[1] It seeks to help African musicians break beyond the perceived stigmas and prejudices of the term world music, while presenting a positive impression of Africa to counter against common media images of war, famine, and disease.
Alongside Tony Allen, Baaba Maal, and Amadou & Mariam, other African acts who have taken part in Africa Express projects include Nigerian Afrobeat star Femi Kuti,[20] Algerian-French singer/activist Rachid Taha,[22] Saharan blues group Tinariwen,[23] Somali-Canadian rapper K'Naan, Malian acts such as singer/songwriter Rokia Traoré,[18] singer Fatoumata Diawara, kora player Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyate, afro-pop artist Salif Keita,[10] singer Oumou Sangaré,[16] and the desert blues duo Songhoy Blues from Timbuktu,[24] Senegal's Wasis Diop and rap duo Daara J,[16] the Mauritanian griot Noura Mint Seymali,[15] the Congo's Jupiter Bokondji, and many more.
In 2013, as a response to extremists banning music in the north of Mali, Albarn, Eno and others went to the country to collaborate and record with local musicians, with profits from the resultant Maison Des Jeunes album to be used to build a studio in Bamako.
[27] Africa Express responded by explaining that on their projects, all travel, food, and accommodation costs are covered for the Western acts involved, who in turn are asked to donate their time and potential recording royalties arising from the completed work and that their contracts are negotiable.
[28][29] Africa Express Limited is registered at Companies House in the UK with the directors listed as Ian Birrell, Remi Kabaka Jr. (aka Russel Hobbs of Gorillaz), Lauren Roth de Wolf, Jason Walsh and Robin Aitken.