Arts·Commotion

What Rema's new album adds to Africa's musical legacy

Media personality Matt Amha explains why this album is important not only for the artist, but for upholding Africa's heritage.

The Nigerian musician's sophomore record, HEIS, came out earlier this month and features 11 songs

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02:  (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO PUBLICATIONS DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE ARTIST) Rema performs on stage during the BRIT Awards 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 02, 2024 in London, England.
Rema performs on stage during the BRIT Awards 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 02, 2024 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Afrobeats superstar Rema continues to reinvent himself with his new album, HEIS. While the Nigerian artist has blended pop, R&B and hip-hop in his earlier work, his second album finds him focusing more heavily on local sounds.

Today on Commotion, media personality Matt Amha joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to plead the case of why this album is important not only for Rema's career, but for upholding Africa's heritage and musical legacy.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 15:25): 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Matt Amha produced by Ryan Chung.