King Britt’s Blacktronika exhibit honours Black electronic artists

Electronic music pioneer King Britt has revealed an exhibit – Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music – which honours people of colour who have been instrumental in bringing house, techno, drum & bass and experimental music to the forefront. Running from now until 25 March at the University Of California (UC), San Diego, Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music also serves as an introduction to the course … Continue reading King Britt’s Blacktronika exhibit honours Black electronic artists

Africa No Filter launches film fund for storytellers challenging perceptions of Africa

Africa No Filter has launched a film fund that will provide grants to storytellers using film to change how the rest of the world sees and engages with Africa. The Last Mile Film Fund is looking to fund those productions that stay away from common stereotypes of Africa in movies including crime, corruption, underdeveloped cities and portraying Africans as undereducated and underexposed. Films must also … Continue reading Africa No Filter launches film fund for storytellers challenging perceptions of Africa

Women Who Rock: Docu-series charts women pioneers in music

Women Who Rock is a new documentary series that honours women pioneers in music and their legacy. The four-part series, which recently broadcast on MGM’s network Epix, features appearances by Nancy Wilson, Shania Twain, Chaka Khan, Pat Benatar, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Sheila E, Macy Gray, Rickie Lee Jones, Norah Jones, and more. In their own words, the female musicians discuss fame, power, and music … Continue reading Women Who Rock: Docu-series charts women pioneers in music

Jazz duo DOMi & JD Beck release NOT TiGHT on Anderson .Paak’s APESHIT label

Jazz duo DOMi & JD Beck have released their new album ‘NOT TiGHT’, featuring Anderson .Paak, Herbie Hancock, and Thundercat. The album is the first on Anderson .Paak’s new label APESHIT, in partnership with Blue Note Records. French keyboard prodigy, DOMi, and JD Beck, a young drummer from Dallas, met in 2018 when they were were both invited to join an ensemble performing at the National … Continue reading Jazz duo DOMi & JD Beck release NOT TiGHT on Anderson .Paak’s APESHIT label

One-drum: Learn the djembe with video tutorials from Master Ghanaian drummer Abbas Dodoo

One-drum has released a series of online tutorials on traditional Ghanaian drumming, which goes from the absolute basics through to more advanced techniques. The short video tutorials on using the djembe are lead by Master Ghanaian Drummer and One-Drum leader, Abbas Dodoo, who has worked with Van Morrison and CREAM drummer Ginger Baker. The London-based One-drum collective is a “collaborative ensemble of professional performers, artists … Continue reading One-drum: Learn the djembe with video tutorials from Master Ghanaian drummer Abbas Dodoo

Artist Spotlight: Drummer Jas Kayser

London-based drummer Jas Kayser is one of a growing number of musicians who are showing that females in jazz and in the drumming world is a norm rather than an exception to the rule. The 26-year-old drummer and composer – who released her debut album for Jazz re:freshed’s iconic 5ive series earlier this year – loves to explore the commonality between jazz and afro-beat. The … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Drummer Jas Kayser

Sahel Sounds release compilation, Music from Saharan WhatsApp

Sahel Sounds have released a greatest hits compilation on vinyl, Music from Saharan WhatsApp, which brings together tunes from their popular WhatsApp EP series. The LP features tracks by Sahel Sounds artists including Etran de L’Aïr, Hama, Alkibar Jr, Amaria Hamadaler (of Les Filles de Illighadad), and artists new to the label like Bounaly and Andal Sukabe. In Africa, mobile phones have become a tool of … Continue reading Sahel Sounds release compilation, Music from Saharan WhatsApp

Niuma’s Tale: Comic chronicles the story of West African superheroine with albinism

The back story of video game character, Niuma – the first superheroine with Albinism from West Africa – is the subject of a new comic book, Blind Frontier: Niuma’s Tale. The story follows the adventures of Niuma and her struggles with nystagmus, involuntary movement of the eyes. Like all children in Wadis City, Niuma dreams of exploring the outside world. Her disability excludes her from the … Continue reading Niuma’s Tale: Comic chronicles the story of West African superheroine with albinism

Artist Spotlight: DIVINEANGEL

DIVINEANGEL are a London-based duo, who with their fusion of afro-rhythms, soul and psychedelic rock, create music and lyrics with the intention to motivate, inspire, heal, unite, and to remind listeners of their truth, their inner truth. A collaboration between Yoruba-British artist muva of Earth and Asante-British artist, Angel SEKA, the friends describe their sounds as “Afro-futuristic Punk”. Earlier this year, DIVINEANGEL released their first … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: DIVINEANGEL

Comicgen tool helping storytellers to become comic strip creators

Comicgen is a tool that makes it possible for storytellers to get their message across using comicstrip format. Developed by Gramener, Comicgen is a comic creator that adds comic characters whose characteristics such as expression, pose, and angle can be controlled by data. Comicgen aims to make storytelling with comics easy for everyone, including non-designers, non-programmers, and non-storytellers. The comic characters from Comicgen’s growing database … Continue reading Comicgen tool helping storytellers to become comic strip creators