Weekend Music Break No.79

Still from Kendrick Lamar's "Alright"

An abbreviated music break for the weekend of July 4th, 2015:

 

Joey B and the Akwaaba Sound System do an impressive live interpretation of his international hit “Tonga”; Blitz the Ambassador has a new track “Shine” produced by Soulection crew member IAMNOBODI; Kwaito continues it’s resurgence with “Mr. Party”; Iba One from Mali declares his status as a “Rappeur International”; Kendrick Lamar says in spite of everything “We gon be Alright”; and Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux represents for the global South alongisde Palestinian Shadia Mansour.

Further Reading

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.

Bored of suppression

Colonial-era censorship bodies continue to stifle African creativity, but a new wave of artists and activists are driving a pan-African push for reform.

Drawing the line

How Sudanese political satirist Khalid Albaih uses his art and writing to confront injustice, challenge authority, and highlight the struggles of marginalized communities worldwide.

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.