10 Best African Dancefloor Fillers according to Kampire

In the vibrant and varied catalogue of African music, Kampire stands out as a unique and influential figure. Known for her unforgettable sets at Uganda's Nyege Nyege Festival, she has gained global acclaim for her expertly curated performances that span African music styles from the '70s and '80s to the present day.

Kampire, born in Kenya to Ugandan parents and raised in Ndola, Zambia, draws deeply from her African heritage. Her latest record, 'A Dancefloor in Ndola,' is inspired by the artists and songs of her youth. "It is important for me to continually reference Africa’s own musical history," she explains. She loves the shared nostalgia that comes when people recognise a song they haven't heard in years, which she frequently incorporates into her sets.

Her compilation blends East African and South African genres, from Congolese rumba and soukous to 1980s township bubblegum and Zambian kalindula.

"I love Premiere Gaou as much as the next person, but if you want to get everybody grooving on the dancefloor with a classic Afro track, there’s so much material to choose from," she says. "These are sounds that soaked my childhood and recently spent four years digging and immersing myself in these timeless sounds while putting together the Dancefloor in Ndola compilation with Strut Records.

To celebrate the release of her 'A Dancefloor in Ndola' record, Kampire selects the 10 best tracks "that hit straight at the nostalgia bone for any Africans in the audience, and have an irresistible dancefloor pull for any first-time listeners too."

"The one we heard at all our parent’s parties, it starts off slow with the unmistakable crooning of Mbilia Bel and then builds into an undeniable groove."

"Brenda is of course a legend, and for those of us who grew up in the late eighties and early nineties, an icon and part of a lineage of African women artists who buck the stereotype of a ‘good African woman’. The sound is pure eighties dance and the video is super cute too."

"For me the nineties was the height of congolese soukous supremacy, the music was super danceable, with signature waist-contorting moves to go with each track. The 'sebenes', or dance breaks, were elite, and the duelling guitar melodies never failed to put a smile on your face. This is one of my all-time favourites."

"South African bubblegum is just one of many incredible genres we owe to the incredible music culture of Mzansi. I had to include something from that era on the compilation. This cheeky one from V-Mash is for the girlies."

"A roller from Ivorian legend Meiway that will, as the song says, live forever, as apparently it’s trending on TikTok many decades after its release. It’s a funeral song but an uplifting one that played across the continent in the nineties."

"In this house we don’t recognise the Shakira version. She claimed to have come up with the lyrics herself even though they hearken all the way back to West African troops conscripted by colonial powers to fight in WW1. Technically two or even three songs in one, this one is recognisable across the Africa, to South America and across the diaspora."

"Diblo Dibala aka Machine Gun, is one of the most masterful guitarists to come out of DRC and his various bands (Loketo, Matchatcha) produced some of the catchiest soukous of the eighties and nineties, it was hard for me to pick just one track for this list. I highly recommend checking out the rest of their catalogue."

"As you can see, this list almost became a list of 90s Soukous classics, but there’s a reason this music was the height of African popular music at the time and its influence is still heard in African pop decades later. This time hailing from The Republic of Congo/ Congo Brazzaville, this one still draws everyone to the dancefloor to replicate their best moves. Look out for the Uproot Andy remix for an updated version that still stays true to the best of the original."

"A few simple elements, that coupé-décalé drum beat and you have an instantly recognizable tune that will cause commotion in the dance for decades to come."

"An international hit when it first came out, drop this one at the end of a set on a sun filled afternoon and you’ll understand why. If you know this one you probably have specific memories tied it, mine is not from the eighties or nineties, but from 2017 one of the early editions of Nyege Nyege festival. Every few hours you’d probably hear this tune, calling you through the maze to the sun-dappled eternal disco stage at the shores of the river Nile. Magical!"

Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola is out now on Bandcamp.

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