Music

Mali: Mali’s Amadou and Mariam Celebrate Five Decades in Music

[Afropop] Mali's Grammy-nominated Afro-rock sensation, Amadou and Mariam, once billed as "The Blind Couple of Mali" have had a big year this year. They recently played a cover of a Serge Gainsbourg song at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Go to the two-hour mark in this video to see it.

Ethiopia: From Self-Taught to Jazz Icon – Timeless Journey of Alemseged Kebede

[Ethiopian Herald] There's yet to be a genre from Ethiopia that has risen in the world's music scene the way that Ethiopian jazz had in the first half of the 20th century. Sampled across many genres and artists, the unique sorrowful yet joyful and even mystical sounds that came from Ethiopia at this time became a worldwide phenomenon. This, however, is a story about one among many, who was part of this cultural phenomenon and continues to be today--my beloved uncle, Alemseged Kebede.

Sudan: Mahmoud Abdel Aziz – Timeless Voice of Sudan

[Afropop] With an eclectic sound that united both young and old, it's no surprise that "Al Hoot" (the Whale) still stands as a figurehead of Sudanese revolution in both music and social change. Born in Khartoum's Bahri district in 1967, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz was destined for stardom from a young age. After gaining praise from Sudan's president Gaafar Nimeiry at the age of 8, Abdel Aziz joined the Bahri Youth Center's (BYC) theater troupe where he began to develop a strong passion for music and performing. There he met