Hip Deep Fourteen years ago, with support from the NEH, we created Hip Deep, a subseries integrated into the overall Afropop Worldwide program offering. Hip Deep programs build on the techniques and format developed for Afropop Worldwide, but are enhanced by rigorous academic and field research that translates into higher production values. Every episode of Hip Deep actively involves leading humanities scholars to illuminate a wealth of history, culture, politics, ethnic and spiritual contexts. Over 15 years, Hip Deep has produced over 110 humanities-focused programs and a wide range of supplementary Web resources (interviews, videos, text/photo features, podcasts), all easily accessible within the Hip Deep section of our website. Hip Deep amplifies Afropop Worldwide’s longstanding commitment to disseminate humanities themes to the general public through world music via a growing set of media pathways.
Closeup November 15, 2022
Ladama is a collective of four female musicians and activists from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the U.S. Drawing on traditions from all these countries and beyond, they create original music with the zest of soul, r&b and pop
Closeup November 1, 2022
Currulao is the traditional music of Colombia’s majority-Black, southern Pacific coastal region
Closeup October 18, 2022
Bacardi music a sub genre from kwaito to the latest amapiano hits. In this episode, we travel to Pretoria, South Africa, to discover a little-known link in the complex chain of genres:
Afropop Classic October 6, 2022
This program explores some of the complex and shifting dynamics of neocolonialism, cultural ownership and audience in the African vinyl market.
Closeup October 5, 2022
Susso is a collaborative project between the Suso and Kuyateh Griot families of Gambia, in particular Yusupha and Ansumana Suso, Jabou Kuyateh and U.K. producer and bassist Huw Bennett.
Afropop Classic September 29, 2022
Never Grow Old Playlist: A Salute To Toots And The Maytals
Afropop Classic September 29, 2022
Toots Hibbert was a titan of Jamaican popular music. With his harmony group the Maytals he indelibly changed the island’s music scene in the early 1960s by infusing ska with gospel and went on to captivate overseas audiences by blending blues and funk with reggae, becoming one of Jamaica’s best-known performers.
Closeup September 28, 2022
Geraldo Pino was an early influence on Fela Kuti in Ghana.
Afropop Classic September 22, 2022
South African Roots in the 21st Century
Closeup September 20, 2022
Yinka Rickford-Anguin tells the story of Jamaa fest in Sierra Leone in 1994.
Closeup September 8, 2022
Deep dive into the history and current state of sega music from Mauritius. Narrated and produced by Banning Eyre
Afropop Classic August 26, 2022
The square gumbe frame drum was created centuries ago by enslaved Africans in Jamaica.
Afropop Classic August 18, 2022
This program features live highlights and interviews from the Nuits D'Afrique festival in Montreal, 2022.
Closeup August 9, 2022
Abë Levine tells the story of Congolese guitarist Siama Matazungidi.
Closeup July 26, 2022
Fay Fay profiles the young Nigerian highlife act, The Cavemen.
Closeup July 12, 2022
Kenneth Lipanga and Banning Eyre unpack the history of hip-hop in Malawi.
Afropop Classic June 30, 2022
Dakar Muse" takes us to one of the most exciting musical cities in Africa. We'll meet young stars on the Mbalax scene, Senegal's national music
Afropop Classic May 16, 2022
Puerto Rican protest songs over the past two centuries
Afropop Classic May 6, 2022
Georges co-hosts with Béco Dranoff in Sao Paulo for a survey of new music from Brazil.
Afropop Classic February 24, 2022
Afropop Classic February 17, 2022
In this episode of Afropop Worldwide, WOWD’s Jolly Papa Radio (Eme Awa and Michael Shereikis) along with Afrobeats stars Wunmi Olaiya, Seun Olata, David Dzizonou and more try to extricate an answer out of this prickly question: What Is The S Factor separating Afrobeat and Afrobeats?
Hip Deep February 3, 2022
Afropop Classic January 27, 2022
Highlights from the Lusophone acts at the 2021 WOMEX trade fair in Porto, Portugal
Afropop Classic January 6, 2022
Afropop Classic December 30, 2021
Georges Collinet and Banning Eyre discuss musical highlights from 2021.
Afropop Classic November 27, 2025
Afropop Classic November 20, 2025
Quelbe is an energetic form, led by sax or flute with percussion and banjo, and it fuels the traditional dance style, quadrille. St Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and sits alone 42 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John.
Afropop Classic November 13, 2025
Afropop Classic November 6, 2025
Afropop Classic October 30, 2025
We sample musical life in South Africa 20 years after the end of apartheid.
Afropop Classic October 23, 2025
This program surveys African diaspora musicians creating their own worlds, circa 2007.
Afropop Classic October 9, 2025
Alex Wolfe, director of the film "Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata" brings us live ambience and stories of bachata stars Luis Vargas, Antony Santos, Luis Segura, Adridia Ventura.
Afropop Classic October 2, 2025
Afropop Classic September 25, 2025
It's Hispanic Heritage Month at Afropop Worldwide!
Afropop Classic September 18, 2025
Discover the origins of Puerto Rican salsa as legendary bandleaders Rafael Ithier, Quique Lucca, and Willie Rosario share the story of how a Venezuelan DJ and Fania Records turned Cuban-style music into a global cultural identity.
Afropop Classic September 11, 2025
Afropop Classic September 4, 2025
In this Hip Deep edition, Afropop producer Wills Glasspeigel heads to South Africa to reveal the story of the inimitable Hugh Tracey, a field recordist born at the turn of the 20th century in England.
Hip Deep August 28, 2025
From early Baghdad to Qawwali and Iraqi maqam, Joseph Braude and Islamic scholars explore how Islam shapes music across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.
Hip Deep August 21, 2025
This Hip Deep edition explores the sonically vibrant realm of Afro-Peruvian music, a young genre identification that has flourished since the 1950s and has now produced artists of international renown, such as singer Susana Baca, and the black folkloric company Peru Negro.
Afropop Classic August 14, 2025
Banning Eyre's roundup of roots music from Madagascar, circa 2019, with Tarika Sammy, Jaojoby, Damily, Razia and Toko Telo. Updated for 2025.
Afropop Classic August 7, 2025
Nigeria is today the undisputed powerhouse of African pop music. Call it Naija Pop, Afrobeats, Afropop or what have you. The likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Yemi Alade and Tiwa Savage are giants on the scene.
Hip Deep July 31, 2025
Afropop Classic July 24, 2025
Planet Afropop July 17, 2025
Banning Eyre meets Thomas Mapfumo at home and introduces Mary Anibal.
Hip Deep July 10, 2025
Planet Afropop July 8, 2025
Nathaniel Braddock digs into the alternative music scene in Kinshasa, Congo.
Afropop Classic July 3, 2025
Afropop Classic June 26, 2025
This program ventures into corners of Africa we hear from rarely, guided by adventurous field recordists and crate diggers.
Planet Afropop June 24, 2025
Host FayFay sits with two emerging Nigerian artists whose paths are as bold as their sound, Looking for Avala and Inima.
Afropop Classic June 12, 2025
Planet Afropop June 10, 2025
Planet Afropop profiles Madalitso Band from Malawi, and interviews Salif Keita.
Afropop Classic June 5, 2025
Georges Collinet cooks Yassa Chicken, and hosts Baba John Mason in the kitchen.
Hip Deep May 29, 2025
This week, Afropop revisits the home of styles such as merengue and bachata, but this time we’ll be looking towards the most deeply African side of Dominican music—little known outside of the island.
May 27, 2025
Marika Partridge goes deep into pan music with Andy Narell.
Afropop Classic May 22, 2025
Ned Sublette Explores Iconic Songs That Shaped Jamaican Music History
