Zed Beats artists aren’t known for political songs, but they’ve become so popular that they’re used to mobilise voters during elections.
Articles on African musicians
Displaying 1 - 20 of 44 articles
He wanted to be a writer, but believes he’ll get his message across more easily through music.
One of ten young Malian musicians chosen to study in Cuba, he would pioneer his own brand of African salsa.
Nigerian pop stars are often accused of singing about love and money and ignoring social issues. Falz isn’t one of them.
Fela Kuti’s legacy plays out in music, in politics and even in food, with Nigerian restaurants paying homage to him on their menus.
Kippie Moeketsi knew how to play the blues. But his blues was shaped by multiple musical influences.
With a story as harrowing as the times he lived in, he was a singular voice in the country’s rich jazz history.
His unique trumpet style and gentle professionalism is remembered by a former teacher and band member.
Exiled for much of his career, he was acknowledged universally as a pioneer and a leading light of the international free jazz scene.
The famous blind couple, Amadou & Mariam, helped take Mali’s rich musical traditions to a new global audience.
Women only really emerged in Tunisia’s male-dominated rap scene with the revolution in 2011. And they’re rapping about much more than just patriarchy.
Stein’s memoir Moving Music is as colourful and compelling as the famous artists he toured with.
There are still very few female hip-hop artists in Senegal, but they are asserting their talents and strong personalities to shape the rap scene.
The largest South African survey of its kind has found that women in live music are often excluded from decision-making, receive unequal pay and face a range of aggressions.
Toumani Diabaté left a legacy as enormous as the west African Mande music tradition he was born into.
Fela Kuti created his own myth, and his fans did the rest. Today his music and politics are as relevant as they were before his death in 1997.
He took west Africa’s Mande music to a new level of global recognition, often collaborating with artists who made music in very different styles.
Released in 1997, Vulindlela reflects the optimism of a democratic South Africa – but Fassie’s ‘bad girl’ image also asks who is really welcome in this new society.
The composer, bassist and innovator Gerald ‘Mac’ McKenzie died on 29 April. He changed Cape Town’s unique music traditions forever.
The report reveals that musicians are earning what mechanics are, but without formal benefits or the security of steady work.
Top contributors
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Associate of the Gordon Institute for Business Science, University of Pretoria
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Professor emeritus of music, SOAS, University of London
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Professor of Music, Wesleyan University
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Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town
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Assistant Professor, Ethnomusicology, University of Minnesota
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Research Fellow, Rhodes University
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Senior Lecturer, South African College of Music, University of Cape Town
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Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University
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Lecturer, Federal University, Oye Ekiti
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Ethnomusicology and African Musical Arts lecturer, Rhodes University
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Lecturer, University of the Free State
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Reader, Development Economics in Africa and Director, African Leadership Centre, King's College London
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Music lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Poet and lecturer in Creative Writing, University of the Witwatersrand
