Tag: African musicians in America

Festivals, Music

Mr. Eazi and Burna Boy highlight the rise of afrobeats at Coachella

By Makeda Easter

This has been a particularly global year for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The lineup also includes Nigerian stars Mr. Eazi and Burna Boy, two artists representing afrobeats, a genre that’s steadily gaining traction in the U.S. and beyond.

It’s not the first year that Coachella has hosted Nigerian artists. The 2012 performance of Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, featuring Fela Kuti’s youngest son and band, is just one example of the handful of the country’s artists who have played the Indio festival. And 2018 was expected to be a big moment for afrobeats at Coachella when Wizkid was booked, but he missed the gig due to visa issues.

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Entertainment, Events

Davido to headline “Coming To America Music Festival” in Washington DC

African music continues its meteoric rise across the globe, spearheaded by the resurgence of the Afrobeats movement.  From chart-topping pop collaborations with mainstream artists such as Drake, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys, to the resounding influence of African producers and artists across the international music industry, the sound that has rocked the continent for decades, now touches the hearts of many around the world.

On April 27, 2019, international music insider Eshoon Nashun will launch the “Coming to America Music Festival” in Washington, DC with some of Africa’s top artists at The Anthem. The newly-built 6,000 seat venue in the Nation’s Capital will be the setting for mega acts including headliner, Davido, Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer.

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Music

Discover Sons Of Sonix, the British-Nigerian duo looking to spread Afropop to the world

By Adewojumi Aderemi

Just last week, Kida Kudz released another infectious single, “Jiggy Bop”, which saw him unveil even more of his rap range than we had heard on his previous hits, “Issa Vibe” and “Again”.

While Kid Kudz’s melodic delivery certainly made the song extra catchy, it’s the fantastic production work, particularly its mystical beat, that pushed the track over the edge, and that’s all thanks to British-Nigerian production duo, Sons of Sonix.

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Music

Nigerian-Born musician Alex Boyé releases two singles for Mental Health Awareness Month

By Socrates Mbamalu
Alex Boyé has become known for his uplifting music. Now his support of mental health campaigns has seen him being honoured for adding his voice to suicide prevention efforts.

Three years ago, Nigerian-born Alex Boyé appeared on one of America’s best-known talent shows, America’s Got Talent. He was 44 years old at the time and had been singing for 25 years. With his signature white mark under his right eye, a boisterous spirit and great charisma, he took to the stage and blew away the judges with his energy and music. Boyé has gone on to become an important voice in music.

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Music

Thutmose experiments with genres while honoring his Nigerian roots

By Christina Cala

Thutmose is the name of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, but it’s also the stage name of Nigerian-born rapper and songwriter Umar Ibrahim. After immigrating with his family to Brooklyn, N.Y. at the age of 8, Thutmose grew up caught between the America he was experiencing and the America he imagined.

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Movies

Akon Advises Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall To Cast African Actors In “Coming To America 2”

By Chantilly Post

Coming To America 2 is in the works and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall have already begun their fittings for the anticipated film. While fans are looking forward to the resurgence of McDowell’s, Akon included, the “Right Now” music maker advises the lead actors to make sure they cast real African stars.

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Communities, Music

Afrigo band set for Uganda Festival in New York

Wasula said their wide collection of songs allows the band to be versatile, noting that they have many songs they didn’t perform last year.

When Afrigo band ascended to the stage at the magnificent Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington DC last year, the audience went gaga.

On their feet were thousands of Ugandans living in the diaspora and well-wishers who had gathered for the Uganda Festival and Business Expo 2018.

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Music

Massive crowd at Medikal’s show in USA

By Lizbeth Brown

Ghanaian hip hop musician Samuel Adu Frimpong popularly known as Medikal pulled a massive crowd when he performed in the United States of America.

The ‘Omo Ada’ hitmaker delivered a stupendous and amazing performance to a fully-packed auditorium.

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Movies, People

‘The Burial Of Kojo’ Ghanaian director Blitz Bazawule isn’t here to give you “normal” filmmaking

In his feature film debut The Burial of Kojo, Blitz Bazawule tells a story of two brothers through the gaze of a gifted girl who travels between gorgeous lands that exist in life and death.

It’s not your ordinary narrative film, but a cinematic fable that is surreal, magical and infused with Afrofuturistic elements. Yes, it is complex and yes, it will probably make your brain bleed with its visual prowess, but Bazawule isn’t here to give you normal. He’s here to change the game while rattling your senses with a dose of global and inclusive storytelling. As Bazawule said, “Nobody cares about normal, right?”

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Obituary

How Nipsey Hussle connected to his Eritrean roots  

By Aanu Adeoye, CNN

Eritrean-American Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death in a shooting near his clothing store was greeted with shock and disbelief by celebrities and fans alike.

The 33-year-old musician, real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom, was shot dead in an attack on Sunday that also left two others injured.

The city of Los Angeles where he grew up and dedicated his life to helping kids break out of the cycle of gang violence mourned his passing.

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Music

Nigerian music label, Chocolate City, signs new deal with Warner Music Group

By Inemesit Udodiong
Afrobeat, a fusion of African pop, dance, and hip hop, is having a great moment right now. All over the world, people are listening, dancing and buying tickets to sold-out shows by Nigerian artists.

It is also topping streaming and airplay charts across the US and Europe. Earlier this year, Davido‘s 2017 hit single, ‘Fall’, became the longest charting Nigerian song on American Billboard chart. It was the most Shazamed song by New York radio listeners in 2018.

Now, New York-based Warner Music Groupjoins the likes of Universal Music Group andSony Music, who have already boarded the Afrobeat train. The world’s third largest record label has a new partnership with Nigerian music label Chocolate City.

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Music

Kenyan rapper, King Kaka, gets a moment of recognition as ‘Dundaing’ Song Plays at NBA match
By PAUL WANJAMA

Celebrated Kenyan rapper King Kaka on Wednesdaygot a moment in the spotlight after his song got played at American Airlines Center, Dallas, USA.

The musician was attending an NBA match between Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings when his song ‘Dundaing’ featuring Kristoff and Magix Enga started playing in the arena.

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Music

Put Your Money Into These Rhythmic Beats from Africa
Nigeria leads the proliferation of Africa’s new sounds in the West.
By Peace Hyde

In an Africa fresh from economic liberalization, music found a new voice, thanks to social media and platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, which streamed thousands of African songs into the homes of millions in the diaspora.

BROOKLYN, NY – SEPTEMBER 09: Yemi Alade performs on stage at 2018 Essence Street Style Festival on September 9, 2018 in Brooklyn City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Essence)

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Music, People

The Queens Rapper Connecting American Hip-Hop to African Audiences
Bas, raised in New York, wants to bring his music to his Sudanese parents’ homeland and to the broader continent. And so do his fans.
By Hannah Giorgis

It all started one night in Lagos, Nigeria. The first time that Bas, the Queens-bred rapper signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville label, performed in front of an African audience was surreal. He’d accompanied Cole on tour following the release of KOD, the North Carolina rapper’s 2018 album.

Bas, the son of two Sudanese immigrants, had gone to Nigeria just to kick it with his labelmate and longtime friend from Fayetteville.
But when Cole asked him to come perform a few songs, Bas planned to play two from his March 2016 album, Too High to Riot.

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Entertainment

Davido loses out to Taylor Swift at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.

Nigerian-American music star, Davido, lost to singer Taylor Swift (North America) in the “Favourite Global Music Star” category of the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award which was held at a lavish ceremony at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, March 23.

Continue reading “Davido loses out to Taylor Swift at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.” →