The politics of translation
The film, "Veejays," comes across as an earnest attempt to learn about the ways people are remixing dominant culture industries to make their own.
Culture
McDonald’s Baobab Tree
The use of black and African pride by Western fast food chains to appeal to African-Americans in the United States.
The struggle of the Sahrawi people
Several years ago, I visited Casablanca in Morocco for a few days. What I remember most
Weekend Music Break, N°22
I’m taking cues from Africa is a Country’s contributors this week. First up, Boima dropped by
Film Africa (1): ‘The Beautiful Game’
This documentary film about football in Africa is actually not that terrible once you get past the
There’s an African film festival in Scotland
Africa in Motion, Scotland’s African Film Festival, kicks off in Edinburgh and Glasgow today. Here’s a
Is Mads Brügger a journalist?
The Danish filmmaker believes his work contains qualities missing from most conventional journalism. Especially journalism dealing with Africa
The Kenyan Finns
What would happen if you made a film about a key figure in Finnish history and cast Kenyan actors in the lead roles?
Moroccan Rockstars
The artist Hassan Hajjaj frames his portraits of ordinary Moroccans with a neat shelf crammed with 7 Up and Coca-Cola cans, symbols of a burgeoning import market and aspiration.
Jakes Gerwel and “the intellectual home of the left”
The fate of the University of the Western Cape, set up for coloureds, radicalized by black consciousness and from where the ANC prepared to govern.
What joy sounds like in German
Bonus music break: Abdullah Ibrahim, John Tchicai, Gato Barbieri, Barre Phillips and Makaya Ntshoko performing live on German public television in 1968.
10 African films to watch out for, N°7
I was surprised to find very few films by African directors in this year’s programme of
Germany’s Turn
What to make of Germany’s newest arts funding program for the African continent, TURN, a 2 million Euro art and culture initiative that will last till 2015.
Our love is hot for Tiwa Savage
The music video for Tiwa Savage's "Ife wa Gbona" is as engrossing as the song. With its blend of pop, juju and highlife It bring up warm feelings in the listener.
If dolls never die, neither does their past
The artist Gérard Quenum's work suggest that society’s collective bad parenting and maltreatment cannot ever, completely ransack the spirit.
Legson Kayira, the first Malawian novelist, has died
Malawi had three first novelists: David Rubadiri, Aubrey Kachingwe, and Legson Kayira, who has died this
‘Syn City’ Harare
Zimbabwe is a paradox. A country riddled with contradictions. While the often unpalatable and sometimes hair-raising
Tintingate
Coming to grips with historically racist stereotypes and colonial traces in children's literature.
Friday Bonus Music Break, N°21
Nigerian-Swedish pop star Dr Alban features in this new St. John’s Dance video above. Swedish-Finnish-Gambian (yeh)
Bring the Beat Home
The documentary, "Soul Power," captures a moment in African-American music during the 1970s: testing its boundaries in Kinshasa, Zaire.