Dominik’s Radio Times

Show

Roots And Roads: African Music

Programme
Roots And Roads
Date
No date recorded
Length
59 min

About this show

Introduction

In this episode of Roots and Roads, Dominik presents a Black History Month programme exploring the circular evolution of music between the US and Africa. He discusses Pan-African identity and the impact of religion on music, while providing linguistic insights into the Xhosa click sounds in Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata" and the Swahili meaning of the lullaby "Malika".

Dominik presents a programme as part of a Black History Month series in October. He discusses the circular evolution of music, noting how genres like reggae and rap returned to Africa to be reimagined. The broadcast explores Pan-African identity, the impact of slavery, and the influence of religion on music. Dominik highlights Nigeria's cultural and economic influence and discusses the Xhosa language's click sounds in Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata". He also mentions the Kenyan lullaby "Malika" by Fadili Williams, noting that the title means angel in Swahili.

Topics

  • Pan-African identity in music
  • The role of religion (Islam, Christianity, and native beliefs) in African music
  • The impact of slavery on African identity

Participants

  • Dominik

Names are taken from the archive as written and may include spelling variants.

Listen · this show’s clips

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Roots And Roads · Show Opening

Roots And Roads · Spoken extract

RNR Afican music

0:00 / 0:29

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Passages from the broadcast

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Well, it's hard to describe that genre, but of course, it has African roots. And these days, it would probably be described by that awful, awful term "world music," which, of course, every all music is is world music, but.

Ways it goes in one direction influences something, and it comes back with that influence, and is being re reimagined, reformed, remolded, and it gives us joy in yet another way. And of course, you know, people convene.

Selected music

African Music And Black History Month

  1. 1
    African · H Two, Oh, And Zabs
    No sample is available for this selection.

    Why it was chosen It is a very apt song to play when thinking about what it means when we say things like Black History during October

  2. 2
    Desire · African Underground All Stars

    Why it was chosen To remind us of the deep interconnections between Africa and what we might call the rest of the world

  3. 3
    Esclave · Papa Wemba

    Why it was chosen Continuing the focus on artists who are taking a pan-African approach

  4. 4
    Pata Pata · Miriam Makeba

    Why it was chosen One of the first global presentations of African music that made an impact in the 1960s

  5. 5
    Malaika · Fadhili William
    No sample is available for this selection.
  6. 6
    Which Way, Nigeria · Sunny Okosun
  7. 7
    Ghana Blues · Richard Bona
  8. 8
    Bissimilai · Angélique Kidjo
    No sample is available for this selection.

    Why it was chosen Continuing the theme of exploring different countries in Africa and some of the music they have contributed to the world

  9. 9
    Alhamdulillah · Saint Kumpé

    Why it was chosen To express positive feelings about religion, faith, and God

  10. 10
    Praise Him. In An African Way · Solly Mahlangu

    Why it was chosen To conclude the theme of African music for Black History Month