ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jan

26

2023

Stella Chiweshe: Zimbabwe’s mbira queen, rebel music star and pioneer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GIBSON NCUBE STELLA Rambisai Chiweshe, affectionately known in Zimbabwe as “the queen of mbira” or “Ambuya (grandmother) Chiweshe”, passed away on 20 January 2023. Through Mbira/Anhrefn Records Chiweshe was born in July 1946 in the rural area of Mhondoro in the Mashonaland province of northern Zimbabwe. She began playing the mbira, an ancient thumb piano, in the early 1960s. At the time she was reproached by both men and women because she had dared to play an instrument that was ordinarily played by men. Chiweshe was not only a singer, songwriter and musician who performed extensively across Africa, Europe and…

Jan

19

2023

By The African Mirror

African music craze sweeps YouTube as artists rack up millions of views

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY MORE African hits are reverberating far beyond the continent's borders, amplified by the African resounding global music reach on YouTube and other streaming services. Growing smartphone adoption and the penetration of affordable and fast internet in Africa also drive the local consumption of music on YouTube. From the catchy Afrobeats and the soulful sounds of Afro-soul to the energetic rhythms of Afropop and the traditional melodies of African folk music, the diversity of African music is captivating listeners worldwide, thanks in part to YouTube. To most African musicians, YouTube has revolutionised how music is consumed,…

Jan

17

2023

By The African Mirror

Stars flock to Dakar for All-Africa Music Awards

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MUSICAL heavyweights gathered in Dakar, Senegal for the eighth All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) that aim to celebrate and promote the continent's best veteran and cutting-edge musicians. Globally recognised stars including Senegalese maestro Youssou Ndour, and Nigerian artists P-Square and Tiwa Savage are among those set to perform during the main awards ceremony at the 15,000-seat Dakar stadium. Gabonese singer and AFRIMA nominee Espoir La Tigresse was among the extravagantly dressed guests posing on the red carpet before the ceremony. "I’m wearing a head mask from my tribe in Gabon representing a traditional dance from my village to show that I’m…

Dec

20

2022

By The African Mirror

The Kabareh Cheikhats: challenging gender stereotypes in Morocco

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IMAD SAOUDI FOR BIRD STORY AGENCY DRESSED in colourful caftans and sporting wigs, bold make-up and glittering jewellery, the Kabareh Cheikhats troup is singing and swaying their hips, exploring issues of femininity in ways that might seem surprising in a conservatively patriarchal society. The all-male band is paying homage to the Cheikhats, Morocco's most famous historical female traditional folk singers, once renowned in the region and responsible for chants, called Aitas, that remain extremely popular. Sometimes compared to Geishas, Cheikhats have been intriguing and controversial figures throughout Moroccan history. They were singers, dancers, poets, and preservers of esoteric musical lore.…

Dec

18

2022

By The African Mirror

Burkina Faso film maker recalls golden era of cinema before insurgency

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FILM producer Drissa Toure peered through the locked glass doors of what was once the lively cinema in Burkina Faso's southwestern city of Bobo-Dioulasso and remembered a time when locals could enjoy films from Africa and beyond on its screen. Today the 70-year-old struggles with respiratory illness and ekes out a living ferrying people and parcels on his scooter. He treasures the magazine clippings that lauded his earlier film work and the medals he collected. Burkina Faso historically has clout in Africa's film industry, with several feature productions landing international awards over the past decades. It has also hosted the…

Dec

13

2022

By The African Mirror

CKay makes musical history amid Afrobeat’s unstoppable global rise

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY THE popular musician came in at number 98 on Billboard’s best-selling artist in USA 2022 with his addictive Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) hit single clocking in at number 17 on Billboard Global 200 songs and the Hot 100 chart at number 55. African music has had another stellar year in 2022, likely to continue through 2023, with Nigerian artist Burna Boy set for a history-making concert at London Stadium on June 3 - the first-ever African artist to headline a UK stadium, according to Rolling Stone. On April 2 this year, CKay's Love Nwantiti,…

Dec

09

2022

By MARIE-LOUISE GUMUCHIAN

Baaba Maal back with new music, ‘Glastonbury of Africa’ festival hopes

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

WHEN Baaba Maal released his last album “The Traveller” in 2016, the Senegalese singer and guitarist wasn’t sure he would put out another record. Six years on, he is back with a new single celebrating the fishermen of his local community in northern Senegal, the first track released from the new album coming out in 2023. "I thought...I did so many albums and I’m going make a break and just focus on all the engagements with my family and then suddenly, my body, my soul, my heart, my spirit, everything did remind me that I’m an artist," he said in…

Dec

08

2022

By The African Mirror

Music streaming in South Africa – new survey reveals musicians get a raw deal

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MUSICIANS worldwide have been placing their tracks with global streaming platforms such as Spotify for many years. South African musicians, however, have reported only sparse earnings from streaming music online. When our 2020 survey revealed this, we wondered if part of the reason was inexperience. At the time, COVID lockdowns had made live performances impossible, driving many South African musicians to try what looked like an alternative revenue stream. In 2022 we broadened and deepened that research. And we discovered that earnings from music streaming remained poor. Further, major international studies were also now demonstrating the same earnings trend everywhere.…

Jan

13

2023

By The African Mirror

Ousmane Sembène @ 100: ‘Father of African cinema’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

1 January 2023 marked the centenary of the birth of Ousmane Sembène, the Senegalese novelist and filmmaker hailed as the “father of African cinema”. Over the course of five decades, Sembène published 10 books and directed 12 films across three distinct periods. He has been celebrated for his beautifully crafted political works, which range in style from the psychological realism of Black Girl in 1966 to the biting satire of Xala (The Curse) in 1974. Author DAVID MURPHY, Professor of French and Postcolonial Studies, University of Strathclyde Since his death in 2007, Sembène’s status as a pioneer has been further…

Jan

11

2023

By The African Mirror

8 African artists make Rolling Stones’ 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

UPDATED for the first time since 2008, the new '200 Greatest Singers of All Time' list includes Miriam Makeba, Tabu Ley, and Burna Boy, among others. Rolling Stone, one of the world's leading music publications platforms, kicked off the new year with an update to its rankings, which began in 2008, honouring the best vocalists in pop music. "These are the vocalists that have shaped history and defined our lives – from smooth operators to raw shouters, from gospel to punk, from Sinatra to Selena to SZA," Rolling Stone editors wrote. The publication released its Top 200 Greatest Singers of…