Pure Bacardi house fun

Hipsters Don't Dance Top World Carnival Tunes for November 2014.

Spoek Mathambo in July 2012. (Dave Lichterman, Via Flickr CC).

Back, but a little delayed due to our site maintenance and redesign are Hipster’s Don’t Dance with our November 2014 chart of hot World Carnival tunes. Check it below, and be sure to visit the HDD blog regularly for all their great up-to-the-timeness out of London.

DJ Spoko x War God

We don’t know whether it was the excellent Spoek Mathambo doc Future sounds of Mzansi that drew us back to the DJ Spoko LP but the whole thing, which came out in October is excellent. 85 mins of pure Bacardi house fun.

Dr Sid x Lady Don Dada

Not sure if this will get a single release but this cut off his excellent LP this year has been on repeat. After the Mavins successful 2014, we are excited to see what else is in store for this super group.

MI x Wheel Barrow (Feat Emmy Ace & Beenie Man)

MI’s new LP came out this month and we instantly gravitated towards this one. Not only does it feature the immortal Beenie Man but also features some dembow drums which we love.

Edem x Koene (Feat. Ice Queen & Lil Shaker)

This came out earlier in the year but we love it still. Magnum’s beat is great unrelenting but fun and Zambia’s Ice Queen delivers on of our fave verses of the year.

Hagan x M.O.T.Y Edit

Discovered on the rather excellent AIAC Radio show, this edit of the Schoolboy Q hit transforms the West Coat hit into some sparser and a whole lot more fun.

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.