Twenty years strong and growing, Afropop Worldwide continues to engage and capture the interest of people all over the world. Many thanks to our website viewers and radio show supporters for submitting comments and testimonials about Afropop Worldwide! Check out a few we included in our recent NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) Funding Proposal:

 

“I have been an avid Afropop Worldwide fan since 2001 when I "discovered" it on my pubic radio station. Since then I make every attempt to listen to the weekly local radio broadcast. If that's not possible, I refer to the Afropop website to find the next available online broadcast. I receive the weekly emailed Afropop Newsletter which keeps me up to date on the latest national and international news regarding music with African roots. The Hip Deep series lets me take my enjoyment a step further by adding a historical context to the music I love. I hope to continue enjoying the fruits of Afropop's labors for years to come.”

--Elizabeth, Washington, DC

I can't tell you how important Afropop's Hip Deep program has been to me. It's been a source of personal pleasure, wonder, and enlighten every week. But just as important, I carry the information I get from from this show to my students. Most of my classes include a section on globalization and culture. In these, I often play parts of this show or songs I heard about on "Hip Deep" to illustrate the beautiful cross-cultural-pollination that's been going on for so long. My students at Chicago State University, a predominantly African-American university, are really impressed that I know so much about African diasporic culture and music, and they are so excited to hear great music out of the culture. Too often, Africa and things African fill the 'poverty and hunger slot' in the media and it's liberating for them to hear the beauty from their ancestral continent as well. My students at Columbia College are often music/performance/production majors, and they are absolutely fascinated to learn more about these increasingly popular forms of music, and to learn how their own popular music has been deeply influenced by African cultures. Thus, this show fills an important pedagogical purpose for me.
--Kate

“I'm writing to comment on the value of Afropop to me over the past 20 [!] years. Afropop has introduced me to music from Africa, South America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, that I otherwise wouldn't have known about and enjoyed. Also, with segments like "Hip Deep," Afropop has given me the knowledge necessary to appreciate the distinctiveness of each country's music. Also, such segments have shown me how musical styles are passed along from one country to the next, assimilated, modified, and passed along again. That has increased my appreciation of the connectedness among cultures.

”Knowing something about the music of other countries has given me a basis for making a connection to individual people from those countries. For example, I get into a taxi, detect a foreign accent, and ask the driver where he's from. He replies "Senegal." I respond that I like the music of Youssou N'Dour. The driver is thrilled that I know who Youssou N'Dour is, and asks how I know about him. I then explain about Afropop. The driver is happy that an American knows something about his country, and I'm happy that he's having a warmer feeling about being in the U.S.

Programs like Afropop motivated me to become a dues-paying member of my local public radio station 20 years ago. I've continued as a member since then. I hope that Afropop remains on the air, spreading the knowledge of music and culture, for years to come!”

--Fred, Evanston, IL

I have been listening to Afropop Worldwide since I was in college in the early 90s and it has always been a great link to my past. I grew up in Kenya, to the beats of the river road sound, and found myself back in New York with a hankering for the music of my childhood. I found my answer in the melodic drawl of Georges Collinet. I went into weekly rhapsodies over the program, to the extent that my friends often came to join me by the radio.

Thank you Afropop Worldwide for all of the music you have brought into my life! I am living in Istanbul now, and still turn to you, via podcast and online streams, to bounce to the beat! It is amazing to me that I am still connected to your program when I live to far away; the website is invaluable to a wanderer like me.
--Siobhan

“As a professor of English and humanities courses who recently began branching out into research on African literature and indigenous African music, I happened upon Afropop.  What an amazing resource! I am impressed with the social/political/cultural commitment of this organization, its informed and humane approach. Afropop is certainly providing an invaluable service--educating the public, sharing cultural traditions and innovations, providing a much-needed mouthpiece for and on behalf of African voices. 

--Joy, Professor at Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO

“As a widely published author writing about African and Caribbean music, and as an educator having taught in this area, I constantly appreciate the rich and accurate coverage of these musical traditions, and many more, offered by AFROPOP. There is simply nothing like it, nothing that strikes the right balance between heady education and emotionally involving entertainment. I urge the NEH to continue their support of this priceless series.”

--Norman, Boise State University

“As a Social Studies teacher in Reading, Pennsylvania, I am thrilled to have Afropop's Hip Deep available as a podcast. My students are all English language learners from other parts of the world. This show gives them a positive view of other cultures that is informative and enjoyable and that exists nowhere else in English language media. This is a wonderful resource for geography, world culture and music education.”
--Terry, Mohrsville, PA

“Because of the Afropop program, I have found a diversity of sounds that have helped me to grow as a musician & as a person. In a society that has tried to dilute the qualities of our cultural identities, Afropop has become even more important. The addition of the Hip Deep series has been great & as always, I love learning about & hearing music from so many places. Thank you!”

--Judy

“I am a musician from Uganda.  I have been blessed with the programs on Afropop, reviews about different artists from around the world, the Hip Deep Series and the radio and many other programmes I can't mention here. I have been following closely and I know so are so many other people. Please keep it up. We are blessed and we pray that through you many other people may be reached and enjoy music from all around especially African music.”

--Charlie, Uganda

”Thank you for the depth and quality of your reporting on African music, especially the Hip Deep series. This series has set a very high standard, and has delivered information which we refer to frequently. We also use the updates from your eZine and your concert listings to know what is happening in this dynamic and challenging cultural and artistic environment. Please keep up the great work.”

--Amy, Rebecca and Markus, Sebastopol, CA

“I can attest to the very important public benefit provided by Afropop, in the United States and abroad. I am a United States Foreign Service officer, and was head of public and cultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mali from 2002-2004. During that time, Afropop played an active, significant, and extremely valuable role in informing its readers/listeners about the important musical and cultural milestones of the Festival du Desert in the Timbuktu region, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where Mali was the featured foreign culture. The success and popularity of these events were very important to the diplomatic and official interests of the United States, and the grants of taxpayer funding to Afropop helped make that happen.

Since that time, I have continued to be extremely impressed with Afropop's excellent cultural reporting and positive promotion of American musicians, as well as their renowned ability to introduce musicians worldwide to American audiences. Afropop is a true example of tax dollars very well spent in support of meaningful, important cultural work. In a world where cultural misunderstandings and ignorance can, and do, cause serious harm in a moment, the work of Afropop is especially valuable and in the best interests of the people of the United States.”

--Dan, United States Embassy, Guatemala

“As a musician, band leader and producer on the New York African music scene, I am very happy that we have the Afropop organization working to preserve and promote the music and culture that we love.”

--Sylvain, New York, NY

“Afropop Worldwide and your wonderful web materials are a very important asset to American culture. You folks are bringing a focus on Africa and African-influenced cultures around the world to the American people. And you do it with such professionalism and skill - not to mention entertainment. You all - the whole team of George, Sean and Banning and the others - are performing an extremely important service.  

I am a former Peace Corps volunteer to/from Kenya and have greatly appreciated your outstanding radio broadcasts - and now your web articles - for over a decade. Thanks for your outstanding work down through the years! You have `taken me home' again to Africa on many wonderful occasions.”

--Robert, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

“I am happy to write on behalf of afropop.org. I am a professional jazz musician and composer and find the variety of music and music-related information presented through the radio program "Afropop Worldwide" [which I listen to on WAMC-FM, Albany, NY], the website, and the e-newsletter to be inspirational.

Many of the courses I teach--History of Jazz, Music of Black America, Music of Latin America, Music and Culture of Africa—relate directly to the African Diaspora. Afropop.org is an important source, providing historical context [Hip Deep especially] which is organized in an interesting and informative format, studded with hard-to-find audio samples. Having traveled in Latin America and Africa, I understand the importance of hearing music first-hand. Afropo.org does a tremendous job of bringing back music from far away as well as motivating its listeners to travel to these distant locales.”

--Tim,Union College, Schenectady, NY

“Afropop Worldwide is an incredible service, deeply valued by those of us in the world music community. The windows Afropop provides on global music are unparalleled, in particular the focused looks at specific corners of this amazing human tapestry.

In addition to the radio show itself I especially appreciate the weekly newsletters and the website archives – great material. Afropop lets me keep abreast of world music news from a single source that comes to me, saving me hours of web-surfing.  Keep up the good work!”

 --Paul, Dandemutande.org

“Afropop Worldwide is like the finest libraries of the world: A center of information dedicated to informing, educating, promoting the incredible wealth of African music and the music of the African Diaspora. Afropop.org is one of my favorite places to visit – it’s an inviting environment, run by a knowledgeable and dedicated staff, where I can learn, listen and travel to the far reaches of the globe!”

--Dan, McCarter Center, Princeton, NJ

Thank you Thank you Thank you. What more can I say to the Afropop Team? The work you folks have undertaken, believe is instrumental to making our world a better of place. From your historically based (and interesting) Hip Deep programs which brings new insight on the similarities of different genres of music. This type of programming also highlights that even different cultures have similarities, which during times like these is something we often overlook.

--Mark

“I must say that the Afropop website is very educational to those interested in other cultures, as well as the general public. I especially liked the Hip Deep programs, notably the ones featuring Cuba and Improvisation. I use this web site to listen to the Afropop Worldwide Radio Program Archives, to find out about the various featured artists, to find out what's going on in my city, and to see the other features that are regularly provided on this website. I am in support of seeing this website and its radio program continue for my education and for others. Thank you Afropop!”

--Kobi

“The Afropop radio and web presence is very important to me. I listen faithfully to Georges Collinet every Sunday at noon, and if I cannot be near the radio, I record the show to listen to later. I also download podcasts from the website and read helpful and informative articles and features and news about the world of Afropop music and performance. IN Middle America, Afropop Worldwide is our link to the traditions and sounds of the folklore of the African Diaspora, an integral part of human history.”

--Saba, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

“Afropop remains an indispensable source for information and current news about art and music from all over the world.”

--Chris

“I can't listen to Afropop on the radio without having a pen and paper handy. I've been introduced to so much amazing music that would otherwise get no radio play whatsoever around here. I have a long wish list of albums I have to get thanks to Afropop. The Hip Deep series is crucial for me because it introduces me to new worlds of musical and cultural history. Keep up the good work. Thank you..”

--Alex, Miami, FL

“Thank you for your amazing work of bringing and sharing Afro-based music...I literally wait anxiously to Sunday nights to hear your new program, which we enjoyed with my husband religiously. Also, thank you for having classic audio streams available in your website...those have accompanied many afternoons and evening of working and writing in the solitude of my university office...Finally, your newsletter is a great contribution that makes us feel connected with the Afropop World. With all my heart, thank you and keep the struggle! “

--Roberta

“I have been as avid listener and supporter (through national public radio and the web) of Afropop Worldwide since the early 1980s. It has been though the supreme efforts of Mr. George Collinet and his staff that I have learned so much about music of the African and Asian continents. As a child my parents had friends from all over the world and our house was filled with music from Port Said to Makossa. Listening to Afropop Worldwide reintroduced me to music of my childhood and beyond.

Given the commercialism of today's music industry, it is truly refreshing to tune in to the sounds of real music and live musicians. And as necessity is the mother of invention it is through program series like "HIP DEEP" that we are able to keep apprized of the latest in homespun technology and ingenuity.

“Afropop and their Hip Deep programming are more important than ever to each of us. Music offers us all an opportunity for greater understanding and acceptance of each other, something our world needs more each day. Afropop and Hip Deep give us all an opportunity to look through the window music offers to view other cultures, points of view, and share the sheer joy of wonderful music from around the world.

All of us with the California WorldFest support the efforts of all the folks at Afropop Worldwide to help us have a greater understanding of each other and to celebrate the beauty of the musical arts. I often refer to their programs through their excellent website and radio broadcasts. And, their e-Newsletter is a great source of information about artists we may present at WorldFest in the future.”

Thank you for continuing to support the excellent work of all those associated with Afropop. Sincerely,

--Dan, WorldFest

“I teach courses in World Music at two different colleges in Ohio. Afropop is an invaluable resource for my students. The educational component alone makes this organization a treasure. At a time where the ability to understand other cultures is paramount, Afropop helps to fill this vital need.”

--Leo, Kirtland Hills, OH

“Please continue support for Afropop Worldwide, as it is an invaluable resource for people looking to explore the African Diaspora. The show is wonderfully produced, and features some of the best music on the planet.

--Sandra, On Queue Performing Artists, Cooperstown, NY

“In a world where it is vital that we reach each other and learn about other cultures so that we can be at peace with each other it is important that Afropop continue. It has been a life source to me I wouldn't have been open to new experiences of Africa and other countries if I hadn't been able to have this organization to turn to. Besides that we all know that music is the universal language in supporting this organization you are supporting an opportunity to help numerous people along the way.

So I am asking you to please continue to support Afropop so that it may in turn help continue to build a community of music for all.”

--Anna

I have been following Afropop Friday evenings ever since George Collinet debuted the show on NPR decades ago. At first it was the music. I have always been drawn to R&B, and Afropop took me to the roots of this great music. Then I realized that Afropop was Africa's ONLY voice in American media. Bit by bit, Collinet was giving listeners a warm introduction to a supposed "dark continent”. And he was giving us the history of African nations.

Afropop: America's foremost link an entire continent!

Afropop: the best example in America of the power of music to promote awareness and understanding.

--Steve, Glenview, IL

Afropop is a gift to listeners worldwide as an entry to and for preservation of the music and social history of the African Diaspora, as evidenced by informative musical programming such as Hip Deep. Nearly every day I tune into Afropop via the internet, or take it with me on podcasts, or catch up on the latest news and musical happenings through the e-newsletter. Afropop keeps me connected -- thank you!

--Dana, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Afropop Worldwide's Hip Deep series has introduced me to compelling global music that I would never have encountered otherwise. The series shines a light on musicians and musical subcultures globally, teaching us about culture and music history in the process. That the programs include traditional and rural sounds alongside new urban and hybrid forms helps to capture the complexity and vibrancy of music being made around the world. Sincerely,

--Robert

My family and I cannot say enough great things about Afropop Worldwide. Simply put, we love it! In addition to learning a lot ourselves, my husband and I have used Afropop's resources to introduce family, friends and colleagues to music and cultural news from the African Diaspora. Most recently, our older son has used these resources for a school project on African musical instruments. It has been our experience that Afropop programs, such as Hip Deep, are the most effective way to change simplistic notions of Africa as either an exotic safari destination or a continent drowning in misery due to corruption, poverty, and disease.

As enthusiastic listeners and web subscribers to Afropop's programs and newsletters, we would love to see Afropop's Hip Deep programs receive support from the NEH.

--Eileen

Back when the Houston International Festival (www.ifest.org) was first getting into Afropop music with Ali Farka Toure and, later, with Youssou and all the rest, APWW was a big influence and supporter. Now rated as the number one cultural celebration in the country by independent consultants, ifest owes so much of its success to APWW. With Sean’s, George’s, Banning’s and Ned’s help we were the first to break Afropop music in to the African American audience in this country. Afropop remains a staple for our audience. Thanks to APWW.

--Jim, Houston International Festival, Houston, TX

I consider your program and website to be a vital information source on the culture and ethnomusicology of world music focusing on Africa and the African Diaspora. I have learned a great deal from listening to the radio program and hearing the musical selections from around the world. I have visited the website to learn more about that music and the other information to be found there. I also appreciate receiving you e-newsletter so that I can keep informed when not able to catch the broadcast program.  I will soon also be listening to your podcasts.

The “Hip Deep” program is a one of a kind resource to me where in depth exploration of trends, themes and modalities can be experienced, heard and understood.

I add my voice to those commending your work and recommending that any funding source to which you make application award support to your efforts.

--Christopher, Germantown, NY

Afropop [Worldwide] is one of  the best thing you can fund. It brings awareness of other cultures though music.  It breaks down the barriers between people while preserving and sharing musical history with everyone who listens.

--Roxanne

I've been listening to Afropop for over a decade. It has brought the world to me in what is otherwise a very provincial life here in the South. The music I have been introduced to on Afropop has enriched my life immeasurably. I enjoy the Hip Deep series to give me a little more historical perspective of how the various musical styles came to be. I listen on radio and internet through WNCW in Asheville, North Carolina, and I also get in-depth reviews and news from the website Afropop.org and email alerts.

--Seth, Charlotte, NC

I want to thank Afropop for bringing me great music -- and great musical history --that I otherwise wouldn't have heard, both through its radio show (and especially its Hip Deep programs) and its e-mail newsletter.

--Howard, New Haven, CT

I am a student of African music and this website is absolutely essential to my work and my pleasure. Afropop [Worldwide] keeps me aware of all the new trends in the African Diaspora as well as the festivals that are held in Africa. Because of the coverage I have actually just gotten back from the Festival au Desert in Essakane, Mali because of the coverage over the last 4 years that Afropop gave me about this particular festival. When I am looking to review cd’s for my collection or to review I always refer to Afropop. Thanks to this organization I am more up to date and more knowledgeable of the vast range of African and Cuban music. Sincerely,

--Andy, Aspen, CO

What would I do without Afropop Worldwide? I would be lost in a wilderness of terrible, meaningless music, separated from the Continent and the Diaspora and the most intense, complex rhythms of the world; uneducated and uninformed. APWW's program, website, and community connection is one of the most valuable in New York.

--Ericka

I've been listening to Afropop Worldwide for many years now (since the 80's, I think?), and always look forward to the exceptional programming! Each week the program keeps me in touch with the wide world of music that's not very accessible anywhere else. And with the music, Afropop also introduces us the culture and perspectives of people around the world, making the world a little bit smaller in a very good way!  I'm also a fan of the website and iPod downloads (which are a little slow, but well worth the wait).

--Paula,, Florence, MA

I never had found a radio that in its totality dedicated all its emission to something as pretty as they are music of the world. In addition I believe that, in general, the work of you is more cultural than of leisure. Your work tries to unite countries, cultures, races and styles, and I believe that the work is much more humanitarian that musical. Thank you very much.

--Martin, Galicia, Spain

I rely on cultural treasures like Afropop to keep me informed on new music and favorite artists. The music I enjoy most is music I will never hear on mainstream radio. It is often from another country and very often in a language I am barely fluent in or just beginning to learn. I enjoy hearing the diversity of styles, voices, instruments, and viewpoints that world music features. Keep up the good work!

--Jodi, Pennsylvania

Afropop Worldwide, and particularly its Hip Deep programs, are essential to the way that I teach African Popular Culture to US undergraduate students. Nine of the Hip Deep programs which are archived on the website are required weekly listening projects for my students in my course, History 241 "African Popular Culture". This course surveys post-colonial African history through the lens of popular culture, and the Afropop website is the only way I can put my students in touch with 1960s highlife, the early soukous sound of the Congo, and other critical moments in the history of music and society in Africa. This course regularly has 100 students, enrolled from all the institutions of the Five College Consortium of Mount Holyoke, Smith, Amherst, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts. My students also use Afropop's excellent website as the starting point for their research papers on placing a particular song by an African artiste in the context of political debates in his/her society at the time the song was produced.

The open and collaborative style of Afropop has helped me to channel the enthusiasm of some of my students into further research: a few of them have provided input to Afropop based on their experiences of popular music while traveling or studying abroad, and I think some of this information has found its way onto the website.

Afropop's radio program and its wonderful website is a window that introduces US citizens, especially the young, to a part of the world which might otherwise appear to be far away and unfamiliar. Making the world smaller is exactly what we need right now, and Afropop is doing a wonderful job. Please continue their funding!

--Holly, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

I write to support Afro-pop, and its Hip Deep work. It is so important for Americans to be exposed to African and African based culture, and Afro Pop does an amazing job of making it accessible.

All humans come from Africa, emerging from the Rift Valley, and spreading across the world. And in the Rift Valley today, you can see people who look like global citizens, you can see the roots of all faces.

The roots of American music come from as many places as Americans come from, but no continent has had a stronger influence on that magnificent amalgamation then Africa. We simply cannot understand our own music without understanding the African stream within it.

--Jonathan, Katonah, NY

I listen to Afropop on WBEZ in Chicago, where I teach workshops on "Understanding Other Cultures through the Arts". One of my areas of interest is North Africa. Afropop is the only place on the radio where I can hear Algerian rai, Moroccan guedra, and Umm Kulthum with insightful cultural commentary for good measure. Most discussions of African culture decapitate the continent and only deal with sub-Saharan music and culture.

--Djalaal, Chicago, IL

I have listened to Afropop many years now and sent in financial support too. I have always liked the context provided for the music, the way each show tells a story. Listening to your wonderful host, Georges Collinet, makes me happy. Of the Hip Deep series, I especially enjoyed the show on Algerian rai. Best wishes to all of you.

--Andrew

I’ve been listening to this fine program for many years. I believe this program reflects some of the finest of our American cultural heritage and helps to frame our heritage within the broader scope of all world cultures and the debt all of us owe to Africa. I love listening to music from all over the world. The music of every culture of the world can trace some elements back to its African heritage. It connects us all back to our common origin, to how closely we are all related, and how our similarities vastly outweigh our differences. I believe the oldest language of all is music. It is a universal language that I believe goes back to our common origin, Africa. This program helps me to revel in the beauty of our species rather than being ashamed of our faults.

–Chuck, Austin, TX

I feel that Afropop truly offers us a multicultural experience. I enjoy the programs, for example I loved the series celebrating South Africa's ten years of freedom. I am also involved in spreading African culture and helping Africans.

--Deborah, African Development thru Drum and Dance

The appellation Hip Deep is an appropriate evocation of the depth of immersion which Afropop relays to the entire world, as well as its entertaining, "hip" approach to the music with which major portions of our globe keeps their people entertained and inspired. I've received evidence of Afropop's ear-and-eye-opening influence on music listeners who previously had little exposure to and even less detailed knowledge about the musical expression of the African Diaspora. But as an author of an academic volume on world music and as a frequent contributor to regional, national, international, and web-based publications on the subject of world musics, I can also testify to Afropop's value as a professionally reliable resource. Afropop has made excellent use of radio and internet media, and has expanded the breadth and depth of its efforts over the years. There are many of us who hope this growth will continue, and who look forward to benefiting from it.

--Jeff, San Francisco, California

I've had a life long interest in music from around the world, from the early sixties listening to Miriam Makeba and Ravi Shankar LPs with high school friends. After moving to rural Kentucky with the National Health Service Corps my only opportunity to expand my listening horizons were on rare trips to the big city.

The advent of personal computers and services like Afropop have revolutionized my access to the great music of the world outside my home. Afropop is especially dear to me because of all the geographic areas of the world, Africa has the most diverse music and is personally my favorite. I've especially enjoyed Hip-Deep and other shows that not only play the music but give some understanding of the origins and context of the music.

--David, Berea, Kentucky

It is increasingly important that politically and economically fragile areas of the world have methods of self-expression and recognition worldwide. Not only is the music wonderful, and worth broadcasting, but having it in a world wide forum is an effective method to foster cultural exchange and thereby foster peace.

--A. Diallo

I have thoroughly enjoyed your radio program, website and podcasts. I have heard alot of good music on Afropop, some of which is just not available anywhere else. One example: I found on your website a field recording of Ngororombe panpipe ensemble, recorded by Afropop in Zimbabwe in the 1980s. I know of the existence of only one other recording of Ngororombe and I am a big fan of African panpipes, so I am grateful for your good work.

--Kris

Afropop, I thank you so much! I tried so hard to listen to the show religiously but it was very hard for me. Your podcasts are now as exciting to me as a letter from an old friend. You have turned me on to the music of the world and while the show is satisfying, it always leaves me wanting more. There are no other show like you! Thank you for showing this small town American boy the world!

--Ethan

I just want to say how important Afropop has been for our family for many years, including the recent years we have lived in somewhat isolated Reno, Nevada, with our young daughter (Delia, 10 years). Frequently my daughter and I dance wildly to Afropop music on KUNR Monday evenings; I am very glad that I can enable her to discover the extraordinary range of African-inspired music in world musical history. What an incredible show! All recent programs have been inspiring, including Hip Deep and others. Afropop is a fixture in our weekly schedule. It's hard for me to imagine a life without Georges Collinet and his deeply thoughtful, well-prepared presentations. We also receive weekly emails and have benefited from those as well.

--Barbara, Reno, NV

Afropop is a huge gift in my life! Of all the media programs, arts, and culture of which I'm a grateful consumer, Afropop [Worldwide] is the most consistently satisfying, action-packed, humane, intelligent, enriching hour of my week. Whatever my plans during the weekly broadcast on WBEZ, chances are, I'm listening. If I'm having guests or a family evening at home, cooking, or driving, the radio is tuned. I was thrilled to attend the Afropop Worldwide Dance Party last fall in Chicago, and I immediately went to the bookstore and bought recordings from all the artists who were performing, and a few more who were just mentioned. 'Hip Deep' series programs have really educated me, as have the interviews and reviews I read online and in the e-newsletter. The musical riches and international scope of Afropop are simply unsurpassed. Thank you. You are good and compassionate people doing superb work.

--Christa

I have been a regular listener to Afropop for many years. It is the highlight of my week. Afropop is a weekly voyage to the best of world music. Each week I listen to such diverse and beautiful music that often touches my heart and my soul. I cannot imagine a week without Afropop and look forward to listening to it for many years. I hope that Afropop receives all the funding it needs as it does such a service to listeners and musicians across the world.

--Daniel

Afropop provides a valuable service in promoting knowledge and interest in diverse music and the cultures from whence they came.

There are few of these resources available so it is great for people like me in far off Australia to be able to read the articles, listen to the programmes and now download the podcasts.

--Tony, Melbourne, Australia

Can't say enough good things about Afropop, for a multitude of reasons. I just got back, days ago, from a musical journey to Mali. I have traveled to many parts of the world; Cuba, Brazil, Morocco, Mississippi, Louisiana to listen to music. Afropop is a great source of information, of new recordings coming out, new artists, and programming. It also serves as a bridge for many different cultures, and in this world of diviseness, suspicion and fear, connecting different cultures is a righteous, much needed contribution to the planet.

--Daniel

Afropop is a vastly important source of education, entertainment, news, research, networking, and focus within the world music community. In a cultural climate where the general channels of communication (commercial radio, TV) are very narrow, Afropop's role is vital. Their research-based programs such as "Hip Deep" explain, promote, and encourage the flowering of music across the African Diaspora.

Whether it is traditional, modern, or fused with other cultures, African music is continually evolving and on-the-grow. Please keep visionaries like Banning Eyre, Sean Barlow, and Ned Sublette properly funded, so that they can continue their extraordinary, insightful, and thorough education of the public at large. We need them!!!

--Ashley

I have enjoyed all of the Hip Deep productions. They enable us to appreciate history and culture in a very effective way - through the medium of sound and music.

--J. Conquist, Victoria, BC

Afropop covers not only an amazing range of international music in their reporting but as one of the very few websites manages to do this in a highly intelligent as well as entertaining way. Afropop features, book reports, mailings, radio programs and music recommendations have become an invaluable source of information and inspiration to us!

--Hilda, Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA), Zanzibar / Tanzania

In a brief note, I wanted to praise Afropop for introducing me to some of the most wonderful important musicians on the planet. It also tremendously helps these musicians who so worthy and the cultural ambassadors to their country gain exposure in this time of commercial and corporate takeover of the airwaves. It also helps support these artists in the US and educate people in this country about the roots of American music.

I look at Afropop as very integral to my education - I once heard Mr. Collinet interview a hero Thomas Mapfumo, this introduced me to his music, at a time when I was in a marimba band. I later met, toured and recorded with Mapfumo, and it is really all because of that AFROPOP interview that I even knew about him. The Africa in America series ( which I was honored to be a part of) is one of the most vibrant, fascinating and righteous shows I have ever heard on the radio - depicting rich cross cultural collaborations occurring in the US that again occur under the radar of most all media involvement and recognition. 

There is nothing like AFROPOP, it is a team of dedicated engineers, musicians, anthropologists, radio and journalism specialists, who are creating a beautiful reality, letting us know what is really going on the in music world around the world

--Paul Eugene, OR

Afropop provides an invaluable service to all who love African music and culture. I donate to Afropop because I am so grateful for all the information they provide. I always use their email newsletter which keeps everyone informed on events, musical releases, scholarship.... Afropop is one-of-a-kind. Please support them.

--Devin, Brooklyn NY

I value Afropop Worldwide as a resource that broadens my view of the world and its people. It gives me access to artists that I would have no way to otherwise experience.
--Richard, Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, West Virginia

I greatly enjoy listening to Afropop. It provides a much needed alternative to what is becoming an increasingly limited, homogenized selection of radio broadcasts. It allows me to hear what is going on in music around the world. I look forward to listening each week.

--Tom

Hip Deep and the full family of music/culture programming offered by Afropop is an extraordinary doorway to global culture. I don't think there's anything else like it in the United States. I'd be delighted to have my tax dollars go to supporting more of this fine work. Afropop is the type of resource we need in the 21st Century.

--Lisa, Brooklyn, NY

Afropop is the leading outlet on a wide-access basis for the dissemination of qualified information, history and current events regarding African, Cuban, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Latin music in the United States. Without it, anyone interested in the aforementioned would have a much harder time gaining access to this non-mainstream and too often difficult to access information. The site is fantastic but they are doubly valuable as contributors to NPR, such that millions of Americans can be informed by the Afropop team.

Afropop has done an incredible amount of work to bring African music and musicians to the fore and serves additionally as a beneficial force to those musicians wishing to perform in the US. It is my sincere hope that Afropop is able to not only meet consistently its budgetary requirements such that it can continue to bring us the valuable cultural information, interviews, etc, but that it can perhaps expand its current broadcasts, operations and capabilities. The possibilities are limited only to the prowess and dynamic creativity of its founders, in whom I have the utmost confidence.

--Mark, Kentfield, CA

Afropop is the most comprehensive Afro-Caribbean music site that I have found. They keep their content and news updates fresh and exciting. The weekly newsletters are great and Afropop City Hotpicks section is very useful. Afropop is doing a great job of staying connected with the African Diaspora music scene.

--Kanette, Pontiac, MI

I truly love the site and would love be involved in any way possible. I have been playing African, Cuban and Latin Jazz music for over ten years and I am hooked. I am a graduate of Berklee College of Music and hold a degree in Jazz Composition. My dream is to attend a Masters program for Ethnomusicology. My main focus would be the musical migration of melodies, rhythms and instruments of Central Africa (Zaire/Congo). I love Franco and all Soukous music. More specific I am interested in what was once called Roots Rhumba!! Mostly, this music was recorded on a label between 1950-1956. I love this music and I love the language of Lingala. I am interested in tracing the history of those melodies and their composers. How the music move from Africa throughout the Caribbean and back to Africa during the liberation of several African states in the late '50's into the 60's.

--Marc, Portland, OR

First published: www.afropop.org