A colleague told me about a duo act from Ethiopia coming through town by the name Munit & Jörg. I gave their music a listen on bandcamp and, though different than the more traditional or fusion sound I generally go for, there was something new and fresh in it I liked. A few days later […]
Vodoo Rhythms and Angelic Harmonies: Beninese Brothers Jomion and the Uklos
Posted June 3rd, 2013 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Compared to other African countries, Benin has a small land mass. But the West African nation is a giant in music traditions and innovation. Jomion and the Uklos are a fabulous example of Beninese music with this live performance for Music Time in Africa. Jomion and his brothers come from Cotonou, the nation’s largest city. […]
Interview with D.C. Diaspora’s Finest Duo: Mongezi Ntaka and Kuku
Posted May 15th, 2013 at 5:24 pm (UTC-5)
I got a call from a friend recently who said she had a couple of musicians she wanted me to meet. Their names are Mongezi Ntaka and Kuku. I hear boisterous background chatter and laughter. She tells me she’s with them rightnow and do I want to talk to them? My mind is making […]
Habib Koite and Eric Bibb Show Brotherly Love
Posted April 9th, 2013 at 6:59 pm (UTC-5)
A new album is out called “Brothers in Bamako”. The brothers are Malian music veteran Habib Koite and African-American folk musician Eric Bibb. The album cover speaks volumes about the music and their relationship: sharing a bench outside of Habib’s home in Bamako, Habib picks a banjo guitar and Eric strums a big acoustic guitar. […]
At Peace – Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal
Posted March 19th, 2013 at 3:11 pm (UTC-5)
On March 1st, 2013, Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal came to Washington D.C. on tour to promote their new album, At Peace. Ballake is a celebrated kora player from Mali. Segal is an accomplished cellist from France. Kora and cello and are both string instruments — 21 and 4 respectively. The kora’s strings are plucked […]
African Diasporan Musicians in Washington D.C.
Posted February 27th, 2013 at 7:51 pm (UTC-5)
African music performance in Washington D.C. has been been relatively quiet this past month. With the exception of Lira’s appearance for the Presidential Inauguration in January, all’s quiet on the tour circuit front since November 2012. This lull in activity gave me the opportunity to dig deeper into our local diaspora music scene. On February […]
Interview with Lira
Posted February 11th, 2013 at 5:28 pm (UTC-5)
On Monday January 21st, our nation’s capital celebrated the inauguration of our President, Barack Obama, for a second term. Our Voice of America headquarters is located just a few blocks away from the Capitol Building where the swearing in ceremonies and ensuing parades took place. American celebrity singers, 2013 Grammy Award winners Kelly Clarkson, Beyoncé, […]
Malian Music Cancelled for 2013 Festival sur le Niger
Posted January 23rd, 2013 at 3:59 pm (UTC-5)
As an update to my previous post on the projected fate of Mali’s 2013 music festivals, this quick news post is to let you all know that the Festival sur le Niger has officially cancelled all music programs. See here for the press release in English.
Mali’s Music Festivals on the Brink
Posted January 16th, 2013 at 8:51 pm (UTC-5)
I know a graphic artist/music promoter who works for one of Mali’s premier international music festivals, the Festival sur le Niger (or Niger River Festival). We were Facebook messaging the other day about the upcoming festival (February, 2013 .) Marisa Segala and I first met last year at the festival’s 8th edition located in the […]
Nigerian Diaspora: Abiodun Koya Sings “Edelweiss”
Posted January 15th, 2013 at 3:58 pm (UTC-5)
I got a tip last week that a Nigerian “opera” singer was going to be in town and was interested in appearing on Music Time in Africa. Opera? Really? Abiodun Koya came into the studio a few days later and gives us the real deal on her career in this video clip. Turns out she […]
