September 22, 2023
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 »
September 12, 2023
Africa: Afropop Top Videos - Stephen Marley, Bombino, Las Hijas Del Rap
The awesomely creative and inspiring videos just keep coming. Here are six more additions to Afropop's Top Videos YouTube playlist, once again spanning the endless diversity of… Read more »
September 07, 2023
Zambia: From Zamrock to the Great Year - Zambian Artist Sitali Siyolwe Releases Fourth Studio Album
Sitali is a New York-born singer-songwriter and guitarist from Zambia who has been in the D.C. and summer festival music circuit scene for years. If you were to ask anyone outside… Read more »
August 24, 2023
Zimbabwe: Mokoomba - Tusona (Tracings in the Sand)
By the time the Zimbabwean band Mokoomba arrived on the African pop scene with their international debut album Rising Tide in 2013, they had been developing their sound for a… Read more »
South Africa: Sharon Katz and the Peace Train New Album - for You
South African singer/songwriter and bandleader Sharon Katz co-founded the band The Peace Train in 1992. Nelson Mandela was just out of prison, and Katz and her musicians traveled… 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 »
August 17, 2023
Zimbabwe: Mokoomba's Unforgettable Return to London
After 6 years since the legendary Mokoomba last played in London, they finally made their very special appearance at the Jazz Cafe, in Camden Town. And there is no better place to… Read more »
August 13, 2023
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 »
August 08, 2023
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 »
August 04, 2023
Africa: Instagram Message From Bonnie Raitt to Afropop Worldwide
Three days ago Bonnie Raitt sent her fans a heartwarming message about her experience traveling to Mali in 2000 with Afropop Wordlwide. Check it out! Read more »
July 28, 2023
Uganda: Bobi Wine, Uganda's People's President, Comes to America With a New Feature Film
There are few musicians in modern history, certainly modern African history, who can hold a candle to Fela Kuti when it comes to brazen courage in standing up to powerful despots.… Read more »
Africa: Sobs Celebrates 40 Years
Sean participated this week in the party hearty celebration of the 40th anniversary of SOB's (Sounds of Brazil), the legendary nightclub in New York City founded by Larry Gold. Read more »
July 27, 2023
Africa: Simon Shaheen Discusses the History and Art of the Oud
In preparing the program "Journeys With the Oud," Afropop's Banning Eyre visited Palestinian composer Simon Shaheen, an oud and violin virtuoso. They met in Shaheen's Brooklyn… Read more »
July 26, 2023
Africa: Nuits d'Afrique Rides Again With Yemi Alade, SONA Jobarteh, Dicko Fils and Much More!
The 37th edition of the Nuits D'Afrique festival in Montreal is a wrap. Once again, the city hosted twelve days of live music from Africa and the diaspora, featuring many of the… Read more »
July 25, 2023
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 »
July 18, 2023
Africa: 2023 Montreal International Jazz Festival
The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (FIJM) returned in its 43rd edition in full swing (and shuffle, backbeat, Afrobeat, and even ¾ time). It's been three years… Read more »
Africa: Oumou Sangare and Vox Sambou At Celebrate Brooklyn
On Friday, July 14, bookended between well-timed tropical downpours, a remarkable concert went down at Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park. Oumouy Sangare, pioneer of Mali's… Read more »
July 13, 2023
Africa: More Afropop Top Videos - Teni, Mokoomba, Blick Bassy, Dub Inc, Sophie Lukacs
Here are five new Top Afropop videos to get you through another ultra-hot 2023 July weekend. We start off with something on the cool side. Cameroonian maverick Blick Bassy has a… Read more »
June 30, 2023
Africa: Afropop Closeup Podcast Season 8 Begins July 4
As podcast subscribers and listeners know, the Afropop Closeup podcast series, hosted by individual producers, is a place where we go beyond the music into politics, religion,… Read more »
June 29, 2023
Africa: The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival Rides Again
More than a few reggae fans thought they'd never see another edition of the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, the Northern California event, which for 25 editions had become… Read more »
June 21, 2023
Africa: Rumba By the Connecticut River
It started with an email from Pastor Steven Jungkiet of the Old Lyme Congregational Church in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Steven was inviting us to two weekend events featuring… 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 »
June 15, 2023
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 »
June 12, 2023
Africa: New Afropop Top Videos - June 12
We've just added eleven new videos to the Afropop Top Video Playlist on YouTube. As usual, some amazing music and visuals here. There's new work by Siselabonga of South Africa,… Read more »