Wawesh a.k.a. Kiboi - Producing Grammy Nominees
Wawesh has been creating a swirling buzz in Swahili speaking communities in Eastern Africa and the Diaspora via his three consecutive hit singles (Mjanja, Wawero and Wasanii) plus a highly acclaimed debut album, “It’s Meant To Be”. » Read more…
Hil St. Soul - SOULidified
Born in Lusaka, Zambia, Hilary Mwelwa relocated to London with her family at age five. As a child she adopted her father’s love of music, as their home was immersed with the sounds of traditional Zambian music along with such American R&B/soul icons as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. This influence from such R&B greats is evident in Hilary’s powerful, soulful vocals. » Read more…
Soul:ID - Sex, Love, & Philosophy
This group with members from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo met in Brussels where they formed the group, Soul ID. Their debut album’ , ‘Sex, Love, & Philosophy‘, highlights their collective musical talent. Dubbed ‘Afropean Soul’ by Zap Mama, their sound is very much like Loose Ends, and SOS Band. Tchai’s strong vocals are back by a talented Dad-D, V, and Urban Deep, and an array of beats and tempos that will get even the most jaded person up and dancing. Their talent has caught the attention of Wyclef Jean, Zap Mama, Craig David, and Youssou N’dour, among others and helped them gain a strong following » Read more…
Simphiwe Dana - Zandisile
Simphiwe Dana whose first name means ‘gift’ is truly a gift to those looking for real music. Her clear vocals and enormous stage presence has had audiences clamouring for more. She has toured with Angelique Kidjoe and is hailed by many as a young ‘Miriam Makeba’. Determined to keep her native language alive, she sings in Xhosa, lending an authentic touch of African style to her music. » Read more…
Tcheka-Cape Verde’s Batuku Ambassador
Tcheka, born Manuel Lopes Andrade, was born in Santiago, Cape Verde. He plays traditional percussive guitar and weaves the batuku style (a style traditional to Cape Verde that was banned by the Portuguese, but continued by the women in the fields as they worked. Batuku is performed with a group of people, mostly women, formed into a circle beating a tchabeta, a percussive instrument traditionally made of tightly rolled panos, a cloth woven in rural Santiago which nowadays have been replaced with plastic bags, which is placed in between the thighs and beat with the hands. On the inside of the circle is a narrator who places a pano around the waist and dances the torno to the rhythm while improvising verses, calling to the circle members who respond while maintaining the poly-rhythmic beat of the tchabetas.) Tcheka grew up performing with his father before launching out on his own at the age of 15 and developing his unique style. » Read more…
Assane Ndiaye Rocks the House in Washington DC
Roxana Bangura had an opportunity to speak to Senegal’s singing sensation Assane N’diaye during his US tour. » Read more…
MC Solaar - Chapitre 7
Claude M’Barali a.k.a. MC Solaar was born in Senegal to Chadian parents who later relocated to France when he was 6 months old. He adapted his name from his grafitti tags, ‘Soar’ and ‘Solaar’. His rapping style, fused with a jazzy edge has always been popular with crowds around the world and brought him to the attention of Guru, who featured him on his (Guru’s) album, Jazzmatazz. His latest offering, Chapitre 7 is a wonderful mix of styles and beats. In his song, Paris-Samba, he explores the salsa rythms of latin dance and then takes you through a reggae beat in ‘Clic Clic’. ‘Da Vinci Claude’ showcases his gift of rhythmic rap and a rock beat. There are few who can match his gift for rhyming so effortlessly and making that sound like music in itself. It is no wonder he has a large following. ‘Sous les Palmiers’ is reminiscent of the rapping, good music feel of old that transports you to the days when people made music for the fun of it. ‘Merci‘ harkens back to his jazzy hip-hop style with a soothing beat. Overall this album is bound not to disappoint MC Solaar fans who are always waiting with bated breath for his next production. The album was produced in New York City. » Read more…
Gerald Barclay - Wu: The story of the Wu Tang Clan
Gerald Barclay has been making music videos for Snoop Dog, Master P, and Nona Hendrix, to name a few. He has also made a great award-winning documentary about Liberia that is still hailed as monumental in the telling of the war that ravaged that nation. He has also produced and directed a movie, Bloody Streetz, that can be found in DVD stores around the nation. His crowning achievement, though, might just be the documentary of one of the most talented hip-hop pioneer groups from the 90’s, the Wu-Tang Clan. The group’s first album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) propelled the legendary group to infamy and clinched their position as a strong hip-hop group from the east coast of the United States. They basically shifted the balance of power that had been dominated by west coast rappers, and changed the way the game was played. » Read more…
Yunasi - Afro-Fusion Band with an emphasis on African
Yunasi is a 8-person band (7 Kenyans and 1 lady from France) that plays a wonderful eclectic mix of what they term as Afro-Fusion. They use traditional instruments and mix English, French, Luo, Kiswahili, and Luhyia languages into a pleasant mix of great music. They have developed a style that they call Sesube, a mixture of séga, isuga and isukuti.
The band feels that music can be used to enhance social responsibility and work in the slums of Mathare, in Nairobi, Kenya, to show youth how they can use music and sport to escape the grip of poverty. In an inimitable style, they show how innovative the East African music scene is and try to draw attention to the wonderful musical talent that resides on the eastern part of the African continent. » Read more…
“We Have Internalized the Projections of Racist Europe” – Ade Bantu
Ade Bantu is the front man of the musical collective known as Bantu (also known as Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity). His music is an eclectic fusion of the rich cultural heritage of the Yorubas and the sounds of the African Diaspora. His debut album “Bantu” featured Senegalese Hip-hop veterans P.B.S; and his collaboration with the Nigerian Fuji star Adewale Ayuba titled “Fuji Satisfaction”, earned him two nods at the 2005 edition of the prestigious Kora Award. Bantu’s positive lyrics address social, personal and political issues and his work with the Afro-German NGO and musical group, Brothers Keepers, topped the German Pop Charts through their uncompromising stance against racism. Bantu now performs with his Afrobeat Academy Band, an ensemble that celebrates Fela Kuti’s musical vision in a unique and exciting way. Their live performances have been described as a soundtrack to the Pan African Renaissance Movement. Bantu, a BSc Electronic Engineering holder, has toured Nigeria, Sweden, England, Germany, Uganda, Ghana, Denmark and France. He has shared the stage with several musical greats such as Tony Allen, Dede Mabiaku, Seun Kuti and the legendary Egypt 80 band; and has collaborated with UB40, Gentleman, Xavier Naidoo, Sly Dunbar and Patrice. Jamati had the chance to have the following interview with Ade Bantu.
How would you describe Bantu as an artiste?
Bantu is a grenzgaenger. He is a pan Africanist. I am an “Afropean”, Yoruba-Prussian musician, producer, singer/songwriter and activist, who uses music to explore and celebrate his urban African musical and cultural heritage. » Read more…
Lemar Obika - The Truth About Love
Lemar Obika is a very talented young man with a fantastic vocal range. He manages to sing and easily moves from one note to another. He sings his heart out and you feel the heartstrings get that aching tug as his voice soars in The Truth About Love. Tick Tock merges an old beat with his vocals and makes even the old heads want to dance. Just Can’t Live Without Each Other’s Love talks about love in it’s true form, without the fear, just the reality of what one can live with and without. In Can’t You See, Lemar teams up with Mica Paris and Styles P to produce something that sounds somewhat old school. » Read more…
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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