Maintaining fervent momentum across the summer, global afro-house collective &friends has
been preparing tirelessly over the past several months to bring all of the international
collaborators to one stage. Finally set to make their collective debut, their latest single “Duro”
feat. Young Dotun makes its way to the airwaves on the same day as the debut live
performance taking place in Egypt on August 25th, 2023 via Paradise Worldwide.
The latest single signifies the joining of Young Dotun to the growing circle of global
collaborators that are a part of the project alongside Oluwadamvic, Phina Asa and El-Jay.
Lyrically, “Duro” is a powerful song with a poignant message of love, connection and
commitment – across the breadth of the track we hear Young Dotun’s soulful voice capture the
beauty of love in a tribute partnership and companionship. The production wefts a driving,
dynamic melody that’s simultaneously melancholic and uplifting, musically tying together the
essence of Young Dotun’s lyrics.
Taking place at one of Egypts premier new destination venues, both project pioneer Sean
Thomas and key West African vocalists Oluwadamvic, Phina Asa, El-Jay and Dotun are set
to take the stage at the scenic Silversands North Coast on August 25th. Many months in the
making, the show is sure to be a milestone event for the &friends project, setting the stage for a
new era of touring and performances for the afro-house project.
Tickets for the live &friends debut featuring vocalists Oluwadamvic, Phina Asa, El-Jay and
Dotun at Silversands North Coast on August 25th, 2023 are still available for purchase.
&friends is the musical concept and brainchild of New York based Sean Thomas. Drawing the
breadth of his inspiration for these musical works from the global cultures, Sean had a vision to
create a project embodying tradition, culture and community culminating in the coining of
&friends. Most recently, they released their debut 2-track ‘Ominira’ EP via their own imprint
Hidden Hands. The Amapiano Edit “Ode Ireti” (o-le-le) was released on Moblack Records, and
held #1 chart placement on Beatport’s Amapiano Charts for weeks following its release.
Receiving massive radio and touring support from top names in the space, the infectious chorus
“o-le-le” has become a staple in the sets of many titans of dance music. Since launch in mid
2022, &friends already boasts more than 3M Spotify streams and nearly 180,000 monthly
listeners across their early catalogue. The project also made its Armada Music debut this
year with the release of an official cover of Armin Van Buuren’s “This Is What It Feels Like”.
From New York, to Miami, Marrakech, Madrid, Mexico City – Tulum to Toronto and beyond,
&friends is already making their mark on dance floors around the world. In his short time on the
scene, &friends has received support by Pete Tong of BBC Radio 1, Black Coffee, Diplo,
&ME, Keinemusik, Michael Bibi, Blond:ish, Francis Merceir and many more. Also catching
the eye of media tastemakers, he’s earned attention from the likes of DJ Mag North America,
Beatportal, LA Weekly, Wonderland Magazine, Magnetic Magazine, Electronic Groove,
6AM Group, EARMILK, YourEDM and more.
With the delivery of the project’s first live performance, and a striking resume of international
tour dates since inception, 2023 is already delivering a thoughtfully produced, artfully composed
compilation of works from the &friends collective.
To find out more about &friends, go to:
Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | Website
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