NEWEST Lungu Lungu
Lungu Lungu: Talking Drums Get Around
Up until now, this column has barely scratched the surface of musical tradition in Africa. The wide range of artists I’ve chosen to focus on make highly stylized music, mostly electronic. Often, I’m asked how … read more »
MORE Lungu Lungu
Lungu Lungu: Lapaz Toyota
It’s been a minute since I wrote about a nice Ghanaian hit. Meanwhile, azonto is taking over, not just in Ghana, but all over the place. If azonto is a word you are still unable … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Lusophone Grace
Most people don’t know a whole lot about Lusophone music, meaning music from Portuguese-speaking countries. If anything, Brazil usually comes to mind first—in my experience, whenever I play music from places like Angola, the response … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Siko on the Rise
A fee weeks ago I had the chance to meet a living encyclopedia, Florent Mazzolini, a French journalist who shies away from being called a musicologist, but who in fact is an inexhaustible source of … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Votes, Rhymes and Discontent in Senegal
How would you feel if your-85 year-old president modified the constitution in order to seek out a third term? Well in Senegal, the people are furious, and their dissent is fueling a wave of pungent, … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Tanzania’s Hip-Hop Originators
I love African music from the 1970s. From Congolese rumba to Ghanaian highlife, Angolan semba to Malian national orchestras—pretty much anything from anywhere is dope. This might come as a surprise to some, because my … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Swahili Renaissance
Kenya keeps surprising me. The first shock came two and a half years ago when I discovered Just A Band. More recently I linked up with Anto, who in turn pointed me towards a young … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Waga 3000′s Cold Heat
Remain strong and feisty. The meaning of “Dale Fo Yi Kin Dao” hits you as soon as the cold but punchy beat starts. This song is the first release by Waga 3000. It’s not average … read more »
Lungu Lungu: E.L.’s Azonto Beats are Crazy Chale!
It seems the word you hear the most in Accra is no longer “akwaaba” or even “chale”, but “azonto”. The azonto dance has taken Ghana by storm, and although everybody seems to know the dance … read more »
Lungu Lungu: Mutombo Speaks Poetry in Ghana
Holiday season in Accra means lots of entertainment. Many Ghanaians come home from abroad to celebrate with their families, and after family obligations are sorted, clubs and music venues fill up for the year’s busiest … read more »
