Name: Phiona
Email:
Bio: Phiona Okumu has written for Y Magazine, Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Elle, Straight No Chaser, Shook, Arise, www.rage.co.za etc. Her favourite Africans are Kenyans, and then Ghanaians. But she's neither. Often she can be found navigating the social media maze to engage with world-wise, afro-centred, Hip-hop predisposed peers. Follow her on www.twitter.com/ophiona
Posts by ophiona:
Nigerian Soul Singer Bez To Debut ‘That Stupid Song’ On 106 and Park + Watch The Video Shoot
January 31st, 2012Nigerian video director Clarence Peters made another winner. The clip for Bez’s nostalgic song produced by Cobhams (Asa) gets a world-wide premiere on BET’s popular music countdown program 106 and Park tonight (Tuesday 31 January 2012 7pm GMT/ 9pm CAT), making it the first African ever to do so.
Watch the behind the scenes clip below
Banky W, Wizkid, L-Tido, Bonie To Record Title Track for ‘Shuga: Sex, Love, Money’
January 31st, 2012Nigerian artists Banky W and WizKid, South African rapper L-Tido and Bonie from P-Unit (Kenya) have been commissioned to write and perform the title track for Shuga: Love, Sex, Money - the second series of the sex and relationships drama set in Kenya.
Star Nigerian music video director Clarence Peters will fly into Kenya in early February with Banky W, WizKid and L Tido to record the music video for the track.
Banky W and WizKid are also making cameo appearances in the TV drama alongside Nairobi-based Nigerian Ikubese Emmanuel (a.k.a. 9con) and Kenyan singer Avril. Other artists to feature in the soundtrack to Shuga: Love, Sex, Money include Camp Mulla, Flavour, P-Square, Wyre, STL, Madtraxx, J Martins, Sasha, Stella Mwangi and many others.
The title song for Shuga: Love, Sex, Money debuts on MTV Base Africa on Tuesday 14 February 2012, and will be available as a free download on the Shuga website.
Five Defining 2011 Moments in the Rise of Afrobeats
January 20th, 2012Over the past eighteen months the UK urban music scene has seen the popularity of Afrobeats explode with pop music mostly from the West African region escaping its niche confines there to become the next big thing on mainstream radio and in clubs in England. These are just five moments from last year in no particular order that define the journey up until this point.
1. Azonto Craze
Once a viral uber sensation, the dance out of Ghana sported famously by Ghanaian footballer Asamoah Gyan, is now approaching movement status. (Even the white boys are doing it.) How long it lasts is any man’s guess. More important is its legacy. Sakordie’s summer runaway hit U Go Kill Me, now and Afrobeats staple, surfaced as Azonto’s quintessential anthem, establishing one of Ghana’s brightest stars, producer and MC E.L.
2. Afrobeats on the airwaves
The smartest programming move UK urban broadcaster Choice FM could have made was setting up their Saturday dedicated Afrobeats radio show. Instantly they plugged into the zeitgeist of young black London as for the first time there was a mainstream hub from which to wield the rapidly growing fanbase. A visionary and entrepreneur, weekly drive time anchor DJ Abrantee helmed the new move and extended the Afrobeats franchise to live concerts both in the UK and in Ghana, and a viral mixtape to rousing success.
Check out his Afrobeats mixtape here
3. Afrobeats Festival
The pinnacle of the UK Afrobeats explosion came in autumn of last year when first at the Afrobeats Festival, the bill of headliners P-Square, Wizkid (his first ever overseas gig), Ice Prince, MI, drew a crowds in their thousands to the HMV Apollo in the face of a suffering live music industry.
4. Koko Concert
That feat would be repeated the very next day when G.O.O.D Music signee D’Banj brought the house down with fellow Mo Hits associates, crowned by a personal appearance from Kanye West.
5. Kanye signs Don Jazzy and D’Banj
P-Square argue fairly that as masters of their territory charging upwards of $80K per live show, they could take or leave an international co-sign. And yet when after months of speculation it was confirmed that Kanye West had indeed signed Nigerian producer/label CEO Don Jazzy and his protégé D’Banj to his G.O.O.D Music imprint you couldn’t miss the headlines. Websites, blogs, magazines, papers and consumers who would otherwise have never given a second thought to one of the biggest names in Nigeria saw this youtube video. It’s worth noting that Don Jazzy’s name appears in the credits for Watch the Throne
Tune in to The Rise and Rise of Afrobeats on BBC 1Xtra this Sunday January 22nd 9 – 10 pm GMT and listen again for 7 days thereafter.
Join in the discussion on twitter using hashtag #theriseofafrobeats
Boddhi Satva featuring Vikter Duplaix: ‘From Another World’ (Listen)
January 18th, 2012My favourite producer on earth right now and for a while is Afro-house guru Boddhi Satva. And you’ll understand why as I unravel more goodies from his brand new album Invocation in time. This one with Vikter Dupliax is a laid-back teaser.
From Another World by vikterduplaix
Nneka Drop Out Live Session: Be Inspired (Watch)
January 18th, 2012An acoustic treat from our homies at Drop Out Live.
Tumi and Zubz: T.Z. Deluxe ‘Where Were You?’ (Listen + Free Download)
January 18th, 2012The most anticipated collaboration album in South African Hip-hop would be that between veterans Tumi and Zubz. I doubt this is what their fans had in mind though. The artwork alone lets you know there is mostly humour intended in this spontaneous(made in 3 days) commentary on Kwaito’s golden era. Tumi himself says they deliberately did not overthink the project so it’s not one for the trainspotters.
Their raps over Kwaito songs classic and long forgotten stirs up nostalgia, a smile and some sadness rest in peace TK and Iggy, get well soon Mshoza...). You pick and choose your moment and match the emotion as your mind wanders to the rappers’ reinterpretations. For me though, it’s all about Chicco’s then pre-teen group New Age’s Uyajole/Next Door. Tune!
Nando’s Dictator Spoof Advert : Funny or Too Soon?
December 2nd, 2011photo credit: adage.com
Confession: I laughed out loud when I saw this advert before I weighed up whether Zimbabweans watching it on TV would find it just as hilarious. Now we all know Nando’s for its tongue-in-cheek commercials but this particular spot ‘titled ‘The Last Dictator Standing’ is not to everyone’s taste, and it has now been pulled.
An excerpt from advertising and media website Adage.com:
Chipangano, a Zimbabwean militant youth group loyal to President Mugabe, has urged people to boycott the restaurant chain, according to Zimbabwean state radio. Ahmed Tilly, CEO and executive creative director of WPP-backed Black River FC, said, “All I know is that Nando’s South African and Zimbabwean teams are in talks. I would imagine it’s a fragile situation. We were expecting some form of resistance from sections of the Zimbabwean community.”
The full story runs here.
What do you think? Did the well-loved chicken franchise go too far?
Tasti : ‘Magic Carpet’ featuring IBK Spaceboi (Audio)
October 17th, 2011This is absolutely nothing like what has ignited the Naija pop explosion in the last couple of years. Not that that stuff is all bad, it’s just this is so surprisingly leftish in comparison. It’s for his forth-coming mixtape Junglebook. Tasti (pronounced Tasty) is straight outta Lasgidi and influenced as much by D’Banj as he is by Kanye West. Thank you to AfriPOP! reader Maryam for the heads up. More and again please!
Follow Tasti on twitter and get up on him on Reverbnation.
Win The Brand New Afro Tech Album By T.Roy – ‘Bushmeat’
October 16th, 2011If you know something of London’s dance music scene then you know this guy either from his past as a producer and MC of breakbeat collective The Absent or because of one of my favourite nights out in this city Broadcite (Next month they celebrate ten years of running tings!)
His solo project Bushmeat dropped last month and is a banging blend of Afro beats, Nu Jazz, Broken beats , Electronic – ‘Afro tech’ is what he calls it collectively, and it works for us. You can sample this genre mash-up goodness for free if you only follow the simple instruction of liking our Facebook Page and giving us the name of T.Roy’s album in an email to contact at afripopmag dot com. Simples! Now watch Wunmi work her magic on the lead song.
South African Film ‘Otelo Burning’ Premieres At BFI London Film Festival (Trailer + Dates)
October 12th, 2011South African film Otelo Burning comes to the UK for the first time after its worldwide debut at at Korea’s Busan International Film Festival.
Directed by Sara Blecher, Otelo Burning is a story about three young boys who defy the law and escape their harsh township lives through the joy of surfing. Overcoming his fear of the water, Otelo Buthelezi discovers a natural talent, finding freedom on the waves. But in the turmoil of a country on the cusp of change, he is dragged down into a spiral of jealousy and violence. As Nelson Mandela finally walks free, Otelo must choose between two worlds. The film was shot by DOP Lance Gewer (Tsotsi) and edited by Megan Gill (Tsotsi and Rendition).
Catch Otelo Burning at the BFI film festival on these dates. South African audiences will get a general release date in 2012.
Surfing Soweto, another of Blecher’s films will play at our Film Africa Festival early in November. We will be chatting to her too.