Ah, Mali. From bad to worse. Monday, “protestors” found a seventy-year old man sitting in his office and beat him unconscious. Preliminary reports had him lying in hospital with head wounds. Apparently he’s been released, but after such a beating, he might never be the same again. Will the country? [Read more...]
Mali’s problem–Not child soldiers, but soldiers acting like children
May 22, 2012 By 6 Comments
Exhibition. Cape Town in France
May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Cécile Mella (remember her portraits of the Cape Town ad world) will be showing her photography series ‘Dreamland’ in Montpellier, France this month (at the Galerie Saint Ravy). Come through if you’re in the area.
Shameless Self-Promotion: Chief Boima’s Many Identities
April 25, 2012 By 3 Comments
If you’re unfamiliar with my musical work, OkayAfrica.com recently did a profile on me for their web TV series.
The 19th New York African Film Festival: April 11-17
April 11, 2012 By 2 Comments
This film festival–still the premier site for African film in New York City and on the US east coast–opens tonight at Lincoln Center with a showing of “Mama Africa,” the 2011 documentary by Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki about the life of singer Miriam Makeba “who brought South African music to the world.” The well structured documentary, a celebration of Makeba’s life, is a mix of archived video footage, and interviews with some of her closest family associates (her grandchildren Nelson Lumumba Lee and Zenzi Monique Lee, former husband Hugh Masekela and musicians Sipho Mabuse, Abigail Kubeka, Angelique Kidjo and Dorothy Masuku.) Other films include “Relentless” (see our review on Friday) “How to steal 2 million,” ‘Playing Warriors” and “Restless City.” The detailed program (and tickets) can be accessed here. Africa is a Country is reviewing a selection of films from the festival (see our timeline). And on Saturday afternoon (1.30-4pm) we’re co-hosting two panels on “Cinema and Propaganda” in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center. Here’s the details: [Read more...]
‘Africa’s first* transgender music star’
April 5, 2012 By 10 Comments
African governments don’t want us thinking that “homosexuality” is within the realm of their “traditional values”. So these leaders, even Nobel Peace Prize winning ones, use that as an excuse to justify the persecution and lack of protection for some of their most vulnerable citizens. Well, it seems that the Angolan government who currently seem to have their hands full (of money?) can’t be bothered to check whether or not popular Kudurista*, Titica, fits within that value system… and we’re glad for that! Now, I don’t know the frame through which Angolans are seeing Titica. A little forum and youtube scrolling reveals a divided public (as always). Since I’m not there, I’m not going to write a drawn out post on LGBT issues in Angola. I do have to say that Titica may just be as much of a “challenge” for some New York audiences as ones in Africa, so I’m proud to say that she will be visiting us next Monday night at Bembe in Brooklyn for the iBomba party! New Yorkers, come say hi and give your support. [Read more...]
The Branson Biennale for Morocco
March 19, 2012 By 2 Comments
Vanessa Branson stands, hands on hips, her loosely hanging skirt tails give her the figure of a Western women making modest concessions to the predictable inquisitive gaze of an Arabic polis. Her trainers are burnished gold — a playful note — and what you wouldn’t be forgiven for calling “ethnic jewelry” is slung around her neck. She has just organized the 4th Marrakech Biennale and looks proud of this achievement. Next to her, one of the young curators, Carson Chan, is dressed entirely in black, wearing statement glasses, with folded arms submitting mournfully to the publicity shot, any visible reluctance counterbalanced by a quiet confidence. It’s quite clear who has the money, and who already suspects he knows how this image will be read. [Read more...]
Amsterdam is a Continent
March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
ZAM is an international multimedia platform celebrating African creativity and new thinking, priding itself on a network of over 500 African journalists, photographers, writers, artists, academics, visionaries, doers and hundreds of peers in Europe and elsewhere. (Which we can attest to.) The original Dutch version of ZAM Magazine has been around for a while but to widen their reach, the magazine has reinvented itself as “an independent, quarterly print magazine on Africa and beyond” that will be launched in Amsterdam today. [Read more...]
The Africa is a Country guide to #SXSW
March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
There’s a lot going on for music fans at SXSW 2012. Plenty of AIAC favorites will be there, and fans of UK Bass, Cumbia Rock, Panabaynian Dancehall, neo-Jazz&B-Hop, Dubstep, Moombahton, Dutch House/Bubbling, Southern Rap former jailbirds, Hyphy/Mobb Music, Norteño, Classic New York Rap, Baile Funk, #OWS Rockers/Beatmakers, Balkan Beat Boxers, Afro Colombian, 3Ball, Chicano Rock meets Staten Island Rap, New York Rockers, and/or Dancehall will not be disappointed. There’s a host of “African” artists as well.
Tank Girl
March 7, 2012 By 4 Comments
Nadine Hammam’s work turned out to be “too risky” for Art Dubai. Her new exhibition, Tank Girl, opens tonight at the Gallery Misr (Cairo, Egypt).
The Little Book of Terror
March 6, 2012 By 4 Comments
It was Daisy Rockwell’s “New Hat,” a painting of Nigerian “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab that caught my eye. In her portrait, the young Umar tries on a new black woollen cap, one with the Nike swoosh jauntily embroidered to the front, while on a school trip to London. His fingers are engaged in the action of pulling down the sides of the cap over his ears; the collar of his warm jacket is upturned against the autumnal chill. Around him, the Indian colours of fading summer—golden yellow, burning orange—halo the darkness encasing Umar’s figure. His eyes have that reticent inwardness already. It is that same immobilising sadness we came to recognise in his terrorist mugshot, after he was accused of attempting to blow up a Detroit-bound aeroplane in mid-flight, with explosives hidden in his underwear.
