ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

May

30

2023

Using radio to save the ocean and create jobs – online station started by two students shows how

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

"JAMBO listeners, Karibuni sana to the Blue Drive show. We know it's been a long day at work, and you can't wait to get home. We are here to ease your stress with good music, good vibes…" Diana Wambui's voice reverberates from the radio as the music slows to a stop in the background. "Kama kawaida here at Blue Drive, we talk about all the opportunities available in the Blue Economy. As young people, it's good to know and explore the many opportunities we can venture into, don't you agree, Shirley?" says Wambui as she hands the baton to her…

May

27

2023

By The African Mirror

Musicians launch drive for more funding for arts in Africa

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

PERFORMERS from Ghana, Ethiopia and Tanzania have helped launch a five-year project to try to secure more funding for arts and culture, aiming to persuade African governments to allocate at least 1% of their budgets. The project, called Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) has been started by the African Union in collaboration with Selam Ethiopia, a non-governmental organisation that uses film, music and circus performances to address issues such as women's rights. "We want to empower artists. A lot of artists want to participate in these discussions about good governance, human rights but they are scared of the consequences," Lucy…

May

27

2023

By The African Mirror

Beans and violins – orchestra blends classical roots with modern Nigeria

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AT a Lagos cultural centre, a rapt audience listened to baritone John Onosolease perform an operatic song in the Yoruba language about a hapless soldier being admonished for his failure to cook a flavoursome dish of beans. It was the latest show staged by the Vesta Orchestra, founded in 2017 by violinist Rosalyn Aninyei, which has enlivened the classical music scene in Lagos by performing new works by contemporary Nigerian and African composers. "He cooks and there's no pepper, no oil, no salt, no onions. It is bland. What sort of food is this?" sang Onosolease, drawing laughter and cheers…

May

25

2023

By MIKE DAVIDSON

‘Queen of rock ‘n’ roll’ Tina Turner dies at 83

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TINA Turner, the American-born singer who left a hardscrabble farming community and abusive relationship to become one of the top recording artists of all time, has died at the age of 83. She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said. Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock and roll and evolved into an MTV phenomenon. In the video for her chart-topping song "What's Love Got to Do with It," in which she called love a "second-hand emotion," Turner epitomized 1980s style as she strutted…

May

19

2023

By The African Mirror

National anthems: how composers in South Africa and India are reimagining them

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE rousing notes of the British national anthem God Save The King rang loudly in London’s Westminster Abbey when King Charles III was crowned – and in official and informal celebrations in many other places, though not always to an enthusiastic reception. The song is still sung in many Commonwealth countries. But its place and the oppressive imperial legacy trailing it are increasingly questioned. Author GWEN ANSELL, Associate of the Gordon Institute for Business Science, University of Pretoria That debate can be extended beyond one song. What baggage does any music acquire when it shifts from being – in South…

May

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Souleymane Cissé is honoured as one of Africa’s boldest and most pioneering film-makers

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SOULEYMANE Cissé is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest African filmmakers of all time – and the world’s most prestigious film festival, Cannes, agrees. The Mali-born director has been announced as this year’s recipient of the Carrosse d’Or (the Golden Coach) award. David Murphy, a critic and scholar of African cinema and Cissé’s work, told us more about why his films are so important – and particularly his classic Yeelen. Author DAVID MURPHY, Professor of French and Postcolonial Studies, University of Strathclyde Who is Souleymane Cissé? Cissé is a celebrated Malian film director who has been making movies since…

May

07

2023

By The African Mirror

Pretty Yende wows King Charles and Queen Camilla

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FROM a small rural town of eMkhonto, in Mpumalanga, South Africa to Westminister Abbey, singing at the coronation of an English, an event beamed to millions around the world. This is the incredible and inspirational story of Pretty Yende, the supremely talented South African opera singer who made history by becoming the first soloist to perform at the coronation of an English monarch. Yende, dressed in a stunning yellow Stéphane Rolland gown and Graff jewellery, wowed the global A-listers who made it to the front row to witness the coronation of King Charles III. Yende sang "Sacred Fire," a piece…

May

09

2023

By JANE DRAYCOTT

Queen Cleopatra: experts save this poorly scripted Netflix docuseries

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE trailer for Netflix’s new four-part documentary series, Queen Cleopatra, was deliberately provocative. Promoting the show as executive produced by actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, it prominently featured historian Professor Shelley Haley declaring that: “Cleopatra was black.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/IktHcPyNlv4 The controversy-inciting trailer for Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the trailer is pure clickbait. The show itself is a much more complex piece of work. There are two ways to watch Queen Cleopatra. The first – and easiest – is by paying more attention to the dramatisation of Cleopatra’s life and times than to the academic talking heads. The second is to do the…

May

02

2023

By The African Mirror

Ethiopians savour first night of annual ‘Addis Jazz Festival’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

YOUNG Ethiopians packed into the compound of the Swedish embassy in Addis Ababa to savour an "Ethio Jazz" performance, an annual festival that celebrates Ethiopia's love for the musical genre. On a neon-lit stage in the country's capital, artists played various Ethiopian jazz music pieces as hundreds of revellers danced, mimed and quaffed beer to celebrate the second edition of the so-called Addis Jazz Festival (AJF). AJF debuted in 2019 and was conceived as a platform to promote Ethiopian jazz as well as to bring international jazz to Ethiopia. The event is the brainchild of Muzikawi, an Ethiopian music and…

Apr

30

2023

By SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Billionaire collectors set their sights on Africa’s art

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICA'S fine art market is emerging from obscurity, fueled by a surge of demand from international and, increasingly, local collectors. According to the Africa Wealth Report 2023, published by Henley & Partners with New World Wealth, the continent's fine art market is valued at just over US$1.8 billion as of December 2022. The figure indicates the annual combined value of artworks traded at auction, highlighting art as a symbol of social status and luxury and a promising investment opportunity. Works by African artists such as Irma Stern, El Anatsui and Ben Enwonwu are especially popular among art collectors worldwide. "Irma…