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Awilo Longomba, un artiste qui fédère

30 Avril 2021 , Rédigé par www.afrocultureblog.com Publié dans #awilo longomba, #artiste, #musique, #2021, #FR, #afrique

Photo Source: Web

Awilo Longomba est un artiste chanteur et musicien congolais. Il est célèbre autant sur le continent que dans la diaspora et il se produit fréquemment sur la scène internationale. Depuis plus de deux décennies, Awilo Longomba est dans le top 3 des musiciens de la RDC et son style musical a transcendé le soukous, incorporant également l'afro pop et l'afro beat. Sa polyvalence musicale entraîne de nombreux featuring et collaborations avec d'autre artistes africains tels la diva nigériane Yemi Alade avec "Rihanna", « Zoungou remix » avec le guinéen Bebeto, "Enemy Solo" avec les P-Square.

Né le 6 mai 1962 en République démocratique du Congo, il héritera du talent musical de son père, le chanteur Vicky Longomba du Tout Puissant OK Jazz. Avant de commencer une carrière solo, Awilo sera batteur, notamment du groupe Viva La Musica et Loketo entre 1980 et 1994. En 1995, il abandonne la batterie pour le chant, et enregistre Moto Pamba, son premier disque sous son nom. Avec son deuxième album Coupé Bibamba en 1998, sa notoriété s'étend d'Afrique en Europe en passant par l'Amérique. Coupé Bibamba en featuring avec la chanteuse de Kassav Jocelyne Béroard, l'animateur Tutu Kaludji et Alain Mpéla de Wenge BCBG, deviendra son album phare et connaitra un énorme succès, suivi de Kafou Kafou en 2000 — qui gagne un prix au Kora Awards en 2001 (le 3ème en date ayant déjà reçu des awards en 1996 et 1997 pour ses albums précédents). En 2003, il sort Mondongo et en 2008 l'album Super Man, qui reçoit le Best Soukous Entertainer Award en 2009.

En 2016, après un long séjour dans son Kinshasa natal, Awilo sort « Kolo kwanga » où il célèbre la chikwange (manioc), un met congolais apprécié de tous. Dans le clip de cette chanson, il se fait entourer de plusieurs chroniqueurs musicaux de Kinshasa et du célèbre comédien kinois Fiston Saï Saï.

Awilo Longomba est parmi les rares musiciens congolais à se produire chaque fois en Afrique Occidentale dans des pays comme le Nigeria, le Burkina Faso, le Cap-Vert et autres. C'est un artiste qui fédère et qui attire tout type de public.

Voir ci-dessous Awilo Longomba lors de ses retrouvailles avec la directrice artistique Chantal Loial au Richmix, à Londres.

Princess Ademiluyi Ronke, the founder of Africa Fashion Week

28 Avril 2021 , Rédigé par www.afrocultureblog.com Publié dans #fashion, #blacklegacy, #ENG, #princessronke, #nigeria, #uk

Photo Credit: Allure Vanguard

Princess Ademiluyi Ronke is the great grand-daughter of the late Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi, the King of the Ife Kingdom, now located in Osun State, Nigeria. She is the owner and founder of the award-winning fashion platform, Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria. To date, the Fashion Week has gained global recognition and showcased over 1000 African and African inspired designers.

Princess Ademiluyi Ronke was born in England and is a Law Graduate from Thames Valley University in London. In 2011, she founded Africa Fashion Week London in order to promote African Fashion globally. This year marks 10 years of her showcasing African fashion designers in London. Her Africa Fashion Week London platform is the longest running festival in the UK and Europe that supports and promotes emerging African designers. Under her supervision, organizations like the KwaZulu Natal Fashion Council, The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, The Seychelles Creative Enterprise and The Trade & Investment South Africa have all used the AFWL platform to showcase creative talents from their various countries to the world.

In 2015, she launched Africa Fashion Week Nigeria to provide an African platform to emerging African designers on the continent and give them the opportunity to showcase their collections in Europe, through Africa Fashion Week London.

In 2016 she was made the global and cultural ambassador of the Legacy of the Iconic Queen Moremi. The late ‘Moremi Ajasoro’ is an historical figure of extraordinary dimensions in Ife, who saved her people and heritage from extinction.

Princess Ademiluyi Ronke uses the Queen Moremi Initiative to promote female leadership, mentorship and entrepreneurship programs for young women. She also campaigns against trafficking of young women in Nigeria.

We've had the opportunity to attend Africa Fashion Week London on two occasions. Click on the video below to watch our first experience of Africa Fashion Week London. A real feast for the senses!

Legendary Soul Singer Omar

21 Avril 2021 , Rédigé par www.afrocultureblog.com Publié dans #music, #artist, #omar, #2021, #carosika, #interview, #ENG, #uk

Photo Source: Web

Omar Christopher Lye-Fook, known professionally as Omar, is an internationally acclaimed and exceptional soul singer, songwriter and musician, who has been praised by the likes of Maxwell, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder actually wrote him a song which they recorded together as a duet 15 years later.

Omar was born on 14th October 1968 in London. His father, Byron Lye-Fook was a studio musician and drummer who worked with reggae legends Bob Marley and Horace Andy, as well as the Rolling Stones. At age five, Omar was already learning how to play the drums. During his school years, he completed formal training in piano, trumpet/coronet, and other percussion instruments. He also spent two years at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and the Guildhall School of Music in London. Recording for his father's Kongo label, Omar debuted in 1985 with the single "Mr. Postman" at age 16. He shot to fame in 1991 with his single "There’s Nothing Like This". It reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart.

In the 1990s, He recorded the albums There's Nothig Like This, Music, For Pleasure and This is Not a Love Song in and towards the end of that decade moved on to major-label RCA. When he parted ways with the label, Omar constructed his own studio and established the record label Blunt Music. He released Sing (If you want it) in 2006. Omar received the Best Neo-soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Urban Music Awards, which acknowledges urban music artists around the globe. He was also appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2012. The next year, he released The Man and in 2017 Love In Beats on the Freestyle label, which took three years to make with the collaboration of his baby brother, known professionaly as Scratch Professor (aka Roland). Roland is a Grammy Winning producer, remixer and DJ.

Omar's voice is extra soulful and distinctive although he hated the sound of his voice when he first started performing. He is now described by some as the father of British Neo soul. However, Omar knows no musical boundaries.His influences are wide and varied, including ragga, hip-hop, funk, jazz-pop, rock, and Latin/Caribbean music.

More recently, before the pandemic, Omar was awarded the Music Honour at the Black Magic Awards 2019 at the Criterion Theatre in the heart of London.

Watch his interview and his word of advice for upcoming artists.

Michel Pinheiro, de Cotonou à Cuba

18 Avril 2021 , Rédigé par www.afrocultureblog.com Publié dans #artiste, #musique, #2021, #carosika, #michelpinheiro, #africansalsaorchestra, #focusafrica, #FR, #benin, #afrique

Photo Credit: Web

Michel Pinheiro, né Cosme Michel Odjougbele Pinheiro, est un compositeur, arrangeur et musicien de salsa d'origine béninoise. Né le 25 septembre à Pobè, dans le Sud du Bénin, Il fait ses débuts au sein d'une chorale de jeunes de sa paroisse et s'initie à la guitare à l'âge de 17 ans.

C’est au prestigieux lycée Behanzin de Porto Novo que sa carrière prend un tournant décisif quand il a l’opportunité de se rendre en Côte d’Ivoire, la plaque tournante de la musique en Afrique de l’Ouest. Il y rencontre le doyen Mamadou Doumbia auprès duquel il perfectionnera son apprentissage et s'initiera au trombone, qui deviendra plus tard son instrument de prédilection.

Sa collaboration avec Mamadou Doumbia porte ses fruits. Michel Pineihro accompagnera quelques années plus tard de grandes stars ivoiriennes comme Nayanka Bell ou Gadji Celi. En 1996, son chemin croise, cette fois-ci, celui d’un jeune reggaeman : Tiken Jah Fakoly. Michel Pinheiro lui suggère alors d’introduire des cuivres dans ses compositions. Une proposition qu’accepte Tiken Jah Fakoly. Michel Pinheiro devient donc le chef d’orchestre des « Djelys », le groupe qui l'accompagnera lors de ses tournées jusqu'en 2012.

Mais le tromboniste est avant tout un salsero. Faire de la salsa équivaut pour lui à se rapproprier une musique née sur le continent, dont la rythmique est inspirée des rythmes vaudou du Bénin.

Le premier album solo de Michel Pinheiro sort en 1999 et s'intitule Espoir. Suivront Agoh (2006), Bénin (2009), ainsi qu'un album hommage à son père spirituel Mamadou Doumbia en 2010.

En 2014, il monte le groupe African Salsa Orchestra avec lequel il continue à se produire sur des scènes internationales. Ils produiront ensemble un album du même nom. Michel Pineihro fait revivre au Bénin et sur le continent la musique de sa jeunesse et de ses aieux.

The EP "A Guy Like Me" by Tanzanian artist Tofa Jaxx

9 Avril 2021 , Rédigé par www.afrocultureblog.com Publié dans #music, #tofajaxx, #artist, #ENG, #tanzania

NEW ALBUM RELEASE The EP "A Guy Like Me" by Tanzanian artist Tofa Jaxx

"A Guy Like Me" brings together Tofa Jaxx's first songs, which he wrote between 2016 and 2017. It was the time when he decided to completely dedicate his life to music. In the four songs, Tofa experiments with his extraordinary smokey voice and combines it with a sense of Neo soul harmonies and emotional soul-vocals. The lyrics of the songs are all about a young man from Tanzania, who is burning to set off to new shores.

2021 is going to be an interesting year for the young songwriter. Over the last month, he has been working tirelessly on new music.
UMENIKAA was just released a couple of weeks ago. More songs are already lined up and he is working on his first international album which is planned to come out later this year.
With his music, Tofa Jaxx is daring a different path from the Tanzanian norm, away from Bongo Flava and other mainstream sounds.

Here is one of our favorite EP track just released : I WANT YOU

You want so support African artists and African music, check out #soulidarity.