I have a student (born in Texas) who insists he won’t travel to or through Mississippi or Alabama. What if he had to see The Alabama Shakes play live?

Malian rapper Mokobe ripped into French perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain’s comments about “hard working blacks” in his recent video, “Ca passe tout seul.” Now Burkinabé MC Art Melody takes on Nicolas Sarkozy and other “chefs d’états.”  That’s a sample of Sarkozy’s infamous Dakar speech at the beginning of the song about how Africans have “not fully entered […]

The always reliable Billy Bragg live on the streets of Dublin this past weekend.

That’s today. Other than Chiluba’s shoes, Sata’s anti-China rants (he’s stopped for now), Alexandra Fuller’s books about her family, the South African soaps on TV and fundamental Christianity, there is dance-hall by Petersen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-C6Cq6EsM

The estranged son of Ghanaian immigrants reared in Brescia wreaks havoc in Manchester: “Why always me?” read the slogan on Mario Balotelli’s vest. Because, Mario, you’re clearly more than a little bit eccentric. But you do know how to score goals and, as long as that is the case, City will forgive him for whatever […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKJ-DCMBKKI It seems that the election atmosphere remains tense, but word from Liberia is people are taking it all in stride. Beyond mainstream politics, it’s time for celebration.

Fresh off its Euros prize from its €100,000 prize from the Dutch Prince Claus Fund, Chimurenga launched “The Chronic” yesterday: Chimurenga’s new publishing project takes the form of a once-off, one-day-only edition of a fictional newspaper to be released on “Black Wednesday”, October 19th 2011 – a historic day in South Africa that marks the banning […]

Ethiopian pop from this past summer. Sayat Demissie is a former beauty queen. Her decision to embark on an acting and singing career divides the Ethiopian blogosphere.

Ghostpoet (government name: Obaro Ejimiwe) raps “in the bluesy, introspective tradition of Tricky and Roots Manuva”. The video for his latest, “Liiines,” came out last month. I actually prefer the video, above, and song for “Survive It,” better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZcQKYdWKoY Cameroon (‘Kamer’) hip hop is churning out lots of videos lately. Like this one by Nkunkuma. A nice track, if you make it past the intro.

Tonight, the Afrikaaps crew, the South African musical about the history of the Afrikaans language, dedicated their last show in Holland to slain rapper Mr Devious; Michael Miranda, Shaun Magmoed and Jonathan Claasen, the three youngsters who died this day 26 years ago during the Trojan Horse Massacre; and to rapper Contro’Versy, who passed away yesterday. […]

Nerina Penzhorn likes this. That means I should too. The very young singer, Lianne La Havas, walks the streets of Paris and sings.

Africa Unsigned, an Amsterdam-based website uses crowd-funding–a method which allow people to pool their money online–to raise money for African and Africa diaspora musicians that you cannot  be found inrecord stores, commercial radio or local versions of MTV. Here’s a link to a report by Voice of America producer Ricci Shryock with Rina Mushonga, a […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da7K3e0M8SI The video for Kampala rappers Sylvester & Ssavoo’s “Akaseera” comes with a laid back groove. I am still celebrating Ugandan independence. Via Silkamb.

… To New York City? By Ghanaian crooner M3NSA off his new album.