Belgian band Zita Swoon, world-famous in their own country –I’m biased– recorded an easy listening album with the help of Burkinabé artists Awa Demé and Mamadou Diabaté Kibié. It sounds and looks exactly as I expected it to.

Some coupe decale to warm you up for the African Cup of Nations final later today between Cote d’Ivoire (the favorites) and Zambia (the team everybody is rooting for). Here, here and here are some links to previews and bold predictions on the outcome of the match. Also read our earlier post on the improbable […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNr_Mw2hNs Some mellow Togolese sounds and a sunny video.

Surfing as leisure and a sport has historically been associated with whites in South Africa, though that’s not necessarily true in practice. In fact a few documentary films (for example, “Taking back the waves“), the new feature film “Otelo Burning” and the work of photographer Richard Johnson (scroll to the right) have pointed to a […]

So rapper 50 Cent (accompanied by American journalists) was in Somalia and Kenya this week to visit people living in refugee camps displaced by the civil war with Islamic militants. Expect lots of ’50 in Somalia’ reports on US television. 50 Cent, who joins a long line of celebrities helping Africans (he is being touted […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8DqXwojm68 This is Hache. Oh, and the DJ. And that’s your music break.

8 of 13 Senegalese opposition candidates trying to unseat Abdoulaye Wade in the upcoming presidential elections (including three former prime ministers under Wade, and no-longer-candidate Youssou N’Dour) gathered on Obelisk Square in Dakar last Sunday. The rally went peaceful, “crowds of color-coordinated supporters awaited while listening to political hip-hop anthems in Wolof.”

Somali-Canadian R&B Singer A’maal Nuux wants to be Mufasa.  The description of the song on Youtube says, “This song touches on the devastation and upheavals afflicting Somalia… offers a message of hope calling on the people that a devastated nation can actually rise from the ashes of war!” A little Somali pride in your radio R&B. I […]

http://youtu.be/tBfMuf_JjI0 One of the best rappers alive, featuring the lady who sang the original hook on “You Got Me.” Off Monch’s ‘W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)’ — the album has been out for more than 6 months already, but the music video is new. The subtext is Monch’s battle with asthma. Director Terence Nance has done […]

This week saw the passing of Don Cornelius. You’ll remember Letta Mbulu was once a guest on his Soul Train. I wondered what a Soul Train show set to an afrobeat would have looked like. YouTube helped: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4HHwgPG0JE&w=600&h=347] Also on YouTube, the comments to the new Shabazz Palaces video offered a translation of the Amharic […]

Big up @M.anifest for the new video (showcasing Accra’s transportation infrastructure), and congrats to the Black Stars for topping their group at the African Cup of Nations!