african | Musicosity

Salif Keita

Salif Keita (born 25 August 1949) is an internationally recognized Afro-Pop singer and song writer from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he is an albino and a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita. Keita was born on August 25, 1949 in the city of Djoliba. He was outcast by his family and ostracized by the community because he was an albino, a sign of bad luck in Mandinka culture. He left Djoliba for Bamako in 1967, where he joined the government sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako.

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Fatoumata Diawara

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Aline Frazão

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Thandiswa

Zabalaza is the first solo release from the South African kwaito performer, Thandiswa Mazwai. Before this album, Thandiswa was most famously known as the lead singer for the kwaito group Bongo Maffin. Zabalaza, Xhosa for Rebellion, is a shining example of the integrative style of kwaito, and Thandiswa has infused this album with the sounds of her roots: kwaito, traditional Xhosa music, mbaqanga, reggae, and even gospel music.

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Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

“You gave me your mud and I made gold from it.” This famous Baudelaire quote could be the Kuti family motto, employed by father and son alike. Their songs, filled with the corruption, ignorance, malady, sadness, pollution and the many others ill that ravage contemporary Africa, are veritable musical treasures, flamboyant, jubilatory songs that make you want to get up and dance. So are you ready to dance like crazy to the misfortunes of Africa? Just be sure to dance and listen to what Africa is telling us.

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Toumani Diabate

This is an incorrect tag for Toumani Diabaté. If this non-artist appears in your charts, do last.fm and yourself a favor. Fix your artist tags.

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2face Idibia

Innocent Ujah Idibia best known as 2face Idibia is a recording artist from Benue State, Nigeria. He was a member of the defunct R&B/hip hop group Plantashun Boyz. One of the most internationally recognized celebrities Nigeria has produced in years, his massively popular song African Queen was the first ever video to be played on pan African channel MTV Base. 2face was the recipient of such awards as the 2005 Channel O Best Male Music Video award and the first award given for Best African at the MTV Europe Awards held in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2005.

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Freshlyground

Born in 2002 out of the cultural hotbed that is Cape Town South Africa, Freshlyground have become the musical voice of a nation

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Netsayi

Netsayi is a Zimbabwean singer-songwriter. In 2006 she released her debut album 'Chimurenga Soul' on her own Militant Prince label. It was described as 'refreshingly, startlingly excellent' by Mojo magazine who know a thing or two about refreshing, startling excellence. Thereafter, she contacted one of her favourite indie labels, World Connection, via MySpace and persuaded a big Dutchman called Albert to snap her up.

Now, a couple of years later, her second album, 'Monkey's Wedding', is all but ready to go. It features all sorts of musicians from all sorts of places including Baby 'Soul' N'Sola, Jeremiah Samuel, Rujeko Dumbutshena, Joe Legwabe ... in fact, more than 20 in total; but they've all been working to Netsayi's vision (albeit with a helping hand from top production duo Bacon & Quarmby).

Over the last few years, Netsayi has headlined at festivals across the UK, Europe and Africa, but Autumn 2009 sees her take to the road in support of celebrated South Africans, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

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Wunmi

Wunmi, real name Ibiwunmi Omotayo Olufunke Olaiya, is a singer, dancer and fashion designer. She was born in the United Kingdom, to Nigerian parents, but spent much of her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria. She worked with the band Soul II Soul, notably appearing as a dancer in the video for "Back To Life" (1989). Her debut single, "What a See (A Guy Called Gerald Mix)" was released in 1998, and her debut album A.L.A. (Africans Living Abroad) came out on the Documented record label in 2006.