Tag: African musicians in America

Music

After 20 year sojourn in America, kenyan band, Jabali Afrika, returns home

Nimetembea sijamuona msichana kama Aoko…

imetembea sijamuona msichana kama Aoko…

This is one of the most famous lines in arguably Jabali Afrika’s greatest song of all time, Aoko.

Teenage Kenyan music fans — and most certainly those in their early 20s — may not resonate with songs by one of the continent’s most iconic Afro-rock jam bands, but the journey by the legendary ensemble reads like a fairytale.

Teenage Kenyan music fans — and most certainly those in their early 20s — may not resonate with songs by one of the continent’s most iconic Afro-rock jam bands, but the journey by the legendary ensemble reads like a fairytale.

After bolting out due to unresolvable differences, former members of Kenya National Theatre (KNT) Dance Troupe formed Jabali Afrika on February 12, 1993.

Justo Asikoye, Peter Mutua, Josek Asikoye, Evans Chagala, Victor Savana Elolo and Robert Owino threw in the towel to chart their own way, but one would wonder why this powerful troupe split even after making a serious musical impact in the country and beyond.

Justo Asikoye, Peter Mutua, Josek Asikoye, Evans Chagala, Victor Savana Elolo and Robert Owino threw in the towel to chart their own way, but one would wonder why this powerful troupe split even after making a serious musical impact in the country and beyond.

“We wanted independence, freedom and space to express our creativity in a more profound manner. Our decision to break away wasn’t that easy because we had already established ourselves at KNT, but we had to make a decision anyway,” says Justo Asikoye, 48, one of the most recognisable faces of Jabali Afrika.

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Music

Soweto Gospel Choir take home 2019 World Music Awards at Grammys

Johannesburg – Multiple award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir have won the Best World Music Album Grammy for their collection of songs titled Freedom.

The awards took place on Sunday night in Los Angeles and were hosted by Alicia Keys.
This was the group`s fifth nomination in this category and they have now won the prestigious award a total of three times.

Receiving the award on behalf of Soweto Gospel Choir were album producer Diniloxolo Ndlakuse Shimmy Jiyane, Mary Mulovhedzi and Mulalo Mulovhedzi whose late father David Mulovhedzi co-founded the group with producer/director Beverly Bryer 17 years ago.

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Uncategorized

Meet Ibra Ake, the Nigerian-American who produced Childish Gambino’s “This is America”

BY AMARACHI NWOSU

Ibra Ake is a Nigerian-American visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California. Living in cities around the world from Lagos to New York has played a major role in his unique approach to visual art.

From shooting covers of magazines to being the creative director for artist’s like Childish Gambino as well as writing on the hit show Atlanta, Ake is no stranger to expressing himself through different mediums.

Having been introduced to art through animation and drawing, he later picked up photography through a class in art school before he decided to leave, and go into creating full time.

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Music

Nigerian-American, Ibra Ake grabs first Grammy for producing Gambino’s ‘This is America’

Nigerian-American producer, writer and filmmaker, Ibra Ake snagged his first Grammy Award at the 61st ceremony. He won the award for Best Music Video for producing Childish Gambino’s critically acclaimed visuals for ‘This is America’.

Reacting to the win, Ake excitedly tweeted @ibralikezebra, “I can’t believe I just won a Grammy. Where’s the catch? Royalty forever.”

The visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California and shuttles between cities around the world from Lagos to New York.

While he has spent most of his life in America, he constantly credits his Nigerian upbringing for allowing him to understand the value of documentation and storytelling.

Ake, who grew up in Nigeria and New Jersey, is also a writer for hit TV show, ‘Atlanta’ which also features Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ won a total of four Grammy awards on Sunday night.

Music

Nigerian-American music star, Davido, sets new record on Billboard chart

Atlanta-born Davido’s “Fall” continues to break international records.  The music video for the 2017 hit, is already the first Nigerian music video to reach 100 million views on Youtube, making it the most watched Nigerian music video on YouTube.

Now, the massive Nigerian pop song has reached another unprecedented record: it’s officially the longest-charting Nigerian song in Billboard history.   Last year it became the first Nigerian music video to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and now it has been named the longest-charting Nigerian song in US chart history.

By Damola Durosomo in okayafrica.com
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Events

Nigerian Seun Kuti and Malian Fatoumata Diawara to perform at Grammy Awards

Seun Kuti, the Afrobeat singer, and son of the late legend, Fela has been listed as one of the performers at the 61st Grammy Awards.

Kuti, who was nominated for Best World Music Album will perform with Malian singer/songwriter, Fatoumata Diawara, at the award’s Premiere Ceremony on February 10.
This was contained in a recently published statement on the Grammys’ website.

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Music

The Music of Ghana Comes to Tahoe

Okaidja Afrosa grew up in the small coastal fishing village of Kokrobite on the outskirts of the capital city of Ghana. A popular place for families and tourists alike to visit on the weekend to escape the madness of crowded Accra, this beach town has always had a lively, homegrown music scene despite gaining modern comforts more recently.

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Culture, Education

Music Professor Receives Prestigious International Fellowship

Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship supports George Dor’s work with Nigerian university

George Worlasi Kwasi Dor, a music professor at the University of Mississippi, has been awarded a fellowship by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program to work with professors at the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

 

Dor, a native of Ghana who holds the McDonnell-Barksdale Chair of Ethnomusicology at UM, will travel to Nigeria in the summer of 2019 to collaborate with Adeoluwa Okunade and Marie Agatha Ozah on field research in ethnomusicology, curriculum development, and mentoring of graduate assistants and assistant lecturers.

 

“The research portion of the project will consider the ways indigenous knowledge in traditional ethnic music stays relevant to contemporary communities in Ghana and Nigeria,” Dor said. “This will build on research Dr. Ozah and I have collaborated on before, and we look forward to using the opportunity to train graduate students in ethnographic field research methods. Continue reading “Music Professor Receives Prestigious International Fellowship” →

Achievements

Ugandan wins Musical award in North Carolina

The Share America Foundation Inc. recently announced another 2018 scholarship winner at Ringgold’s Patriot Hall. Musician/singer King Turyananuka, of Wake Forest, N.C., was selected as a Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship winner. He received a $1,000 scholarship. Turyananuka is originally from Uganda and is in the United States studying traditional worship music. This report from northwestgeorgianews.com gives more details

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