Sara Tavares – Balancê
Balancê means something good in Lusophone Africa, and this album lives up to its name. Sara Tavares, born to Cape Verde parents in Portugal, has been making musical waves since she was 16 years old when she won two of Portugal’s most prestigious TV music contests. Her exposure to two cultures is reflected in the rhythms and the tone of her music. She tries to balance the different styles of Afro-Euro culture into something palatable, and does a great job. Planetra Sukri has a lilting latin feel to it while One Love is more African/Congolese in it’s rhythm. Balancê is a song about balancing yourself and its wonderful samba/salsa style that is surprisingly soothing. Overall the album manages to achieve its goal of being a balance of cultural styles. Songs are sung in English, Portuguese, and Criulo (a Cape Verdean dialect which mixes French and Portuguese and local languages). The album went Gold in Portugal, and she has been touring the world promoting it since its launch in 2006. Her appearance in the globalFest 2007 was met with great excitement and garnered many new fans for her. This talented songstress wrote and produced all the songs on the album.
Krukid – Afr-I-Can
Krukid, born Edwin Ruyonga, has come out with an album that is HOT!! His rapping style is great, and he manages to mix energetic beats into his poetic rapping flow, to keep you on your feet and ready to make a difference in the world. He won an award for best Hip Hop at the 1071 CU Local Music Awards which proved to be the impetus he needed to launch his career. Rawkus Records, famous for launching the careers of famous hip-hop artists like Sir Menelik, Company Flow, the High and Mighty, Mos Def and Talib Kweli (as a duo known as Black Star), Common, Pharaoh Monch, and Skillz, signed him on as one of their Rawkus 50. Rawkus is dedicated to promoting concious hip-hop and their artists have helped redirect the message of the industry.
The rap “Invisible“, a tribute to his Ugandan roots, highlights the plight of the child soldiers in Northern Uganda and Sudan. The words are deep and the passion unmistakeable. “KRU” talks about AIDS and the problems associated with it. “Calling” is more lyrical in its flow and lends itself more to a head-bobbing, hand-bouncing-in-the-air kind of reaction. The title song, “African” is very popular with the African hip-hop population and is quickly being adopted as the African anthem. You can here it here. The artists that he works with on the album include Somi, CashHill Affiliates, John Doe, Timmy Knoxx, Monty Shoe Walker, Falynx, Mulatto Bastard, Yes Yes, John Doe, Ryan Groff, and Kayla Brown, to name a few. » Read more…
Netsayi – Chimurenga Soul
Netsayi was born in London in 1973 to Zimbabwean parents. The family moved back to Zimbabwe when she was seven years old and the impression of the country left its imprint indelibly on her mind. Music influences including kwasa from the Congo, South African jazz and pop, local jit, mbira, UK and US R&B, and the beginnings of hip hop, all combined to provide a great smorgasbord of musical influence.
Les Nubians – One Step Foward
It took Helene and Celia five years to release the follow up to their debut album Princesses Nubiennes. The sucess of the album took them around the world. They collaborated with noted vocalists and musicians from all over the globe. » Read more…
Joy Denalane – Born & Raised
German soul IS Joy Denalane. MTV calls her the undisputed Queen of German Soul. Her first Solo Album Mamani released in 2002, debuted at number 8 in the German charts and spawned 4 singles. Mamani was able to attract a wide range of listeners with its ambitious mix of R&B, Soul, Jazz and Afro-Beat. Mamani was a milestone for German Soul. » Read more…
Goapele – Change It All
Her name means “to move forward” in Sitswana. She is strikingly beautiful and sings about love and politcal issues in her signature way. She is the product of a South African political exile father and a Israeli Jewish mother who met and married in Nairobi, Kenya. Goapele grew up in a socially conscious and politically active family. » Read more…
Angelique Kidjo – DJIN DJIN
One of Africa’s favorite international superstars and four-time Grammy nominee Angelique Kidjo returns to the music scene with her latest release DJIN DJIN. Angelique returns to her Benin roots with this album. She takes the sound back to where her love for music all began. The material on DJIN DJIN is sung in the languages of Benin, Nigeria, and Togo. The title of the album DJIN DJIN refers to the sound of the bell that greets the beginning of a new day for Africa. The collaborations on DJIN DJIN read like a who’s who in the music industry today. Angelique worked with Ziggy Marley on ‘Sedjedo’ which is about the lessons offered as youth yields to age, Alicia Keys and Bradford Marsalis on the title track ‘Djin Djin’ which is a reminder to live each fleeting moment as fully possible, Peter Gabriel on ‘Salala’ which is about the magic of birth, Joss Stone on ‘Gimme Shelter’ (the Rolling Stones classic), Josh Groban and Carlos Santana on ‘Pearls’ (the Sade remake), and Amadou and Mariam on ‘Senamou’. Angelique set out to prove that although the musicians she collaborated with come from a plethora of genres, the music of Africa flows through all music and you can’t help but move to the beat from the moment you press play. Start your journey below. » Read more…
Somi – Red Soil in my Eyes
Somi has been making waves with her Afrojazz-soul music that incorporates an urban kick. An accomplished musician, she has worked with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, Amel Larrieux, Tsidii Le Loka, and Lionel Louke, to name a few. Hugh Masakhela has praised her music, and BET and CNN International have stood up to take notice. Her Ugandan/Rwandese heritage has had a strong influence in her music as is evidenced in her latest album, Red Soil in My Eyes, which marries jazz and fusion-soul with African folk music, punctuated by an edgy urban sound. The track ‘Ingele’ highlights her powerful, yet soothing voice, which has a wonderful mellow tone to it. The track ‘Circles’ reminds me of Sting’s style with its Euro-groove feel. For a more African rhythm and tone, listen to ‘African Lady’. It incites you to get up and dance with its festive sounds and somewhat calypso/zouk tones. Overall, the album offers great sounds for a variety of tastes and offers the opportunity for a great introduction to Afrojazz.
To learn more about Somi, visit her website at or her myspace page. Watch her perform her song, Ingele below. » Read more…
Zap Mama – Supermoon
Marie Daulne founded the all-female quintet Zap Mama in the early 1990s. Marie’s father was a white Belgian and her mother is from Congo. She was raised in Europe but decided to connect with her mother’s side of her heritage at 20. Zap Mama blends world music styles from all over the globe and rely heavily on their voices and bodies. The New York Times called the group, “a utopian multicultural dream.” They released Adventures in Afropea, Vol. 1 in 1993, the Grammy nominated Sabsylma in 1994, 7 in 1997, A Ma Zone in 1999, and Ancestry in Progress in 2004.
Zap Mama returns with the new album Supermoon (August 7, 2007). Supermoon is rooted in the forests of Central Africa. It continues Zap Mama’s style of blending world, funk, jazz, pop, reggae and soul. Guest appearances include bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, drummer Tony Allen, and Michael Franti for “Hey Brother,” a lovely call-and-response duet across continents. The track “Kwenda” is adapted from an African children’s game, “Affection” is a eulogy for a close friend, and “Gati” is based on a chant she heard when she returned to Congo as a young adult.
Visit Zap Mama’s myspace page to hear snippets of the songs Supermoon, Gati and 1000 ways and visit the group’s website at to find out more about their music. » Read more…
African Events Calendar
Upcoming Events
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July 14 - 17, 2010
Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY) in New York
USA - North East
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March 20, 2010
FACE Africa 1st Annual Gala
USA - North East
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March 11 -15, 2010
Sixth Annual New African Films Festival
USA - North East
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April 10, 2010
RUNWAY LIBERIA: Silver Spring,MD
USA - North East
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