Nziyo Dziri Mandiri (Music In Me) shows Cris Gera’s passion for social justice and issues affecting ordinary people and their lives. His music reflects his background and life around him in his native Zimbabwe.

The album was recorded in South Africa in 2016. Later that year, Cris clashed with the authorities in Zimbabwe when he released the song Chema Zimbabwe – a musical portrait of the social and economic problems the country is facing. The song caused a stir, and death threats and harassment forced Cris to flee to South Africa before traveling as a free city musician to Sweden through ICORN.

Cris Gera brings out a dark theme in the music, a theme that is both relevant and important. It encourages you to think, and through the music, through his vision and soundscape, we move towards the light.

The post first appeared on Safemuse.

Taking a step into the modern pop scene, Cris Gera follows up last year’s politically significant album “Music In Me” with the single “I Moved On”. Cris continues to create uplifting melodies, while telling a hopeful story of love and what comes after.

The singel will be released on LIDIO August 14th, and is recorded at Dalbackavägen Musik & Produktion. The project is funded by BD POP.

The post first appeared on Safemuse.

With life at stake, Afghan musician Hamid Sakhizada highlights his tradition – the unique Hazara music.

Hamid Sakhizada: vocals and dambura · Harpreet Bansal: violin · Birger Mistereggen: jew’s harp and rope tensioned drum, percussion · Kaveh Mahmudiyan: tombak, daf and bandir.

HAMID SAKHIZADA, TRAD. : Dambura · Siyamoy · I Will Return (from Bamiyan) · Solo Dambura (Dambura for Kaveh) · Hafiz Divination (From Siya Sang) · Pearl Drop Face of Waras (From Malestan) · My Heart · True Love (from Daykondi) · My God (from Turkman) · The Traveller Moon

The post first appeared on Safemuse.

Modern Sudanese blues, characterized by Hamid’s warm sound and Reiersrud’s exceptional guitar.

ABAZAR HAMID: The Most Beautiful Country (اجمل بلد) · We Need Peace · Syrian Dream · Waiting for You (فى إنتظارك..) · Nile Avenue (شارع النيل) ·

Abazar Hamid: vocal, guitar · Knut Reiersrud: guitars, dobro · Kenneth Hammer: keyboards · Åsmund Wilter Eriksson: bass · Geir Akselsen: drums

The post first appeared on Safemuse.

“This is an expression of my experience of years and years of discrimination against women, the humiliation, the abuse, the violence. All these women hidden under the darkness of holy black clothes are human beings but being used as symbols of religious ideology. We want to be free. We keep repeating: Freedom, Freedom, such a luxury word!”

Z Bent, Farzane Zamen’s new EP, incorporates elements of electronic music and Middle Eastern sounds – including Arabic strings, oud and darbuka. Farzane sings in English, while Habiba Makhlouf provides the Arabic and French lyrics. Farzane chose not to pen the songs in her native language of Farsi, explaining: “The concept is that women are suffering from the same problems in many Muslim communities, so I thought it’s better to be multilingual and understandable for more people”. With Z Bent, Farzane hopes to give voice to Middle Eastern women from diverse backgrounds and reveal paradoxes about perception and reality.

Z Bent is created by Farzane in collaboration with Glasgow-based musician Gavin Thompson, sound engineer Sam Smith, and Egyptian performer and singer Habiba Makhlouf.

The post first appeared on Safemuse.

“This album was recorded live between 2016 and 2017 during secret performances at Phusa Lab. The resulting work bears the euphoria, courage, failures and threats which characterized this time. As such, it forms the soundtrack to an awakening, replete with heroes, villains, reversals and uneasy resolutions. And it is this awakening, now, that we continue to awaken from.

The post first appeared on Safemuse.