Africa may be the place from which we are all derived, but it is also now the future (of pop music, that is!). From Afro-beat to Afro-pop to African hip-hop, the continent of our ancestors is creating a buzz like never before in the music industry. Names like Nneka, K’naan, and Fela Kuti are becoming household names in this country, and more are on their way.
One of the names which will soon ring a bell everywhere is Bajah (as in Bajah and The Dry Eye Crew, his backing band). Reigning from the war-torn Sierra Leone, Bajah is as much talented as he is original, and he has a lot to say. He is currently recording his debut album in this country (he resides in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn), but he already has created a relatively large buzz around him. He has the same management team as The Roots, which makes sense because every Roots fan out there is going to love what Bajah brings to the table.
Check out the video below of Bajah covering Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” with Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” And don’t let the political relevance of someone from Sierra Leone singing about “Diamonds” pass you by…