Author
Banning Eyre
Banning Eyre is senior producer for Public Radio International’s Peabody Award-winning Afropop Worldwide (afropop.org) and author of a number of books on African music and history.
Articles by this author
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Tabla Master Zakir Hussain
Arts
While mastery of Indian musical traditions is one clear accomplishment, the late Zakir Hussain’s bold pursuit of his art across genres likely best defines his legacy.
The Heart-Moving Sound of Zanzibar
Arts
Like Zanzibar itself, the ensemble style of music known as taarab brings together a blend of African, Arabic, Indian and European elements. Yet it stands on its own as a distinctive art form—for over a century, it has served as the island’s signature sound.
Tinariwen's Sahara Blues
Arts
Coming out of the struggles of post colonial desert Africa, Tuareg band Tinariwen adapted blues rock ‘n‘ roll guitars to North African traditions. The result has been nearly four decades of a sound that has inspired an entire genre of “desert blues,” in which themes of loss, home, hope and unity transcend language for audiences around the world.