MAMA -MTV Africa Music Awards pick Trevor Nelson to Host
Well, it’s official. The MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) with Zain, have started their hunt for the best in African music, and the excitement is hitting a frenzied pitch. Music of Black Origin (MOBO) award winning DJ and television presenter, Trevor Nelson, is slated to preside over the ceremonies at The Velodrome in Abuja, Nigeria on November 22, 2008.
The Jamati Entourage: ‘Seun catches up with Steve Babaeko
The Nigerian music scene is definitely witnessing a renaissance, and X3M(extreme)Music, founded by Steve Babaeko, is one of the frontline record labels fanning the embers of the quiet revolution sweeping across Africa’s most populous nation.”Apart from promoting good music, they strongly believe in reconnecting African artistes living in the diaspora back to their roots.” » Read more…
Europe Kenya - Uhuru Park Unity Concert
Last year in December, Kenya was rocked by post-election violence that saw lives lost and property destroyed. Other people were displaced from their homes, while still others affected have not been able to get back to their normal lives or return to the place they used to call home. » Read more…
Just A Band - Scratch to Reveal
This band has embraced a genre of music that is somewhat neglected in Africa today. With creative videos, unique sounds, and great music, they are putting afro/techno-house on the map. Their latest release “Scratch To Reveal” is already making headlines. Billy “Blink” Selanga, Dan Muli, and Jim Chuchu are the ‘boys’ of the band, and they let us scratch the surface to discover what lies beneath!
1. Your brand of music is somewhat off the beaten track. What made you decide to pick this genre of music? » Read more…
Meta And The Cornerstones - a New Take on Reggae
It is said that a candle is of more value when it is able to share it’s fire with another candle, enabling the light to shine beyond the present time. After this weekend’s performance of the Meta and the Cornerstones at the SARFM radio’s African festival, that saying is beyond true.
As I listened to Meta and the Cornerstones’ perfomance I coudnt help but think of the late Lucky Dube; so much of Meta and the Cornerstones reflects his legacy and although both of them share a love for reggae music, Meta and the Cornerstones have a more soulful reggae sound. Lucky Dube was one of the people the group got inspiration from. » Read more…
Ray C - She’s….well…….Racy!
Ray-C, born Rehema Chalamila, is at the top of the list for ummm….some pretty interesting music videos. She has more wiggles in her moves than Shakira and Beyonce combined, and she looks good doing it. That could be due to the fact that she took belly dancing lessons (which she must have done really well in).
Ray-C worked as a DJ on a show, Dr. Beat, for Clouds FM Radio station in Tanzania and took vocal training lessons. The only musician to perform Bongo, Bhangra, Taarab and R&B in one album, she is affectionately known as Tanzania’s beauty queen. To date she has released three albums, Mapenzi Yangu (My Love), Na Wewe Milele (With You Forever) in 2004, and Ray-C. All albums have gone platinum. » Read more…
A-Plus’ Letter to the West
A-Plus is a Ghanaian artist best described as controversial and politically incorrect. He first made a name for himself singing about events leading to and after Ghana’s 2000 general elections. His witty and fairly accurate narration of political issues made his song an immediate hit. He followed up in the same way on the 2004 general elections and continued in a slightly different direction in 2007 when this time he specifically talked about Ghana’s Parliament in his somewhat poignant, ‘Letter to Parliament’. Letter to Parliament won him a nomination for Best Hip-life Song at the 2008 edition of the Ghana Music Awards.
In between his releases, A-Plus has also tried his hand ay stand-up comedy with relative success. He has carved a niche for himself as a politically incorrect artist but in his latest single, ‘A Letter to the West’; he makes a complete u-turn to spit conscious and politically correct lyrics about Africa’s bane of poor leadership. He talks about wars and poverty in Africa resulting from stinking political leadership. » Read more…
Dan Tshanda to partner with Zimbabwean Musicians
African producers and musicians are reaching out increasingly to collaborate with talent beyond their borders. Weez, from South Africa, has done that and, now, top South African music producer, Dan Tshanda, of Dalom Music Productions, has signed a deal with seven Zimbabwean musicians in an attempt to help them build markets regionally.
South Africa mourns the death of yet another great artist….
I remember it clearly it was on a December afternoon driving in the streets of Johannesburg when a song titled “Destiny” stimulated my ears and from then on I was on a mission to discover more about this trio group called Malaika. The more I discovered of them the more in love I fell with not only they music but them as a group for the style and energy they added to the South African music industry was amazing. » Read more…
Weez gives us a Verbal Massacre
One of the best things about this job is being able to highlight talent that mainstream media seems to miss all the time. Weez, a hiphop rapper from South Africa, is one such talent. Despite being recognized by several notable producers on the continent, and in the diaspora, he is still a relative unknown. This despite the fact that one of his raps is part of a compilation that has done very well in the United States, and the fact that his upcoming collaboration is with a person who was part of the reason Weez got into rap in the first place. Always ready to put on a show, he had to freestyle at the American embassy to get his visa (they weren’t convinced that he was really a rapper). Jamati caught up with Weez to find out what makes him tick.
Styl-Plus Crew - Smooth RnB sounds
I just stumbled on a group that is really great. Styl-Plus Crew is a group out of Nigeria that can really sing. They formed their names from the first names of the founding members, Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi, Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi. Lanre Faneyi passed away in 1999 and Zeal Onyecheme took his place. To accomodate the new member, they added Plus to their original name, becoming Styl-Plus.
African Events Calendar
Upcoming Events
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February 22, 2009
Race Across The World (RAW Africa) : Sossusvlei, Namibia
South Africa
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January 20, 2009
2009 Inaugural Events: President-Elect Barack Obama
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January 8, 2009
Capetown Jazzathon 2009: Capetown, South Africa
South Africa
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December 27, 2008
1st Annual Homecoming Jumpoff: Accra, Ghana
West Africa
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