Foday Musa Suso absorbed centuries of tradition growing up in Gambia. As part of the griot caste, his family had performed a centuries-long role in Gambian society, narrating historical epics and singing praise songs while playing the kora, a harplike 21-string instrument his distant ancestors invented. Suso dreamed of bringing his music to places far […]
Tag: Ghana
Posted inMusic
Ebony’s first and only album still Reigns
My nightly TikTok binge was going as it normally would. I swiped through comedic videos made by couples; calming videos of people recounting their day as they clean their homes, shop, and go out to eat; and other videos of people dancing to dancehall, soca, and Afrobeats music. When I was new to the app, […]
Posted inCity Life
‘Something that makes me feel good in my skin’
“There’s no need to be ashy.” This directive from Chicago-based Hanahana Beauty comes as a perfect reminder as colder months approach and protecting our skin from the city’s bristling wind becomes a high priority. The conscious skincare and wellness brand has come a long way since its founder Abena Boamah-Acheampong began making the brand’s signature […]
Posted inMusic
DJ Antonio Cesar keeps finding money to evolve house music
Chicago producer and DJ Antonio Cesar has used tens of thousands of dollars in grants to travel the world, exporting the city’s sounds and importing new influences.
Posted inMusic
Sublime Frequencies releases an entrancing field recording of traditional Ghanaian gyil music
First things first. The gyil is a traditional West African xylophone with dried gourd resonators hung below most or all of its hardwood keys. (A similar instrument is called a “balafon” in Francophone Africa.) It’s usually tuned pentatonically, and its full, luminous tone is haloed with a cicada-like buzz, created by vibrating membranes made from […]
Posted inMusic
Drummer Kahil El’Zabar elevates groove to a transcendent plane
The leader of the Ritual Trio and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is also a teacher, a connector, and an ambassador for Afrocentric jazz.
Posted inMusic
Kriegmeister Hatestorm of Neckbeard Deathcamp on heavy music as protest
Current musical obsessions of Neckbeard Deathcamp front man Kriegmeister Hatestorm, Haggathorn guitarist Nathan Scripter, and Reader music editor Philip Montoro
Posted inBlogs
Heat yourself up with vintage grooves from Ghanaian singer Pat Thomas
Strut Records has released a superb career overview from veteran highlife vocalist Pat Thomas.
Posted inBlogs
Artist Larry Achiampong finds inspiration in Grand Theft Auto V and The Simpsons
He appears tonight at the Stony Island Arts Bank.
Posted inMusic
The best of the 2016 World Music Festival
Highlights of the 2016 World Music Festival include Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, electro-rumba innovators Ìfé, and forward-looking Indian classicists Anjna and Rajna Swaminathan.
Posted inBlogs
Behold the bizarre and bloody Ghanaian movie posters of Deadly Prey Gallery
Odd Obsession Movies owner Brian Chankin showcases his massive collection in West Town.
Posted inBlogs
“Sportin’ Waves,” Mixed Bag, and the rest of your weekend in visual arts
Your guide to visual arts in the city this weekend.
Posted inMusic
The 24th African Festival of the Arts
The 24th African Festival of the Arts brings the likes of Otis Clay and Brandy to Washington Park.
Posted inBlogs
A second act for Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor
Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat great Ebo Taylor hits his stride in his mid-70s with a new studio album.
Posted inBlogs
Traces of the Trade
Katrina Browne uncovers the roots and the psychic consequences of her ancestors’ enormous slave trading empire in the documentary “Traces of the Trade: A Story of the Deep North,” in four free screenings in Chicago and the west suburbs starting Thursday.