LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Dec

30

2023

Black Panther, Wakanda Forever and the problem with Hollywood – an African perspective

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were global hits that played out in an imaginary African kingdom and featured a universe of black creative talent. What’s not to love about the franchise? Quite a lot, reckons cultural and literary studies scholar Jeanne-Marie Viljoen. We asked her to explain. JEANNE-MARIE VILJOEN, Lecturer, Creative Unit, UniSA, University of South Australia What are Black Panther’s limitations when it comes to diversity? Even though the Black Panther films didn’t represent Africans on their own complex terms, they’re still a major cultural phenomenon. They bring issues of racial representation into the spotlight for Hollywood’s…

Dec

27

2023

By The African Mirror

4 must-read books from east Africa in 2023: from Tanzanian masters to Ugandan queens

LITERATURE

EAST African literature continues to grow and reshape itself in exciting new ways – and 2023 was no exception. The world really did take notice of the region when Tanzanian-British author Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. Interest in Gurnah’s work continued last year when he made a homecoming to East Africa. PETER KIMANI, Professor of Practice, Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) But it is in Tanzania that Gurnah made a proper homecoming in 2023 – through the first ever Kiswahili translation of Paradise, now out as Peponi. I am an…

Dec

23

2023

By The African Mirror

Hollywood’s first major Black female superhero: how Wakanda Forever broke the mould

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK Panther: Wakanda Forever rewrote Hollywood’s script for superhero movies. English professor Diana Adesola Mafe was recently involved in an academic roundtable that offers a critical conversation about it and another film set in an African kingdom, The Woman King. She argues that Wakanda Forever is a breakthrough film. We asked her why. DIANA ADESOLA MAFE, Professor of English, Denison University Why are these two films such talking points? As big-budget productions with Black female heroes, The Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever invite discussion and debate about Hollywood representations of Africa and the kinds of roles that women…

Dec

22

2023

By The African Mirror

Nollywood set new highs in 2023: here are four of my favourite films of the year

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, was once seen as a mass producer of poor-quality “home videos”. It’s now become known for increasingly slick films that can attract big budgets and compete at film festivals across the world. EZINNE EZEPUE, Lecturer, University of Nigeria As a critic, scholar and lecturer in Nigerian film, I regard 2023 as another impressive year for the quality of Nollywood output. I saw a number of great films both at film festivals and on subscription video platforms, particularly Netflix and Amazon Prime. I enjoyed the diversity in themes and the “un-Nollywood-like” experience each…

Dec

16

2023

By The African Mirror

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…