ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jun

22

2023

A statue’s theft and return earned it a spot in the African Artworks Hall of Fame

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ON a cool, moonlit night in 1966, as the people of Kom lay sleeping, a significant cultural symbol disappeared from under their noses. Located in the western grasslands, Kom, formerly an independent kingdom, became an administrative division in Cameroon when the country gained independence in 1960. The most revered symbol of the Kom people is a 159-centimetre carved wooden statue. It depicts a man standing behind a small throne, wearing a crown and holding a sceptre. The wooden sculpture, called Afo Akom (which translates as the "thing of Kom"), was kept in storage at the king's palace. It was only…

Jun

22

2023

By The African Mirror

The Riky Rick Foundation launches “Stronger”, a song that promotes mental well-being

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFTER winning our hearts for decades, on 23 February 2022, Rikhado “Riky Rick” Makhado, an icon, rapper, producer, and hip-hop artist, lost his battle with mental illness. Before he passed, he tweeted his final tweet; “I’ll return a stronger man”. One year later, during youth month, his track ‘Stronger’ will be dropped. The newly formed Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism is behind the release of the track. The foundation aims to bring attention to the issue of deteriorating mental health and well-being, as well as raise funds to support the efforts of individuals and organisations who promote…

Jun

21

2023

By The African Mirror

Milisuthando: a powerful documentary that will get South Africans talking about identity

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MILISUTHANDO is a debut feature-length documentary film by Milisuthando Bongela. Taking the form of a personal essay, it’s an intimate story about family and ancestors, about “inside apartheid’s experiment” and negotiating the complex world of post-apartheid South Africa. Bongela, born in 1985, offers a version of her life story in five parts organised poetically and thematically. The film is built on her experience of being born in the former Transkei “homeland” – one of the “independent states” designated by the racist apartheid government to institutionalise “separate development”. It explores what it means to have grown up in this society. JULIA…

Jun

15

2023

By The African Mirror

Shaka Zulu is back in pop culture – how the famous king has been portrayed over the decades

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SHAKA Zulu is one of the most famous figures in South African history, even though not much is actually known about him. The subject of a hit 1980s TV show and of many books, Shaka is reframed by each generation. Now he’s back in popular culture with a major new South African TV series, Shaka iLembe. Dan Wylie is an English professor who has written two academic books on Shaka. We asked him four questions. Author DAN WYLIE, Professor of English, Rhodes University Who was Shaka Zulu and what did you learn from writing about him? Shaka kaSenzangakhona is universally…

Jun

14

2023

By LERATO MOGOATLHE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

My Mogadishu: This photographer’s work is creating a dazzling visual language of Somalia

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IT is a Thursday afternoon at Lido Beach in Mogadishu and a group of young boys are playing football on the white sands, while fishermen sort out their boats, women vendors sell drinks and snacks and the air is filled with laughter and joyful conversation as the city residents run or stroll along the beach against the beautiful backdrop of a sparkling Indian ocean. Mamadou Omar trains his camera on the scene in order to capture these simple moments of everyday life in Mogadishu. He will post them on his Twitter and Instagram accounts along with the rest of his…

Jun

08

2023

By PATRICK NELLE FOR BIRD STORY AGENCY

Were Ancient Egyptians Black or White? Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra has revived a century-old controversy

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

"I announce on this day to the media that Cleopatra was not black. Cleopatra was Greek, similar to the queens and princesses of Macedonia. If we look at the scenes in the Egyptian temples, we can see that the pharaohs are depicted and in front of them were Nubian, Libyan, and Asian captives, the king is always completely different from all of them. I am not against black people at all, but here I am just listing the evidence that Cleopatra was not black," renowned Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiques, Zahi Hawass, wrote on his Facebook page after…

Jun

07

2023

By The African Mirror

Ethiopia’s musicians fled the country after the 1974 revolution – how their culture lives on

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE overthrow of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 led to violent conflict that had a particularly heavy impact on musicians. Sing and Sing On: Sentinel Musicians and the Making of the Ethiopian American Diaspora is the first study of the forced migration of musicians out of the Horn of Africa dating from the revolution. The book traces their struggles and what happened to their rich and diverse music traditions when they settled in the US. Ethnomusicologist Kay Kaufman Shelemay talks about her book. Author KAY KAUFMAN SHELEMAY, G. Gordon Watts Professor of Music and Professor of African and African…

Jun

06

2023

By GABRIELLA OPARA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Taking Nollywood to the next level with Aki and Pawpaw

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN 2002, Nigeria's film industry - widely referred to as Nollywood - presented Africa with a comic relief movie called Aki na Ukwa. The film stars Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme as two mischievous brothers (Aki and Pawpaw) who cause chaos at home, in their village, and at school. It is widely considered one of the funniest films to come out of Africa. It has been over twenty years since the much-loved characters first appeared on screen but now they are making a comeback in the form of a mobile phone game. On April 28, 2023, Play Network Studios announced…

May

30

2023

By The African Mirror

BOOMTOWN confirms the freshest lineup for the ‘July’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

WITH less than 6 weeks to the most anticipated annual horse race event of the year, BOOMTOWN organizers have finalized their lineup for the much-coveted lifestyle experience at the Hollywoodbets Durban July this past week. BOOMTOWN presented by Heineken®, over the past two weeks have announced the 2023 lineup on their social media platforms. This includes the multiple award-winning Afropop music outfit Mafikizolo, platinum-selling artist Prince Kaybee, hip-hop royalty Blxckie, dance duo sensation Murumba Pitch, superstar DJ Fresh, local fav Okmalukoolkat and newcomer singing sensation TenOceans. Also set to dazzle the attendees with fresh tunes are DJ duo No Comply,…

May

30

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

DEMAS Nwoko, born in Nigeria in 1935, has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, arguably the world’s most prestigious architecture event. At the Stirling Pavilion in the heart of the Giardini venue, Nwoko generously gave us an interview amid a display of his works. Nwoko’s multidisciplinary practice includes architecture, sculpture, painting, design and writing. This expanded notion of an “architect” has kept his name off the radar of the discipline. Until now. Author PAULO MOREIRA, Researcher, Universidade de Lisboa Nwoko has always blurred boundaries between industry and craftsmanship, between geographies and creative…