Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Nuru Kane (Senegal)His music is a fusion of North and West African rhythms. He plays guitar and bass, but his preferred instrument is the guembri. He fell in…4d ago4d ago
Maria NoelAfrican Roots and Rhythms: Mix Tape #25Let’s celebrate the National/Independence Day for Eswatini (Sept. 6), Mali (Sept. 22), Guinea-Bissau (Sept. 24) and Botswana (Sept. 30).Sep 4Sep 4
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…Aug 21Aug 21
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