In my inbox the other day arrived a Coupe Decale mixtape from San Francisco's Chief Boima . It was awesome, like nothing I've heard before, not just straight African stuff but a house party style mash up with Bashment, Juke & Hip Hop. So fresh. I started trying to write a post but realized I know bugger all about Coupe Decale so I gave up and asked the man himself to fill us in. Hi Chief Boima. How's it going?  read more »

When I picked up this album in a Lagos market about eight years ago, I was motivated less by any curiosity about the music it contained than I was by my interest in vintage women's fashion and glamour photography. Fortuitously, when I got the LP back home I found that its pleasures extended beyond just the resplendently arrayed beauties pictured on its cover; it was, in fact, a rather solid record in the Johnny Nash pop-soul-reggae mold. A couple of Brook Benton covers, a rendition of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," a Johnny Nash tune, and a few original compositions all cut in the kind of slightly fey, nostalgia-tinged "revival" style that would help birth lovers rock in the 1970s. The title track in particular rang with a faint familiarity... I recalled hearing it in my childhood, either used as a radio jingle or the theme song for some TV talk show dealing with women's issues or something. "(God Bless) Nigerian Woman"... Yeah, it had been ages, but I remembered it. I really didn't remember Mark Holder, though. Never heard his name come up in any discussion of Nigerian music, either. Who was he?  read more »

In the past years, mixtapes (technically: mix-cd's and sometimes even non-mixed cd's) have come to be instrumental in breaking new hip hop tracks, especially in the USA. Huge quantities are pressed up and sold in an informal network of distributors and vendors. The big mixtape deejays names include DJ Clue, Kay Slay, Whookid, Green Lantern. Now the latter used to be Eminem's dj and still works with Jay-Z, who he joined as a tour dj on his African tour last year.

Wouldn't it be nice then if Green Lantern included some African hip hop tracks in his mixes? Well it gets better... film director Femi Agbayewa (Real-Livin Films) in association with Green Lantern's Team Invasion and Africanhiphop.com presents:  read more »

" The Vodoun Effect " 1972-1975 Funk & Sato from Benins Obscure Labels 14 tracks compilation available on CD and double vinyl (Release Date November 3rd) Few sentences to announce the release of my 4th Compilation. I have been working on this project for a very long time and I must admit its a dream becoming reality now. It will see day-light on November 3rd in the UK and World-Wide on November 21st !!  read more »

All of you who want a day out in London, how about this? As you know I have been far and wide to see Bassekou Kouyate, and have been plugging the Amazones on my radio show, all we want is some Malian weather and it will be a fantastic day... see you there!

Press release
 read more »

 read more »

Playlist for Spin The Globe - 14 November 2008 Music of Kenya, Miriam Makeba remembered, and more as heard on KAOS-fm hour 1 Jabali Afrika - Tandi feat. Cosmas Sindani - Rootsganza Kenge Kenge - Otenga - Introducing Kenge Kenge Suzzana Owiyo - Mama Africa - Mama Africa Athman bin Khamis - Coconut Pickers Song - Kenya & Tanzania: Witchcraft & Ritual Music Hardstone - Uhiki (Pinyes Remix) - African Groove Kakai Kilongo & les Kilimambogo Brothers - Wanawake Wachawi - Best of Kakai Volume Two Kalamashaka - Ni Wakati - Rough Guide to African Rap Mamadi Kaba - Ballingaka NGai - Africa Jole Nyota Ndogo - Chereko - Rough Guide to Kenya Ayub Ogada - Wa Winjigo Ero - En Mana Kuoyo Sila & Afrofunk Experience - Malaika - Live Extra Golden - Obama - Here Ma Nono hour 2 Chocquibtown - Somos Pacifico - Rough Guide to Colombian Street Party Rafael Manriquez - Deja la vida volar / Let life fly - Que viva el canto! Songs of Chile Mayra Andrade - Tunuka - Navega Miriam Makeba - Click Song - Reflections Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata 2000 - New World Party Angelique Kidjo - Malaika - Keep On Moving Lucky Dube - Different Colours - Restospective Sergio Mendes - Odo-Ya w/Carlinhos Brown - Encanto Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Lountang - Sira Cordero - Ruleta Rusa - De Donde Eres Figli Di Madre Ignota - Nema Problema Tourist - Fez Club Oana Catalina Chitu - Aprinde o Tigara - Bucharest Tango Youssoupha Sidibe - Pekheme Yalla - Xelkom Trying out a new audio/podcast host this week, since boomp3 seems to be belly-up with no links working. Let me know if you like it or not... or if you have recommendations for a better (free!) audio hosting service. I'll work to transfer recent links to a working service over the weekend. Thanks!  read more »

While MTV Africa (also known as MTV Base) has made Joburg, SA their home two years ago, until recently the channel didn't yet reward talent across the continent by way of an awards ceremony. And with the mysterious situation surrounding the South Africa-based Kora Awards where awards entries went 'returned to sender' as they seemed to have disappeared off the earth, there were few spots for artists around the continent to be promoted into the mainstream.  read more »

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF "NORTH AFRICA" THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF "South & East Africa" THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF "West Africa" THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF [AFRICA].General Releases THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF [Asia & Middle East] Mali is the crown jewel of West Africa a vast, magnificent country with ancient musical traditions and many of the continents best loved musicians.  read more »

South African Women With a Voice Chapter 2

With South Africa Presents Women With A Voice "SKIP succeeded in 2006 as informative as musically interesting overview of great singers from South Africa. The album on which of Mama Africa Miriam Makeba to the new shooting star Simphiwe Dana many sizes of the South African vocalists - scene gathered were reached in both the European World Music charts

 read more »