The Unfolding: Bristol Light Festival
Bristol Light Festival is returns from Friday 2nd - Sunday 11th February, 2024.
Tue, 30 January 24
Voices of Africa
Exploring the voice has always been an exciting part of the Real World Records catalogue and some outstanding vocal performances come courtesy of musicians from Africa who have recorded for the label.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be digging deeper into key albums by African vocalists, from Geoffrey Oryema’s beautiful 1990 Exile, to Les Amazones d’Afrique’s République Amazone, released in 2017 and which celebrates modern African women.
We’ll be bringing you some rare and as-yet-unseen photos and video footage from the archives as we rediscover these great albums.
Throughout April and May, we are offering an exclusive Voices of Africa vinyl bundle via the Real World Records store. Purchase all four of these albums together and get a 30% discount.
You can also choose to buy the above LPs individually, plus a number of other African artists also included in our Voices of Africa campaign. These individual LPs and CDs can be purchased with a 25% discount by using the code >> realworld25 << at checkout.
Les Amazones d’Afrique République Amazones CD / LP
Ayub Ogada En Mana Kuoyo CD / LP
Geoffrey Oryema Exile CD / LP
Papa Wemba Emotion CD / LP
Thomas Mapfumo Rise Up CD
The Drummers of Burundi Live at Real World CD
-
Kenya
Ayub Ogada is regarded as one of the greatest Kenyan artists of all time. He was born in 1956 in Mombassa as Job Seda, a descendant of the proud Luo people of western Kenya.
-
Benin, Gabon, Mali, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Congo-Brazzaville
Les Amazones d’Afrique is a creative force that embraces international voices; sweet, strong harmonies that summon the rights of women and girls; and a meltdown of heritage and new gen talent.
-
Democratic Republic of Congo
With his dynamic vocals and flamboyant personality, Papa Wemba played an essential role in the Central African music. Respectfully known as 'the king of Rhumba Rock', Wemba successfully fused African traditions with Western pop and rock influences.
-
Uganda
-
Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited
Zimbabwe
Thomas Mapfumo was born in 1945 in Marondera, a small town south of the Rhodesian capital, Salisbury (Harare). He is one of Zimbabwe's greatest living musicians.
-
Burundi
The Drummers of Burundi first took the UK by storm at the legendary inaugural WOMAD Festival in 1982. They have been a major influence on such musicians as The Clash, Joni Mitchell, Echo and the Bunnymen, Adam and the Ants, Malcolm McLaren and Bow Wow Wow.
Further reading
Les Amazones d’Afrique celebrate the beauty of imperfection on new single ‘Flaws’
The all-female African supergroup kickstart 2024 with their infectious new single, ‘Flaws’.
Thu, 11 January 24
Track of the day: ‘IWAIWA FUNK’ by Bab L’ Bluz
French-Moroccan power quartet Bab L' Bluz, release the third track from their album Swaken.
Fri, 05 April 24
10 years of resistance: Les Amazones d’Afrique’s fight continues on Musow Danse
Righteous anger has never felt so warm and convincing. Or so goddam danceable.
Thu, 15 February 24