Category: Artists A-Z

Translation: ‘Simonobisick’s Letter’ by Blick Bassy

'Le Moabi Cinema' by Blick Bassy - Front Cover

Simonobisick is a character from Blick Bassy’s remarkable novel Le Moabi Cinema. He spends his time hanging out with his mates in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon in West Africa. None of them have jobs, or much in the way of prospects. They sit around drinking large amounts of beer, dreaming of wealth, of bagging a…

Translation: ‘Algiers’ by Denis Péan

Old Postcard of Algiers: The Cathedral and The Casbah

Some years ago, I was asked to translate the lyrics to Cinema El Mundo, one of my favourite albums by Lo’Jo. I felt blessed in several ways; by the chance to work with Lo’Jo, a band I love; by the opportunity to translate the words of Lo’Jo’s lead singer Denis Péan, a true poet if…

TalkingGig: Songhoy Blues

Songhoy Blues in Bamako, 2014 Photo: Andy Morgan

TalkingGigs marry stripped down musical performance with conversation, stories, lyrics, anecdotes, images and video – a kind of musical theatre that engaging, insightful and entertaining.

BLICK BASSY: Simonobisick’s Letter

Simonobisick is a character from Blick Bassy’s novel ‘Le Moabi Cinema.’ This letter from the novel, which Simonobisick writes to his mum, reads like a statement of Africa’s frustrated youth.

The Bataclan and the battle for music

Anyone who walks out onto any stage – in Paris, or London, or Madrid, Melbourne, Mumbai and Osaka – is now in the front line of a battle. Music itself is on the front line. Take courage. We’ve got to win. The alternative is too bleak to contemplate: a life without joy, relief, togetherness. A life without music.

MBONGWANA STAR – Kinshasa’s Afro-junk revolutionaries

Yakala 'Coco' Ngambali (c) Renaud Barret

If the master plan succeeds, Mbongwana Star could become the Trojan Horse that penetrates the bastion of the world’s indifference (and revulsion and paranoia) and lifts the curse to bring that creative power out of rue Kato, the Beaux Arts, and other parts of Kinshasa. “The Beaux Arts is like a town within a town,” says Renaud. “Mbongwana Star has started rehearsing there and there’s a correlation with visual artists, stylists, people working on logos etc. It’s this kind of electric movement, this new vibe in Kinshasa that we’re trying to mix in with the music and the image.”