The United States Navy brass band on Wednesday thrilled students of the Department of Arts in the University of Lagos. Nigeria.
The band, which is based in Italy, is involved in efforts to strengthen ties with partner nations throughout Europe and Africa.
By Nasiba Yakubu
Despite the gloomy commentary Ghanaian music receives, there are twinkle, twinkle little Ghanaian stars in the global music sky that must leave us with satisfaction that Ghana is doing something right to keep the global night bright.
Ghanaian artistes and their counterparts in the diaspora have made impressive strides with their unique talents over the years.
The constant growth witnessed in the industry has pushed Ghanaian music unto one of the world’s renowned music grading charts, The Billboard Charts.
Continue reading “The club of 8 Ghanaian stars to have entered Billboard Chart”
By Michael Klugey
While hip-hop has been long associated with its roots in America, there is a new class of African artists participating in the genre. Leading this new wave is 24-year-old musician Kwesi Arthur, from Tema, Ghana.
Kwesi Arthur is currently the youngest Ghanaian to have a BET nomination—in the viewer’s choice category for Best New International Act in 2018. He exploded onto Ghana’s rap scene in 2016 with the bass-heavy trap anthem “Grind Day” which, two years later, won Hip-Hop Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards for its remix with Sarkodie and Medikal.
He has since them released Afro-swing tracks like “Anthem” and records like “African Girl” that explore afro-fusion sounds. Kwesi raps in both Twi and English and, in many ways, uses his music as a vessel to tell the tales of what other young Ghanaians face.
Continue reading “Meet Kwesi Arthur, Ghanaian musician taking African Hip-Hop to the world”
J.S. Ondara discovered he loved the music of Bob Dylan when he lost a bet.
Ondara was in high school in Nairobi when he got in a fight with another student over the song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
It’s a Guns N’ Roses song, Ondara argued. No, said his classmate, it’s originally from a folk singer named Bob Dylan.
“So, we got into this fight, and we made a bet,” Ondara explained. “I lost a bet. But I got to discover the music of Bob Dylan and fell into this rabbit hole, which eventually led me to Minneapolis, to his home state. ”
That’s right.
When Ondara won the US visa lottery five years ago he swapped Nairobi for Minneapolis — “straight to the cold” — because of his love for Bob Dylan.
Continue reading “This Kenyan musician followed his love for Dylan to a new life and career”
Continue reading “Meet Gilbert Mulamba: The Congolese musician who records with US luminaries”
Continue reading “Meet J.S Ondara: The next big musical export from Kenya to the world”
Continue reading “After 20 year sojourn in America, kenyan band, Jabali Afrika, returns home”
Continue reading “Soweto Gospel Choir take home 2019 World Music Awards at Grammys”
Spotify recently launched its Afro Hub initiative as part of its Global Cultures Project. “It’s our mission to uncover every layer of this ancient, expressive and rhythmic musical culture which is an important component of today’s mainstream, modern music,” the popular music streaming service said. This report by Mazuba Kapambwe of IR Insider gives more details. Continue reading “Spotify Launches Afro Hub to Showcase African Music”
With less than one hour to showtime — the rain didn’t let up, and neither did the crowd. In fact the 5,000+ fans who checked in to Coney Island’s outdoor theater venue never left until the marathon 10-hour concert was over. Rain or more rain: they had good reason to stay. This wasn’t an ordinary show, but a special gathering of Africa’s leading Afrobeat stars performing at the annual One Africa Music Fest Concert. The growth of this genre, which seamlessly blends traditional West African music with Western influences, is fueled by a short list of pan-African and Caribbean entertainers, many of whom were front and center at Saturday night’s concert. From dancers to DJs to the artists themselves, we captured them all backstage, where they shared their thoughts on why they love the genre, and why it’s here to stay.
Realizing there is no Ghanaian professional recording studio in Bronx (New York, USA), US based Ghanaian reggae artist John Quansah popularly known as John Q has just finished building a state of the art studio in a commercial area in Bronx New York City. This report zylofonmediaonline.com gives more details. Continue reading “Ghanaian John Q hosts Kumi Guitar, Bull Dog and More in New Recording Studio in Bronx, NY”