Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio this Friday with Joshua Baraka

This Week’s Episode Features a Conversation With Joshua Baraka and the 5 Hottest Tracks of the Week!

Tune in to Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida this Friday, December 5th on Apple Music and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm

Cover Star Interview
Rising Ugandan  Afro Pop artist Joshua Baraka joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music to talk about her latest single “State of my Heart”. He also discusses his mother being a choir leader and how that shaped him, on music being his escape growing up and his debut album ‘Juvie’.

Tune in and listen to the episode this Friday, December 4th on Apple Music at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about his mum being a choir leader and how it shaped him
I learned a lot from her. I got to try out a lot of the musical ideas I had from a very young age. I got to explore music more in depth at a very young age because I was playing instruments in church. It really exposed me to a lot of the music that inspires me today.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about music being his escape growing up
With the kind of upbringing I had, I definitely needed an outlet. For a lot of people in my community, it’s boxing, but I’m a chill guy. I’m not violent in any shape or form. So art was the next best thing for me. It’s something I’m really passionate about, something I love. And a place which has always been an escape for me in many ways.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about his first project at the age of 19
It was my first project. I was really excited. I produced it all. I couldn’t really engineer like that but I needed to put out the music. “Baby Steps” was literally baby steps. I needed to start somewhere and I didn’t want people to have crazy expectations. It was a way of calming myself down. I knew if people would understand that this is ‘baby steps’, they wouldn’t anticipate too much.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about his 2023 breakthrough single “Nana”
It was crazy. I had no idea it was going to happen like that. The song just got a life of its own and now I’m out here.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about music being his calling 
I think there’s an element of destiny in it. I’m a big believer in destiny and callings. I definitely think I was supposed to do this.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about his debut album “Juvie” 
I wrote Juvie through the lens of a young adult in this era. When I wrote my EP “Growing Pains’ I was still getting myself together from the success of ‘Nana’. So I was still trying to understand myself and what growth means. That’s where “Growing Pains” came from. Now, with that understanding, “Juvie” is how I see life. As a young adult, as a person in this generation just trying to achieve something, trying to win. That’s the kind of music I listen to. Music I feel like impacts how I think and how I feel. I didn’t want to make another album with ‘vibes’. I wanted to speak my truth and be as honest as possible about the sings that I see.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about making brutally honest music that appeals to the youth
Growing up, and right now, the music that has held me down is the music that is about me. Where I feel like the artist is saying something, about them, but I’m going through the same thing so I agree. Right now there’s a lot of music that’s just vibes but I wanted to make a project that says something.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about the success of “Wrong Places” 
It has been amazing and I’m really thankful to be in the position I’m in. When I met JAE5, just meeting him was great for me. I’d achieved what I wanted. Then we went in to make a song, damn, that was crazy. Then the song went crazy. It was really amazing and I’m thankful to God and everyone who’s been by my side on this journey so far.

Joshua Baraka tells Apple Music about the role Kampala has played on his career 
I’ve grown up in Kampala and spent a lot of time there. It has definitely shaped how I view things. Since this album is about how I view things, it’s definitely Kampala-influenced. A lot of it is how youth in Kampala would view life generally. It’s definitely inspired by the chaos of Kampala and I think you can feel that chaos in the lyrics.