Africa: WOMEX 2023 – the Rundown From Ron!

[Afropop] Each year, come late October, there is a gathering of what could be described as a tribe - this year it was nearly 3000 people, from over 100 countries. There are no real rules to join this tribe, no initiations, no uniforms, and no secret handshakes to learn. The only requirement is a passion for and a desire to proliferate, what we are sometimes reluctant to call for lack of a better term, "world music." This year this gathering, its 23rd edition, called WOMEX, or officially, The Worldwide Music Expo,

Africa: Afropop Celebrates 35 Years At Sob’s in New York, Congo-Style!

[Afropop] Congo's Samba Mapangala and the Soukous Stars animated a high-spirited Afropop Dance Party at the legendary New York nighclub SOB's on Friday, Novemver 10th. The event was to honor of Afropop Worldwide's 35th anniversary and SOB's 40th. Samba brought a full-on soukous big band of ten U.S. based African musicians and dancers including Jaja Bashengezi on lead guitar, Ngouma Lokito on bass, Nkumu Katalay on congas and Freddy Nyembwe and Chekedar es Salam on backing vocals. Samba sang some of his mega hits

Africa: Images of WOMEX 2023 in Spain

[Afropop] Each year when the world music expo, WOMEX, closes up shop in another European city, we get the stats. And the 23rd edition in A Coruña, Spain, was no exception. So here they are: