A profile of Lemi Ghariokwu
CARTOONING / GADO
December 31, 2009 By 2 Comments
The South African editorial cartoonist Zapiro usually gets all the shine because he so good. But there is also Gado, the Kenyan cartoonist.
TELEVISION / AIDS QUACKERY
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Early December news report from German broadcaster Deutche Welle on the self-styled healers and profit-hungry businesses take advantage of the helplessness of people living with AIDS in South Africa. Until early this year, they had supporters at the highest level in government.
PHOTOGRAPHY / SABELO MLANGENI
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I’ve featured the work of Johannesburg photographer Sabelo Mlangeni before. The photographs above is from his series “Men Only” series which documents the daily routines of residents of the run-down George Goch hostel on the East Rand of Johannesburg. The “hostel” (more like structures fit for animals) was built by mining capital for black migrant workers at least fifty years ago. Mlangeni aimed to “… capture the normality that exists in an abnormal, unnatural situation.”
MUSIC / VULA MALINGA
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London-based vocalist, Vula Malinga.
Via Represent.co.za
CHINESE RACISM
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I am cleaning out by ‘to blog’ folder. This story is worth checking out in the context of Chinese state corporations’ increased investment in Africa and the growing presence of African merchants in China.
GRAPHIC NOVELS / ‘THE RED MONKEY DOUBLE HAPPINESS BOOK
December 31, 2009 By 1 Comment
Joe Daly’s new graphic novel set in Cape Town. I plan to get my hands on it in the new year.
Reviewed here.
MUSIC / NEW ABDULLAH IBRAHIM
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Abdullah Ibrahim has a new album with the WDR Big Band Cologne, “Bombella.” I haven’t seen it yet.
Meanwhile here is a short “portrait” of Ibrahim by a French TV channel. Some rare footage of Ibrahim playing the saxophone.
FILM / ‘TEN DAYS IN AFRICA’
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Beautiful remixed version of a short film by American director Reggie Allen, about his trip to Ghana as a student. (Remixed produced & edited by Sabrina Gordon).
More films here.
ADVERTISING / WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO LOUIS GOSSETT JR?
December 31, 2009 By 1 Comment
If you’re an Oscar winning black actor but and Hollywood stops calling you, what do you do? You do what many before you did: you go make TV commercials somewhere else. It used to be the Gulf and Japan, but now actors like Gossett Jr. go to places like South Africa. There Gossett Jr stars in ads for Windhoek Lager beer. See above and below.
