On 30 June 1960, the Congo (DRC) became independent. Alan Brain, director of the movie The Rumba Kings, and Manda Tchebwa, historian of Congolese music, have reconstructed in detail, with the help of archives, African Jazz orchestra’s journey. On their way to Belgium, the orchestra was in charge of brightening up the nights of the delegates participating in the negotiations, and composed the ‘Independence Cha Cha’.

  Cameroonian sax icon Manu Dibango’s 1982 LP Waka Juju is being reissued via Soul Makossa this winter. Originally released on CRC Records, Waka Juju mixes influences from afrobeat, highlife and jazz-funk across 6 tracks. After receiving world attention with the release […]

Johannesburg-based Mushroom Hour Half Hour imprint drops a series of improvisations from a never-before-assembled group of jazz musicians. Mushroom Hour Half Hour is decided to establish the South African city as the third point in the new jazz triangle, […]

The 84-year-old Cape Town-born jazzman, as known as Dollar Brand, announces his first album in five years. Born in South Africa in 1934, amidst the Apartheid, Abdullah Ibrahim has always sought for balance between his […]

Celebrating 45 years in music, Chicago-based Ethnic Heritage Ensemble announces new album with afrofuturistic jazz single “Pharoah”. Led by renowned drummer and percussionist Sir Kahil El’Zabar, the band is acknowledged throughout the world as one of the leading figures […]

Bahir, to be released on Soundway Records on March 15th, is a snapshot of the last few years of the artist’s immersive study of the Horn of Africa. The album follows his Wondem LP in 2015, which was also […]

The 1970’s band, originary of Harare, Zimbabwe, played an eclectic brand of Zimbabwean township music combining traditional rhythms and western influences. Listen to beautiful “Forever together”, from the upcoming album to be released on February 8th. […]