When the legendary Fela Kuti revolutionized African music in the late 1960s with the fusion sounds of Afrobeat, he laid down roots for a new genre that would live on in some unexpected places – like Japan! My absolute favorite album of the year is Dala Toni by Tokyo-based Ajate. The band’s founder, while travelling in Western Africa, was amazed by how much the sounds of Afrobeat reminded him of the ancestral style of Ohayashi music played at Japanese festivals. Just like Fela birthed a genre, Ajate is carrying forward Afrobeat traditions fused seamlessly with Ohayashi to create the new sounds of “Afrobayashi.” If you adore the joy of Afrobeat and the quirkiness of handmade Japanese instruments playing African music, you’ll be mesmerized by this album!
| Artist | Album | Label | |
| 1 | Ajate | Dala Toni | 180g |
| 2 | Saigon Soul Revival | Mối Lương Duyên | Saigon Supersound |
| 3 | Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp | Ventre unique |
Les Disques Bongo Joe
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| 4 | Sandman Project | Where did you go? | Batov Records |
| 5 | Kiran Ahluwalia | Comfort Food | Kiran Ahluwalia |
| 6 | Various Artists | Ayo Ke Disco: Boogie, Pop & Funk from the South China Sea (1974-88) | Dar Disku |
| 7 | Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens | American Railroad | Nonesuch |
| 8 | Hermanos Gutiérrez | Sonido Cósmico | Easy Eye Sound |
| 9 | Issiaka Dembele | Ladia | Issiaka Dembele |
| 10 | Ala’aeldin Abdalla | Tomorrow’s Dream | Ala’aeldin Abdalla |
