# 2020 in African music

The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2020 in African music.

## Events

* 18 March - It is announced that Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango has tested positive for coronavirus.
* 21 March - The Tenor Foundation for Culture launches an initiative, in collaboration with the Moroccan Philharmonic Orchestra (OPM), the International School of Music and Dance (EIDM), and the Mazaya Sociocultural Program, to stream live concerts to viewers in Morocco.
* 30 June - Ethiopia's internet is taken down by the government amid unrest brought about by the shooting of musician and political activist Hachalu Hundessa.
* 25 December - Nigerian singers Yemi Alade and Naira Marley make their acting debut in the film Omo Ghetto: The Saga, released on this date.

## Albums released in 2020

| Release date | Artist | Album | Genre | Label |
| January | Les Amazones d'Afrique | Amazones Power | AfroPop/Funk/Blues | Real World Records |
| January 17 | Yung L | Juice & Zimm | Afrobeats | Zimmlife |
| February 7 | Obongjayar | Which Way is Forward? (EP) | R&B, Afrobeat | September Recordings |
| February 10 | Olamide | 999 (EP) | Hip-Hop, Rap, Afropop | YBNL Nation |
| February 14 | Yaa Yaa | Agoo | Highlife, Afropop | Indie |
| February 28 | 2Baba | Warriors | Afropop | Hypertek Digital |
| March 6 | M.I Abaga | Judah (EP) | Hip hop | Chocolate City |
| March | Tamikrest | Tamotait | Desert blues /Tuareg | Glitterbeat |
| March 20 | A-Q | God's Engineering | Afropop, Hip-hop | Dvpper Music Distribution |
| March 27 | Sound Sultan | 8th Wondah | R&B, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop | Naija NinjasDvpper Music Distribution |
| April 1 | Brymo | Yellow | Alternative pop | Indie |
| April 1 | Laycon | Who Is Laycon? | Afrobeat | F.N.E. Ltd |
| April 3 | Darkovibes | Kpanlogo | Hip-Hop, Afropop, Afrobeats | Indie |
| April 3 | GuiltyBeatz | Different (EP) | Afrobeats | Banku Music |
| April 10 | Edoheart | For the Love (EP) | Pop | Indie |
| April 15 | M.I Abaga and A-Q | The Live Report (EP) | Hip-hop | Incredible MusicCordless |
| April 17 | Dremo | Codename Vol. 2 | Afropop, hip-hop, Afrobeats | Davido Music Worldwide |
| April 20 | Shatta Wale | The Manacles of Shatta (EP) | Reggae | Shatta Movement Empire |
| April 24 | Stonebwoy | Anloga Junction | Afropop, Dancehall, Reggae | Burniton Music Group |
| May 1 | Asikey | Yellow (EP) | Folk, EDM, R&B/Alternative | Indie |
| May 5 | Joey B | Lava Feels | Hip-Hop, R&B | World Records |
| May 8 | Deon Boakye | Legendary Journey (EP) | Afropop, Highlife | – |
| May 8 | Dr SID | The Interesting EP | Afrobeats | Mavin Records |
| May 14 | Ike Moriz | Dragons | Pop, Rock, Dance | Mosquito Records London |
| May 15 | WurlD | Afrosoul (EP) | Afrobeats | Immensum Music |
| May 22 | Vector & Mastaa | Crossroads (EP) | Hip-Hop, Rap | GRAP Entertainment |
| May 29 | 9ice | Tip of the Iceberg: Episode 1 | Afrobeats | AAR |
| May 29 | iLLBLISS | Illy Chapo X | Hip-Hop, Rap | Mad Solutions |
| May 29 | Jesse Jagz | Garba (EP) | Hip-Hop | Jagz Nation |
| June 1 | Jayso | 0106, Vol. 5 | Hip-Hop, Rap | Skillions Global |
| June 5 | Sauti Sol | Midnight Train | Afropop | Sauti Sol Entertainment |
| June 5 | Yung6ix | Introduction to Trapfro | Hip-Hop, Rap | Billionaires Circle |
| June 12 | Bumi Thomas | Broken Silence (EP) | Soul | 528 Music Global |
| June 12 | Idahams | Man On Fire (EP) | Afropop | Grafton EntertainmentUniversal Music Group Nigeria |
| June 19 | Skales | Healing Process (EP) | Afropop, Pop | OHK Entertainment |
| June 25 | Kizz Daniel | King of Love | Afrobeats, Pop, R&B | Fly Boy Inc. |
| June 26 | Jaywon | Aje The Mixtape | Pop | Next World Music |
| July 2 | Medikal | Island (EP) | Hip-Hop, Afrobeat | AMG Beyond Kontrol |
| July 3 | Mercy Chinwo | Satisfied | Gospel, Christian | EeZee Conceptz |
| July 3 | Keleketla! | Keleketla! | Electronic | Ahead Of Our Time |
| July 3 | Praiz | To the Moon (EP) | Afropop | Cicada Music |
| July 4 | Fancy Gadam | Dream | Afropop, Dancehall | Sultan Incorporation |
| July 17 | Krizbeatz | African Time | Afropop | Streets Legend |
| July 24 | Selebobo | Bobo of Africa (EP) | Afropop | Vault Records |
| July 29 | Reminisce | Vibes & Insha Allah (EP) | Hip-Hop, Rap, Afrobeats | Lesrosesrouge Entertainment |
| August 8 | B-Red | The Jordan Album | R&B, Afropop | The Plug Entertainment |
| August 14 | Harrysong | Right About Now | Afropop | Altar Plate |
| August 14 | Terry Apala and Majorbangz | Major Vibes (EP) | Afrobeat | Wemba Management |
| August 14 | Burna Boy | Twice as Tall | Afrobeats, Dancehall, Hip Hop | Atlantic |
| August 16 | Evi Edna Ogholi | Peace and Love | Reggae | Enorecords LLC |
| August 19 | Fireboy DML | Apollo | Afro-fusion, Afrobeats | YBNL NationEmpire |
| August 20 | Ismaël Isaac | Qui va nous sauver? | Reggae | Obouo Productions |
| August 21 | DJ Lambo | A Tale of Two Cities | Afropop, Hip-Hop | 707 Worldwide |
| August 21 | Cuppy | Original Copy | Afrobeats | Red Velvet Music Group |
| August 21 | K1 De Ultimate | Fuji the Sound (EP) | Fuji, Pop | K1 Music Entertainment |
| August 21 | Adekunle Gold | Afro Pop, Vol. 1 | Afropop | EMI (UMG) |
| August 22 | Kpanto | Skinny Boy Kpanto | Hipco | Holy Records |
| August 27 | Tiwa Savage | Celia | Afrobeats, R&B, Pop | UMG, Motown, Island Records, Capitol |
| August 27 | Patoranking | Three | Reggae, Dancehall | Amari Musiq |
| August 28 | Kwaw Kese | Victory | Hip-Hop | Crux Global / MOVES Recordings |
| August 28 | Seether | Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum | Rock | |
| August 28 | Nasty C | Zulu Man With Some Power | Hip Hop, Trap | Def Jam |
| September 2 | Eedris Abdulkareem | Nothing But The Truth | Afrobeats, Hip-Hop, Rap | Blue Pie Records |
| September 4 | Apex and Bionic | Nobody Holy | Pop | JFK Resolute Entertainment |
| September 4 | LKT | The Dark Abyss | Hip Hop, Rap | Indie |
| September 10 | Wande Coal | Realms | Afrobeats | Starstruck / EMPIRE |
| September 14 | Jahdiel | Grace (EP) | Christian | Hammer House Records |
| September 14 | MOG Music | The Experience | Christian, Gospel | Indie |
| September 16 | Mix Naija and T-Classic | Alirat (EP) | Afrobeats | Majik Naija Entertainment |
| September 17 | Fameye | Greater Than | Afrobeats | EMPIRE |
| September 25 | Tems | For Broken Ears | alt-R&B | Leading Vibe Ltd |
| September 25 | BANTU | Everybody Get Agenda | Afrobeats | Soledad Productions |
| September 27 | Diana Hopeson | Hope (Volume 1) | Gospel, Christian | Indie |
| October 2 | Simi | Restless II | R&B, Soul | PLATOON |
| October 2 | Niniola | Colours and Sounds | Afrobeat, Dance, Electronic | DRUMROLL RECORDS |
| October 8 | Olamide | Carpe Diem | Afropop, Rap, Reggae fusion | YBNL Nation / EMPIRE |
| October 9 | Darey | Way Home (EP) | Afrobeats, R&B | Livespot Entertainment |
| October 9 | Kuami Eugene | Son of Africa | Afropop, Highlife, Afrobeats | Lynx Entertainment |
| October 16 | Le Deal, featuring Malick Koly | Jazz Traficantes | Jazz | A&R |
| October 16 | Lionel Loueke | HH | Smooth jazz, Jazz | Edition Records |
| October 30 | Rocky Dawuni | Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1 (EP) | Reggae | Aquarian Records |
| October 30 | Wizkid | Made in Lagos | Afrobeats, Hip Hop, Pop | Starboy (RCA) |
| November 5 | Brymo | Libel (EP) | Alternative | Clockwyce Distributions |
| November 6 | Kelvyn Boy | Blackstar | Afrobeat, Afropop | Crux Global / MOVES Recordings |
| November 10 | King of Accra | Adulthood | Afrobeats | Indie |
| November 11 | Larry Gaaga | Rattle Snake | Afropop | Poles Music |
| November 12 | Amaarae | The Angel You Don't Know | R&B, Afro-fusion, Pop | GOLDEN CHILD LLC. |
| November 12 | Davido | A Better Time | Afrobeats, Pop, Dancehall | Sony |
| November 13 | Darkovibes | The Cornerstone | Hip-Hop | Indie |
| November 20 | Basketmouth | Yabasi | Highlife | Barons World Records |
| November 20 | Yemi Alade | Empress | Afrobeats, Highlife, Soul, Pop, Dancehall | Effyzzie Music Group |
| December 10 | Tekno | Old Romance | Afrobeats, Highlife, Soul, Pop, | Island Records |

## Classical

* Michael Blake
** Mémoriale, for large symphony orchestra
** Nattlige Toner/Night Music (film score, arranged for violin and harp)

## Musical films

* LOUD, starring Sophie Alakija and Eucharia Anunobi
* Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters (animation), with music by DJ Klem and Ava Momoh

## Deaths

* January 19 - Allah Thérèse, age unknown, Ivorian traditional singer
* February 1 - Kofi B, age unknown, Ghanaian highlife musician (heart attack)
* February 9 - Abdel Aziz El Mubarak, 69, Sudanese singer (pneumonia)
* February 11 - Joseph Shabalala, 78, South African musician (Ladysmith Black Mambazo).
* February 12 - Victor Olaiya, 89, Nigerian highlife trumpeter
* February 15 - Prince Kudakwashe Musarurwa, 31, Zimbabwean Afro Jazz singer, songwriter, producer and musician
* February 16 - Erickson Le Zulu, 41 Ivorian disc jockey and singer
* February 17 - Kizito Mihigo, 38, Rwandan gospel singer.
* March 18 - Kenneth Kafui, age unknown, Ghanaian composer
* March 19 - Aurlus Mabélé, 66, Congolese singer and composer, the "King of Soukous"
* March 24 - Manu Dibango, 86, Cameroonian musician and saxophonist (COVID-19)
* April 5 - DJ Miller (Virgile Karuranga), 29, Rwandan DJ and musician (stroke)
* April 7 - Hudeydi, 91, Somali musician
* April 14
** Akin Euba, 84, Nigerian composer, musicologist, and pianist
** Kasongo wa Kanema, 73, Congolese musician (Orchestra Super Mazembe).
* April 30 – Tony Allen, 79, Nigerian drummer, composer and songwriter (abdominal aortic aneurysm)
* May 22 – Mory Kanté, 70, Guinean singer and musician
* June 1 – Majek Fashek, 57, Nigerian reggae singer and songwriter
* June 12
** Dodo Doris, 71, Congolese musician (Orchestra Super Mazembe)
*** Claude Ndam, 65, Cameroonian singer-songwriter
* June 14 – Mama Nguéa, 60, Cameroonian singer (diabetes)
* June 15
** Omondi Long'lilo, 37, Kenyan Benga musician (cancer)
** Nana Tuffour, 66, Ghanaian highlife singer
* June 23 – Xabiiba Cabdilaahi, 58, Djiboutian singer
* June 29 – Hachalu Hundessa, 34, Ethiopian singer-songwriter (shot)
* July 10 – Cosmas Magaya, 67, Zimbabwean mbira musician (COVID-19)
* August 27 – Meridjo Belobi, 67, Congolese drummer, former member of Zaïko Langa Langa and inventor of Cavacha
* September 21 – Hamdi Benani, 77, Algerian singer and violinist
* October 18 – Naâma, 86, Tunisian singer
* November 19 – Mshoza, 37, South African kwaito singer