Reniss’ musical range in Tendon spans diverse genres such as RnB, Bend Skin, Bikutsi, Makossa, folk music dancehall, afropop and gospel, a gumbo of sounds described by her label as Mboko Pop.
Modern Juju Music
Dami Ajayi From I.K. Dairo’s refreshing contribution, to King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, the legendary ying-yang of Juju music, Dami Ajayi traces the evolution of a genre which spanned the oil boom of the 70s as well…
Balafon
Dzekashu MacViban Hardly do debut singles posses the ambition that “Balafon” has. Indeed, from its catchy chorus and afropolitan theme, D.A. Sets the tone for what to expect. Nevertheless, D.A. isn’t the only one who is ambitious in the…
The Uncrowned Queen of Neo Soul in Cameroon
Christening hereself “Makedah” shortly before the release of her Peace, Love and Light LP in 2013, Cameroon’s neo soul queen seeks to walk on the steps of the Queen of Sheba, “…a strong feminine icon, who represents wisdom and the vision of a proud Africa which is independent and royal.”
The Afro-Anarchist’s Guide to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’
Kangsen Feka Wakai http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aShfolR6w8 1. You’ve recently resigned yourself to the fact that at a certain point in a rapper’s career, usually when he/she is already steering the yacht of mainstream success after having surmounted the crab-infested grime of the…
[Music Review] Ibeyi’s Hypnotic, Kaleidoscopic Debut
Dzekashu MacViban Ibeyi; Feb 17, 2015. XL Recordings. When I first watched the unsettling video for “River” by Ibeyi ( [pronounced ee-bey-ee] made up of Cuban-born, Paris-based twin sisters, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz), on Okayafrica, I was first confused,…
[Short Review] Fatoumata Diawara Channels the Innocence and Power that History Associates with her Name
Serubiri Moses ‘Fatou’ is the short form for Fatoumata or Fatouma where I come from. Her name alone has a long history within Islamic cultures: a city was named Fatimah in Portugal during the Moorish period; Fatimah is the name…
[Short Review] The Chairman of Nigerian Hip Hop
Dzekashu MacViban A skit which is as outrageous as it is hilarious introduces us to MI’s third album, The Chairman, setting the tone for the album’s treatment of its main thematic concern, which is overcoming the travails one encounters…
In Defence of Je Wanda Magazine's Critique
Nchanji M. Njamnsi An article on Cultur Ebene denies itself any informational value it might have had by repeatedly attacking the author of another article on Stanley Enow’s video “Njama Njama Cow” published in Je Wanda Magazine, and attacking the…
BrymO’s Lagosian fiction in Merchants, Dealers & Slaves
Serubiri Moses [Music Review] Reading BrymO’s Lagosian fiction in Merchants, Dealers & Slaves Serubiri Moses Merchants, Dealers & Slaves evokes the confident move of the artist defining their own journey as a songwriter and performer. This is what one gathers…