Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Your Custom Text Here
Your Custom Text Here
Alsarah & the Nubatones (Sudan/USA)
Alsarah is a Sudanese born singer, songwriter, bandleader and a somewhat reluctant ethnomusicologist.
Alsarah & the Nubatones were born out of many dinner conversations between Alsarah and Rami El Aasser about nubian ‘songs of return’, modern migration patterns and the cultural exchanges between Sudan and Egypt. A common love for the richness of pentatonic sounds, and shared migration experiences, expanded the conversation to include armenian – american oud player Haig manoukian and french born togo raised bass player Mawuena Kodjovi.
Under the leadership of Alsarah, the brooklyn based group’s sound grew into what they have dubbed ‘East-African Retro-Pop’. Signed to Wonderwheel Recordings, their debut album ‘Silt’ was released to international acclaim in 2014 and their sophomore release ‘Manara’ topped the ‘2016 Best of Lists’.
Always trying to connect the musical dots both her full length albums with the Nubatones saw themselves reimagined and remixed by various acclaimed electronic producers in 2015’s Silt Remixed and 2017’s Manara Remixed (both via Wonderwheel Recordings). In between albums Alsarah also works with the Sudanese artist collective Refugee Club Productions on a variety of projects including the critically acclaimed documentary “Beats of the Antonov”.
Alsarah’s star quality and expressive live performances with The Nubatones, has seen the band play some of the worlds finest festivals; Glastonbury Festival, Roskilde Festival, WOMAD Festival and amassing fans including The Roots’ Questlove with their spellbinding and eclectic East African retro-pop.
Press:
“Alsarah & The Nubatones unlock African past in ‘Soukara’ video” – Spin
“Alsarah, the new star of Nubian Pop “ – The Guardian
"The music she's created in the U.S borrows the scintillating plyrythms and snaking melodies of Sudan, but she and her sharp band energize it with dashes of funk and hip hop, finding clear pathways from Nubia to New York." Chicago Reader
"Manara features original content and serves as a contemporary look at Alsarah's world now." – The Fader
"The beauty of the artists and the natural world in the perfect harmony." – Afropunk
"In contemplative ballads or springy, danceable tunes, her music was transparent." The New York Times
“The entire album is thoughtfully composed, tempos change and bridges emerge just as songs might start to sound repetitive (they don’t). Unlike a lot of ‘diaspora albums’, nothing about Silt feels gimmicky. There are some gorgeous interludes between tracks and a few worthwhile remixes tacked on at the end” – Beacon Reader
Follow online:
Global Management via Ginger Sounds
Mounir Kabbaj
France: +33 630 872 472
Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa Bookings via Akum Agency
Jess White
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA (Whatsapp: +27 79 162 3138
ARON & THE JERI JERI BAND (NEW ZEALAND / SENEGAL)
Aron & The Jeri Jeri Band (A&TJJB) are a melting pot of cross cultural sounds, at the core of which is Mbalax, with a seasoning of Afrobeat, Afrofunk and Jazz. The brainchild of pianist, composer and producer Aron Ottignon and sabar percussionist Bakane Seck, their debut album to be released via Urban Trout / Modulor is music for the soul and the dancefloor, blending African rhythms with jazz and electronic influences to create a sound that is both modern and timeless.
Aron Ottignon is no stranger to the music scene, the New Zealand born pianist caught the attention of Blue Note and Universal Music record labels and in early 2000’s he released a string of jazz albums to critical acclaim, as a composer he collaborated with Stromae on the global chart topper “Papaoutai”, he has toured the world with Woodkid and collaborated with many other musicians including Electric Wire Hustle, Louane, Broken Back, Empire Of the Sun, Myele Manzanza.
Senegalese Griot, Bakane Seck has been playing music since before he was born, his mastery of the Sabar (percussion instrument) has seen him tour the world with icons of the African music industry Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal. He is the founder and frontman of the Jeri Jeri Band.
Seck met Ottignon in Berlin in 2019, introduced by a traditional sabar dance teacher. Ottignon began working on two demos for an international album, Mama Djuma and Teddoungal, fusing traditional Senegalese sounds with modern production techniques. They both knew they had found the perfect match and that this was just the beginning of their musical journey together.
Ottignon draws inspiration in the music of legendary jazz pianists like Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrod. His music is deeply rooted in rhythm and groove. The meeting with Bakane has led the group to create an album which is a contemporary fusion of jazz, electronic, and West African music that transcends traditional genre labels, explores new sounds and pushes the boundaries of what's possible in music.
The messages behind the music are ones of optimism, hope for future generations, progress, and positive change. “Through this music, I hope to promote a better understanding of Senegalese culture and the important role that music plays as a bridge between different cultures and traditions. It's important to recognize that what is considered "normal" in one culture is not necessarily better or worse than what is considered normal in another. Education and understanding are key to appreciating and celebrating our differences. We are all unique, and this music serves as a vessel to promote acceptance and celebration of our differences.” - Ottignon
With just a few shows in Dakar under their belt Aron and the Jeri Jeri Band, the group has become known for their electrifying performances.
Press / Media:
"Dama Bëgga Ñibi is a vibrant representation of the globalisation of music. The preservation of historical traditions and the introduction of the contemporary, uniting generations old and new, demonstrating we have more in common than we think. Picture a music timeline from near the very beginnings to the present day. Dama Bëgga Ñibi captures this spectacularly” - The Quietus
“Ottignon, a New Zealand-born producer and jazz pianist, brings a shape-shifting electronic haze to the album, while The Jeri Jeri Band, led by veteran sabar drummer Bakane Seck, brings firecracker percussion. A range of guest singers recreate the heyday of mbalax, the sour-toned Senegalese dance music that emerged in the 1970s. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ” - Financial Times
“Cross-culture groove alchemists hook up with Senegalese singing star Baaba Maal for their new genre-bending EP, Teddoungal. The Senegalese singer’s enlivening invocations grace the release’s bubbling, ebullient title-track, the lead cut on a set of five fizzers blending traditional Senegalese musical forms with jazz and pulsating electronics, alongside vibrant club-friendly remixes courtesy of Coco Em, Ibaaku and Jose Marquetkz.” - Songlines
“Homesick, electronically adventurous Senegalese Blues, featuring Baba Maal” - Uncut Magazine
“A rich tapestry of sound and song…each track remains enviably colourful and refreshingly life affirming” - DJ Magazine.
Listen:
https://modulor.lnk.to/damabegganibi
https://modulor.lnk.to/teddoungal
https://modulor.lnk.to/mamadjuma
https://aronandthejerijeriband.bandcamp.com/music
Follow Online:
https://www.instagram.com/aronandthejerijeriband/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088268792417
https://www.tiktok.com/@aatjjb
https://bio.to/aronandthejerijeriband
Contact:
Management - mgmt@urbantroutrecords.com
Bookings - jess@akumagency.com
No one else sounds like Bill Sellanga, the multi-talented artist, producer and DJ from Nairobi, Kenya known as Blinky Bill. His music is a mix of futuristic African beats meets, Funk, hip-hop, Pop, electronica and hint of jazz.
Blinky Bill was raised in Eastleigh, a suburb in the heart of Nairobi. Both his parents are musicians, his mum a guitarist and his dad a singer in the church choir though they humbly prefer to deem themselves as “hobbyists” instead. Blinky grew up listening to everything: gospel, lingala, jazz, R&B and eventually hip-hop. “I was just like a sponge soaking in all of these sounds, that’s fundamental to my music.” In his late teens, he decided to follow his mum's footsteps of being a guitarist and taught himself.
At university, Blinky majored in Sports Science, and after feeling frustrated about his degree, found refuge in his closest friends. “We used music to escape from our realities at the time which [were] kind of depressing.” Then, Just A Band was formed, an art collective and genre-agnostic group, who are widely regarded as the forefathers of Kenya’s alternative music scene. Blinky’s solo musical career boasts two critically-acclaimed projects — We Cut Keys While You Wait (2016) and Everyone’s Just Winging It And Other Fly Tales (2018) — alongside juggling side quests like producing for artists like Nneka and Goldlink.
We Cut Keys 2 is the 3rd highly anticipated studio project by Kenyan Producer/Artist and DJ Blinky Bill, who's been pushing the envelope at home and across the globe for a minute now. Mostly made in Nairobi during the onset of the pandemic, the album continues in the exploratory and experimental nature of the previous projects while tapping into traditional tribal drum sounds, electronic music, hip hop and Jazz.
The opening single of the album Dracula is an urgent call for the world to unite and ‘Get Up Stand Up” for their rights, this tracks shows a signature bounce that overall sonically marks a departure from the previous project Everyone’s Just Winging It And Other Fly Tales in no small part to the project being mixed by legendary engineer Commissioner Gordon who has won several Grammy awards for his work on Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse’s Frank, Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock. Mastering of this album was left in the more than capable hands of Tony Dawsey who has mixed Jay-Z Black Album, The Blueprint, Whitney Houston My Love Is Your Love, Jay Electronica, A Written Testimony and many more classic albums.
Second single Get The Paper is signature Blinky Bill, a cocktail of Funk, Hip-Hop and Jazz, the visuals for this single are in Blinky’s opinion the highpoint of of visual career, when you’ve seen his visual journey you know this is a call to rush over to watch the video.
With an impressive track record and a career spanning over a decade, Blinky Bill has proven himself as an artist of great influence.
Blinky Bill's collaborative spirit has allowed him to work with notable artists such as Nneka, Goldlink, Sampa The Great, Childish Gambino and Chance The Rapper, among others. He has also graced the stages of renowned events worldwide, including SummerStage NYC in 2019, TED 22 in Vancouver, Paleo Festival in Switzerland, Bushfire Festival in Eswatini, Afropunk in South Africa, Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar showcasing his versatility and captivating performances.
The album is a box of chocolates, made with the listener in mind with the aim of pushing the envelope for the sounds from Africa. Treat yourself to We Cut Keys 2.
What the Press has to say:
"‘Blinky Bill unleashes a Sonic Revolution with Dracula" - FAME MAGAZINE
"‘We Cut Keys 2’ celebrates the beloved genres inspired by African musical heritage." - MIXMAG
“Groove is the heart of throbbing solo debut from laidback Kenyan rapper” – MOJO
"The rest of the world doesn’t really know us for music. But I feel like East Africa is the next frontier for African Music, because we do things a bit differently." - OKAYAFRICA
“Musician-producer Blinky Bill marches to his own beat with infectious alternative vibes…” – REDBULL
“Showdown distills the essence of the bubbling Nairobi music scene of which Bill is a mainstay” – MEAWW
Follow online:
http://www.blinkybillmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mrblinkybill/
https://www.instagram.com/blinkybillmusic/
https://twitter.com/HeyHeyBlinky
Management:
Marie Guibergia
Bookings:
Jess White
RSA/ Whatsapp: +27 64 128 2045
BONJ (SOUTH AFRICA)
BONJ was born for the stage, with a powerful soul voice and incredible stage presence she blends electronic music soulful melodies and groove. Undefined by genre, BONJ effortlessly moves between Pop, Gospel, Jazz, R&B, Soul, House & Kwaito.
Born and bred in Soweto, BONJ like many iconic singers, she began singing in the church. After graduating from the National School of the Arts in 2007, she relocated to Cape Town in 2009 and began studies in Jazz music at University of Cape Town. Whilst classically-trained in Jazz, it was the love of dance and soul that led to BONJ seeing two back-to-back radio successes with the hits ‘Til The Tide’ (2018) and later, with friend and fellow female force, DJ Zinhle with the track ‘Against The Grain’ (2019).
Her debut album ‘A Journal’ was released in 2021 and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 2022 South African Music Awards (SAMA) with songs from the album being featured on the film ‘Coming 2 America’ and the Netflix series ‘Happiness Ever After’.
As a feature vocalists BONJ has collaborated with some of South Africa’s finest musicians including: ‘Uthando’ with House Victimz & Kaleido, ‘Sunwalker’, ‘Shine Through’ and They Don’t Care About Us’ with Card On Spokes, ‘Love To Share’ with Grassy Spark, ‘Ndaweni’ with Anatii, ‘Don’t Regret Loving You’ and “Show You Off’ with Easy Freak, ‘To My Tribe’ with Black Motion.
BONJ’s captivating live show led her to be hand-picked to tour with Sam Smith on the South African leg of their “Thrill of it All” World Tour, her live performance sees the singer alongside respected multiinstrumentalist, Clem Carr, delivering a mix of processed beats and live musicianship combining dance, house and soul. She has performed as a vocalist with some of South Africa’s most groundbreaking musicians, spanning the genre’s Hip-Hop (Stogie T), noirwave/afropop (Petite Noir), jazz (Bokani Dyer) and shared stages with artists such Mafikizolo, Zakes Bantwini, Zonke, Lady Zamar, Little Dragon, The Wailers, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Metronomy, Msaki and many more. In September 2019, she travelled to New York to speak at the UN’s Social Good Summit and perform at the UN General Assembly.
Drawing from a wide range of musical inspiration including Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Scott, Little Dragon, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kimbra, Brenda Fassie, Lebo Mathosa, Boom Shaka, Bongo Muffin, Thandiswa Mazwai, KING, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Miriam Makeba as well as family, love, spirituality and all of the women in her life.
BONJ is ready to conquer the world with her explosively funky and fierce brand of future soul.
Press:
“‘A Journal’ Signals Her Arrival as a Solo Artist” - OKAYAFRICA
“In the age of black love, Afrofuturism and new iterations of African authenticity, vocalist Bonj Mpanza and multi-instrumentalist Clem Carr have developed a sound partnership that transcends the bounds of the music industry at large.” – Red Bull
“A Journal. The seven-track offering is a genre-bending and experimental project that exhibits Bonj’s individualism, creativity, and originality.” – Bubblegum Club
“Bonj showcases herself as a force to be reckoned with as she flexes her vocals across the board” - Texx and the City
Follow Online:
https://www.instagram.com/bonjglobal/
https://www.facebook.com/bonjglobal
https://twitter.com/bonjglobal
Contact:
Management / Bookings - Jess White
Dope Saint Jude (South Africa)
An artist constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation in South African hip hop, Dope Saint Jude is an artist on the rise. Her dynamic sound production, lyricism and performance have gained her international popularity and seen her perform in Europe, the USA and Africa. Dope Saint Jude’s unique style speaks to audiences interested in the intersection of hip hop, queerness, feminism and bad-assery. In 2016 she released her debut self produced EP, Reimagine.
A former drag king-turned-rap kingpin and producer, Dope Saint Jude’s moment to shine was encoded in the stars by her ancestors. The Cape Town-born, queer-identifying woman of colour took her first strides into music-making at the tail-end of 2013, releasing a string of singles plus a video which led to increased visibility on the Internet.
She has steadily kept her eyes transfixed towards the future — imagining alternative narratives for marginalised groups of people (“most people explore racial oppression in hip hop, but why don’t we explore gender or queerness?” she’s previously stated in an interview); creating lanes where there previously were none (her Drag King troupe BrosB4Hoes is the first documented in South Africa); and wreaking havoc on stage, from one show to the next, using her elaborate antics.
What the Press has to say:
“Dope Saint Jude captures a moment in time: unapologetic, assertive and unique, her sound is just what 2018 needs.” – HUNGER
“Dope Saint Jude, a new queer Grrrl who redefines South Africa's game” – PAN AFRICAN MUSIC
“Dope Saint Jude is the patron of South Africa’s intersectional hip hop scene.” – VICE
“Activist and aspirant academic, Saint Jude injects her lyrics with catchy, clever wordplay that both parodies and parades positions of power.” – AFROPUNK
Follow online:
https://www.instagram.com/dopesaintjude/
https://www.facebook.com/dopesaintjude
https://twitter.com/DopeSaintJude
Management:
Mounir Kabbaj
E: mounir@gingersounds.com
M: +33 630 872 472
Australia, New Zealand, Southern & Eastern Africa, and Indian Ocean. Bookings via Akum Agency
Jess White
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA/ Whatsapp: +27 64 128 2045
ESINAM & SIBUSILE XABA
ESINAM and Sibusile Xaba is a meeting of nomadic, wandering and kindred spirits in music. Both artists draw upon their ancestry: Belgian-Ghanaian (Esinam) and Kwazulu Natal-South Africa (Sibusile Xaba) through a unique connection, a deep artistic and spiritual levels they use rhythms and grooves to translate stories to the audience. Their vocal chanting enhances trance to rhythmic patterns that grace us by melodies of the future and past.
Their debut single ‘Africa Wola’ was released in March 2024. Africa Wola is a sweet melody that is sang for Africa and Africans, both in the continent and of diaspora. It aims to acknowledge and also rejoice the majestic mystery that is Africa. It encourages all Africans to take pride in their decadence and origins, to be proud of their home, to never forget about it, to take care of it and to come together & bring a healing voice to the continent.
The duo has already graced stages such as WOMAD South Africa, Babel Music XP, The Music In African 10th year celebration in Germany and are set to release their debut album in early 2024.
“Announcing the auspicious creative alliance between Belgian-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist ESINAM and Sibusile Xaba, the charismatic guitar ace from Kwazulu Natal-South Africa, comes ‘Africa Wola’, an upbeat regional anthem flush with pride and paradisiacal aspirations.” - Songlines
ESINAM
Esinam Dogbatse is a Belgian-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist based in Brussels. With her artist moniker ESINAM, she creates a musical world of her own, filled with rhythms, grooves, melodies and loops.
Solely carried away by sound, ESINAM succeeds in blending her soulful voice with traditional African percussion, adding here and there some electronic influences combined with sensible melodies and flute improvisations. Her compositions carry traces from numerous geographical, cultural and musical influences, which she collected from her personal history and through various travels, encounters, tours and collaborations.
“The Brussels-based Ghanaian flautist-percussionist-vocalist Esinam Dogbatse's music on her debut longplayer is a infectiously upbeat blend of electronica, spoken word, the ‘spiritual’ side of 1960s jazz, blues and her native folk and afro-beat influences.” - Jazzwise
“ESINAM balances the flute's spiritual peals with staggered percussion and a pounding bassline to create a compelling broken beat rhythm." - Resident Advisor
SIBUSILE XABA
Charismatic guitar savant Sibusile Xaba reframes maskandi and the avant garde into his own humanist manifesto.With a vocal style that is part dreamscaping and part ancestral invocation, Xaba divines as opposed to plainly singing. Combined with a guitar style that shatters the confines of genre.
Maskandi, malombo, the desert blues and jazz all figure in Sibusile Xaba's expansive vocabulary, albeit through a magnetic individual filter.
"This music is extraordinary" – Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio)
"Xaba's intricately fingerpicked patterns produce emotional warmth and rich texture, and he brings an abundance of heart and complete spirit commitment as he sings, laughs, declaims and weeps over the tracks" – The Wire
“This blew me away, punched me in the gut the minute I heard this cut”. – Anthony Valadez, KCRW Radio
CONTACT
Fundraising & Strategic Management
Maaike Wuyts
Aubergine Artist Management
P: +32 47 337 1970
E: maaike@aubergineartistmanagement.com
Bookings & Strategic Management
Jess White
Akum Agency
P: +27 64 128 2045
Estère (New Zealand)
An artist compelled by the force of creative instinct, Estère’s deliberate and inventive penchant for striking musical concepts and live performance draws on what is both acutely human and strangely mythic.
Coining the term ‘electric blue witch-hop’ to describe the dimensions of electronic, folk and R&B found within her music, Estère’s bewitching voice soars to the songbird heights of Kate Bush before sweeping down with a sultry gravitas reminiscent of artists such as Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano and Erykah Badu.
Described by Bandcamp as a "a New Zealand producer and songwriter who has carved a unique space for herself, both sonically and stylistically...” Estère’s expansive D.I.Y repertoire has seen her nominated for multiple NZ Music Awards including Best Producer (2018) and Critics Choice Award (2015).
Beginning her journey as a young bedroom producer-cum-university student prone to staying up to 4am producing beats (on her MPC Lola), Estère’s first album (self titled ‘Estère’) came out in 2015 via Paris based record label Prospect, earning her accolades from prominent media outlets such as Disco Naïveté, Elle Magazine (FR) and Portals. On her debut album, Estère sampled and recorded a mixture of bass, synth, drums, guitar, vocal harmonies, kazoo, cutlery drawers and anything else that tickles her fancy then layers the production with pulsating rhythms and evocative melodies that adhere to her own genre dubbed - Electric Blue Witch-Hop.
In 2018 Estère released her second self produced album ‘My Design, On Others’ Lives’ championed as “an exceptional record" (Radio NZ) and “an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed” (Afropunk). Drawing inspiration from the evolution of reptiles, imaginary boyfriends and cultural identity amongst many other things, Estère delivers her songs with a voice that has been described as rich toned and elastic. Estère’s penchant for extraordinary lyric writing escapes the common realms of popular music, delving into imaginatively philosophical narratives about displaced refugees, kids obsessed with technology, controlling urges, rent, prostitutes becoming presidents and much more.
Estère’s spell-casting, high energy live show has seen her open for some of her idols including Grace Jones and Erykah Badu and has lead to her playing major international festivals including Glastonbury (UK), Afropunk Paris (FR), Bushfire Festival (Swaziland) WOMAD (NZ), Aarhus Festuge (Denmark) and Sori Arts Festival (South Korea) as well as sold out headline shows in UK, France and NZ.
2020 was not how anyone expected it to be, prolonging the release of Estère’s acclaimed third album Archetypes - created with Massive Attack producer Stew Jackson. However, Estère kept busy creating an eleven minute ASMR/music and poetry piece called ‘A Symphony of Reassurance’ commissioned by Pantograph Punch, releasing two singles ‘Calculated Risk’ and ‘Mad About Your Sea’ and featuring as a guest producer at the Aotearoa Music Producers Series held at Roundhead Studios as well as producing at the 2020 Hawkes Bay Songhubs.
Estère’s third album Archetypes was released in January 2021. The NZ Listener described it as 'extraordinary production from one of our most acute, enjoyable, ambitiously unconstrained artists’ while the NZ Herald called it ‘an ambitious and inspirational concept album.
Press:
“Control Freak” is a thunderous, rhythm-led track...Attitude not only matched by the punchy composition but also Estère’s own unflinching declarations that she “knows how to be cruel.” - Rolling Stone
"Estère is stunning; an artist with a seemingly boundless imagination and talent, and a refreshing approach to music making. Breaking free of the often-insipid subject matter of popular music, she delves much, much deeper lyrically; tackling themes such as the evolution of species, the impacts and effects of technology, and our dependence upon, and relationships with, our digital technologies. Estère’s music is music that makes you think. Yet paradoxically, her voice and beats are so mesmerizing that it is almost impossible to not lose yourself in her masterfully crafted soundscapes." - Ambient Light
"One of New Zealand’s most exciting musicians is back! Wellington-based Estère, who defines her distinctive musical genre as “Electric Blue Witch-Hop,” has just dropped My Design (P1), which fuses electronic music with heavy bass and drums, creating a unique juxtapositon that falls right in line with the artist’s noted passion for defying genre. My Design is an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed." - AfroPunk
"With a velvet smooth voice that has already drawn comparisons with Erykah Badu (with the charm of Lianne La Havas) she sang live, sampled her own voice and spun loops through Lola... With her colourful, soulful voice and ability to produce effortlessly, Estère Dalton is definitely not an artist to sleep on." Aclaim Magazine
"Young Kiwi Estere was also a wonder. The Wellington-based singer's unique sound, style and dance moves, reminiscent of Solange or Erykah Badu, make her one to watch." The Age
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/EstereLola
https://twitter.com/Esterelola
https://www.instagram.com/esterelola/
https://soundcloud.com/estere
https://estere.bandcamp.com/
CONTACTS
Bookings (Australia, Africa and South America):
Jess White
Akum Agency
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA (Whatsapp): +27 79 162 3138
FOKN Bois (Ghana)
Quirky creatives FOKN Bois, aka M3NSA and Wanlov the Kubolor, who gave the world the first Pidgen Musical, “Coz Ov Moni” (Because Of Money) and its sequel “FOKN Revenge”, are the most celebrated band in the world due to their most unconventional way of entertaining with ingeniously tasteful shock lyrics, hip-hop, beats and Afropop, with revolutionary performance art, indulgent progressive sonics.
Though both excellent lyricists, M3NSA leans more towards music production and Wanlov the Kubolor is more into visuals. Their live setup boasts of an additional member Andras Weil who plays keys and directs their live performances.
The grand yet undeniable misnomer, Afrobeats, never sat well with the FOKN Bois. Not to mention the general themes of superficiality and objectification. So the FOKN Bois decided to put a spin on things and now we are laughing with them on their new 7-Track EP “Afrobeats LOL”. “Our new EP is a collaboration with the emergent Hiplife scene like Mr Eazi, Medikal, Sister Deborah, Dex Kwasi, King Stunn, and also high-life icon Gyedu Blay Ambolley”.
FOKN Bois are often inadequately compared to duos like Outkast, Flight of the Conchords and Run The Jewels, but many now know to expect anything and everything more from this raw, witty braggadocious and eccentric band. This is not an African thing...Just do the FOKN thing!
What the Press has to say:
“Under the louche name FOKN Bois, the Ghanaian hip-hop duo of M3NSAH and Wanlov the Kubolor have built a franchise trolling West Africa with goofy tracks and outrageous videos that poke fun at targets high and low: religion, homophobia, pop trends, Nigerians. But the Bois are more than a novelty: The duo’s rapping chops and production ideas, with inventive samples of highlife and other classic sounds, place them at the vanguard of the bubbling West African hip-hop scene, even while they lampoon it (and themselves).” – BOSTON GLOBE
Follow online:
https://www.facebook.com/foknbois
https://www.instagram.com/foknbois
Stream / Download:
https://foknbois.bandcamp.com/music
CONTACTS
Bookings:
Australiasia, Southern and Eastern Africa Bookings via Akum Agency
Jess White
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA/ Whatsapp: +27 64 128 2045
Management:
Mathieu Petolla
E: foknmanager@gmail.com
P: +33 67 454 8271
After several evocative pseudonyms, Ibaaku chose his first name in Djola for this new project, marking a turning point for this multidisciplinary artist. Born in Dakar, but originally from Casamance, Ibaaku is a prolific artist; not only a producer but also a multi-instrumentalist, author, composer and radio host.
As a Producer and cultural entrepreneur Ibaaku, has been very active since the early 2000s on the Senegalese hip hop scene with the Pan-African collective LZ3. In 2009 he released the album « Muzik Noire » with his hip hop band Still and in 2013 the eponymous album of I-Science with reggae, soul and funk accents. He collaborates and produces for the best of African hip hop all generations and he composes regularly for the cinema and TV. In the process, he became a member of the alternative collective Dakarois "Les petits pierres" with whom they realised in the city several events and multidisciplinary performances.
Ibaaku also collaborates regularly with other cultural and artistic fields, such as fashion, visual arts and video. The already cult record Alien Cartoon was born from the collaboration between the Senegalese designer Selly Raby Kane (who dressed Beyoncé among others) and Ibaaku, (who composed the music for one of her fashion shows).
Both hip-hop and experimental electro music, blended with Senegalese references and remixed local sounds, represent the major influences of the DJ’s first opus. Here and there, some great references to the Beat Scene and its leader Flying Lotus can be found. We may also think of Sun Ra as an intellectual and visual reference, notably because of the Afro-futuristic imagery proposed by the two artists.
Restless audio explorer he is also one of the founders of Kandang, a newly-born platform that aspires to build up a information driven and healthy environment for Senegalese alternatives artists.
Let yourself go on the Seneg-Alien’s space shift to measure the unique power of this cosmic being from Dakar’s nights!
What the press has to say:
“Senegalese producer Ibaaku’s “Djula Dance” is a prime example of Afrofuturism as it stands today: an eclectic, electronic opus to a fantasy alien attack.” The Fader
“The 11 songs on the Dakar-based artist’s upcoming release through Akwaaba Music play like a haywire crossing of distorted bass, thumping hip-hop inspired breakbeats and Senegalese samples. It’s a sound that’s at the same time dizzying and completely hypnotizing.” Okay Africa
“There’s a lot of electronic music coming of Africa these days, and none of it sounding quite like anything else. But a little over 6,000 miles from Capetown to the Senegal capital of Dakar, a producer named Ibaaku is turning heads with a West African variant of Afrofuturism.” Thump.Vice
“Alien Cartoon album is the mirror of Afrofuturism today, the title itself “Alien + Cartoon” remits me for the speculative imagination that most African culture should be seen by the other, the false idealization of a proper place, a proper behaviour, a proper interpretation that leads to grotesque conceptions as a response to established clichés of race, corporeality and gender. New questions addressed to the ever mutating Afrofuturism connotation that is shaping the work of contemporary artists like Ibaaku, carrier of unparalleled artistic path that start taking form when playing keys and clarinet that slowly brought him into various genres like Hip Hop, Souk, Jazz and Folk.” Lacroixx
“His kick-off single and video “Djula Dance” captures the essence of this dude’s weird like no other. Avant-garde dancing on the moon? Not something you see every day. His dreads tied up into antennas kind of makes sense once you hear it." The Culture Trip
"Its success led to the emergence of a new kind of music in Senegal, a wave set to rival variations of electronic music all over the world. We sat down with the creator multidisciplinary artist Stephen “Ibaaku” Bassene after an ethereal performance at the What Design Can Do conference in Amsterdam on 1 July.” Design Indaba
“Ibaaku, a Senegalese artist who brings the “Afro-futurism” back on the dancefloor thanks to his vertiginous afro-psychedelic music, influenced by the “black” experience. Some Sun Ra’s sci-fi going on? Nothing surprising, as we can notice the visual esthetic in his clips, tainted by a hyper-galactic mysticism.” Les Inrocks
“The Senegalese Ibaaku, and his psychedelic compositions are a total hit on the dancefloors!!!” RFI Musique
“Creative! Captivating! Innovative! Lively! Surprising! Original! Here are the most common adjectives that emerge after looking Ibaaku’s superb video “Djula Dance”. Ibaaku will certainly position himself as the key artist of a afro-pop dance movement, almost freshly new in West Africa even though it is hard to strictly define this artist. For Ibaaku himself, his music is called “afro-hypnotic electro”." Music In Africa
Follow online:
http://ibaaku.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ibaaku
https://www.instagram.com/ibaaku
https://twitter.com/ibaaku1
Australia, New Zealand and Southern/Eastern Africa Bookings via Akum Agency
Jess White
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA (Whatsapp: +27 79 162 3138
Inna Modja (Mali)
Inna Modja is a musician, songwriter, and visual artist from Mali. She grew up between Accra and Bamako where she was born. After learning her craft with artists like Salif Keita, and Rail Band of Bamako, she relocated to Europe where her solo career took off. With her unique style, mixing Desert Blues and Hiphop, she’s now one of the most important Malian contemporary artists on the international scene.
Following the success of her first two albums, Everyday is a New World and Love Revolution, Inna’s priority was to go back to her roots and work on a more intimate and personal album. She recorded Motel Bamako between Bamako, Paris and London, collaborating with mythical Malian artists such as Cheik-Tidiane Seck and Oumou Sangare. She succeeded in capturing her roots, as when we listen to Motel Bamako, we find ourselves in the heart of Mali.
Inna, as a « female genital mutilation » survivor, is also a very committed artist & activist for Women’s Rights. She’s been standing up against Women abuse for almost a decade now. In the song, Tombouctou she denounces the crisis in the North of Mali with the help of electro loops and guitar riffs, led by a proud rap in Bambara. The video for was directed by Marco Conti Sikic & Inna Modja and filmed in the studio of Malick Sidibe, the legendary late Malian photographer.
Motel Bamako is a voyage that mixes Sahel Blues, Electronic music and Hip-Hop.
Press:
“Strong message, poignant lyrics mixed with a flawless groove.” LES INROCKS
“Hard-hitting and sensual, deeply committed to social justice, but with a natural pop flair, the bad girl of Malian French Pop.” DAILY MIRROR
“On stage she exudes a feline force.” VANITY FAIR
Links:
Management:
Marco Conti Sikic
Bookings:
Jess White
RSA (Whatsapp): +27 79 162 3138
IzangoMa (South Africa)
IzangoMa, are a 15-piece ensemble from Pretoria, South Africa, led by vocalist and guitarist Sibusile Xaba and DJ/producer Ash K. Their debut album was released by Brownswood in May 2023, the album in synth/keys lead exploration of Afro-Beat, Afro-Jazz, Afro-Funk, Future-Jazz and Psychedelia, expect high energy and percussive drum palettes, free echoing vocal chants, and lyrical layering of horns, music to dance our way against the disintegration and loneliness that modern life reproduces.
IzangoMa’s novel signature and performance brings a beautiful acoustic ecology that cannot be held by genre but reminds us that we are part of a miraculous pattern of the earth’s cycles and life forms through sound. With the predominant meaning being “healer”, Izangoma also, when pronounced or spoken out (when written like this) "izangoMa", translates to "come from mother".
“We want people to dance until any pain engraved in their being dissolves, we want people to groove until all forms of doubt disappears, to hit deep in their hearts until their heart is light as a feather. We want this sound to be a vehicle of love & light, only truth can birth love meaning; Truth is the Mother and Father to Love, love is the highest level of vibrating (existing). Without unconditional truth there can never be holistic love, without love there can never be peace & without peace there can never be healing of Nations and humanity as a whole.” - IzangoMa
In December 2022, the band released their first single; ‘City Lights’ showcasing the work of many hands, anchored by surrealist, improvisational sensibilities and playfulness. It begins as an incessant rapture where sound is this explosive light force response to the city’s concrete. It offers us a cathartic moment to return to our breathing, to tend to our roots, to bask in the sentimentality of living, In June 2023, the released the second single from the project “Tribute to Johnny Dyani”, which pays homage to the great master bassist Johnny Dyani for his enormous contributions to the music not forgetting his role in the emancipation of the people. An acknowledgment and gratitude to the critical role Artists play in our everyday lives, but also a reminded to Artists to never be on a high horse, never to think they are extra special or more important than the rest of society. Every role in life is equally important in having a better environment to all exist in.
IzangoMa’s debut live show was to close the Johannesburg edition of the JazzFest Berlin’s 2022 festival, which showcased some of South Africa’s finest jazz and avantgarde musicians, their spellbinding performance moved minds and hips at home in South Africa, and broadcast live into Berlin, Germany and across the globe.
Press
“A hard-spinning mix of soulful vocals, abstract synth melodies laid over thumping electro grooves, lushly orchestrated horns and vocals, and so, so , so much percussion: - Stereogum
“A truly remarkable pan-genre feast of unwieldy creativity” - Clash
“An exciting, experimental new collective” - Notion
“IzangoMa, from South Africa, pours everything it has learned from two hemispheres into ‘Ngo Ma’ - New York Times
It’s a trippy, ten minute electronic/acoustic fusion that pulls from afrobeat, dance music, jazz, and more - Brooklyn Vegan
“their fantastic debut single 'City Lights' has landed. The prominent aspect of the track is the nutty rhythm created by a plethora of percussion, drum machine, and snare drum. The conga drums are scattered like fallen leaves and consistent cowbells hit on unexpected beats. With rhythms that feel out of this realm” – The Most Radicalist
Online
https://www.instagram.com/izango_ma
https://www.facebook.com/iza_ngo_ma
https://twitter.com/SibusileXaba
https://izangoma.bandcamp.com/
https://izangoma.lnk.to/TributetoJDyaniFA
Contacts
Management
Jess White
Akum Agency
M: +27 64 128 2045
JOJO ABOT (GHANA)
Hypnotic...sultry...vulnerable...empowering. These words come to mind when first experiencing the music of JOJO ABOT, the Ghanaian singer-songwriter who is poised to capture the ears of discerning listeners worldwide with her experimental blend of electronica, afrobeat, jazz, neo-soul, house and reggae.
Creating across continents and dividing her time between Accra, Johannesburg and LA/NYC, JOJO ABOT’S emergence onto the global music scene marks the genesis of an exciting new talent and sound. Presenting the best of multiple worlds, JOJO ABOT's music is truly a cultural and musical sonic fusion, a perfect and growing melting pot...
JOJO ABOT is a Ghanaian artist expressing herself through music, film/photography, literature and performance art. FYFYA WOTO, meaning New Birth - New Discovery serves as the theme and title for her ongoing project exploring the SELF as a provocative tool in the discovery, exchange and evolution of the subject of IDENTITY. Through her work, JOJO ABOT Investigates new forms of spirituality and expression as part of a growing global conversation around shared space and share identity that exists beyond the conventional bias of colour, race, class or sexual orientation.
Recently wrapping a year in NYC as a member of the New Museum's incubator program, NEW INC Abot moved on to a residency at the acclaimed National Sawdust where she premiered her immersive theater piece and exhibition titled “Power To The God Within”. The production returned as part of FERUS Festival, and was featured in a weeklong interactive residency at the Hult Center, Eugene.
She has toured with Ms Lauryn Hill, played shows at Radio City Music Hall, the Greek theater, and more, alongside Common, Seun Kuti and Stephen Marley. She has headlined the Apollo, Times Square (on New Year’s eve to a 1 million plus audience), the Museum of Modern Art, Kennedy Center, Afropunk, and others. Jojo Abot continues to connect with the global audience with shows at Bushfire Festival in Swaziland, Azgo Festival in Mozambique, Bassline and Zakifo Festival’s in South Africa, Sakifo Festival in Reunion Island, WOMADelaide and Perth International Arts Festival in Australia and WOMAD New Zealand.
Abot continues to connect with the global audience. She was listed in “OkayAfrica’s 100 Women” (March 2017).
A true cultural fusion and genre bender in both sound and artistic expression, JOJO ABOT is poised to take the world by storm with her uniquely coined AFRO-HYNO-SONIC sound and otherworldly perspective.
Press:
"She might be a representation of all of our black ancestors’ wildest dreams: free, bold, talented and wise." Independent Online, (April, 2018)
“Uncompromisingly original, per usual, experimental singer/songwriter and performance artist Jojo Abot has just released an eclectic two-for-one visual from her newest EP, ‘NGIWUNKULUNKUL’—a collection of songs about black empowerment in spite of and in resistance to white supremacy and racial oppression.” Afropunk (July, 2017)
“Expressing herself through music, film/photography, literature and performance art, Jojo is intensely artistic and breathes cultural and intellectual depth, an otherworldly perspective and an innate sense of edge into all of her mediums.” AFRIPOP MAG (July, 2017)
Online:
http://jojoabot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JojoAbotmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/jojoabot/
https://twitter.com/jojoabot
https://soundcloud.com/jojoabot
https://jojoabot.bandcamp.com/releases
Bookings via Akum Agency
Jess White
E: jess@akumagency.com
RSA/ Whatsapp: +27 64 128 2045
Nandele (Mozambique)
Nandele is one of the most innovative beat makers, producers and DJs coming from Mozambique. He is at the forefront of the alternative music scene with his mix of bass heavy boombap instrumentals, dubstep, trap, psychedelic hip-hop beats and the makonde rhythms of Northern Mozambique.
The son of the first black director of the Mozambican National Radio after the country's independence, this is where he gets his musical background listening in his early age to a vast musical catalogue raging from Michael Jackson to Fela Kuti, from Kanda Bongo Man to Santana and Marvin Gaye, which he incorporates it in his beat making.
A prolific producer and writer, Nandele has written music for contemporary dance performances, films and has a number of band projects including: Cantinho das Cores, The Mute Band (who won best new band at the Mozambican Music Awards in 2016) and Azagaia & Os Cortadores da Lenha. He has collaborated with artists such as Felix Laband (RSA), Dion Monti (CHF), Symbiz (DEU) and Boogz Brown (REU).
He has graced stages at some of the biggest festivals in Southern Africa: Afropunk Johannesburg, MTN Bushfire Festival in Swaziland, Azgo Festival in Mozambique. His first E.P. Argolas Deliciosas and his first full length album Likumbi was released through Mozambican independent label Kongoloti Records, he has released Eps/cassettes through label Inserttapes in Sweden (Blu Kidz), Already Dead Tapes and Records in Los Angeles (Plafonddeinst) and Cotch International in London (FF).
Nandele is also member and founder of an audio-visual group Muave he is part of the Miss collective that recently released a multi-disciplinary performance called Degradação (Re)Generativa, he is part of international collective called Proximal Distal who had recently a residency and will release a publication and a vinyl.
Nandele has remixed tracks for Dubokaj meets Lee Scratch Perry project and Mothers of Mars (two halves of the Rapture band) and as producer for Tresor 30 compilation along with techno pioneers (Jeff Mills, Dj Stingray), established and upcoming artitsts around the world and he is part of artist roaster of Tresor Records as well. He has produced a jingle wich was a collaboration with AAAS Collective from Palestine for Radio Alhara, where he is constantly collaborating and his live performances and mixes are broadcasted. He has produced for the Original Soundtrack for the comic book informais created by Anima Studio Criativo.
Nandele believes through his music he can to do the unimaginable... communicating and taking us on his journey to try to communicate with other planets…
What the Press has to say:
“the beatmaker nurturing an emerging scene and forging an authentic Mozambican sound out of trip-hop, techno and tribal initiation rituals.” – RESIDENT ADVISOR
“In his two latest releases, the Mozambican artist continues his tireless quest of shaping the modernity of Mozambique into music.” – OKAYAFRICA
“Nandele’s FF EP, which dropped in late October on Cotch International, is a mesmerising seven-track, 30-minute offering that fuses elements of trip-hop, dub, techno, grime, dubstep, acid house, field recordings and psychedelia into an expansive mind-bending whole.” – NEW FRAME
“Conceived as a tribute to the late J Dilla, Argolas Deliciosas fuses all of Nandele's influences into a series of beats that lightly reference the genres of dubstep, trap, instrumental hip-hop and electronica. Conceptually, the six-track EP is a sonic escape to ethereal atmospheres or, better yet, a journey to a distant planet in a foreign galaxy for deep contemplation and self-reflection.” – OKAYAFRICA
“(Nandele) is the man behind the electronic effects and a sounds that impacts, challenges and calls for the future.” – FURTHER AFRICA
Follow online:
https://www.facebook.com/nandelemaguni
https://www.instagram.com/nandelemaguni/
Look/Listen:
Bandcamp:
https://cotchinternational.bandcamp.com/album/nandele-ff-ep-cotch006
https://alreadydeadtapes.bandcamp.com/album/plafonddeinst
https://inserttapes.bandcamp.com/album/blu-kidz-ep
CONTACTS
Global Management & Bookings:
Jess White
Mobile / Whatsapp: +27 64 128 2045
Booking Agent Mozambique
Hamilton Chambela
P: +258 84 599 9760
Sampa the Great (Zambia)
Sampa The Great (Sampa Tembo) is a poet and singer-songwriter. Expressing herself through music, poetry and visual art, Sampa captures listeners with thought provoking words, while encouraging people to enjoy the simplicity of creativity. In just a few short years, Sampa Tembo—better known as Sampa The Great—has established herself as one of hip hop’s brightest young stars, she continues an unstoppable rise that has seen her break-through numerous personal and professional milestones to become one of the most sought-after voices in contemporary rap.
ARIA-Award winning, Zambian-born Botswana-raised poet and rapper, Sampa The Great today releases her long-awaited sophomore full-length album, As Above, So Below, out via Loma Vista Recordings.
As a career-eclipsing record, anchored by Sampa The Great’s spoken word in the Zambian-rooted language of Bemba, As Above, So Below, traverses Sampa’s memories of Africa through a self-exposed lens of authenticity and womanhood, while looking to the future of Africa’s relationship to the world and its global communities. Sampa The Great invites an international roster of collaborators, including Angélique Kidjo, Denzel Curry, Joey Bada$$, Kojey Radical, WITCH, Chef 187, Tio Nason, Sampa’s own sister Mwanjé and more to contribute across 11 tracks spanning hip-hop, neo-soul, Zamrock, Amapiano and Southern African rap. A reflection of Sampa’s transitory upbringing, the record’s sonic hybridity throws recognition to the music coming out of the African diaspora today, while honouring the stories of those who tread previously. Consider As Above, So Below as Sampa’s musical encyclopaedia, each track grounding new modes of expression against various musical influences uncovered throughout her lifetime.
After relocating home to Zambia during the pandemic, Sampa reconnected with a different side of herself - one closer to the younger artistry that was nourished growing up in Africa. From collaborations with Southern Africa creatives Rochelle Nembhard and Imraan Christian, to executive production by award winning producer and Zambian royalty Mag44, to time spent recording with a long-established network of close friends and family, Sampa debuts a 360 Sampa to the world. As Above, So Below unveils the many sides of Sampa, throughout a sophomore album that fuses the serious to the sensual. As Above translates as Sampa's outside self, while So Below is the Sampa within, together uniting to reveal the highest version of herself, without a mask, or role to play. Anchoring the record, is Eve: Sampa’s blueprint of her ideal self who manifests within As Above, So Below’s lyrics, and visually appears throughout the album’s videos.
Sampa the Great says about As Above, So Below: “As Above, So Below is more personal than communal. The literal meaning is what is within me, is what is expressed outside of me. After years of feeling like I had to represent and be an ambassador for everyone, I finally feel like I get to be an ambassador and fully represent myself. Relocating to Zambia and Botswana is significant to my story, because this is where my artist dreams began. I was able to reconnect to my younger self and remind me why I started making music in the first place, beyond outside pressure or influence.This album has become a full circle moment for me; I was able to create this project in the country of my birth and have it be the first project created in Zambia with a Zambian Executive Producer, African visual team and majority African producers and artists. This is my freeist project to date and it feels like the journey of my return has been completed and a new chapter begins.”
As Above, So Below, showcases Sampa’s first new music since 2019’s ARIA Award and Australian Music Prize winning debut album, The Return. Elsewhere this year, after the postponement of 2021’s inaugural and highly anticipated An Afro Future tour, Sampa delivered a spectacular run of rescheduled live performances across Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne, and travelled the globe to perform at Glastonbury, Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza Festivals, plus make her debut at Coachella 2022.
2019 saw tremendous achievements for Sampa The Great, taking home Best Hip Hop Release for “Final Form” at the ARIA Awards, alongside multiple other wins at the J Awards, the Music Victoria Music Awards, while breaking industry records by winning the prestigious Australian Music Prize twice in her career. The Return received praise from the likes of The Guardian, NPR, Pitchfork, The FADER, Billboard, OkayAfrica and countless others. In 2020 the appraisals continued, with Sampa taking home three more ARIA Awards for The Return, securing four wins at the Music Victoria Awards, becoming the first solo artist and female musician to winBest Live Act at the National Live Music Awards, and BET Amplified’s first-ever global artist. Most recently, Sampa's acclaimed single "Energy" feat. Nadeem Din-Gabisi was featured in Barack Obama's annual Summer playlist, following the appearance of "Freedom" in Michelle Obama's 2020 Summer playlist.
Sampa The Great makes an empowered return with her prodigious sophomore effort, As Above, So Below LP. While remaining one of the world’s most daring artists to continually challenge and connect visions of self, African womanhood and the African diaspora to a greater conversation in an eagerly listening global community, at its simplest, As Above, So Below is an engrossing, cathartic and joyous record to cherish today, and for years to come.
Press:
“Her stage presence is unassuming but effortlessly charismatic. She beats her chest a little with a fist as the crowd roars, after a superhuman run of rapid-fire bars that pushes past where most mortals would need a breath….” – Guardian
“Sampa The Great’s captivating fusion of soul, jazz and hip-hop is what makes this album so inspiring and original, and marks her as one of the most exciting talents emerging at the moment.” – London in Stereo
“Originating from Zambia, the Melbourne-based poet and singer-songwriter is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is she a brooding soulful, hip hop genius who redefines typical rap music, but she is also a powerful commentator, using her words to effect positive change.” – AU Review
“An adventurous young mind pushing out against all boundaries” – OKAY AFRICA
Online:
https://www.facebook.com/sampathegreat/
https://www.instagram.com/sampa_the_great/
https://twitter.com/sampa_the_great
https://sampathegreat.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/sampa-tembo
CONTACTS
Management
Carl Pires
Booking Agent (Africa)
Jess White
Akum Agency
RSA (Whatsapp): +27 79 162 3138
Sibusile Xaba (South Africa)
Charismatic guitar savant Sibusile Xaba reframes maskandi and the avant garde into his own humanist manifesto.
With a vocal style that is part dreamscaping and part ancestral invocation, Xaba divines as opposed to plainly singing. Combined with a guitar style that is rooted in expressive picking, Xaba's music shatters the confines of genre, taking only the fundamentals from mentors such as Madala Kunene and Dr Philip Tabane and imbuing these with a mythology and improvisational intensity all of his own.
His debut LP, Open Letter to Adoniah (one half of debut double album project) is a musical open letter to Sibusile Xaba’s child, Open Letter to Adoniah is an album reverent of life and its connectedness to a higher source. The music emanates from dreams revealed to guitarist Sibusile Xaba over consecutive days and was recorded by Mushroom Hour Half Hour in the Magaliesberg Mountains, just outside of Johannesburg in Winter 2016.
Maskandi, malombo, the desert blues and jazz all figure in Sibusile Xaba's expansive vocabulary, albeit through a magnetic individual filter.
What the press has to say:
"This music is extraordinary" – Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio)
"Xaba's intricately fingerpicked patterns produce emotional warmth and rich texture, and he brings an abundance of heart and complete spirit commitment as he sings, laughs, declaims and weeps over the tracks" – The Wire
“Une musique bien enracinée [qui] nous laisse comme en apesanteur”. – Le Monde newspaper
“Super deep sounds on this wonderfully addictive album... Don't miss out... Don't be late Don't wait music you need.” – Jon More (Coldcut / Co-founder of Ninja Tune)
“This blew me away, punched me in the gut the minute I heard this cut”. – Anthony Valadez, KCRW Radio
Follow Online:
https://www.facebook.com/xabasibusile/
https://twitter.com/SibusileXaba
https://soundcloud.com/sibusile-xaba
https://sibusilexaba.bandcamp.com/
CONTACTS
Management
Sibusile Xaba
Booking Agent: Australasia, East Africa, Indian Ocean and Canada
Jess White
Akum Agency
RSA (Whatsapp): +27 79 162 3138
