Lapiro de Mbanga Freed!

By way of Makossa Original and Freemuse we receive the happy news that Camerounian musician Lapiro de Mbanga was freed April 8 after three...

African Divas Vol. 4

Once again I'm forced to apologize for the infrequency of my posts lately. As usual, I have several projects in the hopper, but all kin...

More From the Ministry of Information and National Guidance

Note: This post was updated with better-quality rips of the original vinyl on July 26, 2012. Our good friend Sanaag comes through once agai...

An Igbo Minstrel

There is a parallel universe of popular music in Nigeria that exists mostly unknown to the international audience that listens to Fela, King...

Nigeria's Lady of Songs

I'll admit to being a little mystified by the current fascination with the cheesier byways of African music - '70s and '80s Afro...

The Unsung Genius of African Music

In a just world, Nigeria's "Gentleman" Mike Ejeagha would be considered one of the giants of African music, accorded the same ...

Shortwave Memories

More Congo classics via Nigeria here! Music From Zaïre Vol. 3 (Soundpoint SOP 041, 1977) opens with "Ngalula Marthe" by Orchestr...