The trailer for the documentary, “Kinshasa Symphony,” about the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra and Chior. The orchestra, named for a Congolese resistance leader, is based in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital.
The film, co-directed by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer, premieres next week at the Berlin Film Festival.
I have been following the bands exploits online since the first photographic projects and clips of the Symphony appeared. I am definitely looking forward to its US premiere.
Via Solo Kinshasa
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Tagged: Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Kinshasa Symphony Orchestra
Stephen Smith, the former African editor of Le Monde, writes in the London Review of Books (a publication not known for its sober coverage of Africa) that “Francafrique”–the corrupt French-African alliance with its strongmen (like the life president of Congo Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso, writing shotgun with Nicolas Sarkozy in the picture above), arm sales and resource extraction in Africa (to the benefit of French companies)–is coming to an end.
I hope, for the sake of Africa, that he is right.
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Tagged: Ali Bongo, Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, France, Gabon, Leopold Senghor, Mobutu Sese Seko, Nicolas Sarkozy, Omar Bongo, Senegal
What is (American) National Down Syndrome Society saying with this advertisement that has been running in major print magazines to promote its work? That everyone can live out their dream to act like colonial colonial explorers complete with pit helmet?
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Tagged: colonial, National Down Syndrome Society, problematic media, Sujeet Desai
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Tagged: Detroit, Nigeria, terrorism, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Yemen
The most recent work of the French-Algerian photographer.
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Tagged: Algeria, France, Kader Attia, migration, Rochers Carres
Video profile of US photographer Pete Muller who talks about a trip to northern Uganda, and some of the thought process behind his pictures. He was interviewed by the Washington DC based journalist Nico Colomband.
Links to Muller’s photography and new blog from Southern Sudan.
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Tagged: Lord's Resistance Army, Nico Colomband, Northern Uganda, Pete Muller, violence, war
On Saturday, February 20, record company Nomadic Wax is hosting “A Night of African Hip-Hop Film, Conversation and Live Music featuring Meta and the Cornerstones” at the 92Y Tribeca. The evening opens with a screening of the film “FangAfrica,” which chronicles the the hip hop festival in Ouagadougou, the capital in Burkina Faso. That’s followed by a panel discussion on the intersection of technology, digital media and its impact on the African Continent (I’m a panelist, btw). A performance by Senegalese-born Meta (above) and the Cornerstones ends the evening.
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Tagged: African hip hop, Burkina Faso, FangAfrica, Meta and the Corningstone, Nomadix Wax, Ouagadogou
Last week Congo’s government announced it would pledge $2.5 million to relief efforts in Haiti. As Texas in Africa noted, pledging is not the same as actually handing the money over. Just ask the Western governments. (Incidentally to those worried whether Congo can afford to do that, that money is apparently small change compared to the money lost to government corruption. Earlier Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, who fancies himself a world leader, invited Haitians to move there on land to be donated by his government. When his people complained, he scaled back the original offer.
Now comes the news (I hope it is not a hoax) that Somali pirates have expressed willingness to part of their loot captured from transnational boats to Haiti. Oh, and the pirates can talk.
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Tagged: Africa, Haiti, pirates
A group of celebrities (among them Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco and Santigold) decided to climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global clean water crisis. Okay, so they’re a group of B-List celebrities, but the idea sounds good. They finished the climb last month. The idea was simple: The celebrities get media attention and in turn the fickle mainstream media talks and write about the water crisis. Right?
Except as, Leah Lamb writes at Current TV, in the videos they post online we hear a lot about the state of their bowels and knees without once mentioning water issues.
Watch for yourself.
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Tagged: humanitarianism, celebrities, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold, Jessica Biel, Mount Kilimanjaro
