The Africa is a Country guide to #SXSW

There’s a lot going on for music fans at SXSW 2012. Plenty of AIAC favorites will be there, and fans of UK Bass, Cumbia Rock, Panabaynian Dancehall, neo-Jazz&B-Hop, Dubstep, MoombahtonDutch House/BubblingSouthern Rap former jailbirds, Hyphy/Mobb Music, Norteño, Classic New York Rap, Baile Funk, #OWS Rockers/Beatmakers, Balkan Beat Boxers, Afro Colombian, 3Ball, Chicano Rock meets Staten Island Rap, New York Rockers, and/or Dancehall will not be disappointed. There’s a host of “African” artists as well.

Since we haven’t (gladly) figured out what that really means, it’s not so easy to discern from the listing who’s repping for Africa or not, so I’ve gone ahead and scoured the list of hundreds of artists performing to pull out as many acts from or connected to Africa as I could (you’ll have to do the panels and films on your own). Here’s a little round-up of who to catch up with if you’re in Austin next week:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paSzvBszvqE&w=640&h=360]

I feel happy and privileged to be part of the All Africa Showcase sponsored by Society HAE and Spinlet. This two day event will showcase some of Africa’s biggest artists, so I’m excited to be DJing both nights, and feel lucky just to see them perform:

On Thursday at Copa: Seun Kuti, Just A Band, BalojiSpoek Mathambo and Sauti Sol.
On Friday at Beso Cantina: 2Face, M.I., Naeto C, Bez, and Blitz the Ambassador.

Also making appearances during the week will be Nneka, Oddisee, The ReMINDers, Native Sun, Lazee, Michael Kiwanuka, Francis Mbappe, Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, The Debo Band, Wale, The Parlotones, and Buraka Som Sistema. I apologize if I missed anyone, please feel free to update us in the comments!

Oh, and since the original global-African-pop will be represented in legendary form, if you’re in town try and catch up with the one and only Jimmy Cliff.

* Also present will be fellow AIAC blogger and filmmaker Anni Lyngskaer.

Further Reading