Mali: Habib Koité Returns With Mande Quartet

Mali's Habib Koité has led a storied career since he burst onto the scene with his award-winning debut album Musa Ko in 1995. Now, eight albums later, he's returning to our… Read more »

Nigeria: Seun Kuti Gets Heavier Yet

Seun Kuti, youngest son of the Afrobeat legend and founder, is just out with his seventh studio album, Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head). It's a strong set of tracks, featuring… Read more »

Nigeria: Kano's Ado Gwanja Sings for the Ladies

When Afropop visited Kano, Nigeria, in 2017, we met an ambitious, English-speaking student named Umar Musa Ali. He has since expressed keen interest in reporting to us about… Read more »

Senegal: Don't Miss Globalquerque! in Albuquerque (Sept. 26-28)

Here's a shout-out to our listeners on KUNM-FM in Albuquerque and on stations throughout the great state of New Mexico. We know you're psyched for the annual Globalquerque! music… Read more »

Mali: Mali's Amadou and Mariam Celebrate Five Decades in Music

Mali's Grammy-nominated Afro-rock sensation, Amadou and Mariam, once billed as "The Blind Couple of Mali" have had a big year this year. They recently played a cover of a Serge… Read more »

Cameroon: Ekep Nkwelle - Tapping the Spiritual Source

One of the most memorable moments for us this year at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal was the chance to see and hear 25-year old, Cameroonian-American jazz singer… Read more »

Ghana: Ghanaian Singer Afroso Blends Tradition with Modernity

Okaidja Afroso is a Ghanaian singer, dancer, guitarist and composer based in Oregon since 1999, but still deeply tied to his Gãdangmé roots in a fishing community of… Read more »

Nigeria: Ego Ella May Is Not Alone

What's in a name? For jazz singer/songwriter Ego Ella May, it's a window into her rich heritage. Her first name, pronounced "eh-go," honors her Nigerian roots - her parents having… Read more »

Nigeria: Roundtable Discussion On Legendary Nigerian Fela Kuti's Music and Activism

"The more the people are organized, the better" - Fela Read more »

Togo: 'What Is Vaudou Music?' Peter Solo Speaks

One of the highlights of the inaugural Voodoo To Go Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands was Vaudou Game, a tremendous six piece Afro-funk band based in Lyon, France. Led by Togolese… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana Special 2 - Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds in the Diaspora: 1980-93

This set of 18 funky tracks is a welcome follow-up to Soundway's essential compilation Ghana Special: Modern Highlife Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues, 1968-81. In the late 70s,… Read more »

West Africa: Kokoroko - Evolving the Legacy of West African Music

The origin story of the band Kokoroko began, as all origin stories about humans and music do, in Africa. In this case, it was Kenya in 2014, in the town of Meru on the northeastern… Read more »

Nigeria: Adekunle Gold At Kings Theater in Brooklyn

Nigerian pop star Adekunle Gold returned to New York this week for a show at King's Theater in Brooklyn. The event was scheduled for September 29, the day Brooklyn nearly drowned,… Read more »

Cote d'Ivoire: Sidiki Dimbélé's Journey With the Djembe

At the speakeasy in Dalston, London, Hannah Allchurch had the pleasure of interviewing and listening to the talented multi-instrumentalist Sidiki Dembélé, accompanied… Read more »

Nigeria: Mr. Eazi Fuses African Art and Music Into a Global Sensation With the Evil Genius

Mr. Eazi, the award-winning Nigerian artist, is blurring the lines between continents and genres with his groundbreaking project, The Evil Genius. This innovative fusion of… Read more »

Nigeria: Rema Conquers Bollywood With TikTok

As we celebrate King Sunny Ade for having the longest charting African album on Billboard (Jùjú i Music, 1982, Island Records), forty-plus years later, Rema is… Read more »

Nigeria: KSA Passes the Baton to Rema as Longest-Charting African Album on Billboard

In the midst of celebrating Afropop Worldwide's 35th anniversary, Nigerian jùjú maestro King Sunny Ade fans and those new to him will appreciate a new landmark.… Read more »

Niger: Mdou Moctar's Central Park Stand for Niger

We recently saw Mdou Moctar and his band from Niger deliver a blistering set of Tuareg rock at Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage in Central Park. There were some 4,000… Read more »

Mali: Fatoumata Diawara - London Ko

Fatoumata Diawara's latest album, "London Ko," is an uplifting musical journey that lly blends electronic music with the rich traditions of Malian Wassoulou music. The production… Read more »

Nigeria: Yemi Alade - From Montreal With Love

Yemi Alade was one of the early breakthrough artists in the global Afrobeats movement. Born in Nigeria in 1989 to a Yoruba father and an Igbo mother, she broke the scene open in… Read more »

Mali: 'Songlines Is Delighted to Offer Free Access to Our April 2023 Issue to Afropop Listeners!

In this issue, our cover star was late master Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré - we spoke to Oumou Sangaré, his son Vieux and other friends and acolytes to find out… Read more »

Nigeria: Dap the Contract New EP PW3RS Hits the Ground Running

It doesn't happen often but a few weeks ago, Nigerian artist and lawyer Dolapo Akinkugbe, AKA DAP The Contract, a producer, rapper, singer, classical pianist, and videographer… Read more »

Ghana: John Collins Lecture On Ghana's Musical History

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… Read more »

Mali: Tinariwen to Release New Album May 19 and Launch Tour May 27

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,… Read more »

Mali: Nick Gold On Ali Farka Toure's Posthumous Release, Voyageur

When I reached Nick Gold, the creator of World Circuit records, by Zoom in London, he had recently returned from a trip to Mali and Senegal, his first visit there in years. He… Read more »