criss Calisto & 3 Finer (Angola) Umurundi - Big Fizzo (Burundi) Ntaribi - Juno Kizigenza (Rwanda) Comfort - Mr Eazi ft Moliy (Nigeria) Money - Tina Selemani & B Quan Phamaika (Zambia) Mebho - King Alfa aka Kadiki (Zimbabwe) Mwamuona - Shano Index (Malawi) Bi Lima - KODONGKLAN (Kenya) Gangster Lover - Lady Kola ft Jzyno (South Sudan)

Presenter - DJ Edu Producer - Catherine Fellows Reporter - Sasha Gankin Voiceovers - Hygin Ndjoli & Kieran Mensah

Illbliss - who is also known as the Oga Boss - is one of Nigeria’s most influential rappers. He first made a name for himself back in 2008 and pioneered the use of indigenous languages in hip-hop, which led to the birth of the so-called Eastern-Igbo Boy Movement.

Illbliss has collaborated with global stars such as WizKid on Many Men, Odumodublvck on Full Chest, and Runtown on Alhaji (Can’t Hear you) - which is one of his most streamed songs ever.

In this episode, he shares his insights with old-time friend DJ Edu on the state of Nigeria’s music industry – including whether the streaming numbers add up to financial security for artists, the role of social media and how he’s kept relevant in the ever-changing Afrobeats scene.

Illbliss also talks about the influence of his wife and his daughters on his song-writing, and gives a shout to DJ Edu for the role he played in helping bring to life the song that changed the course of his career: OMG with Mr Eazi and Reekado Banks.

DJ Edu’s 10in10 tracklist:

Angelina - Masauti (Kenya) Ndanzwa Mhere - Nisha Ts ft Daruler HKD (Zimbabwe) Uleke - Driemo (Malawi) B4 B4 - Davido, FOLA & Mayorkun (Nigeria) Tayari - Xouh & Barnaba (Tanzania) Katchoupiano - Pheno Ambro (Togo) Mpinzira - Natacha Burundi (Burundi) Yo Aweh - DJ Spuzza (Namibia) Phusha iPhupho - Nicole Elocin & Shino Kikai ft Amahle Gasa (South Africa) Some Tem - DRAMA 07 (Sierra Leone)

Presenter: DJ Edu Producers: Penny Dale & Catherine Fellows

DJ Edu is joined by two of Zambia’s most groundbreaking musicians, Sampa the Great and Emmanuel Jagari Chanda.

Sampa the Great’s career took off in Australia, where she was a student. Heavily hip-hop influenced, her first body of work, The Great Mixtape, introduced a bold, distinctive, politically engaged voice, proudly feminist and proudly African, with a rich and inventive sound. Birds and the Bee9, dropped in 2017, brought Sampa critical acclaim and fans around the globe. It was followed by The Return in 2019, and As Above So Below in 2022.

Sampa has performed at Glastonbury, Coachella and the Sydney Opera House, and has collaborated with the likes of Angelique Kidjo, Tricky and Ezra Collective. Her song Never Forget featured prominently in the promotional material for the Marvel movie Black Panther – Wakanda Forever.

Sampa’s latest album Nu Zamrock is, as the title suggests, deeply influenced by Zamrock, a musical genre that shook up Zambia in the 1970s.

Jagari Chanda is the lead singer of Zamrock band Witch, which stands for We Intend to Cause Havoc. Fired up by western musicians including Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, Witch shook up conservative Zambia with their wild performances, which were mobbed by fans. Thanks to US record label Now-Again, and the re-release of their music, WITCH has been enjoying a revival, and, for the first time, global fame.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Nta Liya - أنت ليا - Inez ft Najm (Morocco) Ja Maru Negn Ke Dessie - JA MARU (Ethiopia) Bernay - Markafish (Sierra Leone) PENSULO - Driemo (Malawi) Nous aussi - Delpega (Gabon) Too Much - Nutty O & Fido (Zimbawe & Nigeria) Pejy Araiky - Rim-Ka & Fokawa (Madagascar) Face Card ft C.I.C - Stunn (Liberia) Ala Bekee - Yemi Alade & Don Jazzy (Nigeria) Red Dress - KiDi (Ghana)

Presenter: DJ Edu Producer: Catherine Fellows

Yilim is the younger sister of one of the biggest names in music in the Ivory Coast, Didi B. Following in the footsteps of a superstar can be a blessing or a curse, especially if you are trying to build your own career as an artist, but Yilim focuses on the many positive opportunities her brother’s success has brought her. They have collaborated on several popular songs, as well as performing together at a sold out show in Paris’s Zenith arena.

But Yilim is her own woman and a talent in her own right, as songs such as Si Tu Veux Partir demonstrate. It was her first hit, securing her place in Ivory Coast’s music scene. The lyrics also typify her authentic, frank storytelling which is often based on her own experience. In Si Tu Veux Partir, she sings "if you don’t love me anymore, love can’t be forced, there’s nothing I can do, if you want to leave my life, you are free to go, the door is open…"

Presenter: DJ Edu Producer: Catherine Fellows Reporter: Sasha Gankin Translator and voiceover: Yvette Twagiramariya

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

My Woman – Pson ft Ya Levis (Congo) Ano tavela - Lion Hill (Madagascar) Malaika - Mbosso, Nandy & S2Kizzy (Tanzania) YoYo - Joshua Baraka (Uganda) Mboka - Mejja (Kenya) Amor Não é Para Doer - Twenty Fingers (Mozambique) Ari Dho - LIL FRESH 224 (Guinea) Sober - Roberto (Zambia) From Far - Alorman & Global boga (Ghana) Veron - Marcia Cruz (Cabo Verde)

Gemma Griffiths has become a much-loved star in her native Zimbabwe, and has collaborated with many of the country’s most successful artists, including reggae dancehall musician Winky D. She grabbed the attention of music fans with her soulful cover of his song Musarova, leading to their collaboration on Mu Garden, which broke Zimbabwean records by reaching 1 million views on YouTube in just 13 days.

A formally trained jazz musician, Gemma Griffiths draws on a wide variety of influences to inform her Afro-fusion sound. She released her debut album, Gemma, in 2025. It was ten years in the making.

In this interview DJ Edu and Gemma discuss how being a white musician in Zimbabwe has affected her career, trade favourite songs, and have fun with the Shona language.

DJ Edu's 10in10 tracklisting:

Mil Ano - Tarrafal & Ruben Teixeira (Cabo Verde) Pass Katouts (Anguii) - Helix Dynasty, Bombo & So'Fresh (Mauritius) Mamá Epet - Fistong Boy (Equatorial Guinea) Mad Over Me - Lali X Lola & Rappidd (Ghana) Mi Corazon ft. Alva, King Luca & Yvuti - Elisha k X JZyNo (Cameroon) My Sweetie - Salone Cool J (Sierra Leone) WARDA ft. Manal - Inkonnu (Morocco) YBTM - Joeboy (Nigeria) !Nō - Kalux (Namibia) Bendeka ft. Nutty O & Saint Realest - Onesimus (Malawi)

Presenter: DJ Edu Producer: Catherine Fellows

DJ Edu catches up with the biggest names in music from across Africa, and meets the stars of afrobeats, amapiano, afrohouse and more.

Tyla and Black Coffee from South Africa, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema and Tems from Nigeria, Sarkodie from Ghana and Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania are now international superstars selling out at major venues around the world.

One of the most respected club DJs from Africa, Edu has been there from the beginning of the afrobeats journey, bringing Africa's music to the world.

This is Africa podcast brings you unmissable interviews and reveals the personalities behind the music, as well as the resilience, determination - and sometimes luck – they need for success.

It is about all of Africa: artists from francophone and lusophone Africa, from Somalia to Sao Tome, from Niger to Namibia, making music in genres ranging from kizomba to genge, afro soul and afro pop to hip hop and electro, through to coupe de cale, rumba, soukous and afro dancehall.

And every episode DJ Edu brings his “10 in 10” playlist, mashing up ten hot new tracks from ten different countries in Africa.

You can contact the show via WhatsApp +44 8000 321721 or on the socials @iamdjedu, #BBCthisisafrica

You can also listen to a music rich version of This Is Africa on BBC World Service radio. Broadcast times for your corner of the world can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct72fb

Previous guests on This Is Africa include Bien, Nasty C, Lojay, Inez, Guchi, Fuse ODG, Emma’a, Miss Jobizz, Theodora, Milton Kizzy, Lydia Jazmine, Oxlade, Dystinct, Wendy Shay, Jay Cash, Yo Maps, Ruger, Gyakie, Rophnan, Ckay, DJ Maphorisa, Magic System, BNXN, Tiwa Savage, Black Sherif, Ayra Starr, Sauti Sol, Joshua Baraka, Sampa the Great, Awilo Longomba, Santrinos Raphael, Moliy, Moonchild Sanelly, Victoria Kimani, Joe Boy, Qing Madi, John Frog, Stonebwoy, Shasha, Adekunle Gold, Simi, Libianca, Onesimus, Angelique Kidjo, Yemi Alade, Shatta Wale, Fally Ipupa, Dizzy Dros, Mr Eazi…