Miriam Makeba, Fela-Anikulapo-Kuti are the Greatest of All Time

CANOE Quarterly Magazine salutes the Originals that changed music in Africa, in its September 2009 Music Edition. Aptly titled ‘The G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) Edition’, it is spearheaded by a tribute to Mama Africa, the story of Afrobeat King, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and their relevance to today’s music culture.

In recent years, the music industry has experienced an influx of different sounds, sometimes pure genius and sometimes overwhelmingly confusing. In a global world filled with marketing ploys to satisfy consumers’ needs for instant gratification, the African music industry has not been spared by the assault. The result: the domination of the airwaves by meaningless lyrics backed by expensive production. To re-define the future, one has to look into the past, to a time when musicians where vocally gifted and music had messages. CANOE Quarterly pays homage to African musical legends, icons who decided that the status quo was not acceptable, used their music as weapons for social change and/or spearheaded new movements in music; Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba and Ghana’s Hiplife originator Reggie Rockstone, to mention a few. Reggie talks about his musical journey and sounds off on various issues including Payola and patenting the word ‘hiplife’. Gracing the cover of the edition is one-half of ex Ghanaian pop-duo ‘Irene and Jane’. Now a solo artiste under the stage name ‘Efya’, Jane Awindor returns to the music scene with not only a new moniker but a new musical direction, and addresses the rumours about the split with Irene Logan. The edition also acknowledges a new generation of flag bearers in the African music renaissance, receiving the baton from musicians like Youssou N’dour, Rocky Dawuni and Salif Keita, including M3nsa, freestyle princess Sena Dagadu, Nigeria’s Nneka, French heartthrob Kaysha and South-African hiphop group Jozi. Elsewhere in the magazine, continuing in the ode to all things musically-inclined, are features on the coolest audio gadgets from powerhouses like Bang & Olufsen, promoters of African music like dedicated music station Channel O, and exclusive interviews from heavyweights like Panji Anoff, head of production house, Pidgen Music. Panji has turned his attention to movie-making – a musical titled “Coz Ov Moni”, featuring Ghanaian hit musicians M3nsa and Wanlov the Kubolor in the lead roles.

“The luxury of having a musical culture such as ours has not only been an integral part of our societies, but has even had a major influence in the development of modern music across the world”, says Ms Sefa Gohoho, Business Director and one of the founders of the CANOE group. Editor-In-Chief and Founder, Kweku Ansah adds, “CANOE Quarterly’s journey at the end of two years is celebrated in music - Music is everything. If you have forgotten that magical power of music, find it in African song and dance; buy, download or make some”.

The G.O.A.T. Edition goes on sale from the second week of September 2009.

About CANOE: CANOE Quarterly Magazine is an African luxury lifestyle magazine celebrating our great continent and its people in a uniquely deserving manner, with a purpose to correct the distorted international media image of Africa. In its 2 years of publication, CANOE has attracted a Rolodex of print and editorial content and can now be seen in the following countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia with a subscription base in the UK, USA, CANADA and other parts of Europe. In the course of the year, Kenya, Mozambique and Egypt will also be introduced to this quarterly edition.

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Ama K. Abebrese

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