LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Sep

05

2024

Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AS young protesters in Kenya took to the streets in June to demand the government account for its spending of taxpayers’ money, the Wajukuu Art Project was opening a new exhibition in Nairobi. Visitors to In the Absence at The African Arts Trust Gallery are greeted by large installations. Draped materials hang from a pillowy sky, razor-sharp knives are welded to rusty iron sheets, suspended lanterns reflect off aluminium mirrors and poems are written on walls. Kenyan curator Rose Jepkorir’s text on the exhibition proposes that In the Absence creates an atmospheric space where visitors can reflect with themselves –…

Sep

05

2024

By FRANCOISE VERGÈS

Looting of African heritage: a powerful new book explores the damage done by colonial theft

LITERATURE

European colonisation of Africa was not only about armed conquest, massacres and the exploitation of resources. It was also about the appropriation of spiritual and political symbols. It led to the erasure of a social, cultural, and symbolic world. A 2024 book, Fifteen Colonial Thefts: A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums, adds to the growing literature on the history of the colonial looting of African art and heritage and the issue of restitution, reappropriation and return. Published by Pluto, the book is edited by Ghanaian-born multidisciplinary artist Sela K. Adjei and Berlin-based postdoctoral researcher Yann Le Gall. It…

Aug

24

2024

By The African Mirror

Lewis Hamilton’s African Adventure

LIFESTYLE

THE roar of engines faded as Lewis Hamilton traded the Formula 1 circuit for the vibrant rhythms of Africa. His summer break unfolded like a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, and experiences across five diverse nations. In Morocco, the seven-time world champion wandered through bustling souks, inhaling the heady scent of spices. The call to prayer echoed off ancient walls as he marveled at intricate mosaics, each tile a testament to centuries of craftsmanship. Senegal's golden beaches beckoned next. Here, Hamilton's competitive spirit found a new outlet as he joined locals in impromptu football matches on the sand. The setting sun…

Aug

27

2024

By SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Kenya Railway adopts Boeing-style luxury in first-class offering

LIFESTYLE

SPACIOUS cabins, complete with fully reclining seats reminiscent of the business class on an aircraft, entertainment options, and fine dining experiences are the highlights of Kenya Railways’ new premium offering on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that covers over 400 km between Nairobi and Mombasa. Complementing the plush leather seats, which are thoughtfully arranged for both privacy and comfort, are charging ports, including wireless options. This latest upgrade is part of Kenya’s broader strategy to tap into the growing market of affluent travellers between Nairobi and Mombasa whose other option is to fly between the two cities. Passengers will also…

Aug

27

2024

By GIBSON NCUBE

Sex sells in these Zimbabwe take-out chicken ads – showing how fragile masculinity is

LIFESTYLE

AROUND the world, fast food advertising has been called out for sexualising and objectifying women’s bodies. In South Africa in 2019, for example, one fast food chain was castigated by advertising authorities for “the gratuitous use of sexualised women and sexual puns, with no product relevance”. At the same time, UK authorities put regulations in place to prohibit ads featuring gender stereotypes that could cause harm or lead to significant or widespread offence. Zimbabwe is no exception. This is particularly the case with the marketing strategy of the popular chain Mambo’s Chicken, which often uses humour and innuendo. My research…

Aug

21

2024

By ARIEL SARAH PRINSLOO and JENNIFER FITCHETT

Réunion is a tropical island getaway – our climate study shows that it could attract more tourists during European summers

TRAVEL

YOURE scrolling through Instagram, only half paying attention to your friends’ updates, when a photo of a beautiful, pristine beach grabs your eye. Somebody you know is lounging on that very beach – and suddenly you want to be there, too. You check the location tag: Réunion Island. Réunion is a French department in the south-west Indian Ocean, situated between Madagascar and Mauritius. It ticks many of the boxes associated with a dream island holiday: beautiful green mountainscapes, waterfalls and sunny skies (and, of course, beautiful beaches). Its tourism marketing plays heavily on its year-round favourable weather and outdoor activities.…

Aug

21

2024

By OPINION PIECE BY MOKY MAKURA

Mountains, pyramids, deserts, souks, beaches, islands and wildlife – Inside Tourist Africa

TRAVEL

WHETHER you are African or a foreigner, Africa has experiences that should be on your bucket list, according to Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, and a founder at bird story agency. As she points out, the continent is also pulling out the stops to make its tourism world-class. During a lively discussion at a fan zone at the recently concluded UEFA Euro 2024, a chat with a Scottish stranger about travels in Africa brought up the usual oversimplified tropes. "Is it safe?" he asked. I fumbled for some assuring words; “Absolutely, as safe as it can be.…

Aug

20

2024

By AUSTIN EMIELU

Onyeka Onwenu remembered: Nigerian pop star, activist and voice of national unity

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE news of the death of Nigerian musician Onyeka Onwenu on 30 July 2024 hit me, as a musician and popular music scholar, like a thunderbolt. I have listened to and appreciated Onyeka’s music since I was in my 20s. Onwenu was aged 72 – and video clips of her last performance at a birthday ceremony showed her energy level and exuberance, making the sudden transition hard to fathom. Aspiring musicians in Nigeria looked up to the big names in the industry as models and sources of inspiration. Onwenu stood out as a rising star in the early 1980s, when…

Aug

17

2024

By The African Mirror

Women in translation month: a moving Algerian novel tracks the economic struggles of writers and publishers

LITERATURE

JOSEPH FORD FRENCH-ALGERIAN publisher Edmond Charlot is the subject of the Algerian writer Kaouther Adimi’s third novel, and her first to be translated into English. It was published in 2020 under the US title Our Riches and retitled A Bookshop in Algiers for the UK audience. Before he reached the heights of fame, the French Algerian author Albert Camus was part of a group of talented thinkers and writers including André Gide, Kateb Yacine and Mohammed Dib. This group’s early works were first printed and sold by the young Charlot. Adimi’s novel was translated into English by Chris Andrews. It…

Aug

14

2024

By TINASHE MUSHAKAVANHU

Podcasts bring southern Africa’s liberation struggle to life – thanks to an innovative new audio archive

LIFESTYLE

MUCH has been written about the struggles for liberation in southern Africa that took place between the 1960s and early 1990s in countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This period of history has been transcribed, interpreted and written about in books, academic monographs and colonial treatises. But the sounds and voices these wars and conflicts produced have largely remained muted. As a result, African liberation figures and histories can become one-dimensional and flattened. Now, a new podcast series, Echoes of Southern African Independence Struggles, resurfaces sound and audio archives of Swiss journalism that are mainly deposited…