Showing 1 - 10 of 21
The sounds of Kinshasa
Life, John Clewley, Published on 18/02/2025
» Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is one of Africa's centres for music. With a population estimated at 17 million, the city is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures.
Say it loud
Life, John Clewley, Published on 27/08/2024
» On Oct 30, 1974, US boxer George Foreman, then the undisputed heavyweight champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali entered a ring in a stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to fight for the title.
Kurdish artist tops World Music Chart
Life, John Clewley, Published on 07/05/2024
» The top spot on the Transglobal World Music Chart for May 2024 is held by Turkish-born Kurdish singer, composer and instrumentalist Aynur Dogan. She infuses Kurdish folk music with mainly Western music, and has collaborated Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble among others.
Lift up your voice
Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/10/2023
» South Africa has a long tradition of harmony singing, stretching back to Soloman Linda's famous 1933 song Mbube, which created a genre of its own to isicathamiya folk singing that led to one of the country's most potent popular genres, mbaqanga and on to gospel choirs.
The passing of a great
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/08/2021
» Guitarist, singer and Kassav founding member Jacob Desvarieux died last month in Guadeloupe at the age of 65. Kassav, which was founded after he met with brothers George and Pierre Eduard Decimus in 1978, went on to record more than 50 albums, released by the band or by individual members and the band remains hugely popular in the Caribbean.
Ambuya!'s back baby!
Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/03/2021
» Piranha Records, a Berlin-based independent record label, was founded in 1987 to produce and distribute mainly African, Gypsy and Jewish music. The label expanded its roster to include various projects by 3 Mustaphas 3 bass player and crooner Colin Bass. His work with Sundanese (West Javan) musicians, under his Asian moniker Sabah Habas Mustapha, produced several excellent albums and one much-covered popular love song, Denpasar Moon.
Mighty Malagasy grooves
Life, John Clewley, Published on 18/08/2020
» Madagascar, which lies just off the coast of East Africa, is in the furthest western part of the Indian Ocean. It's important to understand how contemporary Malagasy (the name for all things from Madagascar, including the language) music was shaped by the cultural flows from the Indian Ocean and from continental Africa.
Keep on rockin' in a lockdown
Life, John Clewley, Published on 14/04/2020
» The sonic landscape of my life in central Bangkok has changed dramatically over the past few weeks of social distancing. Gone are the sounds of construction drills, booming pile drivers, honking horns, unmuffled motorcyles and throbbing tuk-tuks. I can hear birdsong of all kinds in the mornings and, at dusk, the whirring and squeaking of different bat species as they zoom around hunting for insects.
Horns of Africa
Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/11/2018
» Summer and autumn releases are out and there are some fascinating new albums that are well worth checking out. The European Broadcast Union's Top Ten World Music Chart for November features hits from the Horn of Africa, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Colombia.
Mitski, demystified
B Magazine, Published on 26/08/2018
» Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Mitski Miyawaki spent her childhood essentially being a nomad and a stranger in foreign lands. After stints in countries like Congo and Turkey, she relocated to New York, where she pursued her artistic passions, dabbling in film study before eventually focusing on music. This gave her a bit of a head start in the industry because, by the time she graduated, she'd already self-released two records, Lush and Retired From Sad, New Career In Business, as part of her school projects.