Already, between the blazing Seattle sunlight and constant music he's been cranking out, it's been a solid summer for Chimurenga Renaissance's front-man and activist Tendai Maraire. After having released his album riZe vadZimu riZe in March, an ambitious collage of contemporary rap and traditional Zimbabwean instrumentation, he's finishing up Shabazz Palaces' highly-anticipated Lese Majesty and their accompanying tour dates. Now, Maraire, fresh from his home in Seattle, dropped by the KEXP studio with his mbira, a Zimbabwean lamellaphone, and a wealth of other instruments to dish out a reminder of why we turn to music in the first place: to be, whether physically or spiritually, moved. As a result, no matter which project he's in, Maraire offers profound messages of suffering, community, and kinship, all the while challenging the immensities of life. So, tune in to his recent in-studio session live on Wo'Pop here because the B.A.D. is so good:
KEXP wants to know: "Who are your Favorite Artists of All Time?" Pick out a dozen musicians, bands, projects, and share them with us before Friday, September 19th at 6:00 PM PST. And then tune in during KEXP’s Fall Fundraising Drive, September 26th through October 3rd, to hear which artists your fe…
Bamboo is known for its uncanny ability to spring up from the ground, growing tall against all odds while covering everything in its path. With each sprout though, the stalks' compositions change, and an altogether different group of shoots emerge. Like the plants themselves, The Bamboos, a resilie…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afterno…
We couldn't describe Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires' recent Sub Pop debut any better than label co-founder Jonathan Poneman himself, who claims in his own press release for the album, "Dereconstructed is a careening, road raging, all night party of a record", adding that even frontman Bains' "…
Just recently, the USA celebrated our independence by blowin' up fireworks, and now it's France's turn! It was on this day in 1789 that 80,000 disgruntled citizens stormed the Bastille, a Parisian prison, thus inciting the French Revolution. As a salute to our fellow defenders of human rights, KEXP…
