Our contributing editor, Frank Stenner, pays tribute to one of Nigeria’s musical giants, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, fifteen years after his demise —–     “In my life and my creations,      I have tried to follow my destiny      which is my music.      That is my journey.      I live with the gift of God.”       [from Osita Osadebe: “Ana Masi Ife Uwa” (“Sound Time” 2001)] Chief …
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If you are looking for an additional reason to spend the Christmas-New Year season in Ghana, here is one: Accra will host the biggest names and future stars in Afrobeats on 29-30 December. Afro Nation, which dubs itself as the world’s biggest Afrobeats festival, will move its giant stages from Portugal to the Black Star Square in Accra, where Ghana’s …
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Our contributing editor, Tina Adomako, narrates her impressions of a prestigious concert featuring multiple award-winner AngĂ©lique Kidjo when she performed, accompanied by a full symphony orchestra, to a sold-out house in the western German city of Dortmund on Wednesday — I rush through the busy BrĂĽckstraĂźe, where Dortmund shows itself in all its diversity, and arrive just in time at …
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Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today (7 June) announced the launch of Virgin Music Label & Artist Services in Africa, a new dedicated distribution service for independent African artists and labels across the continent. The label services division launches with more than 15000 titles, 50 label partners and 100+ artists from more than 25 African …
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The German town of Emmendingen will host the 20th anniversary of the African Music Festival from 4 to 7 August. And the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make the anniversary a special, memorable one. Among the many artists billed to perform in Emmendingen is Livingstone Etse Satekla, better known by his stage name Stonebwoy. The multiple-awarded Ghanaian Afropop, …
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As the war in Ukraine rages on, many Africans and People of Colour fleeing the country are still stuck at its borders with its neighbours while those lucky to make it to Western Europe are facing different kinds of challenges. To draw attention to the travails of the non-Ukrainian victims of the war in Ukraine, a coalition of African groups …
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The young Highlife supergroup Santrofi from Accra will kick off its European tour in Munich on 25 May. The ‘Deep into Highlife’ tour 2022, which will take band throughout Europe with over 30 dates, builds on its celebrated first Europe tour in 2019. “After months of performing and collaborating with Highlife legends such as AB Crentsil or AK Yeboah, jamming …
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With co-signings from T-Pain, 50 Cent, JAY-Z, Jamie Foxx and TI, singer-songwriter Rotimi ushers in a new era of game changers. The American actor, singer and model will perform in Berlin on 20 May, part of his ongoing world tour to promote his debut album “All or Nothing”. While he has so far been best known for his acting roles, …
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The music industry is booming across the African continent and it is attracting major international players. In recent years, the world's three largest record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group have all entered the African market.
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The legendary Jazz label Blue Note Records and Universal Music Group Africa have announced the creation of Blue Note Africa (www.BlueNote.com), an exciting new imprint dedicated to signing Jazz artists from across the African continent, bringing them to a global audience, and promoting a cultural exchange of ideas that transcends borders. Blue Note Africa will launch this Spring with the …
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Asamor is an incredibly versatile Cameroonian artist based in Germany. He hails from Lebialem, South West region of Cameroon. With a well-lettered background at the University of Bonn where he spent time at the department of music, he has proven his ingenuity by infusing Makossa and Bangwa rhythms to produce a unique genre and eargasmic “Abanda Kossa”. Asamor’s music career …
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The African Union Commission and The International Committee of All Africa Music Awards, (Afrima), have received a staggering number of 8,880 entries for the Afrima 2021 Awards. Now in its eighth year, Afrima, the ultimate recognition of African music globally honours African artists, music producers, songwriters, video directors, DJs, choreographers/dancers, and movie/film producers living on the continent or in diaspora …
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Nigerian singing legend Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, more famously known as Sound Sultan, has died. The rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artist, who is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria, died on Sunday, 11 July in the US of throat cancer. He was 44. Tributes continue to be paid to the artist. …
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The international committee of the All African Music Awards (Afrima) has announced the 2021 event calendar at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marking the opening of Afrima 2021. This year’s calendar features a lineup of undertakings and events that would take place between 20 June and 21 November 2021. Speaking on behalf of the African Union, the …
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Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has hit 20 million followers on Instagram. The multiple-award wining musician is now the most followed African artiste on the Facebook-owned photo and video sharing social networking service. As of January 2021, the most followed person on Instagram is Portuguese professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with over 275 million followers. Davido also recently …
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Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba (14 June 1949 – 24 April 2016) It was a terrible shock for the African and international music world when news about Papa Wemba’s passing away circulated around the globe on 24 April 2016. More so as it happened when he was in full swing during a performance at a festival in Abidjan on the night …
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A Nigerian minister has described the Grammy Awards of music stars Burna Boy and Wizkid’s as endorsement of Afrobeat genre of music Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, on Monday, while congratulating the music stars for their feats, said that Afrobeat genre of music had propelled Nigeria’s increasing prominence of the music world. In a statement issued by …
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Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, has announced the further expansion of its Def Jam Africa division into three new markets within French-speaking Africa; CĂ´te d’Ivoire, Senegal and Cameroon, effective immediately. Def Jam Africa launched in May 2020, as the first label dedicated to representing the best hip-hop, Afrobeats and trap talent in Africa, and follows …
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Nigerian singer Niniola has launched the music video for her latest single “Fantasy”, which was originally released in February. The video features Grammy nominee and Afrobeat icon Femi Kuti The track, produced by Kel-P, features rich vocals from Niniola, and classy saxophone riffs and horn arrangements from Femi Kuti. “I used to watch videos of Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti, …
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Afro-jazz legend Manu Dibango is dead. The family of the Cameroonian singer and saxophonist announced his death at 86 of the new coronavirus on his Facebook page on Tuesday (24 March). “It is with deep sadness that we announce to you the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove,” a statement on his official Facebook page read. Dibango’s agent Thierry …
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THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.