Thanks to Toni Polo of Radio Groovalización for this beautiful piece he cut with Alou days ago in Bamako.

53 years ago today… Ghana’s a youngster! So what better way to celebrate than with youngster music… forget 1970s analog studios for a minute, and sink into the sounds of hiplife, essentially Ghana’s national pop music these days… there’s something about that fruity loops aesthetic that just gets to us, super simple, melodic, bouncy… try it!

It’s out! Just a Band’s album 82 is available in iTunes… and very shortly right here on the site. Get Ha-He for free below:

Stream the full album here:

(photo by Andrea Bergart)

Too often, when we see the words “African music” in  a major music site, they’re in the same phrase as words like vampire or weekend… not that we don’t encourage experimentation with African music and techniques. But it’s refreshing to see the Chicago powerhouse making room for the music you find in the sidewalk stands they portray in the article, which we highly, highly recommend.

Akwaaba’s been mostly focusing on the Atlantic coast of Africa, but thankfully, we’ve finally connected with East African artists, in the form of this very interesting trio hailing from Nairobi, Kenya.

Traditionalists beware: Just A Band is pop music. Not Afropop, straight up pop. Pop as in music that you, your cousin and your mom might all enjoy. Music that your grandfather won’t ask to turn down immediately, as he may already be shakin’ his legs.

The references to Kenya’s musical heritage are not absent however, just subtle. Although the band mentions Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson as tttwo major influences, some of the softer tracks on their album “82″ evoke polyphonic, spiritual chants. Call it what you want: Just A Band’s recipe is potent, and we intend to spread the potency worldwide. Stay tuned, their album drops February 23! In the meantime, check out Just A Band’s Facebook page, and download this free mp3 of the song Ha-He:

We’re excited to introduce a fantastic new artist to the Akwaaba roster: Gambian kora player Jali Bakary Konteh. We were introcuded to Jali through Steve Pile, a Northern California resident who spent time in the Gambia, first to learn how to play the kora, which is how he met his teacher, Jali. Steve came back to the Gambia last summer to record Jali’s album, which we are very proud to introduce. Stay put for videos and teasers, until the album drops in iTunes on March 9!

Thanks to Sinden for his review, this is our first baby step into DJ Magazine, hope to see more where this came from!

Yeah… we’re hams! Couldn’t resist but post this massive feature courtesy of our friends over at iTunes. If this is any indication, Iba’s album is well worth checking out. Thanks again to Bruno & the iTunes US team for helping us push this fabulous music!!

(Approximate BBRAVE vs Google translation from www.radiofazuma.com):

Dive into the archives of the RTP [national Portuguese TV]. The idea was to select images that illustrate the hidden story behind “Bazuka”. We [DJ Mpula & Radio Fazuma team] hand-picked historic archival footage, added some contemporary images we collected, and footage from our documentary “E Dreda Ser Angolano”.

Lots more to say, but our Portuguese isn’t quite cutting it… and Google translate is very, very little help on this one. But more importantly, dig the video!!