Laurentius & Oke - Jaiye (EP)
Laurentius & Oke, released 28 Apr 2023.
The five songs on Jaiye
Celebrate
The lead single and a pure celebration of life. Big African percussion, world sounds and singalong vocals give it a World Cup feeling, and the drop features the kora, an East African string instrument Laurentius has studied for hours from masters like Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko.
Jaiye
Inspired by Shakira's Waka Waka, a chiller but still high-energy dance track with a strong African vibe. DJs picked it up fast for its danceability and catchy rhythms.
Run
Inspired by K'naan's Wavin' Flag and produced so it feels like standing inside an African tribe circle mid-celebration with everyone performing at once. The second verse is in Yoruba, a first for a blend of English and Yoruba on one song, and the whole track nods to Omo, the nickname Oke's grandmother gave him as a child in Nigeria.
One Day
A beachy, happy and exotic record that makes you want to surf the coral coasts of Africa. African and European sounds blend into something familiar yet unmistakably exotic.
Don't Forget Who You Are (feat. Destiny Flexboy)
Almost a tale about never forgetting your roots. A theatrical production inspired by the Circle Of Life theme from The Lion King, with a rap verse from Destiny Flexboy, and the closing track that turns the whole EP into a sonic roadtrip across Africa.
Jaiye is the five-track EP by Laurentius and Oke, released on 28 April 2023 through Miami Beats and ATLAST, blending pop with vibrant African and Yoruba influences (Jaiye means enjoy life). It grew out of the years Laurentius spent living in Cape Town, where he learned that in Africa the sound finds you rather than the other way around. It is on the streets and in the people, impossible to escape, and that feeling runs through the whole record.
The EP became a live favourite, with Oke still performing these songs as he tours major festivals across Luxembourg, recently opening for OneRepublic. Play the full EP below, or dive into each track further down.
Recorded with Oke and rooted in Laurentius's years in Cape Town, the Jaiye EP is a five-track journey through African and Yoruba sound. Jaiye is Yoruba for to enjoy life, and that spirit runs from the kora in Celebrate to the Yoruba verse in Run.