Africa Is a Country

Music Fridays

Music Fridays

By
Sean Jacobs

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A good way to tide you over till Sunday’s World Cup final is to listen and dance to good music. Here’s five music videos I have on heavy rotation.  First up, a current personal favorite of mine: the music video for the Ugandan singer, Jaqee’s single “Moonshine” off her new album. The video was filmed in Uganda and Ethiopia.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUIIVmhK1ps&w=500&h=307&rel=0]

2.  A beautiful video for Rwandese-American “New African Soul” singer, Somi’s song “Prayer to the Saint.”  Nice beat. The video was filmed in and around two legendary Harlem venues, The Apollo and The Shrine.  Essence Magazine recently described Somi as “… at the forefront of a new roster of African artists grabbing attention here in America.”  (BTW, is that my man, Stone, clapping away at 0:56?)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A86uqiK9alU&w=500&h=307&rel=0]

3. The Nigerian Nigerians P-Square and J Martins with “E No Easy.”  I can dance to this. Now if Nigeria’s football team can play like their musicians perform.

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4. Nas and Damian Marley with “As We Enter.” The video–with its Wu Tang Clan feel, all grimy and dark hoodies–was online a few weeks ago right around the time Nas and Marley’s “Distant Relatives” album was released, but it was pulled from the ‘web. Now it is online again. (These two have been all over the internets promoting the new album and have lots of interesting things to say about Africa’s relation to the Americas. We plan to do a longer post about that in the next few days.)

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5. Finally, after all that exertion slow yourself down with Zap Mama’s “Drifting” (featuring G Love). You need to conserve that energy till Sunday. BTW, how long has she been at it and she still produces good music? Damn.

— Sean Jacobs

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.