On Black Music...

Museum Africa, on Bree Street in Newtown, recently opened its doors for the International Exhibition Of Black Music. Here, everything from soul to afrobeat to funk, hip hop, jazz and everything in between is explored. As long as it came from a black mind and mouth, it's in here.

The travelling exhibition is an interactive one that asks you to trade in your smart phone at the reception for the exhibition's one. This is so that the exhibition gets all their equipment back but also because the pre-loaded smartphones from the exhibition allow you to unlock a world of gems about black music. Divided into six rooms, the touch screen technology allows you to engage with different aspects like videos, audiovisual poetry and even asks you to physically blow out a candle on the tiny device.

Armed with earphones and a smartphone, you can learn more about everyone from Miles Davis to Ali Farka Toure, Afrika Bambataa, Hugh Masekela, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Fela Kuti, Stevie Wonder, Tumi And The Volume and loads more. In one room, the four sections of our continent are explored separately, while there is also a room full of Black Music Legends biographies. They are quite short and concise so its not as though you're going to spend aeons at the museum.

But to be honest, the information is overwhelming to the senses - there are over 13 hours of footage - and because it's so insightful, you may want to give it your full attention and make more than one trip to the museum. The entrance fee is R40 and the exhibition runs until 12 December. If you've already been, then let us know what you think.

Read This

Fela Kuti is undoubtedly one of the most revered African icons - not just in a musical sense - period. It's only natural that there would be plenty of people who try their hand at telling his story. But perhaps, the one that should be the go-to story of the man and the music is one he penned himself. Sort of.

Before his death, the Nigerian legend invited longtime friend and Afro-Cuban journalist, Carlos Moore, to his home and over a few days, he told him the story of his life. And what's better than hearing it from the horse's mouth? The result was Fela: This Bitch Of A Life, one of the most compelling biographies I have ever read. It is also the only book, now in its third print, to give the accounts of all of Kuti's wives.

Moore made headlines when he took the producers of the FELA! Musical to task for attempting to use him and the book as the source of the musical without proper remuneration or credit. It was quite a treat to watch Moore tell this lawsuit story but more importantly, the tale of his friendship with Kuti. Moore addressed a packed crowd at Xarra Books in Newtown a couple of years ago and I remember artist manager, Mutsai Musa and I being anxious to get the poetry over and done with so we could hear from the writer. He even told us that originally, Fela wanted to call his biography "This Motherfucking Life" but Moore talked him out of that title.

Fela: This Bitch Of A Life is deep and deeply unapologetic and even if you aren't an afrobeat fan, you'll find the book to be an interesting read.