ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Oct

12

2024

Namibia’s art scene has been built by unsung heroes – like queer artist Jo Rogge

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

A week after the opening of their solo exhibition So She Was Turned To a Pillar of Salt at The Project Room in Windhoek, Jo Rogge also facilitated a workshop for aspiring female artists at the gallery. Squeezing in a workshop in the few days they were in Namibia is an affirmation of their commitment to the advancement of art in the country. This is despite having been forced out of Namibia in 2016 when, after 30 years of living and working there, Rogge’s work permit was not renewed. They relocated to neighbouring South Africa. Rogge is a cultural worker…

Oct

09

2024

By MAMADOU DRAMÉ

Senegal’s female rappers aren’t letting obstacles get in their way – who the rising voices are

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN Senegal, rap music and hip-hop culture emerged in the 1980s, driven by the urban youth. It has grown to be one of the most popular music genres in the country. But what role do female Senegalese artists play in developing and promoting hip-hop? And what challenges do they face in this male-dominated industry? Mamadou Dramé, who has done several studies on Senegalese hip-hop, answers these and other questions. What characterises Senegalese hip-hop? The year 1988 marks the beginning of rap in Senegal. After a phase of imitation, artists set themselves apart from the rest of the world by incorporating…

Sep

13

2024

By The African Mirror

Oskido announces his exciting new lifestyle festival ‘BIG DAY OUT’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE iconic award-winning South African DJ and music producer Oskido is thrilled to announce his latest venture, lifestyle festival BIG DAY OUT, set to take place this November. The lifestyle festival is a spectacular celebration of South Africa’s vibrant music scene over the past 3 decades, rekindling the golden era of kwaito by showcasing performances by a stellar lineup of legendary artists and tracking the journey of South African House Music from then to now. Oskido, a trailblazer in the South African music industry, is renowned for his influential role in shaping the kwaito genre and his enduring impact on…

Sep

05

2024

By ANNE MWITI

Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AS young protesters in Kenya took to the streets in June to demand the government account for its spending of taxpayers’ money, the Wajukuu Art Project was opening a new exhibition in Nairobi. Visitors to In the Absence at The African Arts Trust Gallery are greeted by large installations. Draped materials hang from a pillowy sky, razor-sharp knives are welded to rusty iron sheets, suspended lanterns reflect off aluminium mirrors and poems are written on walls. Kenyan curator Rose Jepkorir’s text on the exhibition proposes that In the Absence creates an atmospheric space where visitors can reflect with themselves –…

Aug

20

2024

By AUSTIN EMIELU

Onyeka Onwenu remembered: Nigerian pop star, activist and voice of national unity

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE news of the death of Nigerian musician Onyeka Onwenu on 30 July 2024 hit me, as a musician and popular music scholar, like a thunderbolt. I have listened to and appreciated Onyeka’s music since I was in my 20s. Onwenu was aged 72 – and video clips of her last performance at a birthday ceremony showed her energy level and exuberance, making the sudden transition hard to fathom. Aspiring musicians in Nigeria looked up to the big names in the industry as models and sources of inspiration. Onwenu stood out as a rising star in the early 1980s, when…

Aug

08

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

How an Idris Elba film studio in Zanzibar would be a big boost to the Swahili film industry

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE allocation of an 80-hectare parcel of land in Zanzibar to Hollywood star Idris Elba to build a film studio marks a new milestone in efforts to develop a regional film industry - efforts that are being supported by local government. "Idris Elba will be building a modern studio similar to Hollywood, Nollywood or Bollywood… I'm not sure how we will call it in Zanzibar, whether Zallywood or Zawood, I don't know," Zanzibar’s Minister of Investment, Shariff Ali Shariff said during the 27th anniversary celebrations of the Zanzibar International Film Festival held between August 1 and 4, according to AFP.…

Aug

07

2024

By The African Mirror

John Kani, a legend of the South African, African theatre honoured by King Charles

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FROM the dusty streets of New Brighton township to the grand halls of Buckingham Palace, Dr John Kani's journey is a testament to the transformative power of art and the indomitable spirit of human perseverance. As King Charles III bestowed upon him the Order of the British Empire (OBE), the world bore witness to the coronation of a true titan of African theatre. Kani's life reads like an epic play, each act more compelling than the last. Born in the crucible of apartheid South Africa, he wielded words and performances as weapons against oppression. His stages were not merely platforms…

Aug

02

2024

By ALABA ILESANMI

Fela Kuti is more famous today than ever – what’s behind his global power

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ALMOST three decades after his passing in 1997, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and activist who created the Afrobeat music movement, remains the subject of global obsession. The self-proclaimed “Black President” is everywhere, like an omnipresent deity. His presence is felt, and his legacy is honoured, through contemporary showcases from Lagos to London, Bonn to Brazil. Among his many afterlife manifestations are reissues of his music, like the 2024 Fela Vinyl Box Set #6 curated by British actor and DJ Idris Elba; the display of his life, activism and music at the Rébellion Afrobeat exhibition in Paris in 2022-23;…

Aug

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Lights, camera, action: Idris Elba’s “Zollywood” cinematic revolution

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN a groundbreaking move set to transform the East African film landscape, Zanzibar has unveiled plans for an International Film Studio spearheaded by Hollywood heavyweight Idris Elba. The Tanzanian archipelago, known for its pristine beaches and rich cultural tapestry, is now poised to become the beating heart of Africa's film industry. Announced at the star-studded 27th Zanzibar International Film Festival, the government's allocation of 80 hectares in Fumba village for this ambitious project signals a seismic shift in the region's creative economy. Zanzibar's Investment Minister, Shariff Ali Shariff, heralded the studio as a game-changer, promising to catapult Tanzania onto the…

Jul

31

2024

By ZANIEL DADA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Nigeria’s sports “queen” scores with local language radio show

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

“…and it’s a corner kick for Man City!” “They’re trying by putting pressure on Arsenal’s No. 18 but their defender Ben White kicked it out, so he isn’t a ‘Ben 10’!” “Raya is pushing Akanji…while saying ‘Akanji don’t push me?’” “Pep Guardiola clearly needs a water break!” “There is no end to the bullets in the guns at Arsenal!” It’s 6:30 PM on Sunday and Aderonke Adesola is live. The popular sports presenter has about three million listeners within Ibadan, Nigeria’s third largest city. Her lively updates and analysis of soccer, motorsports, golf, and even racket sports have fans eagerly…