Uchenna Ikonne is a Nigerian writer and DJ currently based in Boston. As one of the foremost authorities on Nigerian music and popular culture, he has curated and produced critically acclaimed music compilations such as Brand New Wayo: Funk, Fast Times & Nigerian Boogie Badness, 1979-1983 (released on his own Comb & Razor Sound label), Who Is William Onyeabor? (Luaka Bop), and Wake Up You! The Rise and Fall of Nigerian Rock, 1972-1977 (Now-Again). His music commentary has appeared on various outlets including NPR, BBC, VH1 and Red Bull Music Academy Radio. He is currently at work on a four-volume history of Nigerian popular music.

The final act in Mississippi Records’ 2016 Music & Film Series, Uchenna Ikonne brings to the Hollywood Theater a multimedia presentation focusing on the previous half-century in Nigerian popular culture. From psychedelic rock to highlife, boogie and soukos, he examines the country’s endemic music movements and pop products which have remained largely unseen in the West. An after-party of all vinyl Nigerian dj sets will be held at Dig A Pony immediately following the event (see poster below).

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