of late i have been noticing a crop of african musicians who were born on the continent or have african parents but grew up in europe or the united states. most of them mine the neo-soul/classic r&b/jazzy funk vein, inspired by other trans-continental artists like sade and seal. you will not find this music in the "world" music section of your local music emporium, if at all. these artists go beyond that label, carrying forward the r&b musical tradition, while grounding their themes in the concerns of their homeland, particularly pride, dignity and a sense of joy. it also seems like a way to join the world they live in with the one of their roots, much like the r&b that deeply influenced me in the 70's and 80's allowed me to feel pride in being part of the larger world, through the beauty of this music of the african diaspora.
here is a sample (far from exhaustive i am sure, based on memory and recent sightings/readings):
shu: kenya/new york
miriam chemmoss: kenya/new york
eska mtungwazi: zimbabwe/england
mpho skeef: south africa/england
rhian benson: ghana/united kingdom/los angeles
victor sila: kenya/san francisco
dozie: nigeria/united kingdom/bay area