Music Time in Africa - VOA Africa Voice of America (VOA)

Maxwell spins a 30 minute playlist of current songs from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbambwe, Uganda and Morocco.
Then she catches up on the 25th Anniversary of The Ghana Music Awards with Prince, and presents the story of Mokoomba, the Zimbabwean band who is currently on tour in the United States, as narrated by Evans Zininga of the VOA Zimbabwe Service.

The playlist features great music from Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and Nigeria. She also spins this week’s Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit for the second week in a row “I Had Some Help”. The back half of the show features a live, in-studio performance by marimba virtuoso Blessing Chimanga from Zimbabwe. He and Heather discuss his latest music and marimba project in Colorado, USA at the Kutandara Center.

The playlist is a mix of genres from across the continent that are unified under the theme of Africa in honor of Africa Day celebrated world wide on May 25th. Maxwell also brings you the week’s Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit “I Had Some Help” and a feature from reporter Bill Odidi in Nairobi on Africa Day in Kenya.

Music Time in Africa is VOA’s longest running English language program. Since 1965 this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on what’s happening in African music with interviews and cultural information.

The first half of today’s show features Heather’s special Mother’s Day music and shout outs, including the classic “Sweet Mother” by Nico Mbarga and the Rockafil Jazz. She also presents the #1 Billboard Hot 100 song, Drop the Needle with Fiona Bloom, a conversation with Nigeria’s Seun Rave about Davido and Wizkid’s social media controversy, and a lively chat with music entrepreneur Simon Javan Okello and singer/rapper Naomi Achu about the upcoming US tour of the 10th and East African Madaraka Festival.

On today’s edition, American songwriter, producer and saxophonist Kirk Whalum speaks with reporter Bill Odidi about his upcoming album release Epic Cool and his deep musical connection to Kenyan youth via the children’s music training program Ghetto Classics in Korogocho, Nairobi. Heather’s playlist includes tunes from Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Cameroon, Congo, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco, and her weekly share of the #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift.