On the last leg of the Afropean Podcast’s journey, Johny arrives in the city of romance, Paris France, home to Europe’s largest Black population outside of London. He links up with neo-soul legends Hélène and Célia Foussart (Les Nubians) to talk about Black empowerment through music, follows the route of Black History walking tour to learn about the whitewashing of French heroes with Black heritage such as author of The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, and pays a visit to academic Olivette Otele, who breaks down why its a problem to refuse to acknowledge Black citizens who aren’t deemed ‘exceptional’.

Johny arrives in Lisbon, deconstructing the myth of the ‘good coloniser’ through conversations with innovators and intellectuals of African descent in Portugal. He hears from Kalaf Epalanga of the band Buraka, who pioneered the frenetic Angolan afro-techno musical genre kuduro and then speaks to artist and activist Raquel Lima, whose research on slave rebellions in the former Sao Tome colony inform her resistance to social inequality in the present day.

In Stockholm, where Swedish-style social democracy has positioned the country as a world leader in development aid and refugee intake, Johny hears the complicated ways African voices are marginalised. With Minna Salami, he compares her term ‘Afropolitan’ with his term ‘Afropean’, and discusses challenging European intellectual hegemony through ‘sensuous knowledge’. And with musicians Stephen Simmonds and Sofia Janberg, he enjoys a more rhythmic examination of the Black Swedish experience.

Johny finds himself at the fault-line of the 20th century. Berlin is where Cold War divisions between East and West and colonial histories continue to leave a mark on both German and African identities. Celebrated soul singer Joy Denalane shares stories about her upbringing near the former Berlin Wall, partying and crafting her musical identity in local nightclubs while having to dodge neo-Nazis from East Germany. And in the Wedding neighbourhood, internationally-renowned curator Bonaventure Ndikung discusses African art and explains the problematic context behind streets named after African countries and German colonisers.

Johny takes a Black Heritage tour along Amsterdam’s canal-lined landscape to understand how a Dutch national identity can champion progressive politics, yet remain unwilling to properly acknowledge four centuries of colonial expansion. Along the way, he speaks to Vincent de Kom, the great great grandson of Anton de Kom, anti-Nazi freedom fighter and one of the first to write about Dutch-imposed slavery in Suriname. We also hear from Akwasi, whose brand of hiphop melds Ghanaian and Dutch influence into a textured, sonic concoction. 

Written and hosted by Johny Pitts, the producer and composer is Femi Oriogun-Williams.

A Reduced Listening and Afropean co-production.

On the first city stop in our Afropean journey, Johny visits Brussels. Home to the administrative centre of the European Union, a vibrant African presence here shapes local and national culture through food, fashion, art and music.

Johny meets with Marie Daulne aka Zap Mama, whose life and pygmy-inspired polyrhythmic musical style connects to a deeply personal encounter with the brutality of Belgian colonial rule in the now Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She carries a determination to position her African roots at the forefront of her identity as a European, as an Afropean. Journeying through to Matonge, the bustling centre of African cultural and social life in the capital, Johny stops by the eclectic L'Horloge du Sud restaurant to dine with Ken Ndiaye. After a real-time taste of the African influence on the culture, we explore the complexities and contradictions of Belgian racial dynamics with esteemed academic Sibo Kanobana.

Written and hosted by Johny Pitts, the producer and composer is Femi Oriogun-Williams.

A Reduced Listening and Afropean co-production. 

Welcome to the Afropean Podcast. An introduction from host Johny Pitts ahead of the launch of a six part series exploring major European cities and the art, politics and history of their Black communities.

Episode 1 launches on 5th November 2024

Episode 00 was produced by Derick Armah for Reduced Listening and Afropean. The series music is composed by Femi Oriogun-Williams.