Audio Programs – Afropop Classic

Afropop Classic June 13, 2024

Amazigh Rising II

This is part two of the Afropop series on the Imazighen, the original inhabitants of North Africa.

Afropop Classic June 6, 2024

Berber history and music span from ancient sounds from the Atlas and Kabyle mountains to the latest pop fusions. In this, the first of Afropop’s Berber music series, we get the history and hear some of the extraordinary music that history has given us. Produced by Banning Eyre.

Afropop Classic May 23, 2024

Breaking Into Afrobeats

Fay Fay in Lagos reports on artists breaking into the Afrobeats music industry.

Afropop Classic May 2, 2024

Amapiano to the World

South Africa is one of the biggest dance music nations, and now it seems like the whole world is dancing along to its amapiano (piano/yanos) beats, a genre that blends its kwaito roots with house, jazz and its signature log drum.

Afropop Classic April 25, 2024

Saving the Malawi Tapes

The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation recorded a goldmine of local music in the 1960s and 70s, but the tapes were neglected and close to ruined.

Afropop Classic April 18, 2024

Thomas Mapfumo Live in NYC at SOB's

A special recording from the Afropop archives finds Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited playing at SOB's in New York City back in 1991.

Afropop Classic April 4, 2024

From Nashville to Nairobi: A History of Country Music in Kenya

Country music is big in Kenya. This show tells the story.

Afropop Classic March 21, 2024

Women's History Month: Afropop's Women Warriors

Angelique Kidjo, Toshi Reagon, Shungudzo, Toshi Reagon and Fatoumata Diawara showcase activist music created during the pandemic.

Afropop Classic February 29, 2024

Women's History Month: Afropop Women of Note

DJ Kix returns by taking us on a musical journey across Africa, showcasing some of the continent’s formidable women who are quickly rising in the industry and making their presence known.

Afropop Classic February 22, 2024

Black History Month: The African-American String Music Tradition

This program looks back on the history of African American string band music with Howard Armstrong.

Afropop Classic February 15, 2024

Black History Month: The Black History of the Banjo

We trace the history of this most American of instruments from its ancestors in West Africa through the Caribbean and American South and into the present, as a new generation of Black women artists reclaim the banjo as their own. Rhiannon Giddens, Bassekou Kouyate, Bela Fleck and more talk claw-hammers, trad jazz, Appalachian folk, African ancestors and the on-going story of American music, which would be woefully incomplete without a Black history of the banjo.

Afropop Classic January 18, 2024

The Nyege Nyege Villa - East African Hub of Electronic Underground Music

Afropop Classic January 11, 2024

Calypso, Reggae and Jab-Jab Soca: Musical Resistance in Grenada

Calypso, Reggae and Jab-Jab Soca: Musical Resistance in Grenada.

Afropop Classic December 28, 2023

Spiritual Journeys: Randy Weston: A Jazz Life With the African Ancestors

Randy Weston, a jazz icon, uniquely embraced and delved into the profound ties between American music roots and African heritage, solidifying his legacy as a trailblazer who passionately bridged cultures and musical traditions.

Afropop Classic December 14, 2023

The Soul of Mbira

This program explores Shona mbira music from Zimbabwe through a historic 1999 U.S. tour by the Mbira Masters of Zimbabwe, organized by Paul Berliner.

Afropop Classic November 24, 2023

African Legends: Remembering Tony Allen

Afropop recalls the life and work of Tony Allen with author Michael Veal.

Afropop Classic November 16, 2023

African Legends: Remembering Manu Dibango

Cameroonian musician and composer Manu Dibango passed away on March 24, 2020 at his home in France, an early victim of Covid 19. This episode is a tribute to the exceptional man who, by chance, as he says, gave us the famous Soul Makossa, a tune that opened the Disco era.

Afropop Classic November 9, 2023

African Legends: Remembering Oliver Mtukudzi

This program looks back on the life and music of Zimbabwe’s Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi, with interviews dating back to 1988.

Afropop Classic November 2, 2023

African Legends: Remembering Fela

Contemporary Nigerian artists and others recall the man, the music and the legacy of Nigeria's greatest musician.

Afropop Classic October 26, 2023

Accounting for Taste

In this episode, we go beyond these stars to explore the legacy of some lesser-known inspirations. We’ll learn how the fluid guitar playing of ’70s rock band Dire Straits became massively popular in the Sahel, influencing Tuareg rockers like Tinariwen and Tamikrest.