The Very Best are back in action. Johan Hugo (of Radioclit) and Esau Mwamwaya will release a new album, MTMTMK, on July 17th, their first since 2009’s Warm Heart of Africa. We interviewed Johan shortly after that release, when he spoke about meeting Esau, their collaboration with Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, and the influence that growing up in East Africa had on their music.
In addition to the album announcement, The Very Best revealed a new track and video. “Yoshua Alikuti” (MP3) is MTMTMK‘s lead single, and its video spoofs Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” before exploding with the mixture of Afro-pop and dance that made their past material so exciting. The video, directed by Village Beat and shot in Nairobi, is great fit for this fun track. Gotta love swagger and confidence while walking through the marketplace, along with Johan as an intimidating bouncer of sorts. A summer release date for MTMTMK is just so fitting.
Recorded in Esau’s hometown (Lilongwe, Malawi), MTMTMK features collabations with Amadou and Mariam, Baaba Maal, K’naan, and more.
