ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jan

25

2024

Doosuur Tilley-Gyado helped launch the careers of some of Afrobeats’ biggest stars. Now she wants to do the same for women creatives

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE year was 2011, Ice Prince had already released his chart-topping song, "Oleku," featuring industry newcomer Brymo, and plans were underway for a music video. This would be a star-studded affair, featuring appearances by Wizkid as well as M.I. and Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince's label mates at Chocolate City, a Nigerian record label. But before plans were finalised, the music label received an unusual request. "Even though the Chocolate City crew members were scattered across the world, Ice Prince wanted all of us to be present for a cameo appearance," said Doosuur Tilley-Gyado, who had assumed dual roles as Talent…

Jan

25

2024

By The African Mirror

Life on an African island can be great when you’re part of the gig economy – just ask this woman photographer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MONICA Marura spent several years managing her family’s cyber café in Mombasa, along the coast of Kenya. All the while she knew she wanted more out of life. In 2020, Marura met her husband, Robert Mwangi, a professional photographer. This meeting helped Marura discover a talent and passion for telling stories through the camera. Her life changed when the couple was given the chance to move to Lamu Island. Although her first thought was, “Wait, what part of Kenya is Lamu?” Not long after arriving, Mwangi heard about clients seeking a woman to photograph a Muslim bridal celebration. As per…

Jan

23

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

African creativity radiates excellence on the international stage

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE global stage has become a platform where African creatives are increasingly gaining recognition, showcasing their exceptional talents, and receiving accolades that underscore the continent's rich creative value. News of Trevor Noah bagging an Emmy award in the Outstanding Talk Series category is the latest recognition of African creativity being appreciated by global audiences. The South African comedian, who hosted The Daily Show until September 2022, also won the 2017 Emmys in the Outstanding Short Form Variety Series. According to the Emmys website, Noah has been nominated 18 times and won two awards. "It's amazing that I get to be…

Jan

23

2024

By ANN MBUTHIA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Her passion for dance transformed Moesha Tajiri’s life. Now she’s changing the lives of hundreds of children

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTIMEDIA

ON any given day, Moesha Kibibi Tajiri's house, located in the heart of scenic Madaraka Estate in Nairobi, can be home to as many as 30 children, all eager to welcome visitors with the greeting, “feel at home.” It may be a crowd, Tajiri is quick to explain, but these are just some of the over a thousand she has "adopted", country-wide. “I have four types of kids: orphans, children from mentally unstable parents, special needs children and those coming from vulnerable spaces. I pay rent to 14 different houses in different ghettos in the country. And despite all challenges,…

Jan

20

2024

By The African Mirror

Soul Brothers: the story of a band that revolutionised South African music

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BIOGRAPHIES of important South African musicians often fall into two categories: they either emerge from PhD or other university-based research or are the fruit of dedicated digging by a fan or family member. The first kind benefits from institutional resources and support; the second from community knowledge of personal details that may be documented nowhere else. GWEN ANSELL, Associate of the Gordon Institute for Business Science, University of Pretoria Because of that very scarcity of a public record, the first kind might miss many parts of the story that can’t be checked in formal records and archives. The second risks…

Jan

20

2024

By Mpho Rantao

Excitement mounts for the sixth Jo’burg Film Festival

NEWS, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, WHAT'S HAPPENING

THE vibrant city of Johannesburg is gearing up to welcome film lovers to the Jo'burg Film Festival, set to take place from Tuesday, February 27th, to Sunday, March 3rd. One of Africa's most popular film screening events, this much-anticipated annual celebration of cinema brings together a diverse community of filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema enthusiasts for a week-long extravaganza dedicated to the art of storytelling through film. https://twitter.com/JoburgFilmFest/status/1740038632218730953?s=20 One of the highlights of this year's festival is the Youth and Audience Development Programme, which has just unveiled its schedule and venues. As part of the festival's commitment to nurturing young…

Jan

11

2024

By LISA RICHWINE

Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks accept honorary Oscars at Hollywood gala

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ACTOR Angela Bassett was celebrated for a lifetime of memorable roles from Tina Turner to the Queen of Wakanda as Hollywood's film academy handed out honorary Oscars. Comedian Mel Brooks also received a golden statuette at the annual Governors Awards in front of a crowd of top stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper and Natalie Portman. On stage accepting her trophy, Bassett paid tribute to the 10 Black women who have won Academy Awards - naming each one - and said she hoped the film industry would provide more opportunities for people of colour. "My prayer is that we leave…

Jan

09

2024

By The African Mirror

Five years on the road in Africa: how Lerato Mogoatlhe became a travel writer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SOUTH African journalist Lerato Mogoatlhe set off for three months in West Africa. She ended up drifting across the continent for five years. In 2019 she wrote a book about her travels, called Vagabond: Wandering Through Africa on Faith. As a scholar of, among other areas, African travel writing and mobility, I chatted to Mogoatlhe about travelling solo, queer and black. JANET REMMINGTON, Research Associate, Humanities Research Centre (and African Literature Department, University of the Witwatersrand), University of York Janet Remmington: In reflecting on the book, you write that your first encounters with countries that would become the story of…

Dec

30

2023

By The African Mirror

Black Panther, Wakanda Forever and the problem with Hollywood – an African perspective

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were global hits that played out in an imaginary African kingdom and featured a universe of black creative talent. What’s not to love about the franchise? Quite a lot, reckons cultural and literary studies scholar Jeanne-Marie Viljoen. We asked her to explain. JEANNE-MARIE VILJOEN, Lecturer, Creative Unit, UniSA, University of South Australia What are Black Panther’s limitations when it comes to diversity? Even though the Black Panther films didn’t represent Africans on their own complex terms, they’re still a major cultural phenomenon. They bring issues of racial representation into the spotlight for Hollywood’s…

Dec

23

2023

By The African Mirror

Hollywood’s first major Black female superhero: how Wakanda Forever broke the mould

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK Panther: Wakanda Forever rewrote Hollywood’s script for superhero movies. English professor Diana Adesola Mafe was recently involved in an academic roundtable that offers a critical conversation about it and another film set in an African kingdom, The Woman King. She argues that Wakanda Forever is a breakthrough film. We asked her why. DIANA ADESOLA MAFE, Professor of English, Denison University Why are these two films such talking points? As big-budget productions with Black female heroes, The Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever invite discussion and debate about Hollywood representations of Africa and the kinds of roles that women…