Oliver Mtukudzi and The Black Spirits, a revolutionary music group originating in Zimbabwe, have been performing since 1979. The Black Spirits members have changed over the years, consisting of over 50 members throughout its time, with Oliver Mtukudzi, both musician and public figure, at the forefront throughout the group’s history.
Born in the Ivory Coast, but raised in Mali, Fatoumata Diawara (aka Fatou) has created music that has become an inspiration to people around the world. Now based in Paris, and still only 30, Fatou has led a life covering the whole gamut of the contemporary African experience: fighting parental opposition to her artistic ambitions and the cultural prejudice faced by women throughout Africa, and winning success as an actress in film and theatre before finding her feet in the medium she was always destined to make her own: music.
London-based Ethiopian trio, Krar Collective, have developed a distinctive style based on the reworking of traditional songs from their native land. Dubbed ‘The Ethiopian White Stripes” for their stripped-down sound, Krar Collective provide their audiences with a colorful blend of dynamic roots music from different regions and ethnic traditions, but with a contemporary edge, plugged-in and funked-up.
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