artist: Nneka from Nigeria

Nneka is an artist from Nigeria that I recently discovered. Lagos is putting out some powerful fresh alternative world beat tunes. They have a reggae and political message theme and are usually full bands. This song Hearbeat has incredible energy. Also love the video filmed on the "lovely" streets of lagos. Enjoy OOO!!

genre: Gnawa music from Morocco

Gnawa music is a mixture of African, Berber, and Arabic religious songs and rhythms. It combines music and acrobatic dancing. The music is both a prayer and a celebration of life. Though many of the influences that formed this music can be traced to sub-Saharan Africa, and specifically, the Western Sahel, its practice is concentrated in north Africa, mainly Morocco and Algeria.

Here's a sample video of the music. Haven't been able to discover this groups name.

genre: Kwaito from South Africa

Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s. It is based on house music beats, but typically at a slower tempo and containing melodic and percussive African samples which are looped, deep basslines and often vocals, generally male, shouted or chanted rather than sung or rapped. DJ Diplo described kwaito as "[poor South African kids'] form of slowed-down garage music." More recently, kwaito artists like Zola have rapped their lyrics in a hip-hop style, while others such as BOP and Oskido have sped up their beats and toned down the male chants to create a softer form of kwaito or african house. Other prominent kwaito artists include Arthur, Mandoza and Mzekezeke. Kwaito's lyrics are usually in indigenous South African languages or in English, although several languages can be found in the same song. The name kwaito itself is derived from the Afrikaans word Kwaai, meaning "angry". This Afrikaans word is derived from the Isicamtho, South African township slang, word amakwaitosi, meaning "gangster". Arthur Mafokate, one of the founding fathers of kwaito describes the relationship between kwaito and "gangster" being because it is "all about the ghetto music". Kwaito was born in Soweto, one of the townships where blacks were forced to live during the time of apartheid. Similarly, kwaito has been referred to as the "sound of the ghetto", and emerged from the most economically depressed areas of South Africa. Therefore, kwaito "opened up an economic avenue for a lot of young people as well as a creative avenue". Older musicians looked down upon this new music, calling it the music of gangsters, while current kwaito musicians tended to interpret this relationship of the word "gangster" to their music as it being "hot and kicking". Other listeners describe kwaito as “a mixture of all that 1990’s South African youth grew up on: South African disco music, hip hop, R&B, Ragga, and a heavy, heavy dose of American and British house music.”

Brenda Fassie is the Kwaito goddess with her end of aparthied song, vulindlela which means open the raod.

genre: Mbalax from Senegal

Mbalax (or Mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of Senegal and The Gambia. Mbalax is a fusion of popular Western music and dance such as jazz, soul, Latin, and rock blended with sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal. The genre's name derived from the heavy use of accompanying rhythms used in sabar called mbalax. Mbalax in its current form developed in Senegal in the 1970s. Up to that time popular music was dominated by Congolese Soukous, American Soul and Funk, as well as, most prominently, Cuban music, as interpreted by Senegalese musicians. Influenced by the 'back to roots' philosophy of Negritude and the receding influence of colonialism, artists began to mix these sounds with traditional Senegalese music and forge new sounds incorporating their new national identity. Musicians began singing in Wolof (Senegal's predominant dialect) instead of French and English, and incorporated rhythms of the indigenous sabar drum. Dancers began using moves associated with the sabar, and tipping the singers as if they were traditional griots.

This is a video by Youssou Ndour and one of his early songs titled Aloury.

genre: Axé from Brazil

Axé music is a popular music genre originated in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil aproximately in 1986, fusing different Afro-Brazilian genres, such as Caribe's Marcha, Frevo, Forró and Reggae, with its fusian genre that is known as Calypso. The most important creator of this music style was Alfredo Moura, conducting musicians like Carlinhos Brown, Luiz Caldas, Sarajane and others. The word "axé" comes from a greeting ritual used in the Candomblé and Umbanda religions that means "good vibration".

This is one my favorite brazilian artists who specializes in Axe from Bahia. I discovered Daniela on a work trip to Brazil in 97. Here's a live performance for canto da cidade.

artist: Zouk Artist Fanny J

Fanny J had this smash hit in late 07 and was one of the top zouk songs in 08. I've seen this video at least a hundred times on Trace TV, the french urban music channel.

genre: Zouk

Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. It has its roots in compas music from Haiti,. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local creole of French with English and African influences, all three of which contribute the sound. In Africa, it is popular in franco/luso countries, while on the African islands of Cape Verde they have developed their own type of zouk. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, and in North America the Canadian province of Quebec.

This is a video of Kassav, one of the fathers of Zouk singing La Ce Sel Medicament Nou Ni (Live)

genre: Fado from Portugal

Fado (translated as destiny or fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, Fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality Fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure.

The most famous fado artist is Amalia Rodrigues. Here's a classic video of her singing a famous song that was later used sung by Ducle Pontes and used in the Primarl Fear movie soundtrack, "cancao do mar", song of the ocean.

genre: Coupé-Décalé from Coite d'Ivoire

Coupé-Décalé was pioneered by the late Stephane Doukouré (a.k.a. "Douk-Saga") during the post-2002 militaro-political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. It reflects the aspirations of a large section of Ivorian youth. Coupé-Décalé is a very percussive style featuring African samples, deep bass, and repetitive, minimalist arrangements. Lyrically, Coupé-Décalé is about happiness, expressing daily life in Ivorian society, and also gives an insight into the political situation of the country. The prominent artists of Coupé-Décalé are Douk-Saga (Doukouré) with its Jet Set, DJ Brico, DJ Arsenal, Papa Ministre with his famous tune "Coupé-Décalé Chinois", and many other talented Ivorian artists. The most prominent singer in actuality is named DJ Lewis with its Grippe Aviaire Dance, derived from Coupé-Décalé. Other names like David Tayorault, Afrika Reprezenta, DJ Lewis are very recurrent.

Here's a video of a leading Coupe D artist El Matador with coupe decale gwada