Afriyie Wutah Celebrates Birthday With 'Summer Jam' Featuring Reggae Icon Maxi Priest
There is a particular joy in a musical collaboration that feels both inevitable and surprising — the sound of two artists from different traditions discovering common ground in rhythm. Afriyie Wutah’s new single Summer Jam, released on 31 May 2026 to coincide with his birthday, achieves precisely that. Featuring British reggae legend Maxi Priest, the track is a buoyant fusion of Afro-soul, reggae and island rhythms that speaks to the enduring power of music to bridge continents.
For Afriyie, the release marks another chapter in a career built on vocal dexterity and restless creative ambition. He first rose to national prominence as one half of the celebrated Ghanaian music duo Wutah, whose blend of highlife and Afropop earned them a devoted following. Since going solo, he has steadily expanded his artistic range, releasing well-received singles including Cheers to Life, Here to Stay, Country Hot and I Do, each demonstrating a singer equally comfortable in highlife, Afropop and soul.
Maxi Priest, meanwhile, needs little introduction to lovers of reggae. The British-born artist — one of only two Jamaican-heritage UK performers to have a Billboard number one — has spent four decades shaping the global sound of reggae. His catalogue includes timeless hits such as Close to You, Wild World and That Girl, his chart-topping collaboration with Shaggy. His presence on Summer Jam lends the track both credibility and warmth.
The pairing is more than a commercial exercise. It represents a cultural conversation between Africa and the Caribbean — two regions whose musical DNA has long been intertwined. The slave trade carried West African rhythms to the Caribbean; reggae, dancehall and calypso have in turn influenced contemporary African popular music. Summer Jam sits squarely in that lineage, a feel-good record built on shared rhythms and a mutual respect that transcends geography.
Musically, the track is designed for precisely the moments it evokes: beach outings, road trips, long summer evenings. Its blend of Afrobeats warmth and reggae ease makes it accessible without being generic, a summer anthem that earns its optimism through craft rather than formula.
The collaboration arrives at a moment when Ghanaian musicians are increasingly looking outward, forging partnerships that position Ghanaian popular music on the global stage. Kojo Antwi and Ivorian legend Freddy Meiway are set to share a London stage this September, in what promises to be a landmark concert for West African music in the diaspora. Afriyie’s collaboration with Maxi Priest follows a similar logic — building bridges between African and international audiences through the universal language of melody.
For fans of both artists, Summer Jam offers the rare satisfaction of a collaboration that sounds like it was always meant to exist. It is the sound of two musicians meeting in the middle, finding in each other’s artistry a reflection of their own — and producing something that belongs to neither tradition entirely, yet honours both.
Image Source: GHANAMMA
