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…
Akon Puts New Kids On the Block on “The Block”
The New Kids on the Block are back with a new album and Akon’s collaboration with them, ‘Put It On My Tab‘ is already being heralded as a smash hit-in-waiting. The song is very T-Pain in style and shows the smart choices the New Kids on the Block made in collaborating with some of the hottest names in music to create a comeback album.
The New Kids on the Block have definitely grown up. Their album is edgy, features Ne-Yo, Akon, Timbaland, the Pussycat Dolls, and Teddy Riley, to name a few. Not bad. ‘Single‘ is a collaboration with Ne-Yo, and showcases their vocal talent. ‘Grown Man‘ is a pretty hot dance piece in collaboration with Teddy Riley and the Pussycat Dolls. The album is in stores now. You can purchase their album here. » Read more…
One Night With Grammy Award Winner - Anita Baker
50 has never looked sexier or hotter than the looks of legendary R&B/soul crooner, Ms. Anita Baker.
Seun Kuti at Summerstage
Fiery. Commanding. Omnipresent–On stage that is. Seun Kuti, the heir apparent to Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s throne strutted his stuff this summer in NYC’s Central Park at the prestigious Summerstage 2008. His slim-flitting pants, receding hairline, physique, and two-fisted salute evoked memories of his father, as did the two dancers on stage. Their rhythmical movements drew constant “ooohs” and “aaahhhhs” from the large crowd on hand, and Kuti performed “Oil,” “Don’t Bring That Sh*t,” and “Many Things,”–the title of his debut album–amongst others while the tunes from his sax and the beautiful sunset complemented each other.
Adina Wins Stars of the Future
After 8 weeks of amazing singing and keen competition, the Stars of the Future grand finale was reduced to a 4-way, 2-round bout between 2 guys and 2 girls namely Anita Gyan, Adina Ndamse, Daniel Netty, and Ike Ologo. But at the close of this game of numbers, the slinky and charming Adina was the contestant that accumulated the most amount votes from the public and the judges to win the coveted recording contract and brand new car.
In the first round, Adina knocked out the competition with her delightful rendition of Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’. However, Anita’s version of Alicia Key’s ‘No One’, and Daniel’s rendition of ‘Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes’, were not too far behind. Ike seemed to have found the pan-African in him as he did the first of his two African themed songs–Freddie Meiway’s ‘Nana’. » Read more…
Blitz the Ambassador
Ghanian rapper, Blitz, the Ambassador is making a difference in the music scene in hip-hop battles around the U.S. He has released two CDs (Soul Rebel in 2004 and Double Consciousness in 2005) and is recognized as a talented rapper by both fans and people in the music industry, alike.
Akon makes Forbes’ Hip Hop Cash King
Akon is having a good year! He made the Forbes list for hip hop’s 20 biggest earners in 2008, a list that celebrates the business savvy of the hip hop moguls. Akon came in at number 12 and tied with Eminem and Common at $12 million dollars.
50 Cent dethroned Jay-Z who was last year’s winner. P-Diddy was third, the same position he held last year. Tupac made the list post-humously, pulling in $15 million dollars. Now that is truly genius!
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…
Ssuuna - Abakazi Mayinja (Women Are Rocks)
Joseph Ssuuna is a dancer, percussionist, singer, songwriter and story teller who puts together a wonderful array of traditional instruments to create contemporary music. He has performed with different artists and is dedicated to showcasing the spirit of Africa through his music.
Soulfege - Take Back the Mic
Soulfege is an afropolitan group with a great 70-ish vibe to their music. The band founded a movement called “Take Back The Mic” to use music as the medium through which positive activism can be implemented. Their latest album is a wonderful mix of music styles and beats that will have you grooving, nodding, and tapping your feet. They are led by Ashong, a YouTube phenom according to New York Times. » Read more…
Call to Fame
The Star Academy phenomenon has been a worldwide hit with competitions in England, Spain, Italy, Russia and many other countries. The show that discovered some of the world’s biggest talents such as UK’s R&B sensation Lemar, made a remarkable impact on Africa when Africa hosted the pan-African version, Project Fame. 
Held in Johannesburg, South Africa from June to August 2004, the show had 16 African contestants - 9 of which were South African. The contestants were groomed for stardom, with the weakest being eliminated on a weekly basis; the top three received record deals and the winner got a lot more prizes. » Read more…
African Events Calendar
Upcoming Events
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Nov. 3, 2008
TIKEN JAH FAKOLY - high performance reggae
West Europe
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Nov. 3, 2008
CHINUA ACHEBE’S NOVEL “THINGS FALL APART” CELEBRATED AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
USA - North East
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Nov. 1, 2008
Queendom - the fabulous five
West Europe
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October 17, 2008
KINGS or QUEENS [GHANA or NAIJA] pt 2
USA - South East
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