EP 38: Banning Eyre on Expanding Our Conception of the Guitar in Africa - a podcast by Musicians For Musicians, MFM

"Recognizing yourself in (this music) or finding a mysterious familiarity is something completely unexplainable."

Our guest for this episode is Banning Eyre. Banning Eyre is a writer, guitarist and producer, and the senior editor and producer of the public radio program Afropop Worldwide.  He has traveled and done music research in over 20 African countries, as well as in the Caribbean, South America and Europe. His latest initiative is the launch of Lion Songs Records, an independent label dedicated to uplifting overlooked, mostly acoustic music from the African universe. June 2021 sees the release of Boubacar “Badian” Diabate’s Mande Guitar, a showcase recording of finger-style Malian guitar.

He is the author of Lion Songs:Thomas Mapfumo and the Music That Made Zimbabwe, In Griot Time: An American Guitarist in Mali, Playing with Fire: Fear and Self-Censorship in Zimbabwean Music, and Guitar Atlas: Africa, and the co-author of AFROPOP! An Illustrated Guide to Contemporary African Music. 

Eyre is a contributor to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and his writing has been published in Billboard, Guitar Player, Salon, the Boston Phoenix, College Music Journal, Option, The Beat, Folk Roots, Global Rhythm, and other publications. He also has a background in technology, and worked for 10 years as a software technical writer. He is also on the Advisory Committee of Musicians for Musicians.  

Topics discussed:

Banning's profound knowledge of African music, drawing upon his influences when composing and improvising, his experiences performing with African musicians like Thomas Mapfumo and others, how he was received by African musicians and audiences, the challenges in adapting to different styles, the essence of African music, Afropop Worldwide, the future of African music, Banning's travels to Zimbabwe and his report on music censorship by the Mugabe regime to the Danish human rights organization Freemuse, Lion Songs Records, the politics of the music business in Africa, China's involvement in African economy and its influence on the music business, Banning's involvement with MFM and how MFM could be a presence in the African music scene.

Music on this episode:

"Today is a New Day" by Voyagers

"Silanide" by The Super Rail Band 

"Shumba" by Thomas Mapfumo

Further episodes of MFM SPEAKS OUT

Further podcasts by Musicians For Musicians, MFM

Website of Musicians For Musicians, MFM