ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jul

04

2023

Tshimologong targets youth for global video game and animation skills

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, is providing wide-ranging opportunities for South African youth to access the necessary tools, technical training, and business support to pioneer the African games and animation industry and compete in the global market. As the global gaming industry's revenue soars to over $180 billion per year (a staggering three times higher than movie revenue), young aspiring developers are establishing a thrilling entry point into this highly lucrative industry with specialised skills in coding, programming, game development, UX, and app development. Launched in 2021 and supported by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the…

Jul

04

2023

By OWEN KONZOLO FOR BIRD STORY AGENCY

The vinyl revival: This man is helping African millennials rediscover the groove

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

"ONE of the beautiful aspects of vinyl is its ability to preserve cultural heritage. In Africa, vinyl has become more than just a medium for music; it has transformed into a cultural artefact," proclaims James 'Jimmy' Rugami, from amongst the hundreds of vinyl records on display in his market stall in Nairobi. "People are rediscovering old recordings of traditional music, reconnecting with their heritage, and finding a sense of pride in their identity." Rugami should know; he has been selling vinyls to a mostly African audience for over 30 years. Located in the bustling Kenyatta Market in Nairobi, Rugami occupies…

Jul

01

2023

By IRENE KALULU, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Tsitsi Dangarembaga speaks

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TSITSI Dangarembga is a Zimbabwean playwright, filmmaker and award-winning novelist who is vocal about freedom of expression and human rights. In 2020, she was arrested and later convicted by a Zimbabwean court for inciting violence after carrying out a march calling for political reforms. The charge was later overturned. Her first book, "Nervous Conditions" earned her the Commonwealth Writers Prize, with the New York Times calling it one of the 20th century's most significant works of African literature. Other works include "This Mournable Body", "The Book of Not", and most recently, a book of essays titled "Black and Female". This…

Jun

27

2023

By NOKUKHANYA MUSI - AIMIENOHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Eswatini brings the world to its doorstep at the Annual MTN Bushfire

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTIMEDIA

THE road to Malkerns Valley in Eswatini is packed with cars, causing a massive traffic jam. Despite this, the atmosphere is jolly and lively, and no one seems bothered by the delay. That's because the road leads to Eswatini's annual MTN Bushfire Festival of the Arts. People are already starting to party and as the cars start moving again, Malkerns comes into view, a tranquil pineapple-growing town known for its picturesque farmland and mountains. In the distance, the pulsating beats of Amapiano music can already be heard. The entrance is crowded the food stalls offering a variety of quick bites,…

Jun

22

2023

By PATRICK NELLE / BIRD STORY AGENCY

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…