LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Dec

16

2023

Nigeria’s flamboyant aso ebi dressing style is popular – but it’s become a financial burden

BEAUTY AND FASHION

ASO EBI – “family uniform” – is the Yoruba custom of people dressing alike for social events. The custom is rooted in kinship (ebi), an important aspect of Yoruba social life since precolonial times in what’s now south-west Nigeria. Words like molebi (kinsmen) and olori ebi (head of the family) point to the importance of kinship in this culture. The saying eni to so ebi e nu, apo iya lo so ko literally translates as “whoever deserts his kinsmen straps on his/her shoulder a satchel of misfortune”. Aso ebi expresses these values visibly: uniform dressing is intended to reinforce unity…

Dec

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Black Ghosts: Noo Saro-Wiwa’s new book is a powerful reflection on Africans in China

LITERATURE

NOO SARO-WIWA is a celebrated Nigerian-born travel writer. Her latest book is Black Ghosts. It explores, with candour and compassion, the lives of several African economic migrants living in China, a group of people who are key to trade between the continents. As a scholar of African travel writing and mobility, among other fields, I read the book with keen interest and then asked Saro-Wiwa more about it. JANET REMMINGTON, Research Associate, Humanities Research Centre (and African Literature Department, University of the Witwatersrand), University of York Janet Remmington: Let’s start with the title: Black Ghosts. And the subtitle which outlines…

Dec

15

2023

By AMY WEST, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Dreaming up a new future: a generation of adolescent girls and young women finds a voice

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

“WHERE I grew up, no one asks a girl, ‘What do you want to be?’” said 19-year-old Boitumelo Kgame. The University of Cape Town dorm room in which Kgame was seated revealed an old soul. A bed neatly made, a music corner with a violin leaning against a wall and, above a music stand, Kgame’s favourite album covers taped like family photos to the wall. Among the album covers was a photo of a man named Bra K, from Soweto. He had taught her how to play the violin, she explained. Bra K had used music to teach self-discipline and…

Dec

14

2023

By The African Mirror

Zahara: A musical soul departed, leaving a resonant legacy

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE passing of Zahara, a beloved South African musician, has sent ripples of sorrow through the hearts of many. At the youthful age of 35, Zahara's departure after a brief illness has left a void in the music industry and the lives of those who cherished her craft. Born with an innate talent that blossomed into a mesmerizing musical career, Zahara's journey was marked by a remarkable dedication to her craft and an ability to touch the souls of her listeners through her melodies. Her musical prowess transcended boundaries, resonating deeply not only with her devoted fans but also earning…

Dec

14

2023

By The African Mirror

Victor Ekpuk is a Nigerian artist who uses ancient African graphic writing systems to unveil a stunning new display of creativity

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

VICTOR Ekpuk is an internationally renowned Nigerian artist known for his artwork inspired by ancient African writing and graphic writing systems. INTERwoven TEXTures is his first solo exhibition at the important Efiɛ gallery in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. There he has also unveiled his public art installation commissioned as part of the inaugural Dubai Calligraphy Biennale. It makes him the first African artist to display a public sculpture in the country. RACHEL AMA ASAA ENGMANN, Director of Christiansborg Archaeological Heritage Project, Associate Professor at Africa Institute Sharjah & Associate Graduate Faculty, Rutgers University Ekpuk’s work challenges popular representations…

Dec

13

2023

By The African Mirror

Queer life in Africa is also full of joy – remembering the carnival in Mozambique

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN late colonial Mozambique, in the city of Lourenço Marques (today’s Maputo), a carnival festival was held almost every year. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the event was more than just a street parade. It also became a space of queer expression and joy. CAIO SIMÕES DE ARAÚJO, Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow, Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape As a Brazilian queer scholar based in South Africa, I have been painfully aware that English-speaking contexts tend to be far better represented in queer African studies. I have chosen to focus on countries whose queer politics and history…

Dec

12

2023

By SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Madagascar is not a movie, and Marie Kolo is making that clear

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

“OUR national anthem is not, I like to move it,” declared Marie Kolo, her words echoing a deep-seated desire to uplift the true image of her country, a far cry from the animated jungles and dancing lemurs of Hollywood's creation. In the island nation, Kolo's name has become emblematic of climate activism, social entrepreneurship and ecofeminism. Her fight for years now has been for the identity of Madagascar and its people as part of the diverse and rich tapestry of Africa. "When I talk about my country, some people don't even know where it is," she lamented. "They ask if…

Dec

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Afrobeats and Nollywood are shaping Africa’s gaming industry

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GAME developers are blending music soundtracks from the continent and replicating narratives from African films in a bid to increase their cultural appeal among gaming enthusiasts. Popular West African music genres, Afrobeats, and the Nollywood film category are emerging as favourites, with game developers from the continent and beyond looking to tap into their extensive consumer appeal to drive downloads and revenues. A new report by Nigerian gaming studio, Maliyo, explains that this could fuel the gaming industry in Africa because “entertainment and culture are closely knit factors that influence social behavior and norms." “Over a relatively short period of…

Dec

06

2023

By KATE OKORIE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Ina-Maria Shikongo deploys her art to protect the Okavango Delta from big oil

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

"THIS piece is for Ken Saro-Wiwa," said Ina-Marie Shikongo, pointing to a textile collage shaped like an inverted dome hanging above the grey sofa where she was seated, surrounded by other artwork referencing the earth's warming climate. In a world often muted by diplomacy, Shikongo stands out as a defiant burst of unapologetic activism. Since 2020, the Namibian climate activist has used her art to fight a looming environmental threat to the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. Shikongo and other activists have made their presence felt at COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates' most populous city, and her work is a…

Dec

05

2023

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Interview: Acclaimed Zambian writer Mubanga Kalimamukwento on lifting the veil around stories of children during the HIV/AIDS pandemic

LITERATURE

MUBANGA Kalimamukwento is a Zambian human rights lawyer and award-winning writer who has written extensively about the intimate lives of characters facing unimaginable challenges during the AIDS epidemic in Zambia. Her latest but unfinished novel earned her a place as a 2023 Miles Morland Scholar, a scholarship scheme which aims to give African writers of both fiction and non-fiction the financial freedom to complete an English-language book. The following is an extract of a longer conversation. In your first novel, the Mourning Bird, you choose to write from the perspective of a child; why did you choose to do this?…