Tag Archives: African music

The famed singer Baxsan in her later years. Screengrab/Youtube Mohamed Haji Ingiriis, University of Oxford Seynab Haji Ali Siigaale, widely known as Baxsan, passed away on 19 October 2020 and was buried a day later in Sheikh Sufi Cemetery behind the Somali National Theatre building in the capital Mogadishu. Along with the likes of Halima Khalif Omar ‘Magool’, Baxsan was …

A group of colleagues taking up the viral #JerusalemaDanceChallenge in Cape Town. NIC BOTHMA/EPA-EFE Akhona Ndzuta, University of Fort Hare There’s something seemingly novel about a song from South Africa going viral to the extent that the 2019 house music song Jerusalema has done in 2020. The song is performed by musician and producer Master KG and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode. …

Angolan dance troupe Fenómenos do Semba. Courtesy Adilson Maiza for Fenómenos do Semba Ananya Jahanara Kabir, King’s College London In February the Angolan dance troupe Fenómenos do Semba created the viral #JerusalemaDanceChallenge video that showed off their dance moves to the South African hit song Jerusalema. Their video is set in a backyard in Luanda, where they break into a …

Salvatore di Nolfiepa/EFE/EPA Hugo Hadji, SOAS, University of London The death of Algerian icon Idir has brought an important chapter of Algerian music to a close. Through his brilliant career, Idir modernised and promoted the richness of Kabyle melodies and poetry, popularised North African culture, and advocated for unity and tolerance both in Algeria and in France. Looking at Idir’s …