Tram 83, a soundtrack

Fiston Mwanza Mujila's debut novel is painted by the music of a nightclub in a fictional central African city-state. On this month's AIAC Radio we imagined what it might sound like.

Lubumbashi Storefront. Credit Lizzywol via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0.

Africa Is a Country Radio continues its literary theme for its third season on Worldwide FM. The third installment in our theme of African literature is inspired by the debut novel from Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Tram 83. The story takes place in the fictional City-State, a resource rich secessionist state in central Africa. In the book, a nightclub, Tram 83, serves as a gathering place for all the characters in the book: from shady international businessmen to miners and students to sex workers and mercenaries.

While at times it may be grotesque or exaggerated, the essence of Tram 83 is not unlike some of the nightclubs that I have been lucky to experience around the world (not just in African cities, but from Dubai to San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro). These are places that have also influenced my own musical tastes. So, as a dedication to all the central places of gathering at or of the global margins around the world, I present Tram 83, a soundtrack.

Listen below, get the tracklist on Worldwide FM and follow us on Mixcloud.

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