diaspoRAW

The achievements of a new generation of artists have not just helped shape British pop, but given a sense of pride to the diaspora “At school, the African kids used to lie and say they were Jamaican.” Those were the words of Skepta (aka Joseph Junior Adenuga) during a recent profile in the Fader. He […]

Jazz singer Somi’s career is infused with the spirit of Africa. For jazz-infused soul singer Somi, the call of Lagos, Nigeria, wasn’t ancestral or political. As the daughter of East African immigrant parents from Rwanda and Uganda, she has spent a good deal of time on the continent exploring her hybrid identity. But the 18-month […]

For more than a decade, FashionAFRICANA has united people from around Pittsburgh through yearly fashion events. But this is not your typical fashion show, says founder Demeatria Boccella. “It’s more of a cultural type of experience.” Through music, dance and design, FashionAFRICANA commemorates the African diaspora and celebrates black beauty and diversity. This year’s gathering […]

The saucy stories from the Nigeria festival, Felabration 2013 have been doing rounds over the past couple of days. Nigerian artist Burna Boy was said to have performed in an underwear, and yes he did do, with so much energy that his fans might ask him to always keep it that way. It didn’t look […]

Africa, largely Mali, passed through Glastonbury over the course of last week. The famed UK festival featured heavyweights such as the Rolling Stones who appeared for the first time ever and the Oasis’s Noel Callagher. These indiciduals shared their star presence alongside African household names such as French-Malian Fatoumata Diawara and her fellow Malian Rokia […]

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has paid tribute to veteran highlife musician Fatai Rolling Dollar who died on Wednesday. The guitarist and singer had “enthralled his teeming followers” during a career of more than 64 years, Mr Jonathan said. Fatai was best known for his song, They Cannot Match Us, which criticised younger generations. The exact […]

Singer and Instrumentalist Seun Kuti has been added to the line-up of the upcoming WOMAD UK music festival. Nigeria, Kuti joins several other outstanding global artists on the prestigious list. Seun Anikulapo Kuti is the last born son of the iconic Nigerian artist , the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti and he is one of the […]

Jay-Z’s musical Fela about the musical icon and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti is moving to Lagos Nigeria. The musical finished its Broadway run on January 2nd of this year. During the finale, Edward Tyler Nahem, who co-produced the Broadway run with Jay-Z and Will Smith tells the New York Post, “Fela Kuti was to the […]