The odds are, your favourite musician’s best songs sample earlier records. Sampling allows producers put together artists from different times in one band. A producer can have Kiki Gyan play the keyboard and put Burna Boy on the mic, while Hugh blows your mind away with his trumpet.
Some musicians argue sampling is a lazy way of producing music. Meanwhile, others insist what a producer does at a DAW, no instrumentalist can replicate. A good sample is high-quality on its own and has cultural resonance. There are classics that have been sampled so many times that enthusiasts have to search through layers to get the original.
Sample Chief is an online community that unearths sampled African music, highlights the samples in new releases, and curates music histories from the continent. Harmattan Rain teamed up with them to showcase a few older African songs that have been sampled, and the fire tracks that sampled them.
[Original Song] Ahomka Womu – V.I.P. // Manya – Mut4y FT WIZKID
Mut4y Sampled V.I.P.’s (Now V.V.I.P.) classic “Ahonka Womu” for his 2017 smash hit “Manya”
Stream these songs here:
[Original Song] Shebeedoo – Ikwechuwu // Freaky – Santi
Nigerian superstar, Santi, definitely included notable portions of Ikwchukwu’s “Shobedoo” in his monster tune, “Freaky”.
Watch the video for both songs here:
[Original song] Yegelle Tezeta – Mulatu Astatke // As We Enter – Nas and Damian Marley
Damian Marley and Nas have churned out several hits over the last two decades. The pairs, on their hit song “As We Enter” sampled Mulatu Astatke’s classic, Yegelle Tezeta.
Listen to both songs below:
[original song] Angelique Kidjo – We We // Burna Boy – AnyBody
Burna Boy has been vocal about his love for Angelique Kidjo and her music, and it shows all over his music. One example: his song “Anybody” samples Kidjo’s “We We”. Apparently the love is mutual, as Kidjo dedicated her fourth Grammy Award to the African Giant.
Watch both videos below:
[Original song] Obe – Fela Kuti // 85 to Africa – Jidenna
85 to Africa is Jidenna’s second album. On the title track, the singer connects with his Nigerian roots, sampling Fela’s 1970 “Obe”.
Listen to both songs below:
[original song] Mami Wata – Hugh Masakella // the Mami Water song – Paybac
Nigerian musician PayBac sampled Mami Wata by the legendary South African Trumpeter, Hugh Masakela, for his similarly-titled single, The Mami Water Song.
Play both singles here: