Apple Music: ‘Africa Now Radio’ with Nandi Madida this Friday features Rema

This Week’s Episode Features a Conversation With Rema, a Look Back at the Top Songs of 2023, and the Year’s Biggest Breakout Artists! 

Tune in to Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida this Friday, December 15th at 9a London / 10a Lagos/Paris / 11a Johannesburg / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.

Cover Star Interview
Nigerian Afropop star Rema joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his chart-topping hit, “Calm Down.” He also discusses his latest EP, ‘RAVAGE,’ evolving his sound, exploring amapiano, and creating a legacy.

The Big 5: 2023’s Top African Songs
To close out 2023, Nandi Madida shares some of the top songs from every corner of the continent, with chart-topping tracks from Omah Lay, Asake, Harmonize, Ayra Starr, and Tyler ICU & Tumelo.za feat. DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee. Check out the full collection of the year’s biggest tracks on Apple Music’s Africa Now 2023 playlist, HERE.

The Breakouts of 2023
This week’s show highlights the biggest breakout stars from across the continent, including South African pop singer-songwriter Tyla, Nigerian rapper ODUMODUBLVCK, and Tanzanian soul singer-songwriter Abigail Chams. Discover the full collection of the continent’s biggest emerging acts on Apple Music’s Africa Rising playlist, a campaign which shines a light on the next generation of African superstars. Listen HERE.

Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, December 15th at 9a London / 10a Lagos/Paris / 11a Johannesburg / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.

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Rema tells Apple Music about Evolving His Sound

When you’re blessed with a gift, it’s beyond making it seem logical. To me, it’s more like a spirit thing, it’s not like a brain thing, it’s not like a thought process. There’s nothing I needed to study to be able to get others to tap in with me. I was just tapping in with myself, and if others follow me? Great. If they don’t? Great. I’d say for me it’s mostly internal, when I hear the voice in my head it’s leading me and I feel like a vessel, to leave a mark in the world. It’s like I’m chosen for it so whether or not I try to run away from it, it’s just what it is.

Rema tells Apple Music how He Aims to Create a Legacy

I’m supportive to creatives. You see all these great things that have to do with my storytelling, my journey, my branding, my visuals, my photos. I’m not the one taking the photos, I’m not the one shooting the videos, I’m not the one doing all if that they’re just young youths waiting for someone to invest in them, to bring out them crazy ideas, right? That’s what I live for, I live for investing in the youth. It’s beyond musicians, it’s beyond my peers and colleagues. Everyone wants to create, I feel like a lot of creatives have a place in my journey, so I do as best as possible to reinvest in my career, in myself. I’m not just here because I want to drop a banger, make some money and live a flashy life. In 50 years to come, people are going to trace a lot of things back to me – songs back to me, fashion style back to me, visuals back to me, a whole bunch. I want to be able to touch all areas of life, but music is like the first rocket. When it detaches, it goes to wherever it needs to go.

Rema tells Apple Music How He Explores Amapiano Authentically

I feel like tapping into a sound, most especially when it’s within Africa, I take my time to study. I don’t jump on the wave, I take my time to understand things. When me and Musa Keys were in the studio, I was like ‘I know a lot of Nigerians are doing amapiano but I need you to educate me about amapiano’. I don’t want to just hop on it. Yes I can make a banger, but it’s like can you teach me? When I hear the ones from South Africa it holds more spirit  than the ones from anywhere else. Although I don’t understand everything they’re saying, I can feel the particles, the elements or the spiritual essence of the music. I know there’s a lot of amapiano from different parts of Africa, but educate me about yours, right? I feel like that’s necessary. I’m so down to collaborate, and while I collaborate I want to learn, I don’t want to do it the wrong way. Yes, amapiano is a sound I really want to tap into, but give me time with that!