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What is a better way to spend your time during lockdown than discovering or revisiting some of the finest music to have come from Africa? From famous classics to lesser known works, from the throbbing sounds of the West African belt to the eclectic mix reaching out from the North, Africa’s sonic history is rich and varied. The creators of these works have a few things in common: the ability to create influence; to speak to audiences across age, time and language; and to last.

And so, for your consideration (and with a choice of links to where you can listen, though not all services are available everywhere):

Gigi (2001) – Gigi (Ethiopia)

Criticised upon initial release for departing radically from the foundations of Ethiopian popular music – traditional pentatonic scales with jazz and R&B – this self-titled record by Ejigayehu Shibabaw assembled a who’s who of American jazz talent (including Grammy winner Herbie Hancock) and updated the Ethiopian pop sound to include dub and electronic music. The result is a fiery, unyielding wake-up call that moves from uplifting passages to mellow soulful ballads.

Miriam Makeba (2008)  – Mama Africa Origins (South Africa)

Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, actor, UN goodwill ambassador, and civil rights activist. Born in Johannesburg, Makeba was forced to find employment as a child after the death of her father. She had a brief and allegedly abusive first marriage at the age of 17, and gave birth to her only child in 1950, as well as surviving an episode of cancer. Her talent for singing had been remarked upon when she was a child, and she began singing professionally in the 1950s, with the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers, and the all-woman group The Skylarks, performing a mixture of jazz, traditional African melodies, and popular music from the West.

Soro (1987) – Salif Keita (Mali)

Produced by Ibrahima Sylla, Salif Keita’s international breakthrough Soro is credited for defining the template for how African albums would sound after it. It blends the traditional griot music of Keita’s Mali with Euro-pop sounds and shiny up-to-date production. The record’s dynamic energy – brass riffs, soaring synthetic keyboards, electric guitars, drums, drums and more drums – is contrasted with Keita’s soothing, stunning vocal delivery.

C’est La Vie (2012) – Khaled (Algeria)

Perhaps the world’s most famous Arab voice, Khaled is best known for tunes like Aïcha and Didi. You will have heard them even if you don’t quite know who Khaled is. C’est La Vie isn’t the record that quintessential Khaled fans will return to every year, but having sold a whopping 4.6 million copies worldwide, it may well be his most accessible. For C’est La Vie, Khaled worked with Moroccan-born producer RedOne, famous for his work with Lady Gaga. The result is a blend of huge stadium arena anthems with Algerian dance styles.

Mystic Dance (2018) – Amira Kheir (Sudan)

Mystic Dance is the latest album from the performer who has been christened the diva of the Sudanese desert. With the record, Amira Kheir continues to wear influences from her multicultural heritage, mixing traditional Sudanese tunes with soul, jazz, Nubian and middle Eastern harmonies. Mystic Danceshowcases a musician increasingly confident in her abilities as a singer and composer. Warm and soothing, Mystic Dance is near perfect fusion and a compelling journey worth taking.

Celia (2019) – Angelique Kidjo (Benin)

Angélique Kidjo’s latest, the Grammy winning Celia, is a towering homage to the work and music of Celia Cruz, perhaps Cuba’s most prominent vocalist. Kidjo’s album may have been released last year, but the songs that inspired it span several decades of Cruz’s stellar career, from 1960 to her rise to the title of queen of salsa and her 1998 late career hit “La Vida Es Un Carnaval”. With assistance from drummer Tony Allen and the West African Gangbé Brass Band, Kidjo reimagined Celia’s work upping the Afrobeat sensibility and making it in her own image.

Coupé Bibamba (1998) – Awilo Longomba (DR Congo)

Awilo Longomba has set dance floors afire from Lagos to London. Coupé Bibamba is considered one of the most influential and commercially successful records to come from Africa. It cemented Longomba’s reputation as the king of techno soukous. 20-plus years later, anthems like the title track and “Gâté le Coin” have lost none of their seductive, compulsive power. Resistance is futile whenever this record comes on.

Dunya (2004) – Malouma (Mauritania)

At home, Malouma wears many hats. Griot, performer, politician, activist and feminist icon are just a few. Dunya is a representation of a lot of her interests, bridging the gap between traditional folkloric songs and modern recordings. The music on Dunya is an intoxicating blend of guitars, harps, flutes and skin drums with traditional instruments like the tidinit. The album is an inclusive affair, highlighting the diversity and fluidity of modern-day Mauritania.

Neria Soundtrack (2008) – Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe)

Oliver Mtukudzi co-starred in and wrote the music for the 1993 Zimbabwe film Neria, a drama about a woman denied the right to inheritance after her husband passes away. The soundtrack album contains eleven tracks of vintage Mtukudzi. Performing predominantly in his native Shona but also in English, Mtukudzi is in his terrific form with his distinctive husky voice sharing centre stage with his dazzling guitar. Lead single Neria remains one of his biggest hits.

Source: African Arguments 

Press release 14th April 2020
Nottingham COVID-19 Support Network Formed to facilitate help to African, Caribbean and Middle Eastern Communities.

Mojatu Foundation has joined five other organisations to create a support network for new and emerging communities across Nottingham to deal with the immediate, and ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Foundation is working in partnership with Fearless Youth Association (FYA), Inspired-Succeed CIC, FMB Radio, Let’s Shine and Give a Smile, and Global African Integration Network (GAIN) Diaspora.

Together, they are providing food and essential deliveries, support in accessing benefits, continuing online mental health support, and a range of training programmes. Working with local foodbanks and supermarkets, a team of volunteers have begun receiving referrals from the council, as well as online, and supplying them with essential goods.

A local Kenyan resident had two children and a husband sick at home, and the family were all self-isolating. She said, “I really want to say big thank you to Mojatu staff who brought in food for my family during this time of isolation, my family has undergone some serious testing but with friends standing with us we shall overcome. They even helped us to get a birthday cake for my son’s 7^th birthday”.

BME communities make up 34.7% of the population of Nottingham, however, recent news has shown that these populations have been hit particularly hard by the virus. Together, these organisations aim to ensure that local populations receive essential supplies, that they are treated with kindness and dignity, and continue their important roles as members of the local community.

So far, the network has been delivering up to sixty food parcels a day and believe the demand will increase significantly over the coming weeks. Importantly, they intend to provide ongoing support to ensure their communities receive essential and long-term care.

For information on how to access the service for food or training support, one need to complete I Need Help form while those seeking to volunteer should complete the Here To Help form.

For more information about the network, our work or media enquiries on this press release, please visit Mojatu Foundation website on https://www.mojatufoundation.org or contact Frank on frank@mojatu.com or call 0115 8457 009.