Maua Sama & Yemi Alade among artistes featured in Fiokee’s Man Album out now
After over a decade of producing, recording and performing music, Africa’s foremost recording afrobeats guitarist, Fiokee, releases debut album “Man” featuring Tanzanian sensation Maua Sama, Yemi Alade among others.
On Man, Fiokee showcases his musical proficiency, not only as a guitarist, but also as a producer and A&R, selecting artists, producers both within and outside Africa, fusing genres and sounds to create this masterpiece.
When it comes to storytelling, Fiokee’s melodies are as intentional as the lyricism of his collaborators. From his sharp-fingered staccatos, to his legatos, down to his thrills, anytime Fiokee touches his trebly guitar, he travels down a nostalgic, or sentimental narrative. This textbook style of music-making is the magic that is reflected in “MAN.”
On this album, Fiokee stretches the storyline from his array of commercially successful singles, such as “Sweetest Thing (featuring Ric Hassani),” to “Like (featuring Reekado Banks and Tiwa Savage),” to “Dumebi (featuring Davido and Peruzzi),” reflecting the realities intertwined in adventure, treasure or love seekers.
The 14 track album boasts collaborations with a wide range of producers, Tuzi, Xtofa, DJ Coublon, Jaypizzle, Masterkraft, DeeYasso, Yalababayala, Nero Spark; and artists, T. Classic, Jean & Alex, Nelson Freitas, Bella Shmurda, Yemi Alade, Chike, Gyakie, Guchi, Kelvyn Boy, Ric Hassani, Klem, Peruzzi, Layydoe, The Cavemen, Umu Obligbo, Maua Sama, Lirical, Simi, Oxlade, D-Black, Sefa, Vector, Nosa and Ada Ehi, from across over Africa and beyond.
The album is a testament to Fiokee’s ability to create timeless music and is also a part of activities lined up for his 40th birthday celebration this year.
A graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Petroleum Institute of Engineering, Fiokee has remained a very calculative mind. His rise-to-fame story, from his 2008 Star Quest reality TV contest, down to setting up his own record label in 2016, has been a narrative of intentionality and bravery.
With “MAN,” Fiokee sets himself up for constant evolution, upping the ante like like-minded greats such as the Malian Ali Faka Toure, the Congolese Franco, and even Nigeria’s King Sunny Ade. “MAN” is that playlist that never gets old, never gets tiring; its replay value is a reflection of the A&R whiz by Fiokee himself, alongside Osagie Osarenz. The engineers, from Swaps to New Mix, to First Class Mix, down to Tuzi, Oga Smath, Namedey mixmaster and Xtraodinare are, prune this record carefully, to be delicate, unique, but still mainstream appealing. And that is just one of its various gems.
“MAN” is out on all digital streaming.