BBC HomeExplore the BBC
Just to let you know, we're no longer updating this site. More information here

15 November 2009
Accessibility help
Text only
Music BBC Four

BBC Homepage
BBC Television
Get BBC Four
FAQ

Contact Us

Like this page?
Send it to a friend!

 
Oumou Sangare © Pierre Emmanuel Rastoin
 

THE AFRICAN ROCK 'N' ROLL YEARS
Wednesday 4 October - Wednesday 8 November 2006
Dazzling six-part series telling the full story of African music, from the desert blues of the Sahara to the dance music of the Congo.

  VIDEO CLIP


   Daara J sing a cappella

Mixing new interviews with key artists, classic concert footage and news archives, the series examines and explains
the wildly different and vibrant styles that make up the continent's music, and the
political and social pressures that led to their development.

 
 

EPISODES

 
Member of Daara J   Ep 1: WEST AFRICA: Praise Singers and Superstars
Wednesday 4 October 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
This is the story of how the musical caste lost their monopoly, taken over by state intervention and a craze for Cuban music, which helped to create one of the most exciting music scenes in the world today. Featured artists include Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Salif Keita, Orchestra Baobab, Rokia Traore, Ali Farka Toure and Daara J.
 
Thandiswa   Ep 2: SOUTH AFRICA: Rhythms of Resistance
Wednesday 11 October 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
South Africa's vibrant music scene developed in the apartheid era, when songs were used as a way of hitting back against repression. Featured artists include Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe and newcomer Thandiswa.

 
Angelique Kidjo   Ep 3: COASTAL SOUNDS: Sierra Leone to Cameroon
Wednesday 18 October 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
This programme explores the effect of calypso on the 'palmwine' styles that developed in Sierra Leone and Nigeria. It tells how music from Sierra Leone and elsewhere affected the massively popular highlife dance styles of Ghana, and how palmwine music was also to influence the makossa dance scene in Cameroon. Featured artists include Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Osibisa, Alpha Blondy, Angelique Kidjo and Manu Dibango.
 
Papa Wemba by Douglas Kirkland © W/Wide Press   Ep 4: CENTRAL AFRICA: Congo Jive
Wednesday 25 October 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
Some of the most infectious dance music in Africa came from Kinshasa on the Congo river, as guitarists and band-leaders mixed local and Cuban influences to create the rumba and soukous styles that shook up dance floors across Africa and beyond. Featured artists include Franco, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Ray Lema, Pepe Kalle, Konono No 1 and Corneille.
 
Manecas Costa   Ep 5: LUSOPHONE AFRICA: The Lisbon Legacy
Wednesday 1 November 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde were cut off from neighbouring states because the language of their colonisers was Portuguese and not French or English. The musicians developed distinctive styles; from the high-energy rhythms of Angola to the sad-edged blues and European-influenced ballads of the Cape Verde islands. Featured artists include Cesaria Evora, Manecas Costa, Mariza, Bonga and Mabulu.
 
Souad Massi   Ep 6: NORTH AFRICA: Rai Rebels and Desert Blues
Wednesday 8 November 7pm-8pm; rpt 1.30am-2.30am
The programme follows the careers of rai stars like Khaled and the Arabic rocker Rachid Taha, and also the great female singers who have emerged from Islamic North Africa and from further east in Christian Ethiopia. Featured artists include Tinariwen, Khaled, Rachid Taha, Souad Massi, the musicians of Jajouka Amina and (from Ethiopia) Gigi and Aster Aweke.

^top

 
 
 
AFRICA LIVES
Celebration of Africa across BBC TV, radio and online
Africa Lives on the BBC
QUIZ
Test your knowledge of African music
Khaled


 AFRICA LIVE CONCERT

 HAVE YOUR SAY

Visit our WebWise guide to downloads if you can't watch the clip on the right

BBC Links

Live8, Africa Calling
Details of the concert of African music from the Eden Centre on 2 July

Africa On Your Street
All about the African music scene in the UK

Country Profiles
Look up facts and figures on a range of African countries on BBC News

In Depth: Africa 2005
Features from BBC News

Rhythms of the Continent
Series from the World Service looking at African music

External Links

African Musicians Profiles
Profiles on a range of African artists

Nonesuch Records
Info on artists including Youssou N'Dour

Real World Records
Video clips, features and ecards

Rough Guides
Reviews of African music releases, from Songlines magazine

World Circuit Records
Galleries, tour information and some biographies

World Music Network
News, features and downloads from the World Music Network

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites



About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy