Wendo Kolosoy, the veteran World music star, has released an album of material recorded in 2004 on the IglooMondo label. Kolosoy is hailed as the father of the rumba, having helped shape the style already in the fifties and sixties. “Banaya Papa Wendo” features 10 tracks with old sparring partners such as Jean-Louis Kayala Bikunda […]
Entries Tagged as 'Africa'
Wendo Kolosoy: return of the king of rumba
March 7th, 2008 · No Comments
Baloji brings African rap to Paris
January 11th, 2008 · No Comments
Although it was only released in Belgium, one of our favourite albums in 2007 was “Hotel Impala” by Baloji. This Belgian rapper of Congolese origin has created an album that spans Hip-Hop, 70s soul, Afro Beat and chanson - quite a programme. The breakout single was “Congo”, a 7-minute masterpiece.
Baloji will be bringing his show […]
Tags: Africa · Music · Rap/Hip-Hop · events
Didier Awadi stands against EU-African pact
December 28th, 2007 · No Comments
Senegal’s Didier Awadi, formerly of the pioneering Hip-Hop act Positive Black Soul, has made a strong stand against the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. Like many people, he feels it is too heavily balanced in favour of the EU. The debate is a very complex one, […]
Tags: Africa · Music · Rap/Hip-Hop
Lord Ekomy N’Dong brings African rap to Paris
December 7th, 2007 · No Comments
One of the most impressive Hip-Hop producers outside the US happens to be one of the least known. Lord Ekomy N’dong is an innovative producer from Gabon that offers one of the savviest combinations of African sounds and a massive contemporary Hip-Hop vibe. His first album, “L’Afrikain”, played on a loop in our office […]
Tags: Africa · Music · Rap/Hip-Hop · events
Les Nubians live in New York
December 3rd, 2007 · No Comments
The French Hip-Hop duo Les Nubians will be appearing in New York before the New Year. The sisters play a neat style that has been summed up as “Afropean hip-hop with R&B”, singing in French and English. ‘Princesses Nubiennes’ (Higher Octave/Virgin) was the most successful French-language album in more than a decade of Billboard […]
Tags: Africa · Music · Rap/Hip-Hop · events
Last minute: African rap in Norway
October 16th, 2007 · No Comments
In terms of diversity and colour, nothing beats African rap. We just got news that the South African band Black Noise will be appearing in Oslo, Norway on October 17 as part of the Oslo Celebrations. More specifically, they will be providing music, DJing and capoeira for an African fashion show at the Georg Sverdrups […]
Tags: Africa · Music · Rap/Hip-Hop · events
Mamadou Konte remembered in Marseilles and Paris
August 1st, 2007 · No Comments
As mentioned below, the death of Mamadou Konte was a great loss to African music (and indeed the US and European music fans that enjoyed the acts he promoted). The company he created, Africa Fête, is however continuing. On September 9 and 15 next, they are putting together a special homage to Konte with a […]
Fela Kuti son kicks up a live storm
July 11th, 2007 · No Comments
Reviews of the Seun Kuti live shows with Egypt 80 in North America have been very good, with reviewers again welcoming the arrival of a massive Afro-Beat band led by the son of the iconic Fela Kuti (not that anyone has forgotten his other son Femi yet). “The band was the most important thing in […]
RIP: Mamadou Konte
June 24th, 2007 · No Comments
Although largely unknown to the general audience, African rap has lost one of its most important players. Mamadou Konte founded the Africa Fête festival in France in the late seventies, later bringing it to the US and Canada. He also set up a label in Senegal that was responsible for uncovering Positive Black Soul and […]
Summer festivals, Part 1: Africa Fête
June 13th, 2007 · No Comments
We’re beginning to get a lot of press releases concerning summer festivals. One we thought we’d highlight is the annual Africa Fête show in Marseilles on June 30. First, because we’ve always wanted to visit the town and secondly as the event is quite cool. Headliners include Kristo Numpuby, Ashes to Machines, Oumar Kouyaté and […]
