“Soulidarity” Is Raising Money For African Musicians

<p>The disappearance of live music as a result of the Corona virus has left a huge hole in many of our lives. But for musicians who rely on touring and performing for income, it’s left a huge hole in their bank accounts, which is why Salif Keita, Paulo Flores and a host of fellow musicians, a German non-profit and a few festivals are putting together a relief fund for African musicians called <a href="https://www.soulidarity.org/index.html" target="_blank">Soulidarity</a>. </p> <div class="video-container"><iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/D1z_MSfTI40" allowfullscreen="" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0"></iframe></div> <p>Their goal is to raise 700,000 euros to support over 200 African musicians with one-time payments “between 1,800 Euro to 4,500 Euro...which shall enable them to continue making music.” Recipients will be making music and telling their stories as the crisis continues to unfold. </p> <p>They’ve already got their applicants but <a href="https://www.soulidarity.org/index.html" target="_blank">are still raising money via donations on their website</a>, <a href="https://www.soulidarity.org/the-artists.html" target="_blank">where participants will be announced</a> in full in “a couple of days.” You can see some of our favorites, like Jupiter & Okwess and Bassekou Kouyate, are on the list. </p> <p>Hear the first single from the Ghanaian band Fra! below. </p> <div class="video-container"><iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EG0L73NR_1I" allowfullscreen="" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>