Nutmeg Radio

As I’m sure you are well aware by now, Alicia Keys, Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas will be participating in the FIFA Kick-Off Celebration Concert for the World Cup in June.  The mainstream stable of stars performing has been well documented.  However, less attention has been directed towards the local, less internationally-recognized musicians who will also be gracing the stage in SA.  As one Guardian writer put things:

“Western pop stars will appear alongside fringe acts such as BLK JKS and Tinariwen at what organisers are calling ‘the greatest entertainment event to date in Africa.’”

While I’m not condemning the writer in question, I do take exception to the term “fringe acts” much like I take exception to the term “world music” being applied to music from “non-mainstream” places.  What’s that about? At home and on the greater African continent, these artists are far from “fringe”; they are bona fide music stars with massive followings.

Aside from being a monumental football spectacle, the 2010 World Cup offers an opportunity for the world to learn about the people of South Africa and Africa.  In order to accomplish this, the media needs to do their part to educate and not misinform the public.

So who are these “fringe” acts?

Well, BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks) is a Johannesburg band hailed by Rolling Stone as “Africa’s Best New Band.”  The band fuses native and contemporary musical genres seamlessly.  Listening to their music, you’ll notice BLK JKS’ musical influences, which range from kwaito and jazz to ska and pop.

Below is the music video for “Molalatladi” (“Rainbow”), a song from BLK JKS’ debut LP, After Robots.  After Robots has been nominated for two South African Music Awards – Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album: English.

For more on BLK JKS, check out CNN’s Inside Africa.

Whereas BLK JKS are new to the music scene, Tinariwen has been blazing a path for African musicians since 1979.  Tinariwen’s members are proudly Tuareg,  a nomadic Berber population from the Southern Sahara, many of whom were chased out of Mali during the post-colonial uprising against a newly independent Malian government.  Many of the Tuareg who fled Mail emigrated as far as Algeria and Libya.

Although the fighting in Mali officially came to an end in 1991, the painful process of reintegration continues.  Through it all, Tinariwen continues to use the traditional folk music of their people to provide a voice for the socio-political issues that have plagued them since Mali’s independence.  Their music has led fans to refer to the group as “Soul Rebels” because of their bluesy sound and the Tuareg reputation as noble fighters.

The uniqueness of Tinariwen’s sound has made them one of Africa’s most successful and best selling acts.  Tinariwen is so well regarded that legends like Carlos Santana, and Bono & the Edge are vocal fans of their work.

Below is a video clip of the band performing “Amassakoul” (”The Traveler”), a song from their similarly titled 2004 album, at LIVE 8, which was hosted by Peter Gabriel.

Clearly, both BLK JKS and Tinariwen are talented musicians in their own right.  Their music may not be as mainstream as some of the other headliners at the Kick-Off Celebration Concert, but they are serious artists of the first order.  Hopefully, the Kick-Off Concert will showcase Africa’s musical diversity and expose the global audience to these and other great sounds of the continent.