La Confusion Amadou and Mariam

In 1992, the first time I went to Mali, I was pawing through cassettes at a market stall, piling up my first cache of awesome tapes from Bamako. Some of the names were familiar, many not. The seller helped me … Read more »

Loé Loa: Rural Recordings Under the Mango Tree Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo

When you press play on Loé Loa: Rural Recordings Under the Mango Tree, Betsayda Machado’s voice rises like a 747 airplane: impossibly big but soaring all the same. You get a cadence, then a repeat from her backing chorus, and … Read more »

Tokooos Fally Ipupa

Tokooos, the new album from the Kinshasa-born Congolese artist, musician, producer, executive producer and philanthropist, Fally Ipupa, will enthrall African music lovers. This is Fally Ipupa’s fourth solo album, and the most ambitious in years. With Tokooos, Fally is attempting … Read more »

Ladilikan Kronos Quartet,Trio Da Kali

Da kali means “to give a pledge” in Bamana, the most widely spoken language in Mali. The phrase refers to the deepest responsibilities of a griot (or jeli), a commitment to preserving the memory of history, but also adherence to … Read more »

Interview: Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons on Soca Music Today Bunji Garlin,Damian Marley,Fay-Ann Lyons,Stonebwoy

Brooklyn’s Caribbean Carnival season recently passed, culminating in the massive, raucous Labor Day weekend festivities, crowned by the sprawling West Indian American Day Parade down Eastern Parkway. In the weeks around Labor Day, Brooklyn and Queens played host to an … Read more »

Mind the Band: Tony Allen Tony Allen

“Mind the Band” is a new series consisting of interviews conducted and transcribed by Nenim Iwebuke. Nenim is a Nigerian-born, New York-based DJ who brought this series to life through his many encounters with underground and mainstream musicians performing at … Read more »

A Drum Machine and Some Freedom: An Interview With Mannie Fresh Mannie Fresh

Mannie Fresh–producer, rapper and DJ–is a true legend of hip-hop. The architect of the Cash Money sound, Fresh spent years perfecting bounce within New Orleans, before spearheading the label’s mainstream crossover, bringing southern hip-hop to the top of the charts, … Read more »

Manuel Garcia Orozco: Revealing Colombia’s Invisible Legend, Magín Díaz Magin Diaz

At 95 years old, Magín Díaz recently released his first solo record after a lifetime of influencing the popular and folk musics of Colombia. A legendary traditional singer and composer, Magín’s impact on the music of his country has remained largely unrecognized … Read more »

Blick Bassy Charts His Own Course Blick Bassy

Blick Bassy is a Cameroonian singer and multi-instrumentalist, living in France and creating highly original African music. These days, he is touring with a trio, playing banjo and singing, backed by cello and trombone. The ensemble is featuring songs from … Read more »

Tcheka: Cape Verdean Maestro Goes Solo Tcheka

Tcheka (born Manuel Lopes Andrade) is a Cape Verdean original, a singer/songwriter/guitarist who has mastered the traditional idioms of his musically rich island nation, and channeled them into an expressive style all his own. He has recorded and toured with … Read more »

Sidi Wacho: Soundtrack of A Revolution Juanito Ayala,Saïdou,Sidi Wacho

For 10 years, the Algerian-French rapper known as Saïdou was a member of the group Le Ministère des Affaires Populaires (the Ministry of Popular Affairs) or simply, MAP. A hip-hop group based in Lille, in the north of France, they … Read more »

Samir Langus on Morocco’s Musical Landscape Hajib,Hajja Hamdaouia,Maalem Hamid El Kasri,Samir Langus,Stati

During our recent visit to the 23rd annual World Sacred Music Festival in Fes, Morocco, we saw a dazzling variety of music from across Morocco’s musical landscape. We saw young Moroccans cheering to both pop musicians and Sufi dhikr and Gnawa musicians … Read more »