The artist 9ice, (born Abolore Akande on the 17th of January) known for his versatility, proverbial lyrics and unique style started his singing and writing career at the age of fourteen. Justifiable tagged “the hit maker”, 9ice conveys with his music, a new ethnic flavor and eclectic style that is uniquely his. In 1994 he produced his first demo... [+] Read More

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A superstar in his native Senegal, spiritual pop singer Baaba Maal was not even born to be a performer -- in West African culture, tradition dictates that the ancient griot caste must produce the singers and storytellers, and Maal was born in the city of Podor in 1953 into the fisherman's caste. Despite his parents' insistence that he become a... [+] Read More

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Boukman Eksperyans announce their radicalism in their name, an allusion to Boukman the slave who initiated the island's 1804 independence uprising. Always aware that freedom and culture go hand in hand, this ten-member band sing in the sporadically outlawed creole tongue and blend African religious motifs and street slang into a wild, syncretic... [+] Read More

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Neway Debebe has been described as possessing a "voice of silk". A protégé of poet Tilahoun Gessesse, Debebe first attracted attention as the lead vocalist of The Roha Band, a tradition-rooted Ethiopian pop band that has supplied accompaniment on more than two hundred and fifty recordings by such top-ranked Ethiopian vocalists as Aster Aweke,... [+] Read More

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In 1990, Wassoulou singer Sangare became a superstar in West Africa with Moussolou, which sold an astonishing 250,000 copies (many more were likely pirated). She received much of her attention for writing and singing lyrics that specifically addressed concerns of women in modern West African society, such as the conflict between marriage and... [+] Read More

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Salif Keita gave up a lot to pursue his dreams of a career in music. Born to royal lineage, with ancestral roots going back to Soundjata Keita, the founder of the Malian Empire in 1240, Keita was disowned by his father after announcing his plans to play music. Keita's dreams, however, were too strong to be shattered. Moving to the capitol city... [+] Read More

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Thomas Mapfumo made revolutionary changes in Zimbabwe's pop-music scene by recording a song for which he'd written his own music. Before Mapfumo, songs in the traditional style were always based on tunes that had been handed down for generations. Mapfumo's music, chimurenga ("music of struggle"), became popular during the civil war against White... [+] Read More

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Formed by poet, musician, and vocalist Gilbert Pounia, Ziskakan has resisted the modern disco music of the West Indies in favor of more traditional sounds. Singing in his native Creole language, Pounia continues to be accompanied by large drums, water bottle resonators, and kayamb, a traditional instrument built by filling stems of cane with... [+] Read More

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