Arts + Culture
“7 Seconds” spent 16 weeks at number one in France. Its singer later became Senegal’s minister of culture
In 1994, Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry released "7 Seconds", sung in Wolof, English and French. It spent…
Music
immerse yourself in a symphony of genres, from the latest chart-toppers to hidden indie gems. Gospel, HipHop, Highlife, Amapiano, Afrobeats
Arts + Culture
King Sunny Adé turned 80 last week. In 1983 he became the first Nigerian ever nominated for a Grammy
King Sunny Adé, the king of juju music, turned 80 on 22 September 2026. In 1982 Island Records…
Arts + Culture
Four West Africans and three Caribbeans in 1969 London: how Osibisa took Afro-rock into the British charts
Osibisa formed in London in 1969, led by Ghanaian saxophonist Teddy Osei. Their 1971 debut album reached number…
Music
“Essence” was an album track for months. Then it became the first Nigerian song in the Hot 100 top ten
Wizkid and Tems' "Essence" was released on Made in Lagos in October 2020 and grew slowly. A Justin…
Arts + Culture
The night Louis Armstrong jammed with the King of Highlife in Accra
In 1956, Louis Armstrong came to the Gold Coast on his African tour and ended up playing with…
Arts + Culture
South Africa cancelled Miriam Makeba’s passport when she tried to bury her mother. She spent 31 years in exile
In 1960, the apartheid government revoked Miriam Makeba's passport when she tried to return home for her mother's…
Arts + Culture
An exiled South African trumpeter had America’s number one song in 1968. The story of “Grazing in the Grass”
In July 1968, Hugh Masekela's instrumental "Grazing in the Grass" went to number one on the Billboard Hot…
Arts + Culture
Five Grammys, four in one category: Angélique Kidjo’s record in global music
Angélique Kidjo has won five Grammy Awards, four of them for Best Global Music Album, more than any…
Music
“Calm Down” spent 52 weeks on the Hot 100 and made Rema the first African lead artist to reach a billion Spotify streams
In September 2023, Rema's "Calm Down" became the first song led by an African artist to join Spotify's…
Music
A Grammy with Future and Drake, an Oscar nomination with Rihanna: how Tems became Afrobeats’ most wanted voice
Tems went from "Essence" with Wizkid to a Grammy for "Wait for U" and an Oscar nomination for…