Music From the Motherland
Several years ago, the West African country Ghana beckoned Black diasporic people to make “The Return” to the former ancient kingdom. More than an ingenious marketing campaign, this powerful call for African Americans in particular to “come home” spoke to a yearning that many of us have to reconnect with our origin stories. Sisters are still making that spiritual journey to Ghana and other countries in Africa, both individually and as part of Black travel groups.
Whether you’ve enjoyed a past pilgrimage to the motherland or have one on your bucket list, you can enjoy a sonic sojourn here and now with this playlist celebrating ancestral rhythms. Sisters From AARP has curated tunes that evoke the natural beauty, kinship, creativity, mysticism, cultural pride and fortitude that fertilize our ancestral roots.
Afrobeats, reggae riddims, hip-hop and atmospheric soul vibes flow throughout this kinetic mix. It’s anchored by sisters we know and love—like Sade, with her world-beat classic “Paradise”; African and diaspora divas Somi and Angelique Kidjo, with “Lady Revisited,” their remake of the Fela Kuti classic “Lady”; and Rihanna, with the stirring ballad “Born Again,’’ from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Also included are mesmerizing, reflective and divinely feminine songs by relative newcomers such as Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, with “Free Mind”; British vocalist Laura Mvula, with “She”; and Zambian-born raptress and singer Sampa the Great, with “Flowers” (featuring Australian rapper Remi).
Let this regal music reinforce our collective queendom. Welcome home, Sis.
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