HeyJaredAfrican Music Library Newsletter
The recognition, documentation, and preservation of these sounds are the purpose of this library. The African music library was created as a historical journey, to chronicle not just all things music in Africa, but as a place to create community.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 29, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 13, 2026
Latest issues
The Mahotella Queens (opens the original)
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<img alt="" class="sizing-normal" height="342.72" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ieCj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00f01084-0974-4d92-853c-40db276ec80d_500x510.jp
When the Bands Fell Silent … (opens the original)
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African music in the sixties and seventies thrived on institutions rather than individuals. Names like I.K. Dairo and his Blue Spots, Chief Oliver De Coque, Orlando Owoh, Franco Luambo’s TPOK Jazz, and many of their counterparts across Africa defined the era. These weren’t solo acts with backing crews; they were sprawling collectives, with bandleaders at the center and companies of musicians orbiting around them. Franco’s TPOK Jazz at its peak carried more than fifty members, splitting into two
If the Whole of Africa Were to Record an Album (opens the original)
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Pause for a minute and think about it. If the whole of Africa wanted to record one album, how would we even begin?<img alt="a man sitting in front of a laptop and holding a cell phone" class="sizing-normal" height="312.23121387
Beyond Praise Singing, the Intimate Art of Oríkì (opens the original)
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<img alt="Dancers perform on stage in dramatic lighting" class="sizing-normal" height="324.1629778672032" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1745852737804-9badc7584712?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&
When Amapiano Met Gnawa Music on the Dancefloor (opens the original)
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Picture the room going quiet for a second, the way it does right before something interesting is about to happen.<img alt="a group of people standing next to each other" class="sizing-normal" height="269.3333333333333" src="https://i
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