Category: World Music

Karamanti has won the August 2018 Akademia Music Award for Best World Beat Song for ‘Be Yourself’! To be distinguished for creative excellence among a crowded playing field is an important achievement. Yet, equally important is the process of sharing this achievement with a broader base of music industry professionals. That is something that Akademia is committed to doing for Karamanti in order to increase her recognition and exposure.

For this purpose, they have prepared a custom press release – an Artist Spotlight – that they will be sharing in the coming weeks with industry contacts outside of the Akademia, including record executives, A&R staff, producers, publishers and many more, all focused on urban genres. Please click link below to view Karamanti’s Artist Spotlight: https://www.theakademia.com/music/rpTBPjH7PSkpB3ZgnGvD.html

Check out ‘Be Yourself’ on YouTube
Download ‘Be Yourself’ here

The 2018 One Love Poetry Festival will end with a bang, as Aarhus’ is very own Djala Band will close the event.

Djala is a very important tree in the Mandingue culture from West Africa. The tree is used as a traditional medicine and is known for its extreme hardness. The band Djala tries to demonstrate these characteristics and – like the tree – brings medicine to the people in the form of a splendid series of afrophysical music.

The One Love Poetry Festival takes place on Thursday, April 19th at Atlas, located at Vester Allé 15 in Aarhus, Denmark. The event will feature some of the best poets in Europe as well as live acoustic musical performances.

Judith Wambura Mbibo, known by her stage name Lady Jaydee, is a popular Tanzanian singer. She specializes in the R&B, Zouk and Afro Pop genres and is one of the biggest artist in her country. She recently did a collaboration with Jamaica’s Luciano entitled ANAWEZA.

The official video for ANAWEZA was released on March 23rd and it can be streamed HERE.

Coming off the release of her album, with multiple mega hits, and the heels of an European and African Tour; Yemi Alade makes her grand entrance into North America for her very first concert. It kicks off in DC where she will be live with her full Ovasabi Band backing her up.

Event Info
Date: Friday Aug 4th 2017
Venue: Historic Howard Theater
Address: 620 T St. NW Washington D.C
Show time: 10:00PM – 3:00AM
Support Acts & DJs: DJ Claude | DJ Terry the Hippie | Local Acts

About the Artist
Yemi Eberechi Alade, simply known as Yemi Alade is one of Nigeria/Africa’s top Pop/R&B artistes. Popularly referred to as “Yoruba-Igbo girl” due to her dual origin, Yemi Alade is a multi-talented and multi-lingual artiste who made a huge impact with the release of her mega hit song “Johnny.”

The song became an international smash hit as it dominated music charts in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Paris and the United Kingdom, among others, becoming one of the most played songs and watched YouTube videos in African music history. She has cemented herself as the most versatile songstress out of Africa currently.

Righteous Nwabueze Odili AKA Bigstreet finally releases his debut single under BTB records.With the flow of 2Baba, the vocal range of Banky W and the tone of Flavour n’abania, Bigstreet entertains with the body swaying mellow “Oyege” meaning “Beautiful Woman”. A love song about a captivating and charismatic beauty the singer is infatuated with.

The single starts off as RnB, slowly progressing into a medium tempo but mainstream pop sound before seamlessly flowing into a distinct highlife sound before ending in a crescendo signed by the eponymous producer. The song climaxes as it breaks down into the bridge where the singer displays his eastern Nigerian roots and professes his love in Igbo. His voice though sweet and airy, possesses a slight husk; a tell-tale sign of the street hustle he endured for many years in order to debut his music to the world. The intermittent chiming bells and light horns towards the end of the track, paint a picture of anticipated victory and celebration with loved ones; a wedding song for the club perhaps?

Whichever way you choose to swing it, “Oyege,” is a feel good music at its best. The radio friendly, repetitive chorus and groovy beat engraves the song in the minds of listeners. “Oyege” was produced by hit maker Don L37 and released under BTB Records. Click here to listen & download.

Story by: Adokwei Addo

His Excellency the president of the republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his inaugural address said, “We must create wealth and restore happiness to our nation. We can only do this when we have an educated and skilled population that is capable of competing in the global economy”. Bob Pinodo a music stalwart and educationist has held fast to this view and the fact that music once done professionally, will not only bring jobs but also serve as a catalyst to transform Ghana’s economy.

Having taught music at the University of Education (U.E.W), for ten (10) years the once senior research tutor at the university has brought together some of his students, all alumina of  the university to form a band  called “Gold Crest”. The aim of the band is to serve as an Ambassador of Ghanaian music, representing and presenting the rich variety of African Rhythms to the world. In his own words “this is a band we have put together to demonstrate what i taught at the University, in last ten (10) years. All members of the band are professionals, some into education and others in the security service. An assembly of masters, each is gainfully employed playing a leading role in his or her organization, be it band, church or school. What i revere most about members of “the Gold Crest band” is our high sense of discipline and respect” Bob said.

“I have identified the seizures in live band music production and performances across the country, as the main reason Ghanaian music no longer sells internationally, like it did in my days and those of ET Mensah and OSIBISA. By this development i am challenging all musicians especially the youthful ones and venue owners to help revive and relive the live band culture that once made our industry vibrant and profitable”.

On Friday, March 24, 2017, “Gold Crest” will be “outdoored” at the newly refurbished Golden Key Club, near the Ghana Telecom University in Abeka; where the band rehearses, and which proprietor also doubles as a band patron. The band promises to entreat its maiden audience to some francophone music, highlife and a repetoire of the show master of Africa, Bob Pinodo.

Nigerian born, South African based and World Acclaimed Trumpeter ETUK UBONG is a maverick on the Horn, bringing to Life an almost magical semblance with every tune.

Among the Wynton Marsalis, Louis Armstrong and so on; Etuk Ubong has not only grown to the level of these great talents, but has astonishingly raised the bar displaying passion in every sound. It wont be long before he joins the hall of fame for great trumpeters from Africa.

This amazing instrumentalist was featured on the Gabon school of music project which was hosted at the world’s famous Berklee School of Music (USA) in 2016 with the likes of Akon, Davido and more.

He has just released a new album titled “TALES OF LIFE.” Composed and arranged by Etuk Ubong, it was recorded at Vita Studio in Lagos Nigeria and Mixed and Mastered by Oluwadamilare Akinyede at the Alpha June Studio, Nigeria.

BUY ALBUM ON ITUNES: https://itun.es/ng/x7Q0hb
ANDROID TECNO BOOM: http://android.tecno-boom.com:8080/BoomPlayer/share/shareCol?colID=48605
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/6Heox5VbBeY

ALBUM CREDITS
BhekiYende – Album Cover
Etuk Ubong: Trumpet Voice Flugel horn
Taiwo Ibidun: Trumpet
Raphael Lasisi: Tenor Saxophone
Timothy Ogunbiyi: Keyboard
Emmanuel Akinloye: Bass
Benjamin James: Drums

“TALES OF LIFE” TRACK LISTING
1. Battle for peace
2. Drawing Room
3. Genesis
4. Story
5. Suddenly
6. Tales Of Life
7. The Earth Meditation
8. Uyai Mi Margaret