African music

The stories of women ostracized by their family and community after being wrongly accused of witchcraft can be heard on a new album called "I've forgotten now who I used to be." 

New album lifts up the voices of ostracized women in northern Ghana’s ‘witch camps’

The stories of these women, who remain vulnerable, can now be heard on an album called "I've forgotten now who I used to be."

New album lifts up the voices of ostracized women in northern Ghana’s ‘witch camps’
Cameroonian musician Moken

Cameroon's 'Golden Voice' struck gold when he won a green card

Cameroon's 'Golden Voice' struck gold when he won a green card

Angelique Kidjo: Traditional Music Is Always Evolving

Angelique Kidjo: Traditional Music Is Always Evolving
South African artist Spoek Mathambo performs in 2011.

Want to find the best Afropop? It's on Soundcloud — not an album

Want to find the best Afropop? It's on Soundcloud — not an album
Modern salegy artist Aly Mourad performs at Jao's Pub in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Mourad blends traditional salegy with a more upbeat style.

Go inside salegy, the music that dominates Madagascar

Go inside salegy, the music that dominates Madagascar
The Malawi Mouse Boys pose with one of their homemade instruments. From left to right: Josephy Nekwankwa, Zondiwe Kachingwe, Nelson Muligo, Alfred Gavanala

For a band of boys from Malawi, 'performing is easy, life is hard'

The Malawi Mouse Boys grew up in deep poverty, selling their namesake rodents to make money. But despite being cut off from outside music, with self-taught skills and self-made instruments, they created a unique sound that now has them performing around the world.

For a band of boys from Malawi, 'performing is easy, life is hard'
JuJu is made up of Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, the band's founding members.

The music of JuJu is where West African tradition meets English punk

The genre "world music" is hard to define: It covers a broad range of styles and is constantly evolving. Take, for instance, the Gambian-English band JuJu — they derive equal inspiration from traditional West African music as they do from classic punk.

The music of JuJu is where West African tradition meets English punk
Drummer Tony Allen

Can music help stop the tragic shipwrecks of migrants coming from Africa?

Nigerian musician Tony Allen is not a young man anymore. But the former drummer for bandleader Fela Kuti is a fresh voice trying to draw attention to the horrific boat accidents that are killing thousands of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Can music help stop the tragic shipwrecks of migrants coming from Africa?