September 6, 2013 09:30 AM EDT / 10:30 PM Wallstreetbets 2mmember BST The serieskeneokafortechcrunch blog continues with another installment of this week’s episode of the #AfricansInMusic series. This week, we continued our journey from Senegal to Nigeria to explore the Afrocentric music of this group of people who call themselves ‘Kanthavans’. From their earliest days as a family to their final album release and tour dates, we learned a lot about them over these four months. Let’s take a look at how they got here, and how they are setting out to go back home again. Read on for more information, pictures and details about the members of #AfroicansInMusic! ——————————————————————– —————————— What is #AfroicansInMusic? Academics & Culture What is #AfroicansInMusic? To know culture you have to be an afrocentricist (a collection of people who live in sub-Saharan Africa who have strong Afrocentric roots). When I first heard the term Africana music I was instantly smitten with these unique artists and bands. However, after reading through some posts on their social media accounts, it became clear that #AFROICSIN Music was much more than that. It’s really just one word that describes everything they do – kenooochran cunchrunch! How did they get here? Here’s what you
What is #AfroicansInMusic?
The term afrocentric is often associated with the work of American artist Claude Debussy, who in addition to innovating with forms of music that would become known as ‘fruits of the earth’, created some of the most popular Mixed-Reverse (M remix) music ever. However, before Debussy, many Madagascar-based musicians were already using the term to describe their own unique musical elements. In other words, #AfroicansInMusic is not in itself a signifier of ethnicity or a sign of the need to return to Africa. Rather, it is an indication of the importance of one’s cultural origins.
The journey into home for them started in Senegal and then led them to Nigeria, where they are now enjoying a new and exciting stage in their life. The members of #AfroicansInMusic were previously active in Senegal and have since gained a loyal following there. Besides their music, the group is also active in the performing arts and has performed at the New York City Ballet, the American Conservatory of the Red, and has been interviewed for the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Their journey to Africa has been nothing less than a journey of discovery for all of us – a journey that started with a single word, kenooochran, and ended with a mixtape full of new and innovative audio and visual content. All this while, they and their advocates continue to fight for the right to be known as ‘the one&only’.
Why do we love them?
The journey to home for them started in Senegal and then led them to Nigeria, where they are now enjoying a new and exciting stage in their life. The members of #AfroicansInMusic were previously active in Senegal and have since gained a loyal following there. Besides their music, the group is also active in the performing arts and has performed at the New York City Ballet, the American Conservatory of the Red, and has been interviewed for the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Their journey to Africa has been nothing less than a journey of discovery for all of us – a journey that started with a single word, kenooochran, and ended with a mixtape full of new and innovative audio and visual content. All this while, they and their advocates continue to fight for the right to be known as ‘the one&only’.
