Damon Albarn collaborates with the music collective Africa Express

The musical collective Africa Express has published two new songs: “Soledad”, which sees the collaboration of Damon Albarn and also by Joan As Police Woman, and “Otim Hop”. The two singles anticipate the next studio album of the project, “Africa Express Presenti … Bahidorá”, coming out on 11 July 2025. “Soledad” is an exciting duet sung in Spanish by the Blur frontman and Luisa Almaguer: a cinematographic ballad, intense and melancholy, which repeats as a “SoledaD Soledad Soledad Since” mantra (solitude, solitude, endless solitude). To support it there is ‘Otim Hop’, a hip-hop song with a relaxed but decisive tonewith Bootie Brown’s story about the autobiographical lyrics of the Ugandan infrofropurist Otim Alpha, who sings of A “great man fleeing poverty”.

Speaking of Soledad, the Mexican singer -songwriter and activist for the trans community Luisa Almaguer said: “‘Soledad’ and Africa Express are both symbolic and concrete examples of repairing the historical debt that the ‘Whiteness’ and the mainstream have towards the raid and independent artists from all over the world. I am very happy to be part of this project, it still seems to me a dream. It is a wonderful glitch in the matrix ”. Damon Albarn commented: “Luisa has one of the most unique and enchanting voices that I have ever heard. It is a real honor to accompany her in this song. “In 2024, Africa Express crossed the ocean for the first time to perform as headliner at the Mexican festival Bahidorá. There, a group of musicians, singers and DJs from all over the world met to try, create and play new music in view of a five -hour show on the banks of the ancient sources of Bahidorá. After the event, the collective remained in Mexico to record material in field studies, curtains and hotel rooms. The result is a collection of 21 songs that we will listen to in July.