Welcome to season three of the Afropop Closeup podcast series! Here, we go beyond the music into stories about politics, religion and culture, told by a diverse range of producers. This series was made specially for our online audience with short 10- to 20-minute pieces that connect current events to the music of Africa and the diaspora and more.
Hot-button issues like the #metoo movement are given a voice here by producer Dan Rosenberg, who interviewed leading feminist and calypso monarch, Calypso Rose, about the impact of her single "Leave Me Alone" from her latest album. Producer Banning Eyre gives us a once-in-a-lifetime look into Thomas Mapfumo's landmark homecoming concert, which took place almost five months after former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, handed in his resignation. This concert was not one to miss, and luckily Banning caught it and gives a stunning report! Morgan Greenstreet sheds light on the kidnapping phenomenon in southern Nigeria, driven by a depressed economy, by telling the story of Osayomore, a Nigerian musician and activist who was kidnapped this past October.
There are also timely updates looking into how technology affects music in producer Ian Coss's program titled "Carnival Goes Digital." He reports from Haiti, explaining how digital technology has changed the carnival experience. On the flip side, producer Christiana Athena Usenza explores how drumming language traditions in Ghana transcend technological communication. In two more episodes, we travel over to Europe to hear from Anne-Marie Weaver about the evolution of reggae in Germany, and an exploration of the sounds of Cape Verde in Cova da Moura, Portugal, told by Sebastian Bouknight.
Stay tuned for all these shows and more! Episode one is now available on SoundCloud and a new episode will be available every other Tuesday. Click below to listen and subscribe to our podcast to automatically download the latest episodes.
Produced by Dan Rosenberg
“For My Ayeeyo:” Learning Somali Poetry From a Distance
The Voice of Protest: Betsayda Machado Sings Against Hunger in Venezuela
Tobago's #MeToo Trailblazer: Calypso Rose
Thomas Mapfumo: The Enigma of Return
Nha Mundo: The Sound of Cova da Moura
We Are All Worthy of One Another
