Africa Is a Country

Music Break. Friday Bonus Edition, N°2

Music Break. Friday Bonus Edition, N°2

By
Tom Devriendt

An eclectic one. Ethiopian and Ivorian pop, Philly neo soul, Swedish and South African rap and Brazilian jazz.

Philadelphia neo soul keeps it topical. One thing we could not figure out: Bilal–half breaking with the dress code of his hosts Kindred–does a guest verse and throws in a line about ‘USA to Africa’: “And your moving out cause the cost of living is sky high and you know we working on it but its no word from USA to Africa.” What does he want?

In Ethiopia, pop is doing fine. Listen to Nigusu Tamrat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hek1SlQrnQ4

Almost as poppy, from the Ivorian diaspora comes this song by Dobet Gnahoré and Manou Gallo which, they hope, ‘will contribute to bring back together and reconcile all Ivorians’:

Swedish rapper Ken Ring and Norwegian producer Tommy Tee went to record the video for ‘Plocka Han’ in Korogocho (Nairobi, Kenya):

From KwaMashu (Durban, South Africa) comes Zakwe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e9HrQUJgvo

And to end the week: Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay as seen through the eyes of French director Vincent Moon, Brazilian pianist Laércio de Freitas and his daughter, singer Thalma:

Further Reading

No one should be surprised we exist

The documentary film, ‘Rolé—Histórias dos Rolezinhos’ by Afro-Brazilian filmmaker Vladimir Seixas uses sharp commentary to expose social, political, and cultural inequalities within Brazilian society.

Kenya’s stalemate

A fundamental contest between two orders is taking place in Kenya. Will its progressives seize the moment to catalyze a vision for social, economic, and political change?

More than a building

The film ‘No Place But Here’ uses VR or 360 media to immerse a viewer inside a housing occupation in Cape Town. In the process, it wants to challenge gentrification and the capitalist logic of home ownership.