Music
Geraldo Pino: the Sierra Leonean soul bandleader who changed West African music
Geraldo Pino and his band the Heartbeats brought James Brown-style soul to Freetown, Accra and Lagos in the…
AfroYard.net — African Music News, Releases & Artist Profiles
Latest Stories
Music
Orlando Julius: the Nigerian saxophonist who fused highlife with soul
Orlando Julius Ekemode, a saxophonist and bandleader from Ekiti, blended highlife, juju and American soul in the 1960s,…
Music
Sauti za Busara: the Zanzibar festival that fills an old fort with African music every February
Sauti za Busara, meaning "sounds of wisdom" in Swahili, is an annual festival of African music held in…
Arts + Culture
The Benin Bronzes come home: Germany’s 2022 handover and the debate that followed
In December 2022, Germany handed over 20 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, after agreeing to transfer ownership of more…
Arts + Culture
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony: roasting, incense and three rounds of conversation
In Ethiopia, coffee is not simply a drink but a ritual of hospitality. The coffee ceremony involves roasting…
Arts + Culture
The carved doors of Lamu and Zanzibar: Swahili craftsmanship in wood and brass
The heavy wooden doors of Zanzibar's Stone Town and Kenya's Lamu are famous for their carved frames and…
Arts + Culture
Nsibidi: the symbol system of south-eastern Nigeria and the Ekpe society
Nsibidi is a system of symbols used for centuries by peoples of south-eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon, including…
Arts + Culture
Ere ibeji: the Yoruba twin figures carved to honour a lost child
The Yoruba have one of the highest rates of twin births in the world. When a twin died,…
Music
Mohammed Wardi: Sudan’s great singer, Nubian voice and voice of protest
Mohammed Wardi, born in Nubia in northern Sudan in 1932, became the most celebrated singer in Sudan, singing…
Music
Marrabenta: the dance music of Maputo’s suburbs and Mozambique’s national sound
Marrabenta grew in the suburbs of colonial Lourenço Marques, today's Maputo, in the mid-twentieth century. Combining local rhythms…