The much-anticipated second season of Planet Afropop, the podcast companion to the Peabody Award-winning Afropop Worldwide, is officially launching on September 10, 2024. Over the past 37 years, Afropop Worldwide has chronicled the evolution of global African music, from its roots in palmwine bars and shebeens to contemporary genres like reggae, salsa, and hip-hop. The program has meticulously mapped out the transformative influence of African music on global culture.
However, Planet Afropop takes a different route—focusing on the present and the future. Season 1 brought us intimate conversations with Afrobeats legends like Yemi Alade and Mr. Eazi, a heart-to-heart with Zimbabwean icon Thomas Mapfumo, and explorations of musical movements in places like Brazil and Guadeloupe. Hosted by Georges Collinet, Banning Eyre, and Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe, Planet Afropop explores how these vibrant genres continue to shape modern African culture.
Season 2 opens with an exciting dive into Afro Nation, the largest Afrobeats festival in the world. This season, Planet Afropop brings you fresh insights from the frontlines of global African music, offering rare glimpses into lesser-known yet extraordinary musical traditions, as well as exploring the growing influence of African music in international DJ culture.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Today: Afro Nation: Taking New Africa to the World
Kicking off the season, this episode focuses on Afro Nation, a festival that has quickly become a landmark event for Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Dancehall fans. DJ Kix brings us behind the scenes with Afro Nation co-founder SMADE, host Adesope Olajide, and communications manager Esosa Uddoh, while also sharing music from headliners like Asake, Tyla, Fally Ipupa, and Rema. Afro Nation is more than a festival; it’s a movement designed to unite the African diaspora through music. Produced by DJ Kix from Melbourne, Australia. Listen now
September 24: Women of Tsapiky
Tsapiky is an exhilarating, electric-guitar-driven dance music from the southwest of Madagascar. Known for its ferocious energy, tsapiky is often performed in “bal poussières” (dust balls)—celebrations that last for days on end. In this episode, producers Morgan Greenstreet and Boris Paillard travel to Tuléar to record and interview the main female players in the tsapiky scene. The episode gives listeners both the raw, rural sound of tsapiky and its more refined studio version, capturing the essence of this unique tradition. We also meet Maxime Bobo, who is on a mission to document the evolution of tsapiky in the 21st century. Produced by Morgan Greenstreet and Boris Paillard.
October 1: Zimbabwe’s Mokoomba Breaches the Walls of DJ Culture
Mokoomba, Zimbabwe's most exciting band in recent years, is known for its vibrant fusion of traditional and modern sounds. This summer, producer Brian Nevius and Malian harp player Miles Alix joined the band during a tour break in Rhode Island to record a new track, “Yabu Yabu,” a song that encapsulates pure joy. The episode follows the entire process of writing and recording the song, offering a unique glimpse into how live global music might break into the DJ culture. Produced by Banning Eyre.
October 15: Yamê: From the Paris Underground to the World Stage
Yamê, a French artist of Cameroonian descent, blends R&B, hip-hop, and jazz in ways that have caught the world’s attention. His breakout single “Bécane,” with a stunning video shot in Cameroon, held the #1 spot on Spotify’s Global Viral chart, gaining over 68 million streams and winning him the support of super-producer Timbaland. Like Stromae before him, Yamê has skyrocketed from Paris’s underground music scene to international fame. In this episode, producer Elodie Maillot takes us through his extraordinary rise. Produced by Elodie Maillot.
More to come!
Season 2 of Planet Afropop promises to take listeners on a journey through today’s most compelling African music scenes. Be sure to subscribe to the Afropop Worldwide podcast stream to catch all new episodes and relive classic Afropop Worldwide programs. From Afro Nation’s explosive growth to the fierce energy of tsapiky in Madagascar, this season is set to be an unforgettable ride through the sounds of global African music.
