Hello Imani,
On air this week is an encore of our Hip Deep program “Thomas Mapfumo 1: The War Years” that explores the legendary early career of this truly original artist, whose 1970s music set the stage for the birth of a new nation, Zimbabwe. It features rare, unreleased recordings and recollections by Mapfumo, key band members, and prominent Zimbabweans who lived through the liberation struggle.
On the blog: It's live music season! Ben wrote about seeing free jazz legend Pharoah Sanders at Baby's All Right in Williamsburg. Geko Jones wrote us an introduction to his diverse Barrioteca Tropical set at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival this Saturday. And Steve Hochman delivered a field report from Angélique Kidjo's joyous performance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Angélique just released a new album that mixes Afropop and classical music called Angelique Sings. Check out Banning's review here! Tonight is the debut screening of Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai, the kinda-sorta remake of Purple Rain, starring Tuareg guitar sensation Mdou Moctar. Sam interviewed the film's director, Sahel Sound's Christopher Kirkley. Also, if you missed it, be sure to check out Sam's latest show, "Cuts from the Crypt," which explores the gems hidden away in Afropop's vault.
And we’re super excited to announce the publication of Banning’s superb new book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music That Made Zimbabwe (Duke University Press). It’s a great read. (And a 20 year labor of love!) Banning also put together a compilation of Thomas’ essential recordings and brief interview jewels from the man. The book will be available in bookstores on May 20 but if you’d like a signed copy, it is available online now from Banning’s web site.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our wonderful spring benefit party last Friday. Big thanks to Joel Bluestein for his hospitality. Timbila performed. Banning read from his just-released book “Lion Songs,” and we celebrated our Peabody Institutional Award with gusto. We raised over $10,000, which will go to our ambitious archive project, preserving and developing our massive archive—sound recordings, video, photos, rare commercial recordings, documentation, and more. Feel free to add your support to our archive project.
See Banning’s tribute to “The Nile Project,” as last Saturday it wrapped up its four month U.S. concert tour extravaganza, showcasing artists from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. I saw it three times over the four months and they just kept getting better. And they recorded an album on the road. So be on the lookout for that.
For New Yorkers, you can start planning your summers with concert listings from SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn. Our colleagues at Shared Interest, who do excellent work in southern Africa especially focused on women and micro enterprise, will hold their annual Awards Dinner next Thursday May 14 with special honoree Graça Machel.
Big congrats to fellow board member Angélique Kidjo for receiving the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award in recognition of international activism and humanitarian work. Well deserved! Past recipients include Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Mo Ibrahim.
Cheers,
Sean and the afropop.org team
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