Globally acclaimed music phenomenon Africa Express is debuting two new singles in celebration of its highly anticipated forthcoming studio album, Africa Express Presents… Bahidorá (due July 11 via World Circuit Records). Stream and share “Hacernos Así” (featuring Luisa Almaguer, Damon Albarn, Seye Adelekan, Nick Zinner, Joan As Police Woman, and the Mexican Institute of Sound) and “Invocation” (featuring Onipa, Jupiter & Okwess, Otim Alpha, Damon Albarn, and Joan As Police Woman) HERE.
These two new singles follow the recently released tracks “Mi Lado,” “Kuduro,” “Soledad,” and “Otim Hop.” Listen to all four songs HERE.
Mexican singer-songwriter Luisa Almaguer features once again on “Hacernos Así,” a passionate and deeply personal meditation on being transgender in a hostile world. She sings, “Te propongo algo, quitarnos la ropa, y hacernos así” (“I’ll tell you what—take off our clothes, and make us like this”), backed by Damon Albarn on piano, Joan As Police Woman on violin, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on guitar, and Seye Adelekan on bass—alongside what Albarn has described as “one of the most unique and enchanting voices I have ever heard.” The track is accompanied by a profoundly moving video, filmed during the album’s recording sessions in Mexico, capturing an extraordinary moment of musical collaboration and human connection.
This powerful song is joined by “Invocation,” a dark, haunting, and mystical hymn to the ancestors and ancients from Congolese singer Jupiter Bokondji and K.O.G.
Almaguer observes, “When we recorded ‘Hacernos Así,’ musicians from London, New York, Mexico, and Nigeria came together and fully gave themselves to a song that was written by and for trans people. When the session ended, I broke down in tears, and we all hugged—some of us were crying, too. Something powerful happened that day.”
Seye Adelekan adds, “I have had the pleasure of working with Luisa on ‘Hacernos Así,’ and I can’t help but feel honored to be sharing a space with such a brilliant Mexican musician at a time when we need more trans visibility and more love spread around the world.”
Nick Zinner reflects, “Watching this video again, I’m reminded how emotionally charged that recording was. I think we did two takes; during and after the second take everyone was in tears. It was an honor to play this beautiful song with Luisa.”
Jupiter Bokondji says of the new track “Invocation,” “When my friends played this sound, it instantly carried me away and made me want to sing—then to invoke our common ancestors. It came out naturally; that’s the magic of bringing together artists from all over the world. I’m very proud to have started my career in Europe 15 years ago with Africa Express and to continue collaborating through this new experience with Mexican artists. Returning with all these encounters in Europe is wonderful. We keep proving that the cultural diversity of Africa, Europe, and the Americas unites us in a world that is far too divided!”
K.O.G. adds, “Sharing these creative moments with Jupiter, who unlocks portals of cathartic energy by the shuddering sound of his voice, and with Otim Alpha, who extends the light and cadence of this record, was pure joy. Africa Express creates profound, orchestrated music that highlights the eternal wavelength of artistic collaboration.”
Joan As Police Woman notes, “This song is a prayer, an invocation, a lament. Listen to Luisa. Africa Express has been—and will remain—one of the highlights of my life. AE is a template for what’s possible in the world.”
Africa Express visited the Americas for the first time in 2024 to headline the Mexican festival Bahidorá, bringing together an extraordinary group of musicians, singers, and DJs from around the globe. They rehearsed, performed, and wrote new music ahead of an epic five-hour show on the banks of Bahidorá’s ancient springs, then stayed on to record in field studios, tents, and hotel rooms. The result is this remarkable collection of 21 tracks—the project’s sixth album and its first since 2019’s Africa Express Presents… Egoli, recorded in Johannesburg.
An album like no other, Africa Express Presents… Bahidorá is a joyful, mind-blowing sonic journey that distills a Mexican musical adventure into 21 extraordinary songs perfectly suited to our times. Featuring artists from four continents but with its roots firmly planted in Mexico, the album entwines rich musical traditions—ranging from cumbia, hip-hop, and kuduro to soul, salsa, and shimmering pop.
Africa Express is an ever-evolving adventure founded on respect and collaboration. By breaking down barriers between artists of different nations, genders, generations, and genres, it proves that human beings are stronger when we create together. That spirit shines brightly throughout Bahidorá.
The collective will hit the road this summer for dates across Europe, including Roskilde Festival on July 6 and Barcelona’s Cruïlla Festival on July 11 (see full itinerary below).
Founded in 2006 in Mali by Damon Albarn and others, Africa Express has connected local legends such as Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté, and Amadou & Mariam with visiting artists including Martha Wainwright and Fatboy Slim. Over nearly two decades, the project has staged marathon concerts from Liverpool to Lagos, taken a train filled with musicians around Britain for the London Olympics, re-formed a Syrian orchestra divided by war, and produced the first African interpretation of Terry Riley’s minimalist classic “In C.” Participating artists have included Baaba Maal, Blur, Charli XCX, Femi Kuti, Flea, Franz Ferdinand, Kano, Oumou Sangaré, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Rokia Traoré, Tony Allen, and many more.
AFRICA EXPRESS PRESENTS… BAHIDORÁ TRACK LIST:
1. Soledad ft. Damon Albarn, Luisa Almaguer, Nick Zinner, Seye Adelekan,
Joan As Police Woman, Mexican Institute of Sound
2. Otim Hop ft. Otim Alpha, Bootie Brown, K.O.G., Tom Excell
3. Mi Lado ft. Alansito Vega, Poté, Mare Advertencia
4. Seya ft. Onipa, Fatoumata Diawara, Abou Diarra, Mélissa Hié, Ophélia Hié
5. Tayhana ft. Tayhana, Otim Alpha, La Bruja de Texcoco
6. Kuduro ft. Fatoumata Diawara, Moonchild Sanelly, Tom Excell
7. Defiant Ones ft. Son Rompe Pera, M.anifest, Ophélia Hié,
Mélissa Hié, Mexican Institute of Sound
8. Raise A Glass ft Django Django, Mare Advertencia, Seye Adelekan
9. Ofrenda de Sangre ft. Luisa Almaguer, Mare Advertencia, Alansito Vega
10. Chucha ft. Son Rompe Pera, Joan As Police Woman, Otim Alpha,
Abou Diarra, Ophélia Hié, Mélissa Hié, Mexican Institute of Sound
11. Quisiera ft. Luisa Almaguer, Alansito Vega, Nick Zinner, Joan As Police Woman
12. The Sky Above You ft. Seye Adelekan, Luisa Almaguer, Joan As Police Woman,
Nick Zinner, Imarhan, Damon Albarn
13. Dorhan Oullhin (What The Heart Desires) ft. Imarhan, Damon Albarn
14. El Niño ft. Eme Malafe, Los Pream, Mélissa Hié, Ophélia Hié,
Joan As Police Woman, Marco Carrion, Alansito Vega
15. Invocation ft. Onipa, Jupiter Bokondji, Otim Alpha, Damon Albarn,
Joan As Police Woman
16. Hacernos Así ft. Luisa Almaguer, Damon Albarn, Seye Adelekan, Nick Zinner,
Joan As Police Woman, Mexican Institute of Sound
17. Frenemies ft. Hak Baker, Bonobo, Damon Albarn, Otim Alpha,
Mélissa Hié, Ophélia Hié
18. Kelegusta ft. Tayhana, Otim Alpha, La Bruja de Texcoco
19. El Diablo y La Bruja ft. La Bruja de Texcoco, Los Pream
20. Pánico (Cuelga al DJ) ft. Mexican Institue of Sound, Damon Albarn,
Los Pream, Nick Zinner, Montana Kinunu Ntunu
21. Adios Amigos ft. Baba Sissoko, Luisa Almaguer, Joan As Police Woman,
Abou Diarra, Mélissa Hié, Ophélia Hié, Yendé Balamba
TOUR DATES
July 5—Roskilde, DK—Roskilde Festival
July 6—Budapest, HU—Müpa
July 8—Berlin, DE—Huxleys
July 9—Hamburg, DE—Elbphilharmonie
July 11—Barcelona, ES—Cruïlla Festival
