With the success of acts like Burna Boy and artists like Beyoncé tapping into the talents of the Motherland for this year's The Lion King: The Gift, it seems that it's finally time for artists from all over the African diaspora to shine. Enter London-based outfit Afriquoi. The collective has made a name for itself thanks to their fusion of African rhythms and electronic music that has thrilled audiences the world over with hits like their crowd favorite "Kudaushe." As they gear up to release a brand new four-track EP in the new year, we're happy to exclusively premiere their latest single "Acid Attack."
"Acid Attack" finds Afriquoi marrying Mandinka rhythms with the sound of UK house for a potent track meant to get you on your feet. The rhythms — which are led by quick-paced djembé playing and supplemented by layered electronic elements — make for a hypnotic listening experience. Meanwhile, the song offers its own important message. The repeated phrases "kulu baliya mabeteya" and "mali baliya mabeteya" translate to "it is not good to be rude" and "it is not good to be face-ty (or shameless)," respectively.
Afriquoi's kora player Jally Kebba Susso offered his own interpretation, saying, "What the words are saying, it’s saying that somebody have to be very careful of your action. For me, it’s telling me that karma is a b***h! If you are rude, before you find out, you are lonely. It’s about connection of reality and not wish-wash wish-wash. Everybody get what they are supposed to get."
Singer Andre Espeut expanded on the song's meaning, saying, "The lyrics 'find out and learn / find out and learn lonely' talk about how you can go through and learn from experience. But sometimes, when you do things which can be bad/harmful/feisty to others, you may end up being lonely so beware."
You can listen to "Acid Attack" below ahead of the single's November 15th release on Mawimba Records (you can pre-order it here). Afriquoi's as-yet-untitled EP, on the other hand, is set to arrive sometime in January 2020. To keep up with what else the group has going on, make sure to follow them on Facebook and pay a visit to their website. Also, if you happen to be one of our UK Bouncers, you can catch the group live on December 6th at London's Oslo Hackney.
