Kenyan artist Idd Aziz was one of the few African musicians to perform at the recently concluded Coachella festival.
Taking the stage courtesy of Haitian DJ and producer Francis Mercier, well-known for his Afro House sound, Aziz called the experience “amazing.”
“Was amazing experience to be Coachella thank you my brother Francis Mercier for make it happen,” Aziz said. (sic)
“Kamili” a collaboration between the two, released 5 months ahead of their Coachella appearance, was one of the songs they performed on stage.
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Aziz was not the only African invited on stage for Mercier’s set; other Africans included were Emmanuel Jal, Neyl, Nadrums, Arielle and Jeona.
Francis Mercier’s Coachella set
Mercier, a mathematician turned producer, was among the many performers at Coachella, and he is also one of the few who invited some African artists to be part of his set.
Appreciating them for being part of the performance, he also acknowledged the political climate and travel restrictions they faced owing to President Trump’s new immigration policies.
“Much love to my special guests Idd Aziz, Emmanuel Jal, Neyl, Nadrums, Arielle, Jeona, who combated all sorts of challenges to make it to the shows,” Mercier said.
He further acknowledged the growth of the genre since his debut on the Coachella stage.
“Coachella weekend 1 and 2 complete! I’m grateful for how much this Afro House sound has grown and how far I’ve come along. Two years ago I played this same stage for less than 300 people as the opener, and this year we were 8000 people in the Yuma with a full Afro House line up nearly from open to close,” Mercier added.
Aziz’s new songs in 2025
Among Kenyan Afro-house fans, Aziz is well-known for his unique ability of blending traditional African sounds with modern house, making him one of the few Kenyan Afro-house artists. His hit singles include “Come dada” and “Kiswahili”.
Beyond performing at Coachella, Aziz has released a number of new songs this year, like “Tabia”, released in March as a tribute to his fans.
“This month of Ramadan has always been a blessing for me, as I believe it is for all my Muslim brothers and sisters,” he said at the time. “As we approach the end of this holy month, I wanted to give my fans a special gift—a new rendition of one of my old tracks as a token of appreciation. ‘Tabia’ goes way back to my Afro-fusion days, and now, I’ve given it a new Afro-house groove.”
Aziz has also released a new version of “No Letting Go” alongside Klement Bonneli.
