Dreams of Africa

My musical journey has me all over the place of late and Africa has been on my mind for a little while now. The new mixtape from Buraka Som Sistema, The Black Diamond Mixtape is all the fix I need. Filled with music from all over the mother land with mixes that include adlibs by musicians who really push the African sound, African Boy, Paul Simon, and M.I.A to name a few, The Black Diamond Mixtape is not just about danceable tracks with hard rhythms, but about awareness of a trade that has taken the lives of many Africans.

Buraka Som Sistema's take on fusing 21st electronic and "ghetto techno" has changed the face of world music showing it is possible to enjoy the sounds of Africa mixed with western influences.

Buraka Som Sistema are patrons of Kuduro an Angolan genre of uptempo dance music that arised in the 80s, which became very popular in Lisbon, Portugal, which coincidentally is where Buraka Som Sistema is from. BSS is João Barbosa (Li'l John), Rui Pité (DJ Riot), Andro Carvalho (Conductor) and Kalaf ‚ngelo.

The mixtape is available for free at BURAKA TV for all to experience.

Here's a video, Sound of Kuduro by BSS for a little taste of what BSS are all about.