Music From Africa

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The more you travel, the more you begin to see the influence of the United States on the rest of the world. It doesn’t take long to see when you’re sitting in a restaurant in Singapore, shopping at a mall in Cape Town or waiting in a hotel lobby in Bangkok listening to Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Eyed Peas, The Beach Boys and Justin Timberlake.

Which is why I love to try to find local artists and music from each country that I travel to and bring them home. It adds variety to my itunes playlist and each time I play it, I’m brought back to those magic destinations I’ve left so long ago – even if it’s just for a brief three minutes and thirty seconds.

So in today’s post I’d like to share with you some of my favorite African songs, albums and artists. Some of the music if from South Africa. Some of the music is from the rest of the African Continent. And others have made it mainstream in the United States. You should be able to access them all from itunes.

In no particular order:

• Johnny Clegg & Savuka - A native South African, Johnny Clegg has had multiple hits in the United States. My personal favorites from his album Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World include Dela and the album’s namesake song, Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World.
• Angelique Kidjo – from the country of Benin, Angelique’s music is soulful, contemporary, african and wonderful. A good starter album is Djin Djin. Listen to Ae Ae, Djin Djin, Gimme Shelter and Salala. In this album Angelique has partnered with popular artists including: Alicia Keyes, Peter Gabriel and Carlos Santana. If you’re hooked, Black Ivory Soul is a great second album to add to your collection.
• Soweto Gospel Choir – To create the complete African Playlist you’ll need to include their song Shosholoza. Sung in Ndebele, the song has it’s roots in Africa’s mining history. Shosholoza means “go forward”.
• Freshlyground – The guys at the City Lodge Hotel turned me on to this group from Cape Town. Check out Doo Be Doo from the album Nomvula

By now you should know that South Africa is hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It’s a monumental moment for the country of South Africa. The whole country is excited for this event.

• I’ve already pre-ordered the official album: Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album from itunes. The anthem for the games, Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) is by Shakira – an interesting choice considering she’s from Latin America. Nonetheless, this is a must-have to be truly South African in the spirit of the World Cup. It also has it’s own dance.
• Alun Richards - In continuing with the spirit of World Cup and dancing, the Country of South Africa has created a special soccer-themed dance called the Diski. The Diski Dance Soccer Song is being played around the country. Young and old alike are being encouraged to dance the Diski with moves that include “table mountain” and “the bridge”. There are several versions to the song. If you’re going to choose one, get the Radio Vocal Edit, though the Full Track (sans words) is the preferred one to dance to.

Now please don’t get upset with me but the following two songs are classic Africa.

• Toto’s Africa and U.S.A. for Africa, We Are The World. Yes they are U.S. Artists. But once you’ve been to Africa and experience how it touches your heart and emotions these two songs will surely put a smile on your face.

Do you have a favorite musician from Africa? Share by commenting below.

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