You might remember the Dutch band Kern Koppen from last year’s collaboration with South African artists Zuluboy, Zonke and EJ von Lyrik. (At the occasion of the World Cup, they called it Skop Gat.) Why their subsequent hit ‘Me Eigen’ didn’t travel beyond Holland’s airwaves, I still don’t know. The above music video (‘Geen Zweet’/No Sweat) is more recent. Low Countries soul at its best. About all those orange hatters plunging themselves into the sea: that’s what they do, each New Year.

See you Monday.

Further Reading

Trump tariffs and US Imperialism

Trump’s April 2025 tariff blitz ignited market chaos and deepened rifts within his own coalition. Beneath the turmoil lies a battle between technocrats, ultranationalists, and anti-imperial populists, all vying to reshape—or destroy—American global power.

Kenya’s vibe shift

From aesthetic cool to political confusion, a new generation in Kenya is navigating broken promises, borrowed styles, and the blurred lines between irony and ideology.

Africa and the AI race

At summits and in speeches, African leaders promise to harness AI for development. But without investment in power, connectivity, and people, the continent risks replaying old failures in new code.

After the uprising

Years into Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict, the rebellion faces internal fractures, waning support, and military pressure—raising the question of what future, if any, lies ahead for Ambazonian aspirations.