Audio Programs – Closeup
Closeup
Closeup July 27, 2021
Jazz re:Freshed in London
Prior to the pandemic, London’s jazz scene was blooming and gaining a worldwide reputation for innovation. The folks at Jazz Refreshed had everything to do with that. Jazz singer and producer Tess Hirst tells the story.
Closeup September 1, 2020
“Something Deep Inside,” Pana-Soul Crooner Ralph Weeks’s Enduring Classic
"Something Deep Inside" has passed through various renditions over the years and, in this podcast, Pana-Soul singer Ralph Weeks lifts the hood on the creative process that led to a classic, with enthusiasm and an easy laugh.
Closeup August 5, 2020
Art Is Freedom: A Conversation With Criolo
Closeup July 21, 2020
Johnny and Sipho: A Friendship Made on Earth
Closeup September 10, 2019
Bolsonaro Is and Isn't
On this week's season finale CloseUp, we step out of the American bubble, and look at who Bolsonaro is, who his targets are, and how he rose to power.
Closeup August 20, 2019
Closeup: French Afro-Colonial Memory and Music
In this CloseUp we look at the legacy of French colonialism in West Africa, Cameroon in particular, and the musicians who are uncovering what some wish to forget.
Closeup August 6, 2019
Barrio Colón to Brooklyn
This podcast is a deep dive into New York City's Afro-Cuban rumba scene in Brooklyn.
Closeup July 23, 2019
Doing it For the Art: Manolo Raps in Cape Verde
At the 2019 Atlantic Music Expo in Cape Verde, Afropop's Sebastian Bouknight met Manolo, a longtime rapper who is trying to find a foothold in the country's overcrowded music scene.
Closeup July 9, 2019
Afropop Goes to the Grammys
Visit the 2019 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles and hear from the nominees in the World Music category, Fatoumata Diawara, Bombino, The Soweto Gospel Choir, Seun Kuti and Yiddish Glory.
Closeup June 26, 2019
Lazarus: Messenger of Hope
Closeup October 9, 2018
Gael Faye and the New Generation of Afropean Artists
Closeup September 18, 2018
Kidnapped! Ambassador Osayomore Joseph
Closeup September 5, 2018
We Are All Worthy of One Another
Closeup August 14, 2018
Skippy White: A Vinyl Life
Closeup July 31, 2018
Nha Mundo: The Sound of Cova da Moura
Closeup July 17, 2018
Asante Drum Language
Closeup June 19, 2018
Thomas Mapfumo: The Enigma of Return
Closeup June 5, 2018
Carnival Goes Digital
Closeup May 22, 2018
Tobago's #MeToo Trailblazer: Calypso Rose
In this Afropop Closeup, correspondent Dan Rosenberg talks with Calypso Rose about using music as a weapon for social change.
Closeup February 6, 2018
What’s in a Nigerian Name?
Nigerian musicians almost all have stage names and in this audio program we explore the history of why that is.
Closeup January 9, 2018
“For My Ayeeyo:” Learning Somali Poetry From a Distance
Amal Hussein and Hamdi Mohamed have a lot in common. Both were born in Kenya, where their parents fled as refugees during the Somali Civil War, and both came to Boston when they were just a few years old. They’re both poets — and equally important for this story — both their grandmothers are poets...
Closeup December 26, 2017
Underground
Underneath the streets of New York City, in the tunnels and stations of the busiest subway system in the country, there is a thriving music scene. Amidst the noise of passing trains, we meet Papa Fara, a Cameroonian xylophonist and singer, who plays for tips and captures the love of strangers and makes friends with his quick, warm smile. But, behind the smile and beautiful melodies, something is troubling Papa Fara. There’s a reason he’d rather be underground.
Closeup December 12, 2017
Biafra at 50: A Wound That Does Not Heal
We examine how the unresolved issues that triggered the devastating Biafran War in the 1960s still resonate and persist in the Niger Delta today on this Afropop Closeup.
Closeup November 28, 2017
Kizito Mihigo and the Politics of Music in Post-Genocide Rwanda
Kizito Mihigo is one of Rwanda’s most beloved singers, yet he is currently imprisoned, serving a 10-year sentence for treason. In 2014, Mihigo released a song which criticized the wartime actions of Rwanda’s governing political party. The song went viral, sparking a nationwide dialogue around the genocide, and weeks later, Mihigo was arrested on charges of conspiracy to assassinate the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
Closeup November 14, 2017
Night at the Clash
Sound clashes have been a mainstay of reggae culture for decades. Mobile sound system teams face off to see who can best move the crowd with their selections of records and exclusive "dub plate" jingles. On a recent late night in Queens, seven sounds competed for the U.S. champion title, and many were surprised by the winner. We meet the sound-system operators and talk to fans about why they love the clash scene. Produced by Noah Schaffer.
Closeup October 31, 2017
Shackled Love: LGBT Asylum Seekers in the U.K.
Closeup October 17, 2017
Black, Greek and Proud: Negros Tou Moria
Ghanaian-Greek rapper Negros Tou Moria is carving out new territory and challenging stereotypes with rap music that is deeply rooted in Greek language and culture.
