To end 2020 we make a Rendez-vous with three generations of afrobeat and celebrate a Nigerian musical dynasty. As Fela is honoured with a Black Plaque at his old music conservatoire Trinity Laban in Greenwich, we consider how the musical idiom he created remains more popular than ever. Track list: 1….

With the very recent passing of Tony Allen, this set of recordings has special significance. He and South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela had been planning on making a record together for years and in 2010 this finally was about to become a reality. Producer Nick Gold got the two titans…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, afrobeat’s rise in global popularity in the past decade has unavoidable. But the genre, with a rich history based on instrumental figures such as Fela Kuti, Tony Allen and Oghene Kologbo dating back to the late 60s, is more than a commercial fad….

Tributes and homages to artists who recently passed away often sound trivial or trite if done by someone who wasn’t directly connected with them. That’s why we always repeat the mantra that we prefer to let the music do the talking and ask fellow musicians, who grew up and/or shared…

This Corona stuff really sucks ey! Since we might all be bound by borders for a while, we’d like to come together and share some happiness in the shape of a playlist or mix! In the next days and weeks, check out Safe & Sounds, where we will figuratively introduce you…

If you’re looking for an unpredictable night-out in music, look no further. When “Afrobeat Ambassador” Dele Sosimi meets electronic DJ and house producer Medlar, you can be sure that you’ll be dancing and listening to quality music. But you never know where the night will lead you… On Friday the 21st…

At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…

An inaugural festival is always going to be packed with risk and suspense, and after the downpour that Friday night experienced, a breath was held in anticipation of Saturday’s events. However, it is with sheer delight I report that the proceedings seemingly went ahead seamlessly. Saturday I have to jump…

Situated within close proximity to some of the festival’s increasingly populated hangouts at Wilderness, such as the Atrium, if you happened to stumble upon the Level stage, you were almost guaranteed to be charmed by a constant conveyer belt of talented troubadours within the world music spectrum. There were memorable…

Ten years on from their inception, the high impact band that is London Afrobeat Collective are about to release their third album, Humans (for which they’ve given life to an ongoing crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo). It is probably also their most ambitious to date, exhibiting as it does something of a departure…

Contrary to the average UK music festival, Wilderness Festival is equally centred on themes of healthy living, nature and the arts. From sacred nipple adorning, to wild swims and tree play, the festival’s main objective is to fortify the soul, restore the senses and enliven the spirit, by allowing its…

 If you have attended any of the previous Africa Express shows, you know they never disappoint your thirst for music. For hours and hours, they stun you with a deluge of quality acts and unexpected collaborations, not only featuring the exceptional artistry of the musicians involved but also their welcoming…

The holy trinity of pleasure, music that serves mind, body and soul. Cubafrobeat simultaneously feeds them all. The new Lokkhi Terra and Dele Sosimi collaboration show off jazzy solos to power your intellect, but never detract from the chance to lose yourself to dance. Brought together by pianist Kishon Khan,…

Still cerebrating how to celebrate the last night of 2018 and the first morning of 2019? We are here to help with a selection of some of the best NYE parties happening in London and the rest of UK. Whether you’re willing to spend the 31st December dancing, revelling in…

In recent years, Turin has gained quite a reputation in the music world for its electronic/dance-oriented scene, being the host city of Italy’s largest electronic music festival, Club to Club. Nevertheless, the city has much more to offer, with new upcoming events and festivals popping up year after year. One of them is…

We’re guilty of rarely venturing too far west in London, but when we do we always live our days up, attending outstanding events and enjoying every minute of it. The 2018 edition of Ealing Jazz Festival was no exception. Despite the blustery weather blowing sand all over Walpole Park and…

Set in the heart of the Sussex Downs, Love Supreme Festival returned for its 6th year of spreading the gospel of jazz, blues and soul to some 40,000 music lovers. Unless you were the man who told me, bizarrely, that he “doesn’t like virtuosity in music”, you were going to…

Opening the evening was Mogadisco’s finest selection of African beats, thus setting the scene for the proceeding collusion of cross-border musicians. The left of the stage was set for a legendary Nigerian afro-beat drummer operating with Tony Allen’s full drum kit, whilst the symmetrical spotlight to the right shone upon…

On first impressions, this is just another Fela Kuti compilation, albeit an extensive one. Dig a little deeper, though, and spend a bit more time with the music and, like any good art retrospective, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Badu’s own sensibilities shine through with her penchant…

Hot on the heels of his highly acclaimed EP, A Tribute To Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers, drumming legend Tony Allen returns with his wonderfully crafted jazz LP, The Source. Having never truly explored the genre before, Allen has married jazz with his first love, afrobeat, the results of…