XIV and Voila Lulu

XIV is an artist from Cabo Verde, who now splits his time between France and Portugal. He has just released his debut solo album, Memento Mori. It’s a deeply personal work, including songs dedicated to his grandmother who has been a big influence. Musically it draws on everything from afrobeats and amapiano to funaná and Fela Kuti’s afrobeat.

Also on this edition of TIA is Voila Lulu from Benin, a young artist with determination whose hard work is now paying off. She has a day job as a graphic designer and paid for her first EP out of her hard-earned cash, only to discover that it was not hitting right. She didn’t give up, and started all over again. Not long after Portail, the second version of her EP, dropped, she found herself sharing a stage with Wizkid and Didi B.

Voila Lulu is heavily influenced by American and Korean pop, and she calls her blend of pop and her native language and sounds bi pop. It’s a new thing for Beninese audiences, but she’s beginning to win over fans.