We share a lot of our ideals with Nomadic Wax, a fantastic structure which gave birth to the great Democracy in Dakar film, but also to a slew of other projects, you MUST have a look at their site. If you know the Akwaaba story, you’ll enjoy the similarities with the beginnings of Nomadic Wax – down to the founder’s first name!! From their site:
“In the summer of 1999, Nomadic Wax founder Ben Herson stumbled upon a thriving hip hop scene in Senegal, West Africa. Enthralled by the politically and socially conscious lyrics of the emcees he encountered, Herson researched and wrote his award-winning undergraduate dissertation Fat Beats, Dope Rhymes, and Thug Lives: Hip Hop, Youth and Politics in Senegal. In 2001, Herson returned to Senegal with collaborator Dan Cantor of Notable Productions. The two set up shop in a spare room in a Dakar community center to record African Underground Vol. 1, a compilation featuring fourteen of Dakar’s illest emcees.
Since 2001, Nomadic Wax has grown into an internationally recognized brand in global urban music and media, working with hundreds of pioneering artists worldwide. Focusing on Africa and the African diaspora, Nomadic Wax has expanded its projects into the Middle East, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.”
And… some sounds: