Photography by Radioclit

The Very Best’s sound is a difficult one to pin down. Even TVB’s singer, Esau Mwamwaya, concurs: “It’s done out of freestyles,” he says, “without looking at the boundaries in music. Just experimenting and things like that.” Some sort of futuristic Afro-electro-pop hybrid, perhaps? In any case, The Very Best’s music is a true product of the digital age: unlikely combinations of traditional African melodies and rhythms with modern electronics, vintage samples, orchestral flourishes, and synthesizers. Add in a few guest vocalists, including Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and M.I.A., and you begin to get the idea. The resulting compositions blend together seamlessly and effortlessly, and the end-product is electrifying.
     The group comprises 34-year-old Malawian frontman, Mwamwaya, and European production duo, Radioclit (Etienne Tron and Johan Karlberg). Formed in 2007, they first captivated the blogosphere with their acclaimed free mixtape, Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best, which clocked in a remarkable 200,000+ downloads without promotional assistance or label support. And now the group has returned with their debut full-length, Warm Heart of Africa.

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The Very Best (with Ezra Koenig) – Warm Heart of Africa (Alan Wilkis Remix)