Ghana: John Collins Lecture On Ghana’s Musical History
[Afropop] Longtime listeners to Afropop Worldwide, particularly our coverage of music from Ghana, will know of Professor John Collins. John’s English father taught in Ghana and John spent much of his childhood there. When his family returned to the U.K…
Malawi: Keturah Brings Malawi Roots to the World Stage
[Afropop] Keturah is a young singer from Malawi with a cherry-sweet voice and an easy gift for songwriting. Her journey from a small village to a Los Angeles recording studio, where she created her self-titled debut album in the company of the Playing …
South Africa: The South African Bongeziwe Experience in Mexico
[Afropop] There are few artists who can manifest magic by being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people: that was the Bongeziwe experience in Mexico.
South Africa: South African Bongeziwe Mabandla Releases Fourth Studio Album, Amaxesha
[Afropop] The whole Bongeziwe experience is conceptual in nature in the vein of The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, from an artist he is deeply inspired by. However Bongeziwe is a completely South African original in his falsetto voice, simple textuality …
Zimbabwe: Bantu Spaceship Remakes Zimbabwean Roots Pop
[Afropop] Bantu Spaceship is a new act out of Harare, Zimbabwe, an Afro-futuristic project with deep ties in the past of the country’s popular music. Producer Joshua Madalitso Chiundiza cut his teeth with the alternative hip-hop band The Monkey Nuts. H…
Mali: Tinariwen to Release New Album May 19 and Launch Tour May 27
[Afropop] In 2022, Mali’s pioneering Tuareg rock band, Tinariwen, had to cancel their 20-date North American tour at the last moment due to visa issues. After more than a month of effort, they were denied in the final moments, yet another example of ho…
Africa: Georges Collinet and Banning Eyre Host Afropop the African Rivers Project At the Kennedy Center
[Afropop] Final rehearsals with the newly coined Niger River Ensemble are underway for the bid show tomorrow at the Eisenhower Theater, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.. The evening of music focused on two great African Rivers will be emceed by th…
Mali: Tamikrest’s Journey From Kidal to the World
[Afropop] At GlobalFEST 2023 in New York City, we had the chance to hear one of the great bands of modern Tuareg music, sometimes called assuf (sadness) or ichumar (derived from the French word chomeur for “unemployed”), or as Western journalists somet…
Benin: Angelique Kidjo Wins 2023 Polar Music Award
[Afropop] Well, she’s done it again! Another unprecedented honour for the genre-bending diva of Benin, France and Brooklyn, the 21st century’s Mama Africa, Angelique Kidjo.
Cameroon: New Single ‘Hola Me’ By Blick Bassy From New Album ‘Madíbá’
[Afropop] In recognition of World Water Day Blick Bassy announces the release details for his new album, ‘Madíbá’, due out on May 26, 2023 via InFiné (Sabrina Bellaouel). His fourth album, ‘Madiba’ is sung in the Baasa language of France…