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Tunisia’s El Kef city is rich in heritage: centuries of cultural mixing give it a distinct identity

Tunisia’s El Kef city is rich in heritage: centuries of cultural mixing give it a distinct identity

EL Kef is a city built into the southern face of Jebel Dyr mountain, which is linked to the High Atlas mountains in the north-western region of Tunisia that borders on Algeria. The breeze that sweeps off the mountain and through the city’s streets offers relief from the hot weather and becomes part of the identity of a city whose riches are little known to the rest of the world. El Kef is rarely on the list of tours organised for international visitors who flock to Tunisia every year to enjoy sunny beaches and local culture. The city’s magnificent natural…
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Fluence Africa Festival empowers micro creators 

Fluence Africa Festival empowers micro creators 

ACCORDING TO IT Web, the creator economy is set to top R 689 million by 2027. The social media landscape is witnessing a meteoric rise in the influencer marketing industry.  This shift in consumer behaviour has opened a golden door for brands. Forecasts predict continued explosive growth in influencer marketing, with businesses projected to allocate a significant portion of their marketing budgets to partner with these social media stars.  Fueled by the ever-growing user base on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, influencers are no longer just personalities, and brands have responded to the growth with projections of marketing budgets…
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A tribute to Maurice El Medioni, the last of the Algerian-born Jewish musical stars

A tribute to Maurice El Medioni, the last of the Algerian-born Jewish musical stars

MAURICE El Medioni, Algerian-born Jewish musician and mentor to young performers, died on 25 March 2024, leaving a legacy of musical production on three continents – Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Maurice El Medioni lived his early life in Oran, western Algeria. Like the vast majority of the Jewish community, he moved to France in 1961/1962 when Algeria became independent. The tragedy of the mass migration of Jews from the Arab world between 1949 and 1970 has become a topic of intense academic and media interest over the past decade. And as the people sometimes referred to as Mizrahi…
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Thandiswa Mazwai’s makes Tiny Desk concert dream debut

Thandiswa Mazwai’s makes Tiny Desk concert dream debut

South African music fans rejoiced when legendary Thandiswa Mazwai, a powerhouse vocalist and champion of kwaito music, graced the stage (well, desk) for NPR's beloved Tiny Desk Concert series.  Premiering on YouTube on April 1, 2024, Mazwai's Tiny Desk set signifies a pivotal moment, not only for the singer but also for the global music community eagerly acquainting themselves with her sounds and performance style in this intimate setting. Mazwai follows a growing list of African artists from across the continent being honoured and platformed on the American YouTube channel. These names include the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Benin’s Angelique Kidjo,…
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Fuji music in Nigeria: new documentary shines light on a popular African culture

Fuji music in Nigeria: new documentary shines light on a popular African culture

NIGERIAN singer Síkírù Àyìndé Barrister (1948-2010) pioneered fújì, a Yorùbá genre of popular dance music. In February 2024, historian Saheed Aderinto’s documentary on the musician’s life and times premiered. The Conversation Africa’s Wale Fatade asked Aderinto about the film and the music it brings to our attention. What is fújì music? Fújì fuses Islamic philosophy and wordsmithing with Yoruba poetry and meaning-making to create sound, idioms and recreational habits. It does this across social classes, from the wealthy in the corridors of political power to the poor at the fringe. Its messages, politics, performance styles, space and sophistication reflect a…
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Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album takes ‘deeper dive’ into country music history

Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album takes ‘deeper dive’ into country music history

U.S. music superstar Beyoncé released her highly anticipated country album, Cowboy Carter, which she says was born out of an experience years ago where she "did not feel welcomed." Country music legends Linda Martell and Willie Nelson are featured on the album released on Friday, which also had duets with Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone and a cover of Dolly Parton's famed "Jolene." Many critics offered praise for the album with Page Six's Nicholas Hautman calling it "the revival that country music so desperately needed". Experts and fans view Beyoncé's foray into country music as a reclamation and homage to the legacy…
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Louis Gossett Jr., first Black man to win best supporting actor Oscar, dead at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., first Black man to win best supporting actor Oscar, dead at 87

LOUIS Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor, has died aged 87, a family statement confirmed without revealing the cause of death. The Oscar-winning actor's roles ranged from an enslaved man in the TV mini-series "Roots" to a no-nonsense drill sergeant in "An Officer and a Gentlemen." In "Sadat," he had the title role, playing the Egyptian leader who made peace with Israel. Gossett, who was also a producer, director, social activist and the founder of the Eracism Foundation to combat racism, died at a rehabilitation centre in Santa Monica, California, the…
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Search and rescue diver Susan Mtakai shatters stereotypes and barriers at sea

Search and rescue diver Susan Mtakai shatters stereotypes and barriers at sea

AS the water closes in over Susan Mtakai's head, she can't help thinking about how the depths she's about to descend to are so very alien to the life she was once used to. Born in the highlands of Taita, a county inland from the coast, her early experiences were of a landscape of hills and verdant forest. Growing up far from the sea was hardly what one would expect of someone who was to become a professional diver. Yet, in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, Susan Mtakai is a calm and considerate team leader. Donning a well-worn…
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Comedian Kevin Hart honoured with Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for humour

Comedian Kevin Hart honoured with Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for humour

THE Kennedy Center honoured comedian Kevin Hart with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor with an evening that featured routines from fellow comics Dave Chappelle, Chelsea Handler and Jerry Seinfeld in tribute to Hart's career. In a recorded show that will air on May 11 on Netflix, Hart's peers celebrated him with a mix of humour, profanity and emotion. "You remind me ... why I love comedy so much," Chappelle, a previous winner of the award, told Hart from the Kennedy Center stage, quipping that he had given up a trip to Jamaica to attend. "I am honoured to…
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Investing in art is often considered an activity only for the wealthy. Karabo Morule would disagree

Investing in art is often considered an activity only for the wealthy. Karabo Morule would disagree

FOR anyone unsure of what art to buy or which artist to follow, Karabo Morule is a godsend. At the Investec Cape Town Art Fair in mid-February, while walking a group of patrons - all wearing eye-catching headphones - through the exhibits, she explained the exhibits and at the same time advised her group on which art they should potentially be investing in. “Buying art should be seen as a long-term progression but more importantly, one has to buy what they love and as you buy you will start to get a feel of what you like,” the entrepreneur and…
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