In conversation with Xhosa Cole on the Pan-African nature of jazz, the importance of looking back to move forward, and the capacity for activism and rejoice through music.
An expression of social and political life, the Carnival is also a liminal space of transgression, offering a celebratory freedom of expression synonymous with challenging the powers that be.
The outcome of an encounter between the Swedish musician-producer Karl Jonas Winqvist and musicians from the Toubab Dialaw village in Senegal, this collective recording, which evolved through jam sessions and WhatsApp exchanges, represents a strange vessel that traverses the Mediterranean soundscape. Read PAM’s full interview.
Kamo Mphela has just released her second EP “Nkulunkulu”, starting with a prayer and ending with a party. PAM speaks with the rising superstar about her come up and breaking from the box of the Dance Music Queen.
After a rocky 2020 that witnessed a pandemic and national protests against police violence, Nigerian artists are hitting 2021 with a newfound force. Here is our selection of the best Nigerian music of 2021 so far.
The master of the kora has released a new album, Djourou, wherein which he beautifully demonstrates his art of musical conversation. From Oxmo Puccino to Camille and Salif Keita, Djourou tastefully brings together a myriad of artists, centred on the kora. PAM interviews the artist.
With his new EP Mulid El-Magnuon, the Egyptian musician YUNIS relies on traditional wedding music and Mawlid festivities, reinterpreting them via a blend of Ney music and synthesizers. PAM finds out more.
In early March the Australian artist of Ghanian descent released an amazing first album, created from the foundations of a telluric jam-session. Portrait of a man who likes plunging into chaos.
In the mid-1960s the father of an independent Ghana was becoming increasingly authoritarian and discontentment was growing, particularly amongst the military. Ghana was entering a period of uncertainty.
Whether declarations of love or mournful tributes, calls for celebration or sharp social critique, these are PAM’s unmissable videos for March.
The unrelenting Nigerian afropop singer breaks down her career thus far, her acclaimed Restless series, and the trials of being a mother and musician in a time of crisis.