You know we like the Dutch magazine ZAM. The promised English edition is (almost) here. As a sneak peek, they’re giving us this ‘digital introduction’.
The Day After
July 12, 2010 By 2 Comments
The World Cup is now over after a final match that unfortunately rivals for negativity, ugliness, aimlessness and overzealous refereeing the 1990 World Cup final in Rome between Germany and Argentina. Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal ensured the right result at least.
We can all go back to our normal lives now. But if, like me, you need more football to tie you over till August (when the major European domestic competitions resume as well as qualifications for continental competitions like the African Nations Cup), here are some good summer reading:
* Social Text has published a set of posts by fans on the 2010 World Cup’s meaning and significance. They are by Jennifer Doyle, Nikhil Singh (who edited the posts), Andrew Ross, Patrick Bond and Eli Jelly-Schapiro, among others. There’s also a piece I did, culled from this blog, about the repeat of widespread xenophobic attacks against black African migrants in South Africa.
* Siddhartha Mitter, an Africa is a Country co-conspirator–in a piece on the new music and culture portal, OkayAfrica –asks whether this World Cup was really African. (BTW, go check out OkayAfrica. It is worth a visit.)
Cape Dutch
July 8, 2010 By 21 Comments
This post introduces Neelika Jayawardane as the newest member of the Africa is a Country conspiracy. We’ll have her bio up soon. — Sean Jacobs
Anyone familiar with South Africa knows that its impact with the Dutch produced a contentious past-– a historical collision that had enough momentum to produce repercussions in the present.
But you wouldn’t guess any of that if you landed here in the Cape on Tuesday night. Hours before the Dutch national team and Uruguay faced each other in the Cape Town, it looked as if the whole coastline – from the Cape Flats (the windswept, marshy areas to which those of “mixed” ancestry were forcibly removed during the 20th century) to the Atlantic seaboard (location of multimillion paeans to modernist architecture) – was swept in orange. Tuesday’s 2010 World Cup semi final was the last game to be held at the Green Point Stadium, and Capetonians and Dutch visitors alike flooded the streets of the city in orange afro wigs, orange miner-style overalls, orange oversized clown spectacles.
It must be Africa
June 1, 2010 By 13 Comments
EDIT: Earlier today I saw this ad on a feed from Dutch TV during the Ghana-Holland friendly. And then it did not look funny.
It’s getting ridiculous. Children, animals and Masai.
The commercial by ING Bank, official sponsor of the Dutch national team.
Waka Waka. It must be Africa.
‘Boers and Bantus’
May 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
This is a find. A while back the “History” page of the Dutch TV channel, VPRO–one of my favorite sites–posted some classic video from a show, “Boeren en Bantoes” (Boers and Bantus) from a 1960 program by the famed (by Dutch standards) broadcaster, GBJ Hiltermann, about a visit to South Africa. (The program was posted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.)
For much of the program Hiltermann makes a special pleading for Apartheid’s rulers and its supporters, recycles their propaganda and rationalizing the bantustans and white supremacy. For example, he talks of speaking to “negers” (negroes) who are “min of meer ontwikkeld en bepaald niet dom zijn” (more or less developed and don’t appear dumb). No surprises since historians would later uncover Hiltermann as a Nazi symphatizer. But “Boeren en Bantoes” is also remarkable for other reasons:
Black and White
February 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
From the Youtube channel of the excellent Dutch film production company, ITVS. This video insert is from the exhibition “Black is Beautiful.”
MUSIC / GEOFFY G, ‘OVER (NANE’S SONG)’
December 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Beautifully shot music video for new single (a few months old now) by Dutch musician of Nigerian descent, Geoffy G; Nane is his mother.
A Dutch White Christmas
November 30, 2009 By 9 Comments
This is how they celebate Christmas in the Netherlands complete with Father Christmas and his helpers in blackface.
A Dutch friend of mine provides some context:
MUSIC / KEIZER
November 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I like this Dutch’s rapper’s flow. I also like it because I understand the lyrics.
“THE GAY HAIRDRESSER”
September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A journalist at the Dutch newspaper, Die Volkskrant, has a story about his barber who turns out to be a leading gay rights campaigner who had earlier fled Zimbabwe because of hysterical homophobia there and ended up in Amsterdam. (Narration in Dutch, but interview in English with Dutch subtitles.)
