Ali Smith’s new book “Autumn” is being heralded as the first great post-Brexit novel. Kurt talks with her about politics, art, and the very nature of time.
Kurt's best-of playlist: including conversations with Jeff Daniels, Samantha Hunt, Alejandro Iñárritu, and a lesson in how to speak with a British accent.
Al Yankovic grew up in the '60s wanting to play in rock and roll cover bands. To his surprise, the other kids just didn’t take the accordion-playing teenager seriously.
An art historian and a biologist discovered a novel way to measure historical air pollution levels: looking soot caught in the feathers of birds from 140 years ago.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier plays songs from his new album “In My Room” … with a little help from an MIT engineer.
Souljazz Orchestra, Canada’s leading Afrobeat/Caribbean (and obviously enough) soul/jazz ensemble (who we featured on our “Africa in America 2013″ program), is back at it with a new album called Inner Fire (Strut). As that title indicates, the band has transitioned ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17047/the-spiritual-side-of-souljazz-an-interview-with-pierre-chretien/"> Read more »</a>
Young Fathers, Scotland’s leading rap trio, have returned, after three excellent EPs and the recent “Music to… Babylon” mix for iD Magazine, with their debut full-length, DEAD (available from Anticon in the US). The band tackles dark subjects on the ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17148/dead-young-fathers-on-their-democratic-recording/"> Read more »</a>
What’s the first thing you think when you hear the music of Ibibio Soundmachine? Well, if you’re anything like us, it’s probably something along the lines of “Damn that’s funky,” followed in short order by “Took them long enough!” Delivering ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17183/interview-eno-williams-of-ibibio-soundmachine/"> Read more »</a>
Mo Kolours (born Joseph Deenamode) is a half-English, half-Mauritian producer/singer/percussionist from London. His debut self-titled record will be out on March 24, and you can pre-order it from One-Handed Music. We spoke to Mo on the phone to discuss how ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17214/an-interview-with-mo-kolours-the-new-sound-of-london/"> Read more »</a>
Habib Koite brought his new band to the City Winery in New York on March 6 for what turned out to be the best concert we’ve seen all year. The band is smaller and younger, and features Issa Kone on ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17441/habib-koite-celebrates-his-homeland-mali/"> Read more »</a>
As a companion piece to Afropop Worldwide’s three episode Hip Deep investigation of the music, culture, and history of Lebanon, Senior Editor Banning Eyre interviewed alt-pop superstar Yasmine Hamdan about her career, her life, and her musical inspiration. Check it ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17590/hip-deep-lebanon-video-yasmine-hamdan-interviewed/"> Read more »</a>
Lidwien Kapteijns is a professor of history at Wellesley College. A few years ago, she contacted Afropop Worldwide to say she was a co-trustee of a large collection of rarely heard songs from Somalia. These songs date from between about ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17497/lidwien-kapteijns-love-songs-at-the-dawn-of-somalia/"> Read more »</a>
Ahmed Ismail Samatar is a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Minnesota is home to America’s largest Somali-descended population, over 32,000 people, according to the 2011 census. Professor Samatar has taught at Macalester for 20 years, 18 of ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17557/ahmed-samatar-somali-songs/"> Read more »</a>
Michael Meredith is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter and director, well known for his collaborations with Wim Wenders. Through Wenders, Michael has become a huge fan of Malian music, and over the past two years he has been working on his ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17872/return-to-timbuktu-documentary-film-in-progress/"> Read more »</a>
In our upcoming special Hip Deep episode “The Money Show,” we explore the economics behind music in the African diaspora. In Chapter Two, we tell the story of how business competition between rival DJs in Cartagena, Colombia led to the ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/18127/18127/"> Read more »</a>
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The Spiritual Side of Souljazz: An Interview with Pierre Chrétien
March 04, 2014
Souljazz Orchestra, Canada’s leading Afrobeat/Caribbean (and obviously enough) soul/jazz ensemble (who we featured on our “Africa in America 2013″ program), is back at it with a new album called Inner Fire (Strut). As that title indicates, the band has transitioned ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17047/the-spiritual-side-of-souljazz-an-interview-with-pierre-chretien/"> Read more »</a>
Young Fathers on Their Democratic Recording “Dead”
March 10, 2014
Young Fathers, Scotland’s leading rap trio, have returned, after three excellent EPs and the recent “Music to… Babylon” mix for iD Magazine, with their debut full-length, DEAD (available from Anticon in the US). The band tackles dark subjects on the ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17148/dead-young-fathers-on-their-democratic-recording/"> Read more »</a>
Funky Folklore: An Interview with Eno Williams of Ibibio Soundmachine
March 14, 2014
What’s the first thing you think when you hear the music of Ibibio Soundmachine? Well, if you’re anything like us, it’s probably something along the lines of “Damn that’s funky,” followed in short order by “Took them long enough!” Delivering ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17183/interview-eno-williams-of-ibibio-soundmachine/"> Read more »</a>
An Interview With Mo Kolours: The New Sound of London
March 18, 2014
Mo Kolours (born Joseph Deenamode) is a half-English, half-Mauritian producer/singer/percussionist from London. His debut self-titled record will be out on March 24, and you can pre-order it from One-Handed Music. We spoke to Mo on the phone to discuss how ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17214/an-interview-with-mo-kolours-the-new-sound-of-london/"> Read more »</a>
Habib Koite Celebrates His Homeland–Mali
March 24, 2014
Habib Koite brought his new band to the City Winery in New York on March 6 for what turned out to be the best concert we’ve seen all year. The band is smaller and younger, and features Issa Kone on ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17441/habib-koite-celebrates-his-homeland-mali/"> Read more »</a>
Hip Deep Lebanon Video: Yasmine Hamdan Interviewed
March 26, 2014
As a companion piece to Afropop Worldwide’s three episode Hip Deep investigation of the music, culture, and history of Lebanon, Senior Editor Banning Eyre interviewed alt-pop superstar Yasmine Hamdan about her career, her life, and her musical inspiration. Check it ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17590/hip-deep-lebanon-video-yasmine-hamdan-interviewed/"> Read more »</a>
Lidwien Kapteijns: Love Songs at the Dawn of Somalia
March 28, 2014
Lidwien Kapteijns is a professor of history at Wellesley College. A few years ago, she contacted Afropop Worldwide to say she was a co-trustee of a large collection of rarely heard songs from Somalia. These songs date from between about ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17497/lidwien-kapteijns-love-songs-at-the-dawn-of-somalia/"> Read more »</a>
Ahmed Samatar: Somali Songs
March 28, 2014
Ahmed Ismail Samatar is a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Minnesota is home to America’s largest Somali-descended population, over 32,000 people, according to the 2011 census. Professor Samatar has taught at Macalester for 20 years, 18 of ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17557/ahmed-samatar-somali-songs/"> Read more »</a>
Return to Timbuktu: Documentary Film in Progress with Michael Meredith
April 11, 2014
Michael Meredith is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter and director, well known for his collaborations with Wim Wenders. Through Wenders, Michael has become a huge fan of Malian music, and over the past two years he has been working on his ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/17872/return-to-timbuktu-documentary-film-in-progress/"> Read more »</a>
The Economics of Champeta with Michael Birnbaum Quintero
April 23, 2014
In our upcoming special Hip Deep episode “The Money Show,” we explore the economics behind music in the African diaspora. In Chapter Two, we tell the story of how business competition between rival DJs in Cartagena, Colombia led to the ...<a class="meta-nav" href="http://www.afropop.org/wp/18127/18127/"> Read more »</a>