• Marissa Moorman

In post-socialist, growth-oriented Angola, the rich are getting richer and the poor have only their faith.

• Emily Wood

Plying potential audiences with expansive vistas, mystery, exotic landscapes, and ancient holdovers are time worn formulas when presenting Africa to Western audiences.

• Africa Is a Country

We asked about a dozen Africa Is a Country contributors what their favorite books of 2012 were. Here are their picks.

• Boima Tucker

• Sean Henry Jacobs

In any case, here's 10 albums I liked this year; in no particular order. It includes Alabama Shakes, Isaac Mutant, Kendrick Lamar and Bruce Springsteen.

• Tom Devriendt

Janka Nabay, Ben Zabo, Sinkane, Jagwa Music, Kanyi, Youssoupha, Kyle Shepherd, Ebo Taylor, Karantamba and Francis Bebey.

• Steffan Horowitz

Our very biased selection of the top 10 music videos of 2012.

• Basia Cummings

The best films of 2012 with African subjects as their focus: incredibly powerful and moving activist filmmaking that has documented the shifting politics of the continent.

• Boima Tucker

If Os Kuduristas is problematic, there’s no one to blame for its existence but perhaps us, the international community and the media.

• Tom Devriendt

• Steffan Horowitz

How anonymous parties define, construct, and support uprisings in Africa via social media.

• Basia Cummings

How the humanitarian movement grew in close relation to the democratization of moving image technologies.

• Alice de Vries

In South Africa, repackaging dated colonial fears about race and sex are used to sell beer and to win an advertising award for being "different."

• Megan Eardley

Kuduru as an effort by politically connected Angolan elites to to package a fun and edgy dance born in Angola as soft power.

• Zachary Rosen

An interview with Nigerian-American artist, Toyin Odutola.

• Tom Devriendt

• Asanda Kaka

The author, also a photographer, on documenting South Africa's "train churches."

• Tom Devriendt

• Boima Tucker