This autumn The Cambridge African Film Festival returns to the city for its 14th edition. To find out more I made a rendez-vous with festival director Estrella Sendra to talk films, audiences and why we need to salute African cinema. Plus music from Seun Kuti, Youssou N'dour and Cesária Évora and news of Africa on the square
Monday, 28 September 2015
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
The life and times of Fela Kuti
Pan-Africanist, rascal and father of Afrobeat Fela Anikulapo Kuti passed away on the 2nd of August 1997.
This August Rendez-vous à Bobo on Cambridge 105 celebrates the music he created and his legacy transmitted by sons Seun and Femi and his faithful drummer Tony Allen.
Fela's influence can be heard in the explosion of Afrobeats the homegrown British music created by diaspora and second generation Africans, whilst the iconic album covers by Ghariokwu Lemi which illustrated his mischievous pidgin commentaries also remain remarkably contemporary.
This August Rendez-vous à Bobo on Cambridge 105 celebrates the music he created and his legacy transmitted by sons Seun and Femi and his faithful drummer Tony Allen.
Fela's influence can be heard in the explosion of Afrobeats the homegrown British music created by diaspora and second generation Africans, whilst the iconic album covers by Ghariokwu Lemi which illustrated his mischievous pidgin commentaries also remain remarkably contemporary.
Monday, 29 June 2015
A WOMAD 2015 teaser
For this month's community radio programme on Cambridge 105 we look at the African artists performing at the 2015 Womad festival.
Cheikh Lo is one of a trio of maverick musicians to appear.
A true original, Cheikh's music is as myriad as his patchwork clothing known as`niahaas' which identifies him as a follow of Senegal's Baye Fall Sufi brotherhood.
A drummer and timbale player Lo was born in Burkina Faso's second city Bobo Dioulasso to Senegalese parents and moved to Senegal in his 20's. His debut album Ne la Thiass (gone in a flash) released in 1995 set the blueprint for a highly distinctive and lilting music which draws on the homegrown Senegalese `rock music' Mbalax whilst borrowing elements of Cuban music.
Debuting songs from new album Balbalou which features Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho and Mali's Oumou Sangaré, Cheikh Lo's set at WOMAD 2015 is not to be missed.
Another delightfully idiosyncratic performance is likely to come courtesy of collective Atomic Bomb. A live project featuring Sinkane and former Beastie Boy's keys player Money Mark, Atomic Bomb is a celebration of the baffling yet brilliant music of the enigmatic Nigerian electronic musician William Onyeabor.
An early adopter of synthesisers, Onyeabor self released eight records between 1978 and 1985 on which he played all of the instruments.
Spacey and cinematic with lyrics in pidgin English Onyeabor's music has since achieved cult status and his records are coveted by DJ's and collectors. The personnel for WOMAD remains like Onyeabor, a mystery, but Atomic Bomb are another must see.
London born, Brooklyn based with Sudanese heritage Sinkane is confirmed for Atomic Bomb
Finally new World Circuit signing Mbongwana Star are a group who personify authenticity and the defiant energy of the Congolese capital Kinshasa. The collective whose name means `change' bring their Afro Punk ethos to an edition of WOMAD that is all about originality
Sunday, 24 May 2015
A rendez-vous with Africa Together
For this month's community radio programme on Cambridge 105 I made a rendez-vous with Eva Namusoke to hear about Africa Together a conference re-imagining Africa from the media to fashion at Cambridge University on Friday 5th June.
Plus music from Cape Verde via Lisbon care of Sara Tavares, The Four Brothers from Zimbabwe, and from South London Fuse ODG.
Sunday, 26 April 2015
A Rendez-vous on The River Nile
At 4,258 miles long The Nile River waters 11 countries including Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo Kinshasa.
For April's show on Cambridge 105 we travel The Nile with music from Alsarah of The Nile Project, the artistic and environmental collective created in 2011 to inspire, educate and empower Nile citizens, facilitating artistic exchange and ecological conversation.
For April's show on Cambridge 105 we travel The Nile with music from Alsarah of The Nile Project, the artistic and environmental collective created in 2011 to inspire, educate and empower Nile citizens, facilitating artistic exchange and ecological conversation.
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Prendre mon cadeau - A coupé-decalé special
In Ivorian slang Coupé-Décalé means to cut and
run, effectively to cheat someone and get away with it. The attitude and style of this electronic music which evolved in Abidjan and Paris in the early 2000's is of bravado, and If it’s not slightly distorted it’s not being played loud enough as I once found out on a six hour bus journey from Bobo Dioulasso to Ouagadougou.
You can't say its subtle, but like the music of the griot which we looked at last time on Cambridge 105 it does comment on society, and it certainly makes people move.
You can't say its subtle, but like the music of the griot which we looked at last time on Cambridge 105 it does comment on society, and it certainly makes people move.
Sunday, 1 March 2015
A rendez-vous with Trio Da Kali
For Cambridge 105 this month I made a rendez-vous with Mali's Trio Da Kali on tour for Making Tracks.
Photo Credit: World Circuit Records
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