ÌFÉ Communes with the Orishas for Musical Inspiration
ÌFÉ’s song “Umbo (Come Down)” has deep lyrics – a cry out to Olokun, the Orisha that lives at the bottom of the sea. “The song…
Legendary Cuban Jazz Percussionist Igancio Berroa
Ignacio Berroa is living the dream. “I don’t know if you can imagine, being from an island in the Caribbean where the political system wouldn’t even…
“Axis of Love” at Miami’s North Beach Bandshell
for Songlines Magazine The rain fell on the open-air North Beach Bandshell in Miami, but Houston-based Riyaaz Qawwali ensemble braved the weather. The carpet they sat…
RAM: From the Street, Where Haitian Culture Thrives.
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo. Music offers a barometer of life in Haiti, to an almost bizarre extent. Just look at the country’s former president – Michele Martelly.…
Helly Luv: Freedom Fighter Takes on ISIS via Pop Music for MTV Iggy
“Music is My Weapon and I Know I Will Never Be Safe Again.” Story by Maria Bakkalapulo and Niall Macaulay A peshmerga (Kurdish for “those who…
Songhoy Blues, Malian Music in Exile – for MTV Iggy
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo Playing music is enough to get you killed in northern Mali. Jihadists took the region by force in 2012 and imposed sharia,…
With Their Biggest Album Yet Out Now, Mogwai Don’t Mind Leveraging Their Indie Legend Status in Support of a Cause That’s Near To Their Hearts – for MTV Iggy
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) By the time the Glaswegian post-rock quintet Mogwai got to their encore at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, many of us…
Meet the Tireless MC Who is Keeping Malaysia Safe for Rhyme – for MTV Iggy
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo “Welcome to Joe’s Kitchen and Barbershop, let’s go … “ says 34-year-old Joe Flizzow, Malaysia’s homegrown hip hop mogul and chart-topper, as…
Lady Gaga vs Heavy Metal: The Confusing World of Pop in Indonesia
FOR THE BBC – CLICK HERE FOR FULL BBC DOCUMENTARY VIA THE BBC HOMEPAGE – SYNOPSIS – Lady Gaga was banned but Death Metal is cool –…
Iwan Fals: The Voice of Social Justice in Indonesia
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) *Original story broadcast on The World (PRI/BBC). The late 1990s was a time of upheaval in Indonesia. The government of President…
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