Afropop Worldwide

AN IDEA, NOT A CRIMINAL

Moroccan rapper and activist Mehdi Black Wind has become a flashpoint in the country’s growing struggle over free speech.

Arrested in July and charged with “insulting a constitutional institution,” Mehdi was detained for more than two weeks before being released on bail. His case comes amid a broader crackdown on journalists, artists and activists, even as Morocco invests heavily in music festivals, tourism and preparations for the 2030 World Cup.

For critics, the contradiction is stark: a country promoting its culture abroad while tightening restrictions on dissent at home.

Now artists and activists across Morocco and Europe are rallying behind the rapper under a message: “Black Wind is an idea, not a criminal.”

Read Ben Jones’ full report >>> at https://www.afropop.org/articles/an-idea-not-a-criminal
el.mahdi

NEW LIVING ROOM SESSION: Alsarah & Brandon Terzic at Barzakh Cafe

📺 Watch and be transported: bit.ly/alsarahsession

of Alsarah & the Nubatones, Sudanese-American singer, songwriter, and ethnomusicologist joined New York-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Brandon Terzic who plays oud and ngoni with Alsarah & the Nubatones. Together, they played songs at Barzakh • Café • برزخ composed by Egyptian Nubian composer and oud master Hamza El Din in both Arabic and Nubian.

Alsarah brings a plaintive depth and cross-cultural resonance in her vocals that undulate over the timeless, ancient, and influential oud – expertly played by Terzic.

For the full songs including lyrics, translations and more, head to afropop.org.

“Cutlure is made up. We make up culture, therefore we control culture.” –Alsarah

Executive Producer: Sean Barlow

Producer and Host:

Line Producer: Lynn Jones

Sound: Michael Jones

Cameras & Editing:

Copy:


East African Retro-Pop
Soul Music from East Africa

NEW INTERVIEW! Kossi Mawun: Jazz Courageous 🇹🇬🥁

From practicing on a tabletop with broomsticks to becoming Togo’s first jazz artist to release a jazz album, ’s story is one of extraordinary perseverance.

“I see it as spiritual jazz,” the self-taught Mawun says. “You will definitely hear the traditional rhythms. The rhythms come from my tribe, the Watchi. It’s a mix as well of Hausa that began in Niger and then came into Ghana then moved to Togo. It’s called brekete. Also rhythms of Agbadja. It’s traditionally used for the ceremonies and spirituals.”

In this Afropop Worldwide interview, the drummer and composer shares how the traditions of his Watchi heritage, ancestral rhythms, and a life-changing introduction to jazz shaped his powerful musical voice.

Check out how his journey led from Lomé to the international stage at Jazzahead in Germany , and why every performance is a tribute to his ancestors.

🎙️ Read the full interview and discover one of the most exciting voices in African jazz >>>

https://www.afropop.org/articles/kossi-mawun-jazz-courageous

AfropopWorldwide

The leopard cult of Ekpe in Calabar, in present-day Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon, has one of the most unique performance traditions in all of Africa—a complex theatrical tradition, referred to in Calabar English as “play,” which encompasses a cycle of sacred dramas that takes many years to execute. Che music of this society is almost completely unknown outside the region, because it was not recorded until the 1980s. This program will feature Calabar-themed recordings by artists including Sexteto Habanero, Chano Pozo, Arsenio Rodríguez, and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. Dr. Ivor Miller, the only scholar who has both penetrated the Abakuá society and visited the motherland in Calabar, and promoted the first-ever re-encounter between the two traditions, will play some of this powerful music and tell stories of this fascinating culture.

🎧 🐆 https://www.afropop.org/audio-programs/1752

African Diaspora Afro-Cuban Secret Society

live at NYC! Check out his recent interview at with :

Ibrahim Maalouf’s Trumpets of Celebration >>> Afropop.org!

🇸🇳 SENEGAL REK! 🇸🇳

Celebrate the Senegal World Cup victory with music and stories from ’s Senegal programming! Featuring artists like:











konate
a.hosier


And many more! Deep dive into the sounds of and — as well as music programming from all ten African nations competing this year.

Head to >>> bit.ly/afropopworldcup to celebrate 🏁🔥🇸🇳⚽️🌍🎶

The legendary Blay Ambolley has a special message for our friends in NYC: come out to crownhilltheatre for a GHANA VS CROATIA WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY!

🇬🇭 SAT. JUNE 27
⚽️ 4pm doors / 5pm kickoff
📍CROWN HILL THEATRE, BROOKLYN
🎟️ FREE

🔈 World Music Coup
🔈 DJ BOLIMA
🪘 Home & Abroad

Event is in support of Amref Health Africa: supporting healthcare across 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa

Hosted by SahrNgaujahOfficial

With support from afropopworldwide