Fela Kuti (Nigeria)
Most Famous Song: “Zombie”
Short Bio: Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (1938-1997) was a Nigerian musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre, human rights activist, and political maverick. He was a vocal critic of the Nigerian government and used his music as a powerful tool for social and political commentary. His blend of traditional Nigerian music, jazz, funk, and highlife created a unique and influential sound.
Miriam Makeba (South Africa)
Most Famous Song: “Pata Pata”
Short Bio: Miriam Makeba (1932-2008), affectionately known as “Mama Africa,” was a South African singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. She rose to international fame for her distinctive voice and her fusion of traditional African pop with jazz and world music. Makeba used her platform to speak out against apartheid in South Africa, leading to her exile for many years.
Hugh Masekela (South Africa)
Most Famous Song: “Grazing in the Grass”
Short Bio: Hugh Masekela (1939-2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, bandleader, composer, and singer. He was a significant figure in jazz and world music, known for his unique blend of jazz, Afrobeat, and traditional South African music. Like Makeba, he was a staunch anti-apartheid activist and his music often reflected his love for Africa and his experiences under apartheid.
Youssou N’Dour (Senegal)
Most Famous Song: “7 Seconds” (with Neneh Cherry)
Short Bio: Youssou N’Dour (born 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, and composer. He is a prominent figure in African music, known for his soulful voice and his role in developing “mbalax,” a popular Senegalese music genre that combines traditional griot percussion and praise singing with Afro-Cuban arrangements. He has also served as Senegal’s Minister of Tourism.
Brenda Fassie (South Africa)
Most Famous Song: “Vuli Ndlela”
Short Bio: Brenda Fassie (1964-2004), often called the “Queen of African Pop” or “Madonna of the Townships,” was a South African singer, songwriter, and dancer. She was celebrated for her powerful voice, energetic stage presence, and candid lyrics that often reflected the realities of township life during apartheid.
Angélique Kidjo (Benin)
Most Famous Song: “Agolo”
Short Bio: Angélique Kidjo (born 1960) is a Beninese singer, songwriter, and activist. A multiple Grammy Award winner, she is recognized for her powerful vocals, diverse musical influences (including Afropop, jazz, and R&B), and her vibrant music videos. Kidjo is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for children’s rights and education.
Salif Keita (Mali)
Most Famous Song: “Africa”
Short Bio: Salif Keita (born 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, often referred to as the “Golden Voice of Africa.” He is known for his unique fusion of traditional Malian music with elements of jazz, R&B, and other international genres. As an albino, he has faced discrimination and uses his platform to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of albinos.
Johnny Clegg (South Africa)
Most Famous Song: “Scatterlings of Africa”
Short Bio: Johnny Clegg (1953-2019) was a South African musician, dancer, and anthropologist. Known as “The White Zulu,” he was celebrated for his innovative, ethnically integrated musical collaborations (with bands like Juluka and Savuka) that openly challenged apartheid. He blended traditional Zulu music and dance with Western rock and pop.
Master KG (South Africa)
Most Famous Song: “Jerusalema” (featuring Nomcebo Zikode)
Short Bio: Kgaogelo Moagi (born 1996), professionally known as Master KG, is a South African record producer and DJ. He gained global recognition for his hit song “Jerusalema,” which became a viral sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring dance challenges worldwide. He is a pioneer of the Amapiano music genre.
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Most Famous Song: “Ye”
Short Bio: Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most prominent African artists of his generation, recognized for his distinct blend of Afro-fusion, reggae, dancehall, and R&B. He has achieved significant international success, including a Grammy Award.
Sexual Chocolate
The Man who could only Drink Milk
I know an old man who had lived a life full of adventure, but his health started to catch up with him. He\’d run the Boston Marathon, was an avid surfer, and climbed Everest, but he\’d started to have abdominal pains around his 85th birthday and went to see a doctor. Sadly, he ultimately was diagnosed with a rare degenerative liver disease that slowly made him allergic to everything he ate.
He kept copious notes, and as an avid gastronomist slowly grew to despair as everything he\’d spent his life enjoying became something he could no longer eat. Alcohol went first, then mushrooms, then bread, then root vegetables, then coffee, one at a time he had to remove them from his diet. The doctor was clear: if he kept eating something his liver rejected the autoimmune response would be quick and severe, and would lead to a painful death. Little by little, everything was taken away as an option, until the only thing that remained was milk.
In some ways, this actually made life easier, because the mental strain of remembering what he could and couldn\’t eat was gone, but then so was the joy in variety. But he took it in stride, and got his own cow and took classes from a farmer to learn everything he could about the only thing that could give him sustenance. And even within milk, he could still have yogurt, butter, cream, some cheeses, and other milk-derived products he hadn\’t fully rejected yet, so it wasn\’t all bad. But then one day a few months later he felt the pain again, and he knew cow\’s milk was no longer an option.
Lacking other options, he tried goat\’s milk, and he was delighted that it worked! The protein structure is just different enough that his body still tolerated it. That bought him another month. And that\’s when we came up with a wonderful plan to go on one last grand adventure around the world. If he could get one month of life out of the milk of every mammal, he\’d actually have a few more years to enjoy life to the fullest and see the world in all its beauty. Each month, we\’d pick a place with a new mammal, and he would immerse himself fully with the locals, learn all the ways to prepare the milk, and just enjoy the hand he had been dealt as much as he could.
We milked sheep in New Zealand. Camels in Egypt. Zebras in South Africa. Giant bats in Indonesia. Do you know how many Peruvian cuy you need to milk to get a single glass? I do. Even as his health slowly faded, he stayed cheerful, and I felt lucky to join him on the adventure of a lifetime. That brings us to today when he got to the very end of his spreadsheet, and declared that he was now allergic to every mammal. He\’d enjoyed his journey, but his time had come to an end, for there was nothing left to milk.
To which I said nonsense, I bet we can milk a few thousand karma out of this post.
marshmallow treat
Fun South African Fact: The Lion, the cheetah and the wildebeest are three of the five fastest animals in the world and they all live in South Africa.