See on the platforms the legendary Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family. On May 30, 2025, the band returns with “COSAAN”, a committed single that resonates, with its morning mbalax melodies and gentle flows, as an essential reminder: never forget where you come from. The single has over 80,000 views and 900 comments on YouTube.

“Fan nga cosaanoo?” – Where are your roots?
This question in wolof, almost a supplication, serves as the thread to the new title of Daara J Family. NAACP literally means “origin” or “heritage”. With this single, the iconic duo formed by Faada Freddy and Ndongo D delivers a work that is at once poetic, political and deeply rooted in history, especially that of Senegal. It is also a call to African youth not to forget their origins. And above all to enhance its cultural heritage by walking with pride in the footsteps of the ancients.

Cosaan, between mbalax and rap
Formed in 1994, while still in high school, the members of Daara J Family never gave up their musical identity. Indeed, they have always mixed sharp words, spirituality and pan-African consciousness. In “COSAAN”, they revisit this tradition that is dear to them. In this song, there are traditional sounds (mbalax) and contemporary hip-hop textures, echoing their long-standing belief: rap was born in Africa, traveled, then came back. The refrain, translated into French, is unequivocal: “Le monde et ce qu’il contient / Si tu vas là et que tu l’obtiens / N’oublie pas, n’oublie pas / This is where your origin lies!” A direct appeal to African youth not to give in to cultural amnesia and to keep the memory of ancestors and African identity alive.

When history inhabits the word
Faada Freddy, with his recognizable soul voice among a thousand, hums: “We know where we come from/ What worries us is where we are going…” This lucid concern can only be tempered by an unwavering faith in the values of the elders. Ndongo D, adds in a quick flow: “If you forget yesterday, tomorrow you will be lost (…) You were born here, you come from here, you live here.” It is an anchor cry, a response to uprooting, a warning against forgetting.

Daara J Family: Making sense of the flow
From their first eponymous album in 1998 to Boomerang in 2003 — hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the century by The Observer — to Yaamatele in 2020, Daara J Family have always been able to combine the art of flow with that of meaning. Their commitment goes beyond words. They shared the stage with icons such as Public Enemy or Mos Def, and travelled through festivals from Africa to Europe, from WOMAD to Live 8.

COSAAN: a single dedicated to transmission
More than a return, COSAAN is a transmission. It is a manifesto. That of a knowledge, a duty to remember, a pride. At a time when markers are shifting, when crops are being diluted. In an era marked by migration, globalization and multiple influences, Daara J Family reminds us that identity is a foundation, not a burden. That heritage is not nostalgia, but a compass. And they offer a musical compass and identity with this single: Cosaan!

Almost all of us discovered Kadeux on TikTok in 2023 with “Ayé han”. We had fallen under the spell of this young Chadian rapper. Yet he is only twenty-one years old. Despite this age – often associated with youthful carelessness – his words, imbued with humility, always hit the mark. Indeed, it resonates a sharp flow, especially when he begins to describe the difficult condition of life of the left-behind. But not only: he also puts in his music a sincerity and modesty that go straight to the heart. From her box on TikTok, the artist continues to gain in thickness. Kadeux, viral phenomenon or the dynamics of sharing

Kadeux, a viral phenomenon
In the musical universe of Chad, a name stands out today as a luminescent dust, with brightness: Kadeux. Those who thought that its notoriety, propelled by the internet and social networks, was not going to last, were mistaken. The enthusiasm has not faded and its fanbase is only expanding. Born in 2003 in Koundoul, Chad, Kadeux, whose real name is Kamal Borgoto, has succeeded in bringing Chadian rap to the international music scene. Through a skilful blend of local sounds – using Chadian dialects – and contemporary music, he has created a unique and authentic style that resonates far beyond the borders of his native country. Although his career really started in 2023, Kadeux took the time to learn from groups like “Sexion d’Assaut” and several international artists. Her first single “Ayé han” is a hit, with over 100,000 views on YouTube and 27 million views on TikTok. A record for a Chadian artist. He follows with “Biney”, a song against easy money and society’s excesses. This song quickly hits the 200,000 YouTube views mark. Then comes “SAME SAME”, a hymn to resilience and hope that reflects the combative and optimistic mindset of Chadian youth.

Kadeux, an artist rooted in authenticity
Kadeux is distinguished by his use of Chadian dialects, which he handles with great ease. Also, this gives his texts an emotional power and a rare authenticity that make him an original artist. His committed musical style, tinged with sarcasm, is a dive in apnea from the first notes, into the swamp of the ills of society. His social analyses of an unprecedented finesse immediately catch the public’s attention. Kadeux is one of the artists to be invited at major musical events, both in Chad and in the sub-region. Indeed, he knows how to set fire to the stage, to heat up the audience. Among his outstanding performances in the last two years, we can mention the “fête de la musique à N’Djamena” (June 2023), the “festival Afrobeat International au Burkina Faso”, a performance in Côte d’Ivoire, at “FEMUCO”, a series of concerts alongside the Ivorian rapper Didi B in N’Djamena and a tour in Cameroon (Yaoundé, Douala, Ngaoundéré, Dschang…)

Chadian Pride
Despite his young age and still fledgling career, Kadeux, who already accumulates multiple awards both in Chad and internationally, does not intend to stop on such a good path. To his musical ambitions, he grafted two dreams: launching his own clothing brand and creating a production studio. In 2024, at the microphone of RFI, the artist confides: “I want my music to be a bridge between generations, a voice for those who do not have one, and a source of inspiration for Chadian youth.” With his charisma, authenticity and raw talent, there is a chance that Kadeux’s wish will come true: to bring Chadian culture to the international stage and make the voice of those left behind heard.

On 15 February 2025, during the ‘Nuit du Mandé’, Nana Menthe Kouyaté gave a powerful show at the Pan Pipper in Paris, organized by Afrik’Consult and Doums Production, it was an opportunity for this Mandingo music diva to present her new album ‘‘Karan’’ (2024) to the public.
An intense show
It is under the army of lights-fluorescent that Nana, in a red mermaid lace evening dress, makes her entrance on stage. The bassist is higher than the musicians who hold the guitars and the tam-tams and the n’goni. A dance dressed up like an 80’s disco singer waits for Nana to give it away. The setting is sublime. There’s more than just the show. Sol-re-do! Nana, the one we call “the rare bird”. In turn, Nana visits her repertoire, from N’Toutadon to Karan, her latest album, and she had with her renowned artists such as Adja Soumano, Pedro Kouyaté, Liberté Kanté, Amadou Sodia and many other guest artists.

Nana, the voice of the mandingo
Daughter of the kora virtuoso Batrou Sékou Kouyaté, Nana Kouyaté, as her name suggests, is a cherry. Born in Abidjan in 1988, she grew up in Bamako. Although she was a Griotte, her father had a problem with her daughter’s music. However, with the help of her mother, she defies this ban and already at a young age, with her voice of light contralto, is a little bit carried towards the dramatic mezzo-soprano like Oumou Sangaré or Coumba Gawlo or even Fanta Damba, Nana rivals, by voice, with the mandingo divas. In 2005, she embarked for Paris and settled there. Later, she will collaborate with legends like Salif Keita, Papa Wemba, Oumou Sangaré and Amadou et Mariam. Now she makes her voice heard through music. In 2024, she released a new album called ‘Karan’.

Karan, or the benefits of education
Karan, meaning “education” in Bambara, is a 11-track album that resonates as a manifesto for the transmission of values and the perpetuation of traditions. Nana Menthe addresses universal themes such as love, peace, African unity and the fight against violence against women, in a subtle fusion between traditional sounds and contemporary influences.

Karan, some selected pieces
With these eleven songs, evocative and committed, Nana explores the deep realities of society where each piece is a sound fresco. While “Acapelle” lifts the veil on the tumult of marriage, revealing the expectations and disillusions that accompany it. “Denmbalou”, in collaboration with Alune Wade, Guimba Kouyaté and Paco Sery, tells, pat contre, with emotion the challenges of motherhood and the anguish of a mother facing the education of her child. Then, the vibrant tribute to Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba celebrates the spiritual heritage of a great Sufi. And then there is the flagship title: “Karan”, the album’s flagship title, extols the virtues of education as a pillar of personal empowerment and national development. “Nothing is above education,” says the artist, highlighting her central role even in migration paths where she becomes a passport to integration. Meanwhile, the public is preparing fervently for Nana’s next performance, scheduled for March 25, 2025 in Orléans.