Born in France and based in Berlin since 2017, Boris Paillard aka Mixanthrope discovered a passion for African and Afro-Caribbean music around 2015. After working as a booker for the Akwaaba Music label in Accra, the DJ created the African Beats & Pieces event series in Berlin, where he invites other DJs and live acts in the Afro spirit. Specialist of thematic mixes, Mixanthrope had already graced us with a special mix dedicated to African soccer anthems<\/a>, among other sets released on his Soundcloud page on various and improbable themes such as money worries in French-speaking Africa, politics in pop music, or countries generally underrepresented in music. For this PAM Club, he chose a documentary-like theme that he explains in a few words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Tired of the banal binarity of beats that go in circles, I like to get off the beaten track of sound. This selection reviews some of the most exciting rhythmic signatures of contemporary African pop, proudly rooted in traditional digitized patterns: Gabonese Ikoku, Igbo Highlife from South-East Nigeria, Mbalax Hip-Hop from Senegal, Marrabenta from Mozambique, Bikutsi from Cameroon\u2026 and more! Locally revered and sometimes enjoying pan-African success beyond the borders of their region of creation, these songs are a testament to the polyrhythmic power of the continent in recent years.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n