Sarkodie is the fourth of five children and was reared in Tema. He graduated from Tema Methodist Day Senior High School and then went on to IPMC to study graphic design. Sarkodie started out as an underground rapper, competing in Kasahare Level, a well-known rap competition hosted by Adom FM. He met Duncan Williams, his former manager, at Duncwills Entertainment while... read full bio
Oumou Sangaré is a celebrated and award-winning fighter for women's rights in her home Mali and all of Africa. She is also a singer, songwriter, business pioneer and activist. Wassalou, a well-liked musical genre rooted from folk traditions in the rural southwest of the country, is Sangaré's preferred musical genre. From her first Moussolou, which had a traditional wassalou sound, to... read full bio
Mali's Ouragahio is the birthplace of singer Fatoumata Diawara (often known as Fatou). She joined her father's dance group when she was young and became well-known for her performances of the highly jerky didadi dance from Wassoulou, where she was raised in western Mali. Fatou found herself on a movie set caring for her actress aunt's little child. The director of... read full bio
In this amazing feat, two guys juggle over 20 instruments live on stage. Tubular Bells for Two, a multi-award-winning smash at festivals all over the world, makes one last performance in honor of the 50th anniversary of Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking composition. Anyone who was a child during the 1970s can recall precisely where they were when they first heard Tubular Bells.... read full bio
The Celtic Social Club are still surviving five years after their founding, drawing on their traditional background but also embracing the diversity of other genres and cultures. The Celtic Social Club has been on a fascinating quest to modernize old songs from Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Asturia and more. The band never sounded so tight and strong on their third album, nor so current and contemporary,... read full bio
Digging Roots provide songs from their native Turtle Island new life in order to join a chorus of Indigenous artists, activists and change-makers throughout the world. Digging Roots, two-time JUNO Award winners, have been promoting Anishinaabe and Onkwehón traditions of circle dance and connectivity while touring the globe for more than ten years. On their fourth album, Zhawenim, Digging Roots takes you... read full bio
Afro-Cuban culture, Yoruban sacred music, current Jamaican dancehall, trap, and Afro-beat are all incorporated into the futuristic live electronic music act IFÉ, which was founded by African American producer and drummer Otura Mun in Puerto Rico. The most significant electronic act in Afro-Caribbean music, IFÉ's debut album "IIII+IIII" revolutionized how electronic music was conceived and performed, seamlessly fusing the complexity... read full bio
According to Okay Africa, "the hardest hustling DJ," is experienced worldwide DJ, Coco Em, who has entertained crowds at events including Trans Musicales in Rennes, France and Nuits d'Afrique in Montreal. However, she used that energy to inspire her subsequent creative leap. The Santuri East Africa studios handled her record's final production. Through their mentoring, a Nairobi-based non-profit organization that supports East African musicians,... read full bio
The finest music transports you. It renews and re-connects. It exudes an atmosphere rooted in the ancient tradition of instantaneous creativity, a heightened condition evoked by psychedelic forms and Jamaican dub echos, by electronic music's cyclical trance and jazz's alterations. By the hypnotic beat of North African tradition known as Moroccan Gnawa music, which has roots that go deeper into the... read full bio
Their debut record had achieved success. These two youngsters in the wind asked, "T'es qui" as they swung with smiles while listening to synthesizer music and rowing afro-style boats on which their French sun poetry was written. Already, the appropriately called DjeuhDjoah and Lieutenant Nicholson charmed listeners with their clever jokes, out-of-the-ordinary voices and contagious pleasure. The second opus strengthens their linguistic... read full bio
With its extensive history and global port, Antwerp has long been a crossroads of cultures, a location where people from all over the world come together and share ideas. Even though their albums are incredible, Antwerp Gispy Ska Orkestra is best known for their electrifying live performances, which have won over crowds in countries like Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the... read full bio
London Afrobeat Collective is excited to return to the festival circuit after spending the last two years in the wilderness creating a massive new repertoire that draws on their favorite inspirations from around the globe. Their high-energy live show is not to be missed. They got their start in the London scene and are a frequent smash on the UK & Europe... read full bio
Rising sensation Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel was born in Nigeria. From his debut solo single, "Eleko," to his smash, "Mama," which spent several weeks at the top of streaming charts across the African continent, as well as other hits like "Che Che," "Bobo," featuring Davido, "Up To Something," "Geng" and "Of Lagos," Mayorkun has established himself as one of the most... read full bio
ONIPA are the result of a passionate partnership between some of the biggest names on the UK live scene and longtime friends Kweku of Ghana and Tom Excell (musical director of Nubiyan Twist). The five-piece live act consists of Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) on drums, KOG on vocals, balafon and percussion, Tom on guitar, percussion and electronics, Dwayne Kilvington (Wonky Logic) on synthesizers and MPC. We No... read full bio
The current kings of Ghanaian highlife music have returned! Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band's sophomore album, "Obiaa," is being released through Strut with pride. The record, once again produced by Kwame Yeboah and Ben Abarbanel-Wolff at Lovelite Studio's analogue headquarters in Berlin, is a passionate journey into the heart of Ghana's native highlife music that honors Pat Thomas, the... read full bio
Pigeon, a five-piece band, bursts onto the scene with their explosive first EP Yagana. The group was born out of an accidental post-pub jam session in Margate. The seamless transitions between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz on the tunes make the band's interconnected symbiotic relationship clear right away. Falle Nioke, a singer from Guinea, is supported by a talented ensemble that... read full bio
Oluwatobi One of Africa's most renowned singer-songwriters, Wande Ojosipe (also known as Wande Coal), has influenced a generation of award-winning singers and musicians. Born on Lagos Island, Nigeria, Wande got his start in music as a young vocalist in his church's adolescent choir. Before beginning to sing professionally, he got his start in the Nigerian entertainment scene as a dancer.... read full bio
Daoir Farrell, a singer and bouzouki musician from Dublin, is widely acknowledged as one of the most significant vocalists to emerge from Ireland in recent years. Daoir Farrell, a former member of Dublin's renowned group An Góilin Traditional Singers, has grown steadily since beginning his own solo live career at Celtic Connections. He is about to release his fourth solo album... read full bio
A family band called Gonora Sounds has been performing on the streets of Zimbabwe providing thousands of commuters with entertainment with their Gonora Sounds-inspired street rhythm. Daniel Gonora, the band's lead vocalist and guitarist who is blind, is a master on the guitar, and his drummer-protégé son Isaac plays the drums. The band has expanded in recent years to include... read full bio
Major League DJz is a dynamic South African music group that has taken the hip-hop and kwaito music industry by storm. Comprising of twin brothers Bandile and Banele Mbere, the duo has established themselves as sought-after DJs with a unique and versatile style. Born on January 3, 1991, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the Major League twins were raised with a... read full bio
