Groove Africa is a genre-spanning collection of contemporary African sounds, with a strong emphasis on the vibrant Afrobeats scene of Nigeria and West Africa.

Among American audiences, Manu Dibango is best known for "Soul Makossa," a highly infectious blend of African music, soul-funk, and jazz that became a major pop hit in the early '70s. The African artist revisited his signature tune on 1994's Wakafrika, which boasts an all-star cast that includes Peter Gabriel as well as Haiti's Papa Wemba and African heroes Ladysmith Black Mambazo, King Sunny Ade, and Youssou N'Dour. With such a stellar bunch of guests, Wakafrika should have been outstanding instead of simply decent.

Soul Jazz Records new ‘Apala: Apala Groups in Nigeria 1967-70’ is the first ever collection of Apala music to be released outside of Nigeria. The album focusses on a wide selection of recordings made in Nigeria in the 1960s, a time when Apala music was at the height of its popularity. Apala is a deeply rhythmical, hypnotic and powerful musical style that combines the striking nasal-style vocals and traditions of Islamic music, the Agidigbo (thumb piano), and the equally powerful drumming and percussion rhythms and techniques of the Yoruba of Nigeria.

Ghanian composer, singer, guitarist, arranger, producer, and bandleader Ebo Taylor came to the attention of DJs in the U.K. and throughout Europe in the early part of the 21st century. His legend spread among hip-hop and dance music producers in the United States as well, resulting in a sample from his slamming track "Heaven" in Usher's hit "She Don’t Know." The seminal Strut imprint issued Taylor's first transglobal offering, Love & Death in 2010: it was a smash in club circles internationally. Strut has gone one better with Life Stories: Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1973-1980, compiling two discs of Taylor's solo work and that of bands he's led, taken part in, or produced. The music here leans most heavily on Taylor's solo albums. It kicks off, of course, with the infectious, groove-laden "Heaven," but this isn't the high point. Tracks like the strangely beautiful "Peace on Earth" and the 15-minute uber-charged, Afro-Latin, jazz-funk orgy…

Following the huge success of 2018’s Kokoroko EP’ and the sensational Abusey Junction, "Could We Be More" is an expansive and ambitious debut album that speaks to the force of Kokoroko.

Highlife takes listeners on a vibrant journey through the rich musical heritage of Peter Somuah’s Ghanaian roots and the innovative world of jazz. Drawing from his early years playing highlife music in Accra, and blending it with influences from legends like Miles Davis, Somuah creates a unique sound that bridges generations. The album showcases a rich tapestry of instruments, from highlife’s signature rhythmic guitars and percussion to Somuah’s radiant trumpet, weaving a captivating dialogue between highlife and modern jazz. Recorded with vintage analogue equipment, Highlife captures the warmth and grit of 1960s highlife, while propelling the genre into new territories. This album is not only a celebration of Ghana’s musical legacy but also a statement of pride, addressing themes of colonialism and self-empowerment, inviting listeners to reflect and dance to the rhythms of both history and the future of jazz.

Nigeria '70 is an album by the artist Cosmic Slap, released in late 2025. The album is heavily influenced by African Afrobeat and the classic funk sounds associated with Lagos in the 1970s.

Africa Funk Roots is an album by the artist Cosmic Slap, officially released in late 2025. It is a collection of 12 tracks that explore the intersections of electronic, funky house, and traditional African rhythms.

Black Classical Music, the first official solo release of the acclaimed UK drummer, Yussef Dayes. Across 19 tracks, it melds the spirit of everything from 70s funk, reggae and Senegalese percussion while simultaneously nodding to furious dancefloor pacings of the soundsystem continuum. At every turn, Yussef’s distinctive drum licks and Rocco Palladino’s bass are the sturdy anchors; aided by Charlie Stacey/Elijah Fox (keys/synths), Venna (saxophone) and a whole host of honorable features including: Chronixx, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross and the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians.

With Hourglass, Antibalas returns to its instrumental roots. Previous albums featured lyrics that addressed topics like patriarchy, climate change, militarism, late stage capitalism, oligarchy, white ethnonationalism, and the genocide of Native Americans. In this album the group rearticulates these themes, however speaking through melody and rhythm. “Once a song has lyrics, everyone who doesnʼt speak that language is on the outside. We use rhythm and melody to translate the emotions in the album and make it universally accessible,” explains the co-producer/founder Martín Perna.

The Budos Band's VII marks the nonet's return to full-length recording after 2020's Burnt Offering and 2023's fine Frontier’s Edge EP. It's their debut long-player on Diamond West, the label created by Budos guitarist/producer Thomas Brenneck and baritone saxophonist Jared Tankel. VII extends the dark psychedelia approach of 2020's Burnt Offering, but it's more a vibe than an aesthetic. Instead, BB focuses on extending their stylistic reach with sophisticated horn charts - played by Tankel, trumpeters Dave Guy and Andrew Greene, and trombonist Ray Mason - framed by incendiary percussion from ace drummer Brian Profilio and newcomer percussionist Rich Terrana (ex- Frightnrs). It's texturally and ambitiously buoyed by the rhythm section that includes Brenneck, bassist Dan Foder, and organist Mike Deller. BB hadn't been in the studio together for two years when they convened in California to write and record…

When most people think about Nigerian music, the first thing that comes to mind is Lagos, the country's main commercial center, the glittering megacity that spawned Yoruba-speaking music luminaries such as Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Sir Shina Peters and Wizkid. But Nigeria is a country of rich diversity, especially in its music: From the Igbo highlife and rock bands of east-central region, to the deep Edo roots rhythms from the midwest, to the keening, ornamented Fulani melodies of the north. But one region whose music has remained largely under-explored is the south eastern land of the Efik and Ibibio ethnic groups in Cross River and Akwa Ibom State, the region colloquially referred to as "Calabar." A cradle of culture, this region was one of the earliest outposts of Nigerian popular music. Its primordial rhythms traveled across the Atlantic during the slave trade to provide the part of the foundation for Afro-Cuban grooves that would go on to influence the development of jazz, rock & roll, R&B and funk.