Tsumyoki Brings Goa’s African & Portuguese Influences To The Dancefloor On ‘AFRO YOKI’

A pool party in the middle of summer, the sun still out, the smell of fruity cocktails in the air, people drinking, flirting and slowly making their way towards the dancefloor, is often a telltale sign that Afrobeats or reggaeton is on the speakers. Both come from the lineage of highlife, joy and sensuality — sex and romance on the dancefloor with bright soaring melodies and drums that are equally down-and-dirty. Goa-born independent artist Tsumyoki, who has spent the last few years making a name for himself with a mix of hip-hop, pop, R&B, and dancehall, calls to the same spirit of fiesta in his latest album AFRO YOKI.

Tsumyoki describes it as ‘Goan Bounce’ — an amalgamation of the African, Portuguese and Konkani influences Tsumyoki grew up with alongside icons like Lorna Cordeiro and Chris Perry. Lorna, famously known as the ‘Nightingale of Goa,’ brought jazz and pop to traditional Konkani music in the 1960s, with upbeat brass arrangements, swinging rhythms and soulful, dramatic vocals, while Perry, the ‘King of Cha Cha Cha,’ blended Goan folk and ‘tiatr’ with Western jazz, Latin American beats and big-band arrangements. Together, their music gave Konkani pop a cosmopolitan sound, with songs like ‘Bebdo’ and ‘Nachomia Kumpasar’ still standing out as examples of Goa’s long relationship with jazz and Latin music.

In AFRO YOKI, Tsumyoki combines that with the syncopated percussion and drum grooves of Afrobeats, alongside the driving dembow beat of reggaeton. ‘MIA’, featuring Nigerian artist Muyeez, is built around an Afro-Latin groove, with Tsumyoki trying to win over a girl on the dancefloor. Muyeez himself became a Nigerian breakout in 2024 after his freestyles took off online; his singsong delivery over Afrobeats has since become a big part of his sound. ‘YAH YAH’ puts live percussion at the centre of the track, with the drums doing much of the work alongside his vocals. ‘YOU & I’ brings the tempo down for a softer, romantic song, while ‘LATE NIGHTS’ picks things back up, with ‘MASTERPIECE’ going into RnB territory.

Tsumyoki and his collaborators were initially making the songs with digital sounds before deciding to record real drums from start to finish. “The moment we heard it back, it completely changed the energy. We couldn't even sit still while listening to it. That's when we knew we had something special," says the artist. Tsumyoki has just returned from his maiden UK tour, which followed an appearance on DJ AG’s London livestream. “I always told myself I'd only come to the UK if it was for music. I never wanted to come on holiday - I wanted someone to book me, “ he shares. “To have finally been here performing these songs and seeing people connect with them miles away from home has been an unbelievable feeling.” ‘AFRO YOKI’ is out now, and Tsumyoki will be taking it on a nationwide India tour later this year.

Follow Tsumyoki here and listen to the album below:

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