DJ Ross The Boss July Live Acts
04.07. Afro-caribbean Night /w DJ Akodox (Nigeria) @ Zitna 41 (ex Meli-Melo) , Prague
09.07. Afrobanger @ Huslounge , Prague
11.07. Afro-caribbean Beats @ Zitna 41 (ex Meli-Melo) , Prague
16.07. Afrobanger @ Huslounge , Prague
18.07. Afro-caribbean Night /w DJ Papapot @ Zitna 41 (ex Meli-Melo) , Prague
23.07. Afrobanger @ Huslounge , Prague
24.07. Afro-caribbean Beats @ Husitska 23 , Prague
25.07. Afro-caribbean Night @ Zitna 41(ex Meli-Melo), Prague

Watch the DJ Ross The Boss Coupe Decale mixtape + video 43 minutes
(FULL SCREEN)

2.7.2009
Ewlad Leblad - The first moorish hip-hop band  
Mauritanian hip-hop group aspires to change society through music

There are two basic groups and cultures in Mauritania with little interaction between. The arab-moorish and the the black-african society. The arab-moorish society in mauritania is known for beeing very conservative ( slavery was forbidden by law in 1980, altough some hidden form of slavery still remain). And the same we could say about moorish music. The band , that is trying to change it is called Ewlad-Leblad. They don't hail from families with artistic backgrounds, and art is still restricted to a certain social class in Mauritania. Ewlad Leblad overcame all these traditions and restriction and now after 9 years beeing together they are one of the most popular hip-hop bands in Mauritania.Their lyrics deal with many sosial issues and now they are reaching ears of many young moorish people in the country.

In this interview for Maghrebia news, you can read their story and you can also read more about social and musical backgroung in Mauritania.

Ewlad leblad on youtube: (1) , (2) , (3).
Source.

27.6.2009
Issa Bagayogo and Kasai All Stars on Respect music festival today  
Big event for all fans of african music is going on on Respect music festival in Prague today. Issa Bagaygo from Mali and Kasai All Stars from Kongo are the bands, you shouldn't miss. :)
Respect music festival official website

10.6.2009
Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi - The Tuku Years  
3 years ago or so I was listening this album (relaesed in 2003) over and over. The first word that comes to my mind when I hear his music is ... Hope. But rather then to me , this Zimbabwean best selling and musically blessed artist brings hope to milions people from his struggeling country. People who can understand the message that is spread in Oliver's native shona language.
His lyrics are more universal and methaforical rather than openly critical, but as Oliver confirmed in one interwiew: "I know that my people understand my message"
In the song called Wasakara he sings: Dear old man, you are worn-out and old, and there are things you can not do anymore. At one concert in Zimbabwe's capital Harrare, while Oliver was singing this song, the people working with the lighting system aimed their lights spontaneously to the ever-present image of Mugabe (and were sent to prison right after the concert).
There is also strong spiritual accent in his music and lyrics ( "Here Me Lord" is one of Olivers best known hits ) . As young he was a gospel singer and besides gospel tradition his music is sometimes desribed as a mix of Southafrican Mbaganga, Congolese rumba, western pop and jit music (the traditional shona music). But rather than read the description , it's better to hear his music. Music that reach hearts and ears of milions of people all around the world.

Watch:
Oliver Mtukudzi - Ndakuwara
Oliver Mtukudzi - Hear Me Lord

8.6.2009
NGOMA vol. 1 Mixtape: Around the world in 80 minutes  
"Global hiphop and dancehall fire from around the non-western world. navigating next-level urban dance music from places like India, Cuba, Tanzania, Egypt, South Africa -- a sampling of crucial new scenes: the wickedest beats and sweetest flows. 4 continents, 19 countries, around 105 BPM. styles include: Bongo Flava, Kizomba, Afro-Hiphop, Bhangra, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Dancehall, Rai, Arabic Pop, Balkan Beat, Genge, Kapuka, Kwaito, Jaija, Afro-House, Afro-Dub, Taraab, Gamelan."
Thats the Zhao's (Berlin based DJ) own description of his mixtape.
Are you tired of hearing still the same music in the mainstream. The so called worldbeat is the best treatment for getting bored from it.

Listen or download the mixtape.
DJ Yhao's myspace.

31.5.2009
Sister Fa releases New Album.  
Sister Fa , senegalese women rapper just released her new album at Piranha records ....and I think its awesome. Album that sounds very fresh on one side, with strong linking to traditional music on the other side. Especially the kora (traditional african string instrument) can be heard very loud in some songs. It looks like this is becoming kind of trend to put the traditional music to african hip-hop and I am happy for it. I dont know if western producers push little bit to african artists to bring these traditonal influences to the so called modern music rather than just copy the western artist , or if it's just a natural way , how these artist expres themselfs?.... anyway I like it

Get the taste of the CD and listen few songs on Sister Fa's myspace

6.5.2009
Douk Saga - Le Creator de Coupe Decale  
This friday on radio wave on Craigh's Duncan weekly Friday Ripple show we will talk about one of my favourite music genre - coupe decale. Douk Saga is guilty in spreading this music all across west africa and you can enjoy his Sagacite music video:
Douk Saga - Sagacite

If you want to know and hear more about this music tune in here on friday 8th may on 6 pm CET.

29.4.2009
Buraka Som Sistema - Searching for Diamonds  
It's no secret there is a lot of dimaonds in Angola. Besides minerals there are also musical diamonds. Buraka Som Sistema has been searching for these diamonds for several years. Buraka's point of interest is original Angolas's music and dance style called kuduro. Music that is definitely not for everybody. Fast, wild, raw and crazy, kuduro is completely in opposition to another Angola's musical heritage - slow and smooth kizomba. The roots of Kuduro go deep to late 80's when angolan DJs started to mix african percusion samples with soca rhytms. Due to poor sound equipment the lo-fi electronic sound was often present. Typical MCs toasting could also define this music as well as provocative dance that is definitely not a puritan type of dance :). Kuduro ( or tribal house - as somedody named this music ) was soon adopted by Portugese dance music scene , especially in Lisboa, Portugese capital with strong angola's diaspora. In portugal the different music influences as ragga or techno was absorbed by the new kuduro sound. Right now, kuduro is a groing force in Portuguese pop music and its leading proponents are the super-tough Buraka Som Sistema. After hitting portugese dancefloors, kuduro seems to spread it's influence to othere portugese speaking country - Brazil. Angolan kizomba singer Yuri da Cunha affirmed this weekend in Lobito city, Benguela province, that Angolan genre Kuduro (music and dance style) has conquered space in international market, particularly in Brazil. "I believe that Kuduro is already part of Angola's cultural identity" Yuri says, as well as kizomba music. He recognised that despite the success, it has been difficult to accept this musical genre nationwide, since many singers introduce improper words that offend the society morally.

Buraka som systema myspace.

Kuduro videos:
Buraka Som Sistema feat. Petty - Yah!
Dj Killamu - Nao Maya
Puto Lilas - Me da so Sangue
vagabanda - Vou le Dar
Normal Nada & Costuleta - Essa que me mata

Is kuduro too strong cup of coffee for you. Listen one more time Da Cunha's kizomba (or is it lambada?) song with just decent kuduro toasting at the end of the song: Yuri da Cunha - Macumba

KUDURO: TRIBAL - MINIMALISTIC - LO-FI - WILD

18.4.2009
Aziza Brahim - Mi Canto (the voice of resistance from country, that doesn't exist)  
Aziza is a Saharawi (West Saharan) women singer, that grew up in refugee camp in Algeria. She did her first recordings for the Saharawi National Radio in the refugee camps and from there came her first tour outside the camps in Mauritania and Algeria as part of the National Saharawi Music Group. In 1998 the Spanish record company Nubenegra published the trilogy ‘Saharauis’, which included two songs of hers. From 1998 to 2004 she made several tours with the Saharawi music group Leyuad in Europe. Because of her lyrics it is impossibble to hear her music in her homeland West sahara. It's because she sing about West Sahara as about independent country (in fact West Sahara is the occupided territotry, that officially belong to Morrocan Kingdom). Watch this interview , that was made for Freemuse server where Aziza expalins why just to listen her music could bring you to the jail in West Sahara.
In 2005, together with the latin-jazz band Yayabo, Aziza Brahim made her first experiments with mixing the traditional music from Western Sahara with other music styles.

In Janury 2009 her new digital LP was relaesed. You can listen songs from this LP here and if you like it you can buy it on Mondomix or on Tamasheq website . On Tamasheq you will get it with 40 pages booklet where you can read more backqround stories to this music.
If you like Tinariwen , you could like also Aziza Brahim's music. Her music is a hassaniya version of the Tinariven's touareg music story (not just because of the similar sound, both is a music that came from the refugee camps).

Related music video: Nayim Alal - Prayer
More about Western Sahara on wikipedia.

10.4.2009
Issa Bagayogo - Techno Issa  
If there would be a voting for the best fusion of traditional and electronic music, I would vote to Issa Bagayogo - a malian singer and n’goni (the young Malian’s guitar) player. It was a great idea to cut the ngoni sounds into catchy loops suported by electronic backgroung and covered by traditional malian chants and....... here we have the real trance and introspective music. Music that has the ability to bring you somewhere very far and deep. Far into the past to the experinceses that maybe all of us have common with our ancestors.

Issa Bagayogo - Dambalou
Issa Bagayogo - Ciew Mewele (Dusty Foot Remix)
Issa Bagaogo - Saye Mogo Bana

Read his life story

1.4.2009
The Appril 1st issue: How is the birdflu and the music related?  
This DJ Lewis and his "Grippe Aviaire" 2006 coupe decale song gives you an answer :). Dance that is an imitation of dying chicken? "It's like a chicken with Parkinson's disease trying to dance to hip-hop," said one onlooker in an night club in Abidjan. Welcome to the Ivory Coast's ever-inventive night life: the bird flu dance. I dont know if this song was meant to be just a fun or or if has some more serious meanig. "I created the dance to bring happiness to the hearts of Africans, and to chase away fear, the fear of eating chicken" told DJ Lewis the BBC. There one more raw video to that song, but if you are sensitive souls, you shouldnt watch that video.
Of course Ivory Coast is not the only country that has to deal with birdflu problem. The Trinidads soca-dancehall birdflu treatment is also interresting. Also the U.K./Sri Lanka women singer M.I.A. tries to fight against this serious illnes. If you see her live performance of her birdflu song you must admit that she didn't succed at all. Back to the Ivory Coast - Bird Flu is not the only issue that was transformed into the music video. In this song is solved the Guantanamo prison issue by DJ Zidane. All the mens prisoners in the Guantanamo song are forced to dance coupe decale without any accusation. Extremly coupable.

The poll:
The Birdflu is primarly caused by:
A) DJ Lewis and his Birdflu Song
B) M.I.A. and her Birdflu Song
C) Soca-Dancehall Bubu bubu bubu BirdFlu Song
D) None of the previous - birdflu is another HOAX
E) this poll is so stupid , shut up and go dance the birdflu dance

Read More about the birdflu dance

26.3.2009
Jagga Jagga  
When this song from Eedris Abdulkareem was released , the nigeriian president went on national tv and insulted authors father and family. If you will see and hear the song you will realize that this prezidents reaction was no surprise. The message of this song is so strong and clear, that everybody in power in country like Nigeria should be afraid of it.(Two faces of Lagos on the pictures - skyline and slums)
Eedris Abdulkarem - Jagga Jagga
Nigeria jagga jagga / everything scatta scatta / women dem suffa suffa / whats a whats a / gunshot ina di air

Theres plenty of stories going on in Lagos:
Lagos - Stori Plenti a documentary movie
Lagos - Stori Plenti a music compilation

26.3.2009
Outhere Rec. - big respect goes to Munich  
Do you know what have Bassekou Kouyate (Mali, BBC World Music Award winner 2008), X-Plastaz (Tanzania), Alif (the first seneglese women hip hop band) and Rokia Traoré ( Mali) in common. All of them released their albums at the german Munich based recording compamny Outhere Rec. Besides these full lenght cds Outhere Rec also brought some compilations of contemporary african urban music like 'Bongo Flava - Swahili rap from Tanzania' ( aimed to the music called Bongo Flava - a HipHop influenced music which – unnoticed by the rest of the world - has become the best selling pop music in East Africa, today.) , Urban African Club (hip hop, dancehal and kwaito compilation ) and several others. For vynil fans most of their recordings are availiable also on vynils.

25.3.2009
Last week the radio was unavailiable. Its bacause I forgot to pay to live365 server for radio broadcasting. From tomorrow radio should be in the air again. Sorry for the inconvinience.

13.3.2009
Pepe Kalle - "La Bombe Atomique"  
If pepe Kalle would be born in Japan, he could be ( with his 136 kg ) a sumo wrestler. We should be happy that he was born in Kinshasa (DR Congo) where became a soukous singer. Soukous is a music style that that works with very high-energy vibrations by itself. Combined with Pepe Kalle's voice these vibrations are becoming extremly explosive and brought him one of his nicknames - La Bombe Atomique. Musically and physically huge. Blessed with a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence. Members of his ensemble Empire Bakuba also created and named a new dance, the kwassa kwassa , that became popular in many variations throughout Africa. Pepe Kalle died of a heart attack in November 1998, during his two decade-long career he relaesed twenty albums.

Pepe Kalle - Milla , my favorite video at the end :) . Pepe Kalle sings while Roger Milla ( legendary Cameroonian football player) is dancing on the football playground.

6.3.2009
Suzanna Owiyo - when the contemporary rhytms meet the traditional  
Kisumu is a city near Suzanna Oiwiyo was born. Kisumu 100 was her first hit that started her career. Soon after she recorded her first album, which received great success on the radio, won her a nomination in the Kora Music Awards 2002 in the “Most Promising Female Artist category”. Since then the listening audience in Europe, North America and Africa had many chances to hear her music live on her concerts. Music that is described as a fusion of traditional western Kenyan music and contemporary rhythms. Suzanna is currently working on her 3rd album which should be out this year. She has featured Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe, Mbilia Bel from DRC Congo in the album.

Suzanna Oiwiyo official website

1.3.2009
Omar Pene and Le Super Diamono  
There's no doubt that Youssou Ndour is a king of mbalax in Senegal for many years. But it would be mistake to think that he is the only one, there are of course many other excelent singers in this genre. One of them is Omar Pene and his band Super Diamono. Omar Pene is an owner of beautiful melancholic voice and his music is ful of emotion. TRES BON.

Omar pene - Rer
Super Diamono - Domou Gainde Ndiaye

28.2.2009
Last 5 weeks there were no updates in radio playlist and on this pages as well. Its because I was traveling in west Africa that time. Just beeing there was one of the strongest experiences for me. Lot of new music that will be added to the playlist will be from this region - Morrocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and also from one of the african musical superpowers - from Senegal. Stay tuned.

( On the picture are sellers at "music shop" in Nouakchot (Mauritania) with sonicafrica flyers :) )

18.1.2009
Sizzlas first live concert on african soil: Gambia went crazy  
One of the most controversary as well as tallented jamaican artists Sizzla Kalonji enjoyed his first ever performance on african continent in the end of December, 2008. The show was held in one of the most reggae-promissed lands in Africa - in Gambia. In this interview for Gambian Observer, you can read Sizzlas opinions on Africa and african diaspora ,Rastafari and Bobo Shanti.

Steroids, NO. Cocaine, NO. Heroine, NO. Morphine, NO.Guns, NO. Steeling, NO. Marihuana, YES. It Was his ( not surprising ) message to the crowded footbal stadium.

Here you can see how Sizzla made the whole stadium crazy. Those, who saw on his concert in Prague, can compare :).

17.1.2009
Cesare Evoira is not the only Cape Verdean female singer.  
Do you like soul music? Do you like good soul music? Do you like good soul music with strong african ( and sometimes also latino) flavour. Then you will love Sara Tavares , Portuguese singer, composer and guitarist. She is of Cape Verdean descent and grew up in Portugal. She composes African influenced world music. Music that makes you calm and peacefull. If you don’t believe me, check her songs and you will see :) :
Sara Tavares - Balance
Sara Tavares – Mi Ma Bo

25.12.2008
Caling To The Most High - The New Spiritual Roots Reggae Mixtape  
Music is not just a fun. Music is sometimes also a prayer for me . Tonight on Christmass Eve instead of going to church I am posting the new spiritual reggae mixtape :) . Altough it doesnt look like the upcomming year 2009 will be happier for common people I am still praying for better future and hoping that we gonna chase those crazy N.W.O. baldheads out of the town. JAH People shall never be defeated.
PEACE AND LOVE. STAY TOGETHER.

To listen the mixtape go to download section.

10.12.2008
Musicians in South Africa fight against the crime in their lyrics  
Johannesburg: New anti-crime song calls on South Africans to fight crime. Local musicians, in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, released the song which aims to draw people's attention to crime. Some of the lyrics of the song include: "Let us come together and deal with crime. Take Charge. The crime stops with me!"

This reminds me other song: "Abukho" ( beautiful piece from McCoy Mrubata), whose lyrics also deal negative things in the South african society. "Wake up everybody, cant you we are geting lost? Where is brotherhood? Where is sisterhood? We gained freedom, we gained respect as one nation but we are loosing humanity" sings McCoy , and I wish these worlds will be heard among the southafrican people.

30.11.2008
Fela Kuti in a Hall of fame on the First Annual MTV Africa Music Award  
The first-ever MTV Africa Music Awards held in Abuja, Nigeria delivered a heavily Afro-centric show and winners' list that has been welcomed by the continent's industry. Here are some of the MAMA winners- Best Female: Wahu (Kenya), Best Male: D'Banj (Nigeria), Best Live Performer: Jozi (South Africa), Artist Of The Year: D'Banj (Nigeria), MAMAs Legend: Fela Anikulapo Kuti

24.11.2008
Bole2Harlem - The checkpoint on the US - Ethiopian Border  
Bole is the entry/exit point for Ethiopia, and harlem is the entry/exit place for Contemporary African music in Ethiopia. Their first album ( Bole2Harlem - Vol.1 , released in 2006 ) is the concept of building the bridge between those worlds, creating a space where they can both exist without musically or culturally dilluting either one. Mixing traditional Ethiopian song themes with all of Harlem's influences. The World can Flow as One, Music is the frontier to pawe the way. HIGLY RECOMMENDED. WWW.BOLE2HARLEM.COM

10.11.2008
Byron Lee and Miriam Makeba passed away  
Two legends of worldmusic passed away this week, their music lives. Miriam Makeba from South Africa, sometimes also called "the first african superstar". She was the first african musician who won the Grammy Award in 1965. Her combination of south african music and jazz made her famous all around the world. Hear the Pata Pata song.
When  ska ruled Jamaica Byron Lee was there, when calypso ruled the west indies Byron Lee was there and when soca went on scene in Trinidad and Tobago Byron Lee was there.  Enjoy the calypso-soca mix that includes only Byrons songs.

21.8.2008 
4 new mixtapes added to this pages. Just go to download section and enjoy the music J
Čtyři nové mixtapy přidány na stránky. Pro stánutí mixů jděte na stránku download a užijte si poslech J .

10.7.2008 
On a webpages www.afro.cz you can read a profile of an senegalese musician Youssou NDour

Na stránkách www.afro.cz si mùžete přečíst profil senegalského zpěváka Youssou NDour.

7.4.2008 
Ve čtvrtek 10.4. proběhne v Meli-Melo warm up party na Ples Afrika, jejíž součástí bude i losování o 4 lístky zdarma. Losování proběhne cca ve 21 hodin , takže přijďte včas J

On Thursday 10^th of April there will be a warm-up party to Ples Afrika at meli-melo. 4 of you will get free tickets to Ples Africa. A ballot will be at 9 pm, so make sure to be there at time J

6.3.2008
Podle únorových statistik poslouchaly sonicafrica radio lidé v 58 zemích. V současné době obsahuje cca čtyřicetihodinový playlist, který je průběžně obměňován a spousta nové muziky čeká na upload. Od dubna se plánuje hrát každý večer od 20 do 23 hodin jiná muzika – prozatím plánuji: podělí- roots reggae, úterý- ještě nevím, středa- zouk, coupe-decale, čtvrtek – ještě nevim, pátek- elektronická muzika- kwaito, afrolounge, raggajungle… , sobota – soukouss, ndombolo… - prostě samý rychlý věci, neděle – chillout songy celý den

Jinak pokud chcete slyšet tuto muziku živě, tak na afro-karibské noci každý čtvrtek v meli-melo se většinou tancuje až do rána.