Africa Is a Country

Weekend Music Break, N°36

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Weekend Music Break, N°36

By
Tom Devriendt

Not too long ago, a new video by Amadou & Mariam would have made a bigger splash. There’s no way denying their (?) questionable choice to get Bertrand Cantat on board for their latest record has somewhat tempered the global enthousiasm for their music. Which is regrettable — the end result is a fine record. And the above animated video for ‘Africa mon Afrique’, produced by No-Mad Films, ticks all the right boxes (including Africa’s launching of a “space program”). Next, Congolese artist Didjak Munya’s latest single, “feat. Bill Clinton” (yeh), before his album drops. (Via Akwaaba.) Filmed between New York City and Kinshasa: 

‘Dance For Me’ by Ghanaians “Ruff N Smooth” Ricky Nana Agyeman and Clement Baafo is a TUNE:

Something else. Let’s get this straight. Tunisian rapper Weld El 15’s track below might not be everybody’s musical cup of tea, but when the “actress” and the cameraman involved in the making of the controversial ‘Cops are Dogs’ video are both sentenced to six months in prison for their contribution to the video while “Weld El 15 (himself) remains on the run and was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in absentia,” Tunisian government needs to be called out on this loud and widely. Says Weld El 15: “As an artist, I chose the (police’s) violent language to criticize their violent behavior and harsh treatment. I tried to express my opinion freely thinking that Tunisia has democracy, yet I was mistaken.” Head over to Les Inrocks for a longer interview with the artist. Surely Tunisia’s Ministry of Interior’s got better things to do. We’ll follow up on this story.

http://youtu.be/6owW_Jv5ng4

Meanwhile, back in Nigeria, Ajebutter 22’s got other things to worry about. Pastors and stuff:

Abobolais and his Ivorian crew bring the better coupé-décalé moves this week:

There’s been more than one collective musical effort to unite Mali recently. Here’s another one. Featuring: Oxmo Puccino, Inna Modja, Féfé, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Doudou Masta, Rouda du 129H, Ousco, King Massassy, Abbba Mamadou Ba, Lélé, Elie Guillou, Toya, Rim, Ramsès, Lyor, Guimba Kouyaté, Camille Richard, Tanti Kouyaté, Amkoullel l’enfant peulh — many of whom are based in France:

You already know we’re a fan of Carmen Souza. Here’s a video for her ‘Donna Lee’:

Nicole Wray and Terri Walker are touring with (AIAC favorite) Lee Fields this spring. Can’t wait to see them bring this live:

And to conclude, there’s no official video yet for the trans-Atlantic “Family Atlantica” project, but Soundway Records released the following song on YouTube: ‘Escape To The Palenque’, featuring Mulatu Astatke — and that will do for this week:

Further Reading

Kenya’s vibe shift

From aesthetic cool to political confusion, a new generation in Kenya is navigating broken promises, borrowed styles, and the blurred lines between irony and ideology.

Africa and the AI race

At summits and in speeches, African leaders promise to harness AI for development. But without investment in power, connectivity, and people, the continent risks replaying old failures in new code.

After the uprising

Years into Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict, the rebellion faces internal fractures, waning support, and military pressure—raising the question of what future, if any, lies ahead for Ambazonian aspirations.

In search of Saadia

Who was Saadia, and why has she been forgotten? A search for one woman’s story opens up bigger questions about race, migration, belonging, and the gaps history leaves behind.

Binti, revisited

More than two decades after its release, Lady Jaydee’s debut album still resonates—offering a window into Tanzanian pop, gender politics, and the sound of a generation coming into its own.

The bones beneath our feet

A powerful new documentary follows Evelyn Wanjugu Kimathi’s personal and political journey to recover her father’s remains—and to reckon with Kenya’s unfinished struggle for land, justice, and historical memory.

What comes after liberation?

In this wide-ranging conversation, the freedom fighter and former Constitutional Court justice Albie Sachs reflects on law, liberation, and the unfinished work of building a just South Africa.

The cost of care

In Africa’s migration economy, women’s labor fuels households abroad while their own needs are sidelined at home. What does freedom look like when care itself becomes a form of exile?

The memory keepers

A new documentary follows two women’s mission to decolonize Nairobi’s libraries, revealing how good intentions collide with bureaucracy, donor politics, and the ghosts of colonialism.

Making films against amnesia

The director of the Oscar-nominated film ‘Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’ reflects on imperial violence, corporate warfare, and how cinema can disrupt the official record—and help us remember differently.