Africa Is a Country Radio: Tram 83 with Chief Boima

Africa Is a Country Radio, the audio accompaniment to the website of the same name, is a monthly deep dive into the music and cultural politics of the African continent and beyond. Hosted by Chief Boima, the show features a mix of music and interviews with musicians, historians, journalists, and more.

Africa Is a Country Radio continues its literary theme for its third season on Worldwide FM. The third instalment in our theme is inspired by the debut novel from Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Tram 83. The book takes place in the fictional City-State, a resource rich secessionist state in Central Africa.

The nightclub Tram 83 serves as the central gathering place for all the characters in the book: from shady international businessmen to miners and students to sex workers and mercenaries. The description of Tram 83 is not unlike some of the nightclubs that have influenced my own musical tastes and DJ style throughout my life. So, as a dedication to all the central places of gathering at or of the global margins around the world, I present Tram 83, a soundtrack.

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