One of ten young Malian musicians chosen to study in Cuba, he would pioneer his own brand of African salsa.
Articles on Funk
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Today, millions of musicians record and splice tracks from their bedrooms, closets and garages. Half a century ago, the funk pioneer revolutionized home recording.
Sly Stone and his band synthesised disparate strands of American popular music, tracking the musical and social shifts as the 1960s wore into the 1970s.
Phonk isn’t just a new-age TikTok trend. It’s the music of a generation rallying against the state of the world.
His songs struck a chord with millions and Lean on Me has become an anthem for the coronavirus pandemic.
Davis’s 1970 album Bitches Brew turned jazz on its head and paved the way for fusion. More recently, Radiohead cited it as a key influence.
Prince was a musical genius, but he didn’t come of age in a vacuum. A human geographer explains how Minneapolis’ unique musical culture nurtured and inspired the budding star.
There’s a new Prince album coming out, two years after his death. Would the artist approve?
By singing frankly about sex and life on the streets, the pioneering women of Rio de Janeiro’s funk scene are redefining what feminism sounds like.
A year after Prince’s death, fans the world over are still coming to terms with the loss of an uncompromising musical and cultural visionary.
Something really magical is happening at the intersection between jazz and hip-hop at the moment. Many of the artists involved will be playing at Africa’s foremost jazz festival.
Clyde Stubblefield, the James Brown drummer who created the most sampled drum track in the history of popular music, rarely got the credit he deserved.
In a gloomy year filled, a number of artists with an Afrofuturist perspective gave hope with inspired works of art.
‘Bitches Brew’ and ‘Live-Evil’, two albums from Miles Davis’ electric period, have more than musicological significance. They challenge the listener to think beyond aesthetics and form.
Superstar Prince’s impact went far beyond the realm of music. His relevance stretched beyond the concert hall into many lecture rooms.
Top contributors
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Reader in Music, Politics and Society, Newcastle University
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Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Performance, University of Westminster
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Lecturer of English. PhD Candidate in Afrofuturism and African Studies, University of the Western Cape
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Professor of Screen Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Associate Professor at the School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University
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Senior Lecturer in Music, School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Associate Professor of Music Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Florida
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Senior researcher, Centre for Social Change, University of Johannesburg
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Professor emeritus of music, SOAS, University of London
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Anthropology Professor, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
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Artist and Lecturer in Fine Arts, University of the Witwatersrand