Articles – Review | Afropop Worldwide Staging

Review February 7, 2013

Mhoze Chikowero: A Historian's Take on Thomas Mapfumo and Robert Mugabe

Review January 24, 2013

Os Kuduristas Interview: Manuel Kanza

Review January 16, 2013

The core of this album is a well-developed musical friendship between Stern and Harouna Samake, whose sterling kamele n’goni (young man’s harp) has graced recordings and performances by wassoulou diva Sali Sidibe, and, more recently, Mali music icon Salif Keita. Stern and Samake have a sound.

Review December 27, 2012

One Night on Earth, Music From the Strings of Mali

The result is astounding, not just for its technical brilliance, but its musicality. Gripper executes these pieces with the precision and attention to detail one might expect from a great classical musician, but there is nothing stiff about these performances.

Review December 26, 2012

Rise Up

Lyricism and simplicity are key to Tshikala’s aesthetic. The mix is never cluttered with unnecessary ornamentation. Clear, clean vocals—mostly expressing sentiments of true and undying love, and always in English—and strong guitar lines—sometimes clean, sometimes very crunchy—are front and center.

Review December 19, 2012

Joseph Shabalala

Review December 19, 2012

Piero Gleijeses: The Hip Deep Essential Interview

Review December 17, 2012

Guzo

Review December 13, 2012

Interview: Victor Gama

Review November 26, 2012

Music is Sociology: An interview with DJ Dolores

Review November 25, 2012

Hip Deep Interview: Dr. Bárbaro Martínez Ruiz

Review November 21, 2012

K'naan on "Country, God or the Girl"

I do, during the writing process, feel free. But it's everything after that makes you feel that the freedom was an illusion. When the system steps in, and the label, and the people that work with you and that are observing every step of what you do. They have to think about, "Where does this fit? Does this work as a follow-up song to the enormous success of his last song? What about American radio, specifically? Will display on top 40? Or will this play on alternative radio? Or is this too weird for any of them?" So you have those things, those questions, though severe observations that will come to your door after having written songs. You just don't know what to do about that. That's when you realize that the freedom is a bit of an illusion really.