Biography
The Malawian vocalist Esau Mwamwaya joined forces with the production pair Radioclit—Swedish member Johan Hugo and French member Etienne Tron—to launch the electro-Afro-pop group the Very Best during 2008. Their catalyst arrived via the freely circulated online mixtape Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit Are the Very Best, which achieved unanticipated worldwide traction. Mwamwaya’s hypnotic vocals in Chichewa, Swahili, Portuguese, and English anchored the outfit’s energetic reworkings of both little-known and mainstream tracks spanning pop, dance, indie rock, and Afro-pop; the results earned acclaim from outlets including Pitchfork, Radar, and Rolling Stone. The ensemble issued its debut physical release, Warm Heart of Africa, in 2009 on New York City’s Green Owl imprint; the set contained solely original compositions and welcomed contributions from M.I.A. alongside Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. Mid-2010 saw the Moshi Moshi label unveil Remixes by the Very Best, while the self-released mixtape Super Mom followed in 2011. That year also brought the dissolution of Radioclit, after which Tron moved on to separate projects. Mwamwaya and Hugo, now operating as a duo, pressed forward with MTMTMK, the band’s subsequent full-length album that surfaced in July 2012 and featured joint work alongside Amadou & Mariam, Baaba Maal, Bruno Mars, and K'naan. Their third studio album, Makes a King, reached listeners in 2015. Johannesburg, a joint endeavor involving Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal, and Beatenberg, appeared in June 2016 after being tracked in the South African metropolis that shares its name.
Singles
