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Michal Shapiro

Every week Michal Shapiro reports on concerts, festivals and interviews with musicians, both international and local. Check out World Music for the latest on the video blog!

interMuse World Music Blog

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Africa on the Rise

This week, to coincide with our coverage of the Democratic convention, we are rolling out programming about positive change. My favorite (but of course, I am somewhat biased towards music) is Fangafrika, about a Hip Hop festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In this documentary you will meet passionate, engaged, and engaging young people who are dedicated to using the microphone as a platform for social comment. You won't see any bling, but you will hear a lot of singing, rhyming, and improvising about serious issues. The film is a Who's Who in African hip hop, from veterans like Pee Froiss, the members of Daara J, and Positive Black Soul to up and coming hot acts. And while it's true that the countries of Africa still have their problems, I'm an optimist, and think that we are going to see a steady improvement. Maybe it's the inevitability of the globalized economy - or maybe the MCs of Fangafrika give me hope.

 
 
 
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Africa on the Rise