Something wonderful happened in Brazil in the late 1960s. Stevie Wonder's soul-funk, Bob Marley's revolutionary reggae, and the smooth bossa nova of Joao Gilberto came together in one person: Brazil's irreplaceable Gilberto Gil. As a youth raised in rural Bahia, Gil was intoxicated by the bossa

Bright, Charming, Ebullient, Eclectic, Joyful, Playful, Political, Rebel, Rhythmic

Dark, Ecstatic, Euphoric, Formless, Improvised, Minimal, Organic, Overflowing, Postmodern dance, Pre-modern sculpture, Psychedelic, Sensual, Spiritual, Trippy

K'Naan (born Kanaan Warsame ) is a Somali-born rapper currently working in Canada. His powerful lyrics are influenced by Somalia's rich poetic tradition and describe the plight of Somalis and other Africans. He grew up listening to hip-hop albums that his father, already living in America, would sen

Angry, In-your-face, Lyrical, Political, Tragic

Thione Ballago Seck (born March 12, 1955) is one of Senegal's greatest singers and musicians in the mbalax genre, on par with Baaba Maal and Youssou N'dour although he hasn't achieved the same level of fame outside his country. Seck comes from a family of "griot" singers from the Wolof people of Sene

Bright, Charming, Hypnotic, Intense, Joyful, Mbalax, Pop, Power, Religious, Repetition, Repetitive, Rhythmic, Self-reflection, Sensual, Serene, Sophisticated