Student activism throughout the Diaspora today is a continuation of the revolutionary fervor that inspired the student movements of the 1960s.  In almost every country - from the U.S. to Ethiopia - students have helped lead the fight against exploitation and discrimination. 

A good friend of mine just reminded me of a piece that Egon - everyone's favorite DJ and musical purveyor at Stones Throw Records - put together for NPR a year ago.  If you haven't read it, you should definitely check it out:Funk Before War In Angola.  Make sure to listen to the last

About us

Welcome to AddisTunes - the home for all African Music.  AddisTunes.com is your go-to destination for (legally) downloading African music and supporting the artists who work against seemingly insurmountable odds to bring their music to the world.  Because of our commitment to

by

Tsega Tadesse

It’s an invaluable gift when you experience the live performance of someone whose music you never tire of, someone whose music has such personal associations with some of your precious memories. And even more so when that musician is one of your favorites of all time

Afripop Magazine - one of our favorite sites on global African culture - reported, "Ethiopian-born American singer Kenna at the helm, a band of celebrities including Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold, Isabel Lucas and Emile Hirsch, have recently completed a successful climb of

Afro-Tuned - Features personalities from across the globe fusing African music + art + Pop-Culture

by Muhammida El Muhajir

At AddisTunes, we’ve been long-time fans of one of Ghana’s native sons – Blitz the Ambassador.  In between his jet-setting and sold-out shows, our

You know we like keeping you up to date with everything going on the ground…  This week, Angella Katatumba, a Ugandan songstress known for her involvement in humanitarian works, and hip hop artist Keko join forces in “Lets go Green” to tackle one of the most debated about

Movie lovers in the U.S. and Canada can now view top award-winning African films online via the African Film Library (AFL) at www.africanfilmlibrary.com. M-Net, the South African-based corporate broadcaster, producer and distributor has launched this unprecedented collection as a way to help

A couple of years ago, I discovered a documentary filmmaker (actually, he calls himself an ethnographer) from Japan – Itsushi Kwase –  who has an interest in Ethiopia.  I find his short films compelling because it’s as if he allows his subjects to tell their own

In an historic moment, Joel Sebunjo shared the stage with renowned Senegalese artist Baaba Maal in Kampala on Friday, 27 January at the Serena Hotel. Baaba, also known as “Nightingale” because of his clear high-pitched voice has received worldwide acclaim for his acoustic guitar and

I love t-shirts.  I’ve always loved t-shirts.  I mean, when I was a kid and my father would take business trips…he better have had a t-shirt for me as a souvenir!  For some odd reason, my procivity for collecting t-shirts from distant places still continues.

Recently,

The Central African Republic-born DJ/Producer reworks a selection of songs, adding his distinct Ancestral Soul stamp, a sound with which he tributes the spiritual power of music, and has featured on labels like Osunlade’s Yoruba Records and Bob Sinclar’s Yellow Productions.

In the late 1980s, a new version of music used by the youth to express hope, problems, emotion and expectations of society emerged in Tanzania. This new genre of music, called Bongo Flava, was a fusion of different melodies and sounds influenced by R&B, American Hip Hop and African rhythms

One of the things I love about music is the honesty involved in it.  When an artist has poured their soul into a song or performance – whether it’s the musical virtuosity of legends such as Elias Negash and Moges Habte or diamonds "In the Ruff” like Oddisee –

Do you ever find yourself longing for the good old days of hip hop?  I'm not going to say that we are there again...we're not...it's over...let's face facts.  BUT, there are definitely some cats carrying the torch into 2011 and beyond.  We recently connected with James Kebu out of Botswana,

When I first met my now-wife, and we had dinner in Addis Abeba, she shoved a big glob of food in my mouth.  Initially, I thought this was rather forward – until I noticed the entire restaurant filled with people selflessly sharing food with one another.  These gestures are known

Most of you are aware that South Sudan is on the eve of becoming an indepedent nation.  And I think all of us hope that this new era brings our 25 million brothers and sisters in Sudan a future filled with peace and prosperity.  As we await the results, outspoken Sudani soul siren

Yo Chuck, you gettin’ ‘em nervous…they can’t take it…they gonna’ break down!

“Rebel Without a Pause”

In true Public Enemy form, hip hop pioneer Chuck D recently blasted American hip hop artists while on tour in South Africa for not being

I like music.  I know, big surprise...right?  But do you ever have this aching feeling that music isn't really music any more?  Sometimes, it's kind of music-y...or music-esque...or music-like, but not exactly music.  Thankfully, there is a young pianist from Addis Ababa who

Introducing the world to great music is what we live for…and today is one of the days that we dream of...real music by real musicians!!!

O.k, so what do you get when you put together an Armenian Oud player, an Egyptian percussionist, an avant-performance artiste (yes, with the