Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Asmara All Stars (Eritrea)Their music is a fusion of jazz, soul, funk and roots reggae. The band brings together these musical styles along with rarely heard…8h ago8h ago
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde)Growing up as the daughter of a diplomat, Mayra Andrade was exposed to musical traditions from Cuba, Angola and Senegal. You can definitely…Aug 14Aug 14
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Mix Tape #24Celebrating their Independence/National Day this month are Benin (August 1), Niger (August 3), Burkina Faso (August 5), and Ivory Coast…Aug 7Aug 7
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Babatunde Olatunji (Nigeria)If you are familiar with The Grateful Dead, then you will have heard of this man, who was a drummer, educator and social activist. But they…Jul 31Jul 31
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Kaïssa (Cameroon)I have always gravitated to socially conscious music. Many of the artists that I feature have lyrics that speak to social issues. Kaïssa’s…Jul 24Jul 24
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Franco & TPOK Jazz (DR Congo)Franco Luambo Makiadi established his Congolese rumba band in 1956. The band was originally named OK Jazz, after the OK Bar where they…Jul 17Jul 17
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Urban Village (South Africa)When listening to new music, I’m always captivated by artists who push boundaries. Urban Village is a band from Soweto whose mix of folk…Jul 10Jul 10
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Mix Tape #23While there are many countries that celebrate their Independence/National Day this month, I only have music for Algeria (July 3) and Cape…Jul 31Jul 31
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Bombino (Niger)The New York Times hailed him as “the sultan of shred” and Noisey claims he is “the world’s best guitarist.” He is the first Nigerien…Jun 26Jun 26
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Daby Balde (Senegal)If you are lucky enough to be born into a griot family, you get to enjoy making music as your birthright. The road is a lot harder if you…Jun 19Jun 19