Top Videos for April, 2026: Fally Ipupa, Draze with Mapfumo, Meridian Brothers, Teddy Afro and more

<p><em>Today we have eight offerings for you as we move into the heights of&nbsp;spring. From political protest to spiritual thanks and just plain fun, it’s mixed bag for troubled times. </em></p> <p><em>Check out </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQpQFvdIp8&list=PLZkFL0SqZb8KAgMdbGHzIV-QhbXX-duR-" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>the full Afropop Top Videos playlist</em></a><em> for all our recent selections. And remember, if you have suggestions of videos our fans would love, send them to </em><a href="mailto:info@afropop.org"><em>info@afropop.org</em></a><em> with the subject line “Top Videos 2026.” Enjoy!</em></p> <p><strong>Fally Ipupa: “Jam (ft. Wizkid)</strong></p> <p>Congolese supertstar Fally Ipupa continues his outreach to and fusion with Afrobeats music. He began this journey with <a href="https://afropop.test.ejaedesign.com/articles/the-return-of-fally-ipupa">his 2017 album <em>Tokooos</em></a>. Here, he teams up with Wizkid for a joyous romp through the desert. The track leans in the Afrobeats direction, but it&nbsp;comes from Ipupa’s upcoming album <em>XX</em>, which offers an impressive variety of styles in the artits’s ever expanding repertoire.</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5uZ25_etXHk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><strong><br>Draze ft. Thomas Mapfumo & Owuor: “No”</strong></p> <p>Draze descends from the famed Maraire family, the late patriarch Dumisani Maraire, being the man who introduced Shona music from Zimbabwe to so many Americans, beginning in 1968. Fast forward and grandson and hip-hop artists Draze has put together a powerful video and song, celebrating African independence and raising questions about how well it’s going, or not going. Hence the involvement of long-time critic of the failings of Zimbabwe’s independence governance, Thomas Mapfumo. Aside from a rousing and catchy chorus, this video presents stunning, almost scary,&nbsp;use of AI imagery. </p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N0toj8EnX6E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><strong><br>Djékady, feat. Balla Kouyaté & Mike Block: “Democracy”</strong><br></p> <p>More hot West African fusion from Boston-ensemble Djékady. This is a new piece, likely a response to current events, as the track does not appear on the group’s recent, and excellent, release <em>Benkan</em>. Check the way Block makes his cello wail! And Balla Kouyaré is pure fireworks on balafon.&nbsp;This group has chops, energy and style to spare. The song's&nbsp;demand is urgent and compelling. Also, this video appears to have been recorded and filmed outside and wireless. Magic!</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6on7CDOLuIU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><br><strong>Hil St Soul: “Nasalifya”</strong></p> <p>Zambian gospel/soul singer Hilary Mwelwa, a.k.a. Hil St Soul, delivers a silky-smooth vocal performance over a slow burn gospel groove. With a nod to the ancestors rather than any particular deity, she catches the spirit in a warm, inclusive way. The PR says:</p> <p>“NASALIFYA (which means ‘THANK YOU’ in the Zambian vernacular), is a spiritual song about divine reflection, full of humanity, gratitude, hope and the deepest ‘thank you,’ to those who have lived to inspire us all to follow in the footprints of their achievements.”</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x1tVKnMmQa8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><strong><br>Rizomagic: “Orbital”</strong><br></p> <p>This abstract “visualizer” video enhances experimental roots-electronica from Bogotá, Colombia, producer duo Rizomagic. The lope of cumbia is there amid the flash-bang of light and sound they conjure. This is an extension of <em>cumbia rebajada</em>, “the genre exploring slowed-down and manipulated cumbia.” Exactly!</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/slYINAwXwhg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Mexican Institute of Sound, Meridian Brothers: “El Campeon (Bien funerarios_</strong></p> <p>More Latin electronica from Colombia, and here also Mexico. "El campeon (Bienes funerarios)" translates as “The Champion (Happy Funeral)." It’s from the album <em>Ruido Tovar</em> out on Ansonia Records (‪@ansoniarecords ) May 22, 2026. The animated video relies on words in Spanish, so you’ll need that language to catch the nuances, but the gist is clear!</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N_-T0SKSPHQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_-T0SKSPHQ" rel="noopener" target="_blank"></a><br><strong>Odd Okoddo & Ogoya Nengo: “Palagoma”</strong></p> <p>More moody minimalism from the Nyege-Nyege community in Uganda. This dark, trancy video features marimba and the singular voice of 83-year-old Ogoya Nengo. The PR says:<br></p> <p>“Someone who can fight for his people - that is someone who is a Palagoma.” PALAGOMA is the inaugural release for Nairobi label From Cool Waters. Emerging from the confluence of three special talents – Nairobi-based Nyege Nyege collaborator and experimental drummer Sven Kacirek, esteemed folk artist Ogoya Nengo and dodo singer/songwriter and luthier Olith Ratego – PALAGOMA channels an electroacoustic synergy unlike anything you’ve ever heard before."</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Uh_sh9bDwgc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Teddy Afro: “Das Tal”</strong></p> <p>We don’t usually include audio-only YouTubes, but we make an exception here because brave, outspoken, veteran Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro is seriously stirring the political pot with this song in his home country. The title translates “pitch a (mourning) tent,” and the song, which has over 20-milion views as of this post, engages a <a href="https://www.geeska.com/en/das-tal-teddy-afro-stirs-ethiopia-once-more" rel="noopener" target="_blank">deep conversation about Ethiopia’s past and future</a>.</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IYf-RLJNMGU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure>