While nearly every ‘houser’ (house music lover) was excited about the winter music conference in Miami in March, I was particularly excited about South by South West (SXSW) on the other side of the States, in Texas! Music, film, interactive conference and festival combined - thousands of bands ramming the city of Austin for five days. This was its 22nd year and my 2nd time (having been there four years ago with my now disbanded band, Weapons). I was eager to see what changes there had been in the music scene.

Following my previous US entry experience (while everyone else went through, I, the only Blackie in the band, was stripsearched, questioned and humiliated), so this time I was nervously expecting a difficult entry again! But I showed them my visa and invitation letters before they could even ask… and it was cool! Could this be the Obama effect?

Arriving at Austin airport, the place was alive with energy and excitement, band and fans everywhere! I got picked up by our driver, together with Etienne from Radioclit, ready to head to the ranch where we’d be staying. Radioclit have just dropped this hot mixtape featuring the ‘Malawian Phil Collins’ - Esau Mwamwaya! Called ‘The Very Best’, it has proved to be an underground hit - MTV, Fader magazine and Green Owl Records in the US all picking up on it! And now, Esau is signed to Green Owl - a NYC-based record label started by artists with the idea that great music can be sustainable - both economically and environmentally - committed to respecting this planet through using green technology!

With a debut album underway for Esau, he will be mixing African sounds with electronic - with the aim of pop domination! Keep those ears peeled for Esau, you heard it hear first!

I then had the pleasure of speaking to Ben, one of the Green Owl founders and also the son of one of the most powerful men in the music business, Edger Bronfman - oh, and married  to M.I.A (with the hit song Paper Planes from Slumdog soundtrack). And on speaking to him, he told me that African music is so Hot in the US right now!  Diplo, Blaqstar Switch would later echo the same thoughts. And with SA band Blk Jks also at SXSW and blowing up in the US at the moment, plus Esau lined-up for a collaboration with Akon, I could not agree more!