The Polish writer Ryszard Kapuscinski once remarked that “Africa is silently dying because nobody is listening to its voice.” The good people at the Italian site Afronline does not believe that should be the case and started a site where they serve as a clearing house for information from a host of Africa-specific news sites – among these A24Media,  Africa The Good News, Pambazuka News and, of course, Africa Is a Country. They’re based in Milan and ” … gather and disseminate quality information from a wide network of African independent and nonprofit media (newspapers, radio, TV, web and social media) through our web portal.” They also “… produce  quality content (interviews, opinions and analyses) for various  African media partners.”

You can check out the site here.

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In a previous incarnation of Africa Is a Country, I wrote about how I am not sure how I feel about the work of photographer Peter Beard. He thinks of Africa as a spoilt Eden, his muse is Isak Denisen (otherwise known as Karen Blixen; he adored her “Out of Africa“) and half the time Beard’s photographs look like snaps taken by Europeans who are on safari. But do people still care for his work? Kamau, blogging over at Africa.Visual_Culture, wrote last month about Beard’s “contraditions”

Talking of models: the movie trailer for “Desert Flower,” the new feature which dramatizes the short and very eventful life of Somali model Waris Dirie up to now -she was circumcised at 5, married off at 13, was a supermodel by the time she was 18 and is now a UN spokeswoman against female genital mutilation. No disrespect to Wasis, but if the trailer is anything to go by, we can expect a not very good movie.

In the last six months, writes Black Looks( Sokari Ekine), “… we have seen the expression of homophobia with the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill; the arrest of gay Malawian couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, for getting married;  most recently the appointment of homophobic journalist,  Jon Qwelane as South Africa’s ambassador to Uganda.”  More here.

Short video interview with the Nigerian artist whose work explores race colonialism and also insists on the MBE behind his name.

Not bad travel piece – apart from the Robinson Crusoe reference in the sidebar – by Helene Cooper, a New York Times reporter who grew up in Liberia.

The film trailer for “Desert Flower,” about the up to now very eventful life of Somali model Waris Dirie – she was circumcised at 5, married off at 13, was a supermodel by the time she was 18 and is now a UN spokeswoman against female genital mutilation – is here. No disrespect to Waris, but if the trailer is anything to go by, we can expect a not very good movie.

Related, there’s only film this year with an Africa-related theme in the official competition for the Sundance Film Festival: director Jennifer Arnold‘s documentary film, “A Small Act.” Then there’s a special African shorts presentation. A friend who played role in selecting the shorts told me to watch out for “Pumzi,” about a water war somewhere in East Africa after World War III. It is directed by the Kenyan filmmaker, Wanuri Kahiu. The other shorts from and with an African themes are “The Tunnel” set in Zimbabwe and “Saint Louis Blues.”

Rappers OBC & Konkret 53 from Burkina Faso bring us the tune “African Soldiers.” The music video is by Magee Films.

Finally, it’s my blog so I can post “Never Forget You” by the Noisettes. The band is tight. This is a live version. And I am a big fan of their singer and bassist, Shingai Shoniwa.