OKAYAFRICA.COM
One is Malawian. One is Swedish. Together they are called The Very Best. A critically acclaimed debut album in 2009 ensured that the London-based outfit stays on their mission to “free African music of its touristic tones since the West took renewed interest in it in the 90′s.” With a remix album to their debut Warm Heart of Africa, due for release in September, the band is dead serious on pushing further ahead on their mission, and to stay true their name. OKA’s correspondent Daluxolo Moloantoa had the chance to chop it up with Johan Hugo, co-founder of the group.
OKA: How and when did The Very Best start?
JH: In 2006 Esau (Esau Mwamwaya) had a secondhand shop outside my house in London. Etienne (DJ Tron) from Radioclit (a production crew made up of Etienne and myself) was walking past his shop every day to get to our studio. One day he went into Esau’s shop to buy a bike. The same day he invited Esau to a party we were having that night. I met with Esau that night and we ended up talking about music a lot. He told me he was a drummer. I invited him to the studio, and we ended up recording him singing on a beat I had made that same day. I was instantly blown away by his incredible voice and we ended up working together from that day onwards.
OKA: How many albums have you released thus far?
JH: We released a free mixtape in 2008 called Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best. It had one million downloads online and thus kick-started the project as a whole. In 2009 we released our first full-length album called Warm Heart of Africa. It had M.I.A and Ezra from Vampire Weekend featured on it. The album did very well and was followed by a tour to many parts of the world in the same year. Then last year Etienne and I split up Radioclit, so The Very Best is just me and Esau Mwamwaya.This spring we released a new free mixtape called Super Mom. We had two singles on it, namely “Super Mom” and “Ndheka.” We have just recorded a vocal remix of “Ndheka” with European-based South African artists Thandiswa Mazwai, Mo-laudi and Spoek Mathambo. We traveled to South Africa to shoot the video, and both the remix and the video should be out soon.In September we are releasing a full remix album of Warm Heart of Africa on my own label MYYM Records. It includes amazing remixes by people like Gonzales, Mouster, Metronomy, Hot Chip, Theophilus London etc.
OKA: You have worked with South African DJ and rapper Mo-Laudi, amongst others. How did the link-up happen?
JH: Mo-Laudi started to come to our old club-night in London called Secousse, and we began hanging out ever since. He started to DJ with us and also became the hype-man/rapper during our shows. So when the Warm Heart of Africa tour began it only made sense that he be roped into it to add to the live set-up. Mo-laudi is an amazing talent.
OKA: Esau makes the other half of the band. Is there anybody else behind the scenes?
JH: Esau and I are the band. That’s all there is to the band. It is a producer and a singer. But when we do live shows we have dancers and Mo-laudi, or guest artists and a lot of other nice things happening.
OKA: What are your thoughts on afro-pop’s potential to reach a mainstream and a global audience?
JH: Africa has got so much good music. It is inevitable for it to reach a wider audience, and achieve global success. What intrigues me the most right now is the dance music coming out of the continent. South Africa’s house music, for instance, is currently up there with the world’s best club music. This is what we want to see. I would like o see DJs like Oskido, Cleo, Tira etcs on the same stage with European/American household names such as Swedish House Mafia and AfroJack‘s “Dirty South” at festivals all over the world.
OKA: How has the reaction been to your latest mixtape (Super Mom)?
JH: The reaction has been out of this world, phenomenal. This is a mixtape we decided to put out while we were busy completing work on the second album, which will be out later this year.
OKA: Is Africa, and South Africa in particular, likely to see the band touring anytime soon?
JH: Right now we are planning a tour of South Africa in March next year,and we will play the Lake of Stars festival in Malawi once again next year. We are also going to finish off the final touches to the album in Malawi just before the festival. We are excited to finally tour South Africa, taking the music to our loyal fans there, and getting everybody else tuned into our sound.
OKA: What is in the pipeline for the band in future?
JH: We are excited about releasing the album, and having had the opportunity to work with Thandiswa, Mo-laudi, Spoek Mathambo and all the other collaborators on it. To have Baaba Maal and Amadou & Miriam featured on it is a great coup for us. After the release we are going to present the album live on tour at various festivals and gigs around the world. A full sophomore album will follow in 2015.
For more from The Very Best, check out Green Owl Records.
