I still mourn the day I walked around to Le Grand Dakar, one of my favorite restaurants in Clinton Hill, and found it was closed. The restaurant, run and owned by Chef Pierre Thiam (check out his interesting family backstory) was a fixture in the block around Grand Ave and Lafayatte. (Pierre, incidentally, is a great supporter of the African community in the city; he started a summer street festival; he also hosted a party for Chimurenga Magazine a while back.) Recently, driving on Franklin Ave I spotted him on the street. He confirmed the bad news, but promised he’ll open a restaurant again. He just needs a space. Meanwhile, Chef Pierre remains busy (he was even on Iron Chef and published an award winning book on Senegalese food, for example). Later this month, February 28th, at a “special international feast” for the Japan Society in Manhattan, he’ll take on “the challenge of integrating Asian ingredients into 11 Senegalese dishes.” In the video, above, he talks about his “sushi style” Sombi dessert, one of the dishes he’ll do at the Japan Society benefit. And here’s the recipe for the “sushi style” Sombi dessert: [Read more...]
Inbox
It has come to this. Don’t focus too much on the ‘your scholarship’ line. An email from an American lawyer in my inbox:
I am writing to request your help in a matter based on your scholarship on South Africa. My immigration law firm is currently representing a family of white Afrikaner farmers who are seeking asylum and withholding of removal based on allegations that they are the victims of discrimination based on their race and political affiliation. We are seeking an expert witness who could testify to the current situation in South Africa and confirm that this family would indeed suffer similar persecution if they were to return … If you or anyone you know would be able to give us an expert opinion, please let me know. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Laduma
During the summer I was interviewed for a new film about how a group of American fans experienced the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, including the qualifying leading up to it. I think I made the cut. The trailer for the film, “Laduma” is now on Youtube and it is hitting the festival circuit (it’s showing tomorrow night in Philadelphia, at a film festival in Pennsylvania next month and I know there’s a New York City screening also lined up in the near future). You can see my man Tony Karon, who co-teaches a regular ‘Global Soccer, Global Politics’ course (Fall 2011 syllabus here) with me at The New School, in the trailer above. Other talking heads interviewed in the film include ESPN’s Bob Ley and Sports Illustrated’s soccer writer Grant Wahl. Here’s the Facebook page for updates.
The Toto ‘Africa’ Meme N°2. Madlib and GZA
Remember when we promised we’d start a weekly Toto “Africa” meme. On Wednesdays. Here’s the second installment: Track no.2 off Madlib‘s Medicine Show #13: Black Tapes. It features GZA of the Wu Tang Clan. Makes even Toto sound better.
‘Very African and Very Modern’
Written by Wayne Marshall*
As if there weren’t already enough to tease out about Konono N°1 and Congotronics, a recent article in The Guardian points to a song and video called “Karibu Ya Bintou” by Baloji, a Congo-born rapper who cut his teeth on the Belgian hip-hop scene but who has worked over the last few years to return to “roots” — in part by incorporating “traditional” sounds of the Congo, from soukous guitars to Konono’s hallmark distorted likembé. The latter can be heard supporting the vivid video for “Karibu Ya Bintou”:
Kinyarwanda goes online
In January 2011 director Alrick Brown’s feature “Kinyarwanda”–a film about “6 people struggling through the Rwandan genocide”–won Sundance’s award for “World Drama” (that’s a big category, but we’ll move on). In December last year it had a limited release, including here in New York City. I missed the screenings. In most cases films like “Kinyarwanda” would vanish and months later pop up on Netflix with little marketing where, unless someone in the know tells you, you’ll know never see it. Or the filmmakers will do their own guerrilla marketing. But that won’t be needed now as digital rights to “Kinyarwanda” have been snapped up by Snagfilms, which has an online library of more than 3000 films. That means you can order it or see it via Snagfilms’ partners “… Comcast Xfinity, FiOS, DIRECTV, iTunes, Amazon and VUDU.”
Via Shadow and Act.
Film Review: ‘Come Back Africa’ (1959)
Written by Elliot Ross
The freshly restored “Come Back, Africa” (1959) is showing (as per Sean’s preview last year) at Film Forum in New York City until Thursday. If you are in the city or close and have the chance, go. There aren’t many films like this one.
First black woman wins Best Director at Sundance
I used to run an annual post mocking Sundance’s offering of Africa-themed films or films by directors of African descent. (I didn’t bother last year, but here’s 2010′s version complete with a good dose of indignation.) It’s gotten slightly better, but Sundance still comes with the usual offerings of pirates, mostly films by Westerners (not a bad thing in itself, if they’re made well and with good stories) or about Westerners finding themselves or saving Africans. Anyway, there’s some news to celebrate from this year’s festival: the first woman director of African descent has won the award for Best Director for Dramatic Film at the festival. She is Ava DuVernay, director of the drama “Middle of Nowhere,” a film about a woman whose husband is incarcerated. See above for an interview with DuVernay and below the trailer.
‘The Real Tarzan’ and other colonial fantasies
Blackbookmag.com reports that two British artists have built a “Heart of Darkness”-themed hotel in the shape of a steamboat on the roof of a Thames River arts center in London. It is named Roi des Belges (King of the Belgians). They charge between 120 and 185 pounds for singles or couples per night to stay in the hotel. “Inside, the cozy paddle steamboat is lined with timber, vintage books, and props that echo details from Conrad’s works, such as maps of Africa.” Two days ago, The Guardian (of all publications) put up a travel piece with this introduction: “I was alone in the middle of deepest, darkest Congo. Worse still, I was being chased by eight angry tribesmen in two dugout canoes – and they were gaining on me.” We figured it must be a joke. Then there’s this guy, DeWet Du Toit (in the images above and below), who left South Africa to work as a security guard in Manchester, and returned to George, a coastal town in the Western Cape region of South Africa (where else?), where he lives out his fantasy as ‘the real Tarzan’, complete with promotional video (he wants to break into Hollywood like Charlize and District 9), animals, black helpers (see the picture below) and friendly news coverage.
Africa is a Country on Twitter and Facebook
This is just a reminder to not forget that we also have a new @Africasacountry account on Twitter where we tweet and retweet media criticism and analysis as well as new music, sports, arts and photography. Follow us there. The same goes for our Facebook page. Like us there too.
