Africa Express
Biography
Hailed as the most revolutionary force in popular music for two decades, Africa Express is the globally acclaimed music phenomenon that brings together artists and musicians across cultures, generations and genres. Each album and event is unique, filled with unforgettable moments of on-the-spot collaboration.
Founded in 2006 with a first trip to Mali which connected local stars Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté and Amadou & Mariam with artists including co-founder Damon Albarn, Martha Wainwright and Fatboy Slim. The first public event was a legendary five-hour show at Glastonbury the following year, described by The Times as “an absolute lose-yourself epiphany for everyone who was there”.
Africa Express has since hosted trips to Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Africa and Mali. It has also staged acclaimed shows in Lagos, London, Liverpool and Johannesburg, performed across Europe everywhere from London’s Royal Festival Hall to Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, plus one-off bespoke shows for 25,000 people in the centre of Paris to 50,000 revellers on a Spanish beach. Each performance is unique, with artists taking part creating the set before the show – and all have been met with rave reviews, inspiring artists and audiences alike. Participating artists have included Baaba Maal, Blur, Charli XCX, Faia Younan, Femi Kuti, Flea, Franz Ferdinand, Kano, Oumou Sangaré, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, Rokia Traoré and Tony Allen among many others.
In 2012, Africa Express filled a vintage train with 100 African and Western artists to play a week of shows across the UK as part of the London 2012 Olympic Festival. The tour, with performances in shops, schools and station platforms as well as more traditional venues, made waves worldwide. The final five-hour gig at King’s Cross saw Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Nicolas Jarr, Fatoumata Diawara, John Paul Jones, Kano, M.anifest, Paul McCartney and Rokia Traoré all sharing the stage.
Africa Express then returned to Bamako, Mali during the civil war to record two critically acclaimed albums Africa Express Presents… Maison des Jeunes (2013) and Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley’s In C Mali (2014) with local artists. The In C Mali live performance project has since been performed in partnership with Ruhrtriennale, Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris and Tate Modern.
In 2016 The 50-strong Orchestra of Syrian Musicians saw artists from across Syria brought together by Africa Express for a European tour and subsequent album Africa Express Presents: The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians (2016) alongside guests including Rachid Taha, Paul Weller, Seckou Keita and Damon Albarn. For many of the Syrian musicians, it was the first time they had seen each other since the outbreak of the conflict. The widely acclaimed tour and live album celebrated the remarkable music and culture of Syria, providing a more positive perspective than seen in the news.
Africa Express’ more recent releases were recorded in Johannesburg with an EP and album made during a week of discovery, collaboration, joy and music-making. The records Africa Express presents… MOLO (2019) and EGOLI (2019) – met with critical acclaim, described by The Guardian as ‘rich, beautiful electronic music.’
In 2024, Africa Express headlined Mexico’s Bahidorá Festival. The trip saw an extraordinary group of 70+ musicians, singers and DJs from around the world come together to rehearse, perform, write and record new music, a unique collaboration which has resulted in a remarkable collection of tracks titled Africa Express presents… Bahidorá. An album
like no other, it entwines rich musical traditions ranging from cumbia, hip-hop and kudurothrough to soul, salsa and the sweetest pop. Featuring artists from four continents but with roots firmly planted in Mexico. Africa Express presents… Bahidorá distills the joy of a beautiful musical adventure in Mexico into 21 extraordinary songs that are perfect for our
times.
‘Africa Express presents… Bahidorá’ is out now on World Circuit Records
BIOGRAPHY
Hailed as the most revolutionary force in popular music for two decades, Africa Express is the globally acclaimed music phenomenon that brings together artists and musicians across cultures, generations and genres. Each album and event is unique, filled with unforgettable moments of on-the-spot collaboration.
Founded in 2006 with a first trip to Mali which connected local stars Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté and Amadou & Mariam with artists including co-founder Damon Albarn, Martha Wainwright and Fatboy Slim. The first public event was a legendary five-hour show at Glastonbury the following year, described by The Times as “an absolute lose-yourself epiphany for everyone who was there”.
Africa Express has since hosted trips to Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Africa and Mali. It has also staged acclaimed shows in Lagos, London, Liverpool and Johannesburg, performed across Europe everywhere from London’s Royal Festival Hall to Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, plus one-off bespoke shows for 25,000 people in the centre of Paris to 50,000 revellers on a Spanish beach. Each performance is unique, with artists taking part creating the set before the show – and all have been met with rave reviews, inspiring artists and audiences alike. Participating artists have included Baaba Maal, Blur, Charli XCX, Faia Younan, Femi Kuti, Flea, Franz Ferdinand, Kano, Oumou Sangaré, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, Rokia Traoré and Tony Allen among many others.
In 2012, Africa Express filled a vintage train with 100 African and Western artists to play a week of shows across the UK as part of the London 2012 Olympic Festival. The tour, with performances in shops, schools and station platforms as well as more traditional venues, made waves worldwide. The final five-hour gig at King’s Cross saw Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Nicolas Jarr, Fatoumata Diawara, John Paul Jones, Kano, M.anifest, Paul McCartney and Rokia Traoré all sharing the stage.
Africa Express then returned to Bamako, Mali during the civil war to record two critically acclaimed albums Africa Express Presents… Maison des Jeunes (2013) and Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley’s In C Mali (2014) with local artists. The In C Mali live performance project has since been performed in partnership with Ruhrtriennale, Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris and Tate Modern.
In 2016 The 50-strong Orchestra of Syrian Musicians saw artists from across Syria brought together by Africa Express for a European tour and subsequent album Africa Express Presents: The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians (2016) alongside guests including Rachid Taha, Paul Weller, Seckou Keita and Damon Albarn. For many of the Syrian musicians, it was the first time they had seen each other since the outbreak of the conflict. The widely acclaimed tour and live album celebrated the remarkable music and culture of Syria, providing a more positive perspective than seen in the news.
Africa Express’ more recent releases were recorded in Johannesburg with an EP and album made during a week of discovery, collaboration, joy and music-making. The records Africa Express presents… MOLO (2019) and EGOLI (2019) – met with critical acclaim, described by The Guardian as ‘rich, beautiful electronic music.’
In 2024, Africa Express headlined Mexico’s Bahidorá Festival. The trip saw an extraordinary group of 70+ musicians, singers and DJs from around the world come together to rehearse, perform, write and record new music, a unique collaboration which has resulted in a remarkable collection of tracks titled Africa Express presents… Bahidorá. An album
like no other, it entwines rich musical traditions ranging from cumbia, hip-hop and kudurothrough to soul, salsa and the sweetest pop. Featuring artists from four continents but with roots firmly planted in Mexico. Africa Express presents… Bahidorá distills the joy of a beautiful musical adventure in Mexico into 21 extraordinary songs that are perfect for our
times.
‘Africa Express presents… Bahidorá’ is out now on World Circuit Records