Afro-pop bands hop continents

But in a world of marketing, it isn't always easy for African musicians to make sure their potential listeners can find their music in the stalls. Popular South African band Freshlyground complained to me back in 2008 that record stores could never figure out where to put their CDs: under Afro-pop, perhaps, or jazz, or pop?

Zimbabwean guitarist Louis Mhlanga has made a decent career as a session guitarist, in between producing his own jazzy albums, and last year he joined a massive world tour of a world-music supergroup called "Playing for Change." But when I was living in South Africa, working as the Monitor's Africa bureau chief, I struggled to find Mr. Mhlanga's CDs in the record stores. I ended up buying one online from Amazon.com.

Hugh Masekela, South Africa's grand old man of jazz, says the only way for young musicians to survive is to adapt and hustle. "I think that my advice would be for the arts community to become creative and not expect handouts, because they are not coming."

Using new media

In Boston, Kina Zoré is not short of hustle. (The name Kina Zoré refers to a traditional harvest dance in Mozambique, in the Ronga language.) Mr. Willett, the band's bass player, manages the band's Facebook page and its presence on Twitter. Band members have recently recorded an album, acting as their own producers, and they have released individual tracks free of charge on the band's website, kinazore.com.

Tsinine writes many of the band's songs, except for those penned by his father, musician Baptiste Tsinine. One of their songs, "Va Gumulelana" ("They Are Fighting"), recently won a Peace-Driven song award.

Band members manage their own club bookings, market themselves to folk music and world-music festivals, and maintain regular gigs at local Boston clubs such as Johnny D's, Club Bohemia, and Ryles Jazz Club. It's exhausting work, all the more so since half of the band members are still in college, working toward their final degrees.

"It can be very difficult saying you're an Afro-pop band," says Mr. Teshu, the band's drummer. "If you haven't heard the sound, it's hard to come up with the words to describe it. People say, 'What the heck is an Afro-pop band?' But when they hear us, they like it."

Holding onto that audience and building on it is the next challenge, says Willett. "There should be a local scene for this kind of music."

For the time being, though, Kina Zoré is the local scene for Afro-pop. And with new media and the ability to self-publish, their future is in their hands.

Previous

1 | 2 | 3