ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

May

17

2024

By DERICK MATSENGARWODZI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Tuku’s legacy: A Zimbabwean artist aims to do right by her famous father

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AT the age of ten, Selmor Mtukudzi accompanied her father to her first studio recording. By then, Oliver Mtukudzi was a household name all over Africa and known fondly worldwide by his fans as 'Tuku'. Today, Oliver Mtukudzi is considered an icon among the continent’s club of artistic heroes; he addressed social issues as a musician and actor and acted as a goodwill ambassador for the UN’s children's fund. He also mentored young musicians, including his own children. His career spanned over four decades until his death in January 2019. Now, Selmor and others in the Mtukudzi family are working…

May

11

2024

By The African Mirror

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa says new series feels like ‘a fresh era

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

NCUTI Gatwa, the first Black actor to play the lead role in "Doctor Who", says its new series feels like "a fresh era" as the British sci-fi television show goes global. The much-loved BBC cult show will now also be streamed to audiences outside the United Kingdom in a new collaboration between the British broadcaster and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) streaming service Disney+. The Rwandan-born Scottish actor, who shot to fame in the Netflix show "Sex Education", plays the latest incarnation of the Time Lord in the new series, which also sees screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies return as showrunner. “It…

Apr

27

2024

By The African Mirror

Senegal delays Dakar Art Biennale by six months

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Senegalese authorities have delayed the Dakar Biennale devoted to African contemporary art, pushing back the start of the capital's prestigious month-long event to November from May, organisers said on Thursday. The 15th edition of the biennale was due to kick off on May 16, but the Youth, Sports, and Culture Ministry said the postponement was necessary due to the determination of newly elected authorities to wait for optimum conditions. The event will now run from November 7 to December 7, it said. In a statement shared on the biennale's official social media channels, the ministry also cited "the constraints…

Apr

25

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Can low-budget, high-quality films help African filmmaking?

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

A collaboration between Netflix, South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and distribution partner, Indigenous Film Distribution, has resulted in the unveiling of 6 films debuting on Netflix. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the film industry, showcasing the transformative power of micro-budget yet high-quality filmmaking across the continent. Oluwanifemi Obaba, a Nigerian entertainment lawyer, underscores the significance of this as a milestone for the filmmakers, explaining that “securing the necessary resources to finance a movie can be quite tedious, to say the least.” “Funding needs are dynamic and they become necessary at different stages of a film’s…

Apr

23

2024

By SIFISO NDLOVU

Esther Mahlangu: how the famous South African artist keeps her Ndebele culture alive

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ESTHER Mahlangu is having a retrospective of her world-famous art in Cape Town. Now 88, the South African visual artist is best known for her colourful large-scale murals in the traditional patterns and colours of the Ndebele people of South Africa – once famously displayed on a BMW as part of a global advertising campaign. But how is she regarded by her people and what does her work represent? We asked Sifiso Ndlovu, an expert in the art and identity of the Ndebele people, to tell us more. Who is Esther Mahlangu? Esther Nostokana Mahlangu was born on 11 November…

Apr

17

2024

By PIERRE-PHILIPPE FRAITURE

Beyond images of war: Sammy Baloji’s work captures DR Congo’s vibrant arts and culture, challenging Western views

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is all too often associated with violent conflict, at the expense of its positive aspects. Reports on this huge country, the second largest in Africa after Algeria, and nearly twice the size of South Africa, tend to overlook its intellectual and artistic vibrancy. My research has focused on this part of the continent. This article is based on two recent contributions in which I examine the DRC’s cultural richness and explore the role and place of mineral extraction in its literature and art. The contribution of the DRC to Africa’s culture is immense. In…

Apr

16

2024

By NOMFUNDO XALUVA

Tutu Puoane: the South African singer on creating her new album out of Lebo Mashile’s poetry

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FROM her base in Belgium, proudly South African singer, artist and actor Tutu Puoane has carved an international career predicated on consistency and mastery. Her new album, Wrapped in Rhythm Vol 1, features the writing of South African poet and cultural activist Lebo Mashile. Born Nonthuthuzelo Puoane in May 1979, she was raised in the Pretoria township of Mamelodi. Townships are urban black areas created under the apartheid policies of South Africa’s former government. Puoane began her artistic training at Fuba (the Federated Union of Black Artists), founded as an alternative training academy for artists denied access to whites-only institutions.…

Apr

13

2024

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Kenyan-made dramas, comedies rival foreign sports in viewership numbers

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

KENYAN viewers are beginning to show a strong preference for locally-produced content, regional giant MultiChoice has revealed, with the appetite and consumption of Kenyan-made films now second only to foreign sports content like the UEFA and English premier leagues. “Some classic shows like 'Hulabaloo', 'Njoro wa uba' in the last six months attracted more than 5 million viewers. Record viewership of 'Kasiri', 'Zari' and the growing dominance of 'Kina' is just amazing. Kenyans are not only watching local content they are actually paying for local content,” said MultiChoice Managing Director, Nzola Miranda during the company's early April Kenya Content Showcase.…

Apr

13

2024

By JOSH OPOKU BREW

How to keep your music career going: 3 tips from a Ghanaian star

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GHANAIAN parents have historically discouraged their children from becoming musicians or marrying musicians. A music career is still not seen as one that can provide a steady income to support a family, and the behaviour of musicians is seen by some as deviant. These attitudes stand in the way of musicians wanting to make a career out of their art. I am a professional musician, music scholar and environmental activist who’s interested in the global challenges that musicians face. In a recent paper, I examined the strategies adopted by Okyeame Kwame (OK), one of the pioneers of hiplife music in…

Apr

12

2024

By KATE OKORIE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Meet the creative championing the African Renaissance from her living room

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTIMEDIA

BOLA Edwards' living room has been transformed into a giant stage. Large styrofoam books stand tall while an oversized pencil crafted from plywood balances on a brown wall. The opposite wall is a fuchsia pink. The space looks like a classroom from a child’s whimsical imagination. In the middle of the room stands an armchair upholstered in the swirling patterns of African textiles. It is here, at the centre of things, that the fictional grandmother character Grandma Wura comes to life, sharing stories with young African minds around the globe. Ever since the character's debut in 2015, Grandma Wura has…