We all carry a little bit of Africa within us. The story of humanity is shaped by encounters and diasporas that carried people, languages, and rhythms from the mother continent to the rest of the world. Music traveled alongside the human journey, reinventing itself in new places while creating a global language that came before writing itself, architecture, and the civilization as we know it. From bone flutes and skin drums used in ritual celebrations to the blues that would later give birth to rock, Africa gave us the genetic code of what it means to be human, but also of music, dance, and the story of humankind.
The influence and creative fertility of African music have been foundational in the evolution of styles across different regions, and its imprint can be heard in jazz, hip hop, modern pop, and electronic music. That is why AFRICA.ROCKS exists: an editorial project, but also a cultural one, built to push African rock and metal further, placing them within how we read the present and the future of music. We want to be a platform where bands, record labels, promoters, and fans can build and better understand African scenes in all their diversity and value.
From April 2026 onwards, AFRICA.ROCKS also includes Beyond Africa, a section dedicated to bands, labels and releases from outside the continent. It exists to widen the conversation around heavy music without shifting the site away from its core purpose. African rock and metal remain at the centre of what we do. Beyond Africa simply opens a space for relevant work from elsewhere to be covered in dialogue with that mission, helping readers follow how African scenes connect with the wider world and how the wider world, in turn, meets Africa through sound.
With English as a shared global language, AFRICA.ROCKS is a cultural door where stories, discoveries, and connections can circulate, and above all a way for us to listen to what Africa has to say through a new voice that comes through amplified, distorted guitars and cries of revolt and urgency. The door is open. Welcome!
About the Editor
Joel Costa is a music and gear editor with over two decades of experience. He has written for and led titles such as Metal Hammer Portugal, Terrorizer, Ultraje, Guitarrista and Bass Empire. He has also worked in music PR and led record labels. Across those magazines, he helped publish interviews and features with artists ranging from Metallica, Zakk Wylde, Ghost, Judas Priest, and Mastodon to Pat Smear (Nirvana), Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), Mohini Dey, and KMFDM. He is the author of books on Kurt Cobain and The Beatles.
Joel’s family tree has deep roots in the Maghreb, stretching across the sands of North Africa, while branching out to the islands of Cape Verde and the plains of Zimbabwe. This personal lineage has been mirrored in his professional life, where he has spent years establishing solid networks across the Portuguese-speaking African countries and key cultural hubs.
