Africa Is a Country

Friday Music Bonus Edition

Friday Music Bonus Edition

By
Tom Devriendt

So drawn into the video (a plethora of faces, personalities and historic moments) Atlanta trio Algiers made for ‘Blood’, I forgot to pay attention to the lyrics the first time seeing it:

Yanigga recorded the video for ‘Dans un ghetto près de chez toi’ (“In a ghetto near you”) in Logbaba (Douala, Cameroon):

Fatoumata Diawara’s been busy touring since releasing her first album last year. Translation of her lyrics on ‘Sowa’ can be found here. Unplugged in Holland:

Michael Kiwanuka’s song ‘I’m Getting Ready’ comes with a new video:

That new video (we blogged about here) for K’Naan’s “Nothing to lose” featuring Nas, shot in Toronto. The video, in which Nas, K’Naan and an entourage of young Somali-Canadians, includes a visit to the Somali Social Club and K’Naan making a plug for countries in the Horn of Africa:

And, finally, AIAC favorite and Nas collaborator Damian Marley’s latest ‘Affairs of the heart’:

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.