West African DJ and producer AMÉMÉ continues his hit streak with new single ‘Kaleta’, out on his own imprint One Tribe Records.

An Afro House mover, ‘Kaleta’ evokes a carnival atmosphere with its frenzied percussion, spiritual chants, and pulsing bass. AMÉMÉ’s masterful production skills are in full flow as bursts of arpeggiated synth accelerate the track toward an electrifying climax. The song samples vocals by AMÉMÉ’s Mum which he recorded 8 years ago in NYC and revisited 5 years later when he moved to Berlin.

Named after a holiday tradition in Benin in which children dress up in costumes and masks and fill the streets, the track is a “celebration with song and dance, embodying happiness, joy, family and community”, says AMÉMÉ. “It’s the perfect interpretation of what jungle tech is, with its rhythm and drum orientation, high energy, and a touch of synthesizers.” 

West African native AMÉMÉ channels his cultural roots and ancestry into everything he does. Born and raised in Benin, AMÉMÉ (Hubert Sodogandji) helms One Tribe, a global community and brand identity centered on unity and good vibes. His visionary capabilities and unwavering dedication have been the catalyst behind the rapid growth and proliferation of both his musical endeavors and One Tribe as a whole.

AMÉMÉ has a busy year ahead with a number of bookings at some of the biggest and unique festivals including Envision Festival (Costa Rica), EDC Mexico (Mexico City, MX), CRSSD (San Diego, CA), SXM Festival (Saint-Martin), Tomorrowland (Belgium), Lightning In A Bottle (Central Valley, CA), OffSónar (Barcelona), Pal Norte (Monterrey Nuevo León, MX) and Sunwaves (Romania), just to name a few.

Following up on the success of his last EP Power, which established AMÉMÉ’s position at the forefront of the Afro House revolution, the West African continues to evolve his sound with his latest single. Sporting AMÉMÉ’s signature blend of rich eclectic grooves, tribal percussion, and spiritual vocals, “Kaleta” once again breathes new life into the genre.

Follow AMÉMÉ:

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Francis Mercier is one of New York’s emerging afro house producers and record label owner. The DJ recently shared his remix of the renowned Ivory Coast band Magic System global hit ‘Premier Gaou’ via Spinnin’ Deep records. Mercier’s music has been recognized by dance music royalty like  Tiesto, Pete Tong, Erick Morillo, Diplo, Oliver Heldens in recent times along with having his music licensed by Netflix. We have no doubts we will be hearing Francis Mercier’s name more often in mainstream media in the months to come, as he has a few upcoming releases featuring noteworthy talents. 

We chatted with none other than Francis Mercier below.

Tell us about your earliest musical memory?

My earliest musical memories are listening to the Haitian Radio/CDs played by my parents when I was in my very early adolescence. I presume that early musical exposure helped my brain become musically inclined.

At what point in your life did you have that moment where you said to yourself “This is it. This is the type of music I want to create?”

Artists like Tiesto, Armin Van Burren and Paul Van Dyk. They were at the top of the electronic music scene when I first started attending concerts in 2006. I  was then influenced by a vast list of artists from classic house to afro house and melodic deep. I of course carry sounds and energy from my original Haitian and Caribbean roots.

Please list some of the most influential albums on your creative outlook and output:

Tiesto’s In Search Of Sunrise melodic deep compilations from the early 2000s drew me into the electronic music scene. And after seeing him perform in NY in 2006, I decided I wanted to give DJing a shot.

What key pieces of gear/software are you using to define your sound?

I am just using my keyboard and Ableton. The plugins I use are chiefly EQs, compressors and delays/reverb. I like to keep my music sounding clean and not too complex to leave room for vocals.

What inspires you outside of music? What do you turn to when the creative well runs a little low?

When experiencing writer’s block in the studio or nearing system overload from overlooking four labels, managing two artists, an events showcase and sync & licensing division I resort to exercise. I regularly play pick-up soccer with friends, go on runs, and do weight lifting. Getting outside and being active has really helped my mental clarity, focus, overall energy levels and health.

What is your opinion on the ever spreading sub-genre vine? Are there too many? Do you think there’ s perhaps a sub-genre that doesn’t get the attention it deserves?

I think it is organic, cool and inevitable for the ever spreading sub-genre vine to keep growing. There can be as many as people’s hearts desires. It’s just that the ones that are really cool and unique will naturally make way towards the top of the industry as a result of an increase in general, widespread taste. The sub-genre that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, and that is growing quickly and one of my favourites is afro-house. New Yorkers have always been curious and global stars like Black Coffee, Burna Boy, Davido were all well-received from the beginning. And over the past few years, afrobeat and afro house have taken the city by storm. Today, African music and energy are present within the world of hip-hop and house on a global scale. My label Deep Root Records, which I co-founded in 2015 is based on my love for African music. We’ve recently launched our afro house imprint Deep Root Tribe in 2020 and we’ve been empowering lots of African artists to gain visibility on an international level. I’m quite excited to contribute to the afro house scene with my remake of ‘Premier Gaou’ in partnership with Spinnin’ Records and their house music imprint Spinnin Deep.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, what do you prefer?

I prefer both. Studio work and music creation have amazing qualities that speak to personal growth and inspiration. Whereas interacting with a live audience has equally amazing qualities that speak to visibly, seeing music uplift others and enjoying, dancing and smiling with others around you for a meaningful social experience.

As a music artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?

I would like for DSP royalty payouts to be real-time and instantaneous. And then for artists to be able to set how often they are paid (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc).

Any new or upcoming artists on your radar? Who shouldn’t the world sleep on?

Black Motion, Safar (FR), and Nitefreak.

What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?

To keep my head down, try and work with vocalists and artists who are currently inspiring me, and continue growing the number of ears listening to my music across the globe! I am currently working on a project with LP Giobbi and Barbara Tucker along with a few singles in the works with Kiesza.

One last thought to leave your fans with?

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Spotify to never miss an upcoming release! And if you’re ever in NYC, check out my Yacht Series for a house-music boat party that passes the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the NY Skyline and more! Tickets here: dr2tickets.com

Follow Francis Mercier:

Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud

In 2018, he toured Europe in the Summer performing at Watergate in Berlin at their RISE: African House Music event and at the CityMatine Festival in Budapest as well as debuts in Vienna, Austria. Luanda, Angola & Dubai, UAE

SURAJ was also part of the Boiler Room True Music Africa – Nairobi show in May 2018. A surreal moment for him, he got to showcase his talent to the world, receiving critical acclaim. He was also a part of the All-Star line-up at the 10th Anniversary of Kenya’s premier music festival; Blankets & Wine in November 2018.

Following the release of his hit remix of ‘Abiro’ with Riot Stereo in 2016, SURAJ has been on a roll, releasing music with Red Bull Music [SURAJ – Cape Town Whispers (EP)], MoBlack Records [SURAJ & Max Doblhoff feat. Alai K – Bana Bana (EP)] and SURAJ – Wawere (Da Capo Remixes) on Gondwana Records, which peaked at #2 on the Traxsource Afro-House chart.

SURAJ has also recorded mixes and podcasts for RISE (Berlin), Red Bull Radio and Madorasindahouse (MIDH) as well as featuring on Smirnoff Vodka’s Battle of The Beats Campaign & CNN’s African Voices.

We chatted to him about his processes, inspirations and gear.

Tell us about your earliest musical memory?

My earliest musical memory would have to be watching my father play the Tablas, a classical Indian percussion instrument. The music played while I was growing up comes second to mind.

At what point in your life did you have that moment where you said to yourself “This is it. This is the type of music I want to create?”

There have been records I have been inspired by that made me realize I would like to create a certain type of music. One that stands out would have to be hearing Salif Keita’s classic Madan as well as watching Tiesto perform at the 2006 Olympics.

Please list some of the most influential albums on your creative outlook and output:

Three of the most influential albums would have to be Sunlounger’s debut album Another Day On the Terrace. Tiesto’s classic compilation In Search Of Sunrise Volume 7 and quite recently South African DJ & Producer Da Capo’s Indigo Child album that was  released in late 2017.

What key pieces of gear/software are you using to define your sound?

My production setup is fairly simple. I use a Mid-2012 Macbook Pro with Logic 9 and stock plugins + Waves Bundle Only. I utilize recording artists with a standard Behringer B-1 condenser microphone and I use Genelec 8010s studio monitors. I am most comfortable with this setup and I look forward to adding more bits of gear to my army soon. Gear wishes; a Roland HPD-20 Hand Percussion.

What inspires you outside of music? What do you turn to when the creative well runs a little low?

What really inspires me and helps me recharge creatively would have to be travelling. Experiencing new and old places really helps me to get creative, inspired and exhilarated. I am also very fortunate to live in a country like Kenya that has an infinite amount of beautiful places to visit and experience.

What is your opinion on the ever-spreading sub-genre vine? Are there too many? Do you think there’s perhaps a sub-genre that doesn’t get the attention it deserves?

My opinion on the sub-genre vine is exactly your next question. I think there are too many of them and we get so caught up in labelling music instead of experiencing and enjoying it as it was intended to in the first place. There is nothing wrong in labelling music but I feel we shouldn’t get too caught up in finding a word that can describe it

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, what do you prefer?

This question is literally a rock and a hard place for me. I personally enjoy all aspects of it. From creating the music to tweaking, releasing and performing it to an audience. I am very fortunate to be able to create and perform my own music almost week in/week out, and it really helps me find a direction with the music I am creating.

As a music artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?

If there was one thing I could change personally about the music industry, I would find a way to make it easier for artists from my region to travel abroad to perform at clubs and festivals. If I could, I would find a way to eradicate visas and their bureaucracies.

Any new or upcoming artists on your radar? Who shouldn’t the world sleep on?

There is never a list long enough to highlight great upcoming artists but here are a few on my mind; TNS Music & Vanco from South Africa, El Mukuka from Zambia & Kenyan vocalist Idd Aziz.

What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?

Lots to expect from my end in terms of music and shows! This year I have been fortunate to travel and perform in places like Nigeria, South Africa & Dubai and I am really looking forward to performing in Angola, Portugal & Morocco this year too. Musically I have just released an EP with Max Doblhoff & Senegalese Kora legend Baboulaye Cissokho titled Dimbale on Angolan label Seres Producoes. I have an upcoming remix for the amazing Emmanuel Jal & Abdul Gadir Salim’s Baai with Riot Stereo out soon on Moblack Records as well as a very special Various Artists compilation called Sounds Of Sasaab with my company Midi Minds Kenya & Greek label Madorasindahouse.

Sounds Of Sasaab is a project that aims to capture and highlight the identity of the Samburu tribe in Kenya in the form of a song based sample pack, a documentary and a Various Artists compilation inspired by the samples with productions from artists such as Da Capo, Laolu, Armonica & many more.

Famous last words?

I will quote the legendary Roy Hargrove “If you take care of the music, the music will take care of you”

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As I told you in the previous question, I’ve been working on an LP for many months and it’s very close to coming out. It will come out through my new project “Pieces Of Life” which encompasses art and music. Soon you will be able to know more about this

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