Uzoma Ihejirika Translators are faced with the difficult task of reconstructing meaning across languages and cultures. Christopher Schaefer undertakes this task in Baho!, Roland Rugero’s second novel (originally published in French) and also, according to the publisher, the first novel from Burundi to be translated into English. Baho! puts the spotlight on the people […]
A Scapegoat and Messiah in Roland Rugero's Baho! Read More »
Uzoma Ihejirika There is a saying that the world is a small place, that there is always someone who knows someone who knows us. Ours, we have come to believe, is a far-flung, yet close by neighborhood. In The Sound of Things to Come, Emmanuel Iduma’s debut, the world is made smaller, compact, and fitted
The Sound of Things to Come and the Smallness of the World Read More »
Reniss’ musical range in Tendon spans diverse genres such as RnB, Bend Skin, Bikutsi, Makossa, folk music dancehall, afropop and gospel, a gumbo of sounds described by her label as Mboko Pop.
Reniss’ Genre Fluidity in Tendon Read More »
Dami Ajayi From I.K. Dairo’s refreshing contribution, to King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, the legendary ying-yang of Juju music, Dami Ajayi traces the evolution of a genre which spanned the oil boom of the 70s as well as the 90s, a draconian period of economic austerity occasioned by military rule in Nigeria.
Dzekashu MacViban Hardly do debut singles posses the ambition that “Balafon” has. Indeed, from its catchy chorus and afropolitan theme, D.A. Sets the tone for what to expect. Nevertheless, D.A. isn’t the only one who is ambitious in the song– the beat, produced by PROZ, is equally ambitious. In fact, the beat is aggressive,
Music piracy has acquired an almost legal status in Cameroon, with burnt copies of albums on display in various markets countrywide. This has been going on for so long, such that many of those who buy aren’t aware that they are buying pirated CDs. If one goes from the premise that music piracy is the
Mboko Leak and a New Era of Online Piracy in Cameroon Read More »
Christening hereself “Makedah” shortly before the release of her Peace, Love and Light LP in 2013, Cameroon’s neo soul queen seeks to walk on the steps of the Queen of Sheba, “…a strong feminine icon, who represents wisdom and the vision of a proud Africa which is independent and royal.”
The Uncrowned Queen of Neo Soul in Cameroon Read More »
Dzekashu MacViban The notoriety of the web serial keeps growing as years pass, and more independent directors are drawn to the internet as a medium which provides experimental and more targeted dissemination models for streaming shows which are cheap and not as risky as big budget productions. Joss Whendon, ‘the George Lucas of television’ and
[Review] Tu Know Ma Life: TV Comes to the Web Read More »
Kangsen Feka Wakai 1. You’ve recently resigned yourself to the fact that at a certain point in a rapper’s career, usually when he/she is already steering the yacht of mainstream success after having surmounted the crab-infested grime of the underground, they must decide whether or not to submit to the allure of pop-cultural relevance, or
The Afro-Anarchist’s Guide to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ Read More »
Oris Aigbokhaevbolo Every moment chooses its music. Or maybe it’s the reverse, the music chooses its moment? Anyway, days after Oba Akiolu of Lagos issued a threat targeting Igbos, you could listen to Olamide of Akiolu’s own ethnicity on a joint album with Phyno from the targeted tribe. How is that for subversion? For those
[Music Review] Pop, Hip hop and Politics in Olamide and Phyno's 2 Kings Read More »
