Africa Is a Country

Weekend Music Break No.74

Weekend Music Break No.74

By
Boima Tucker

Here is our weekend round up of audio and visuals from around the African Internet…

Kicking things off, Spoek Mathambo spearheaded band Fantasma premiered their video for Cat and Mouse this week, featuring a collection of young South African ballet dancers.

Alabama neo-trap poster boys Rae Sremmurd saw Fantasma’s video, and decided to head to South Africa for their latest as well. Some over here at Africa is a Country think they’ve spotted a Sean Jacobs doppelgänger.

The Alkebulan project is a series of EPs accompanied by a series of short stories from prominent African artists. They released the first video from the project this week.

Cape Town weirdo rappers DOODVENOOTSKAP jump in-to the Internet and dance around a bit in their video for “Protein Shake”.

13 year-old Kudurista Buriana of Cabo Snoop’s Power House crew brings us the video for “Pica malembe”.

Bebeto Bongo takes us to Burkina Faso and teaches us the Zoungou Zoungou dance.

Ghana and Nigerian dancehall link up on Shatta Wale and PatoRanking’s “Romantic”.

In honor of Afropop’s Hip Deep special this week on Afro-Peruvian music and culture, here is Susana Baca’s classic “Maria Lando” (Lando), live in Buenos Aires.

Nigerian singer Asa launched the visuals for Eyo last week. Here it is for you to enjoy today!

When Bono’s not getting run over on American television, he is promoting an end to poverty through his One organization. Here they assemble an All Star cast of African women performers for their “Strong Girl” campaign.

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.