Lagos Roots: Fuji, Juju and Apala
Hip Deep May 3, 2018
Lagos Roots: Fuji, Juju and Apala
Beneath the gloss of Nigeria’s contemporary pop, older roots styles, mostly derived from Yoruba tradition, still thrive.
Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata
Afropop Classic January 4, 2018
Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata
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.
Thomas Mapfumo 2: The Mugabe Years
Hip Deep December 14, 2017
Thomas Mapfumo 2: The Mugabe Years
In recognition of the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule in Zimbabwe, we are rebroadcasting our program on the career of Thomas Mapfumo during the Mugabe years.
Night at the Clash
Closeup November 14, 2017
Night at the Clash
Sound clashes have been a mainstay of reggae culture for decades. Mobile sound system teams face off to see who can best move the crowd with their selections of records and exclusive "dub plate" jingles. On a recent late night in Queens, seven sounds competed for the U.S. champion title, and many were surprised by the winner. We meet the sound-system operators and talk to fans about why they love the clash scene. Produced by Noah Schaffer.
Afro-Symphonic Folk: From the Coasts of Africa to the San Francisco Bay
Closeup October 3, 2017
Afro-Symphonic Folk: From the Coasts of Africa to the San Francisco Bay
Two very different Bay Area artists, Meklit Hadero and Zena Carlota, use their music to explore what it means to live on two sides of a hyphen: African-American, black-artist, Ethiopian-American, female-musician, to name a few.
Soundin' Like Weself: The Trinidadian Rapso Tradition
Closeup August 15, 2017
Soundin' Like Weself: The Trinidadian Rapso Tradition
Here we encounter the musical and philosophical movement called rapso–an infectiously danceable rhythmic oration style that comes with a philosophy championing a Trinidadian identity in the face of a colonial history and a globalized present.
Afro-Dominicana: The Other Dominican Republic
Hip Deep August 10, 2017
Afro-Dominicana: The Other Dominican Republic
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.

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