One of the most mysterious figures in the history of music, William Onyeabor produced his recordings between 1977 and 1985. He had a limited audience, confined to his home country of Nigeria. His music was described as avant guardist and way ahead of its time by musical legends such as David Byrne. Onyeabor has seen a revival in recent years and his music has reached an international audience, led primarily by the release of a complilation album by David Byrne's record label Luaka Bop.
Before Pink Floyd became popular for their progressive albums, like The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon which all 'true fans' know by heart, they were an underground band that played psychedelic rock music, making people trip balls...
The Chemical Brothers are a Grammy award-winning English band established in 1989, juggling between electronic music styles such as dance, trip hop and techno. Being so eclectic, their music was a precursor for the big beat genre, alongside beasts such as The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim, bringing the style foreword to the point of becoming a staple in pop culture.
Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed in 1979 in Tamanrasset, Algeria, but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s. When listening to Tinariwen you’re spellbound by their haunting desert charm and rebellious sahara spirit. They were founded by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, who at age four witnessed the execution of his father (a Tuareg rebel) during a 1963 uprising in Mali. As a child he saw a western film in which a cowboy played a guitar. Ag Alhabib built his own guitar out of a tin can, a stick and bicycle brake wire. He started to play old Tuareg and modern Arabic pop tunes, more than a few years later his band, Tinariwen, is probably the most authentic international act in the world.
Who hasn't danced to the Bee Gees til they ran out of breath or made ridiculous moves in the car when they come on the radio? From being our parents' favorite party music to becoming our generation's favorite disco sounds, the Bee Gees...