Dzekashu MacViban Ibeyi; Feb 17, 2015. XL Recordings. When I first watched the unsettling video for “River” by Ibeyi ( [pronounced ee-bey-ee] made up of Cuban-born, Paris-based twin sisters, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz), on Okayafrica, I was first confused, then amazed, by not only the concept of the video, but the song itself. How […]
[Music Review] Ibeyi’s Hypnotic, Kaleidoscopic Debut Read More »
Interview by John Wisniewski Born in 1954 in Lusaka, Zambia, and of British nationality, Michael Baird spent his first 10 years in Zambia, then went to England and has been residing in Holland since he was 13. He founded the label SWP Records in 1986. Led the group Sharp Wood from 1986-96. He compiled
Serubiri Moses ‘Fatou’ is the short form for Fatoumata or Fatouma where I come from. Her name alone has a long history within Islamic cultures: a city was named Fatimah in Portugal during the Moorish period; Fatimah is the name of the beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad, whose husband, Ali, did not marry again until
Dzekashu MacViban A skit which is as outrageous as it is hilarious introduces us to MI’s third album, The Chairman, setting the tone for the album’s treatment of its main thematic concern, which is overcoming the travails one encounters in life to emerge as an achiever. The skit, which lampoons Nigerian education, shows how
[Short Review] The Chairman of Nigerian Hip Hop Read More »
Dzekashu MacViban One of the most anticipated movie sequels in Cameroon perhaps delivers as much as it falls short. Thierry Ntamack (middle) The desire to leave Cameroon for greener pastures, an issue which is ingeniously documented in the movie Paris a tout Prix, serves as the backbone of Thierry Ntamack’s 2012 movie Le
Le Blanc d’Eyenga 2 and the Burden of a Sequel Read More »
Last year, the Cameroonian hip-hop scene took a major step in consolidating its place in the African hip-hop world with MuMak’s release of Jovi’s self-produced debut album, H.I.V (Humanity Is Vanishing). Before Jovi’s emergence, no solo Cameroonian hip-hop act, especially one rapping predominantly in pidgin (Cameroonian Creole), had penetrated the global hip-hop world, or had
Jovi: A New Chapter in Cameroonian Hiphop Read More »
Serubiri Moses Originally published in Start When we meet at 2:45 pm, I’m sitting at the grand piano in the Green Room, behind the stage of the National Theatre wondering whether he will make it through the rain, but I’m glad he does, and our interview can finally start. The piano is quite old, and
A Ugandan MC's intimate keyboard Hip-Hop Read More »
Rene Nyah Yong Although hip-hop historians cite 1978 as its birthday, hip-hop’s roots can well be referred to the African continent. Music had long been part and parcel of the religion and culture of the African people. It had always been used as an accompaniment in everyday life, as Mbiti puts it: “Wherever the African…
“By developing editorial projects together and assisting each other in areas such as distribution, we quietly mainstream our own aesthetics and reduce our dependency on the global publishing system” Ntone Edjabe Interviewed by Dzekashu MacViban Ntone Edjabe was born in Douala and he moved to Lagos where he began his studies. In 1993
Q & A with Ntone Edjabe on Chimurenga, Fela, and Politics Read More »
Interviewed by Belinda Otas With her earnest lyrics, a haunting and soothing sound and a raspy, seductive and magnetic voice, AYO has won adoring fans across Europe, North America and Africa, for her openness which many can relate to. In her own words, AYO on music as her therapy and why identity is important
AYO : Music Is My Therapy Read More »
