Our Truth Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness (BCUC)

“Yeah, 2016, the year of indigenous rock sound.” Thus begins the 17-minute “Asazani,” the second track on Our Truth, a mesmerizing, passionate, and genre-defying album from South African seven-piece group Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness (BCUC). Their sound is rooted in … Read more »

Diasporadical Blitz the Ambassador

While most ambassadorships are one-way streets—“American ambassador to Switzerland” or whatever—Blitz the Ambassador cuts both ways. Born in Ghana and now based in Brooklyn, Blitz bridges the gap between classic American hip-hop moves and African musical traditions. On his latest … Read more »

Koya Abou Diarra

For most American listeners,  Abou Diarra is an unknown, and indeed he is still thought of as an “emerging artist.” This is probably due more to a lack of P.R. than talent, because over three albums and nearly a decade … Read more »

Heritage Richard Bona

Richard Bona’s music is as well-traveled as the man himself. For his latest record, Heritage, the New Yorker-by-way-of-Paris-and-Cameroon plays with a group called Mandekan Cubano. The album, released by Quincy Jones’ Qwest Records, explores the verdant and vast world of … Read more »

Mickey Hart Talks Planet Drum, 25 Years On Airto Moreira,Baba Olatunji,Flora Purim,Giovanni Hidalgo,Mickey Hart,Planet Drum,Sikiru Adepoju,Vikku Vinayakram

Twenty-five years ago, Grateful Dead drummer, “Rhythm Devil,” and autonomous ethnomusicologist (unofficial, like myself) Mickey Hart assembled a dream team of global percussionists. They were all artists he had known and worked with, but they had never played together. The … Read more »

Yemi Alade: Nigeria’s Mama Africa Bez,Yemi Alade

Producer Morgan Greenstreet is currently in Lagos, Nigeria, working on our upcoming Nigeria Hip Deep series. He interviewed superstar Yemi Alade at illustrious director Clarence Peters’ studio, where they were filming a music video for her feature with Bez, “You … Read more »

Tiken Jah Fakoly Exclusive Interview Tiken Jah Fakoly

On Nov. 22, Afropop intern Deguet Kone, AKA Kinté, Le Prince Heritier, had a phone interview with Ivoiran reggae legend Tiken Jah Fakoly, in advance of his Nov. 23 concert at Gramercy Theater. You can read Akornefa Akyea’s concert review … Read more »

Four Tracks with Tabou Combo: Yves “Fan Fan” Joseph Tabou Combo

On Sept. 1, the legendary Haitian group Tabou Combo took their classic compas to the stage at the Lincoln Center Atrium. Excerpts from that show are featured in our program Afropop Live! 2016. Producer Morgan Greenstreet sat down with the … Read more »

Fally Ipupa: The Kinshasa Hustle, Libanga and Democracy Fally Ipupa

On Nov. 4, the Afropop team interviewed Fally Ipupa, one of the best-known singers and bandleaders in Congolese popular music, in his room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Fally and his group F’Victeam performed live the next night, at New … Read more »

Ali Faiq on Rwayes Heritage and Re-Creation Ali Faiq & Amarg Experience

While in Agadir, a city on the Southwest coast on Morocco, Afropop producer Jesse Brent caught up with Ali Faiq, a legendary figure of Amazigh music and fusion in Morocco. Former members of Ali’s previous band, Amarg Fusion, have gone … Read more »

Four Tracks: Sauti Sol Exclusive Interview Sauti Sol

We caught up with Kenyan supergroup Sauti Sol last week on their way through New York en route to South Africa for the MTV MAMA Awards, where they won best group! Afropop is offering a free pair of tickets to see Sauti Sol … Read more »

Rab Bakari Decodes Afrobeats, Naija Pop and More Davido,Diamond Platnumz,Fela Anikulapo Kuti,James Brown,Tiwa Savage,Wizkid

Rab Bakari is one of a kind: producer, entrepreneur, DJ and artist agent. We first met during the research for Afropop’s 2013 Hip Deep in Ghana series. Rab had played a central role in the creation of the genre known … Read more »