LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Nov

13

2023

Video: Award-winning sculptor gives modern voice to a tradition of Great Zimbabwe

ARMED with a small hammer and chisel, Dominic Benhura – a renowned Zimbabwean stone sculptor – meticulously carves a towering figure of a life-size animal from a piece of serpentine stone. As he chisels delicately, bits and pieces of sharp greyish stone fragments fall off to the ground, and a figure of a bison slowly takes shape. For him, sculpture is the ultimate reflection of physical reality, and one does not need to be a connoisseur to appreciate his dynamic art. "I started sculpting when I was four or five years [old] whilst moulding clay while herding cattle. But with…

Nov

12

2023

By SETH ONYANGO AND BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa’s creatives converge in Nairobi

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

NAIROBI'S skies, a canvas of moody grays, occasionally part to let the sun toss a warming glance at the vibrant city below. This is the backdrop for a gathering of some of the continent’s most creative minds as Nairobi this week hosted the inaugural Africa No Filter Summit. Here, journalists, content creators, filmmakers, and a kaleidoscope of creatives convened armed with the power of multiple approaches seeking to drive alternative narratives seeking to redefine Africa's global image. Themed #AsWeAre, the summit was more than an event; rather, a movement celebrating the rich, nuanced stories of Africa. According to Moky Makura,…

Nov

11

2023

By The African Mirror

Nyege Nyege music festival in Uganda continues despite terror warnings – and with less pressure from morality police

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FIRST staged in 2015, the globally touted Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda is an annual four-day dance party featuring hundreds of deejays. It’s also a major tourism drawcard that caters to 15,000-odd lovers of electronic dance music. However, Nyege Nyege is most often in the headlines for creating controversy. Last year the event, the first after a three-year break due to COVID-19, nearly didn’t happen. Uganda’s parliament banned it – and not for the first time – on the grounds that it promoted “sexual immorality”. Eventually, the prime minister gave it the go-ahead. This year the festival, being held at…

Nov

11

2023

By The African Mirror

Kora: in search of the origins of west Africa’s famed stringed musical instrument

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

“HOW come we’ve never heard of this beautiful instrument until now?” This was posted by a first-year college student to my world music course discussion board recently. He voiced what many of his peers probably felt after watching the extraordinary documentary Ballaké Sissoko, Kora Tales. The film, available for free online, follows Sissoko, a world-class musical artist, from his home in Bamako, Mali to a sacred well and baobab tree in The Gambia on the Atlantic coast. In the film, the award-winning Sissoko revisits his childhood homeland and traces the origins of the instrument that became his destiny. ERIC CHARRY,…

Nov

09

2023

By The African Mirror

My parents are from two different African countries: study shows how this shapes identity

CULTURE

MORE than a third of migration in sub-Saharan Africa happens within the continent. This mixing of people means that some children have parents of different national origins. Yet not enough is known about the lives of these children: how they form their identity and what impact migration has on them. The majority of research on second-generation African immigrants focuses on understanding their experiences in the global north. Our research looked at the less studied African context, where the majority of African migration occurs. We are sociologists who study migration and identity and we have seen that studies tend to take…

Nov

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Birds of East Africa: new book reveals their extraordinary diversity and changing behaviour

LITERATURE

101 Curious Tales of East African Birds is a new book that uses academic research to tell fascinating stories about the tropical birds of East Africa, from well-known species to rare ones. It also explores changing bird behaviour in the region. Its author, Colin Beale, studies shifts in the distribution of birds and other animals. We asked him four questions. COLIN BEALE, Professor of Ecology, University of York Why is it important to study birds and their environment? Like millions of people around the world, I love watching birds. They’re so accessible, and their busy lives brighten up pretty much…

Nov

08

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird’s TEN X SERIES: Top tourist destinations in Africa

TRAVEL

AS the world emerges from the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, several African nations are not just rebounding but are surpassing their pre-pandemic visitor numbers and revenue benchmarks, heralding a golden era of tourism and cultural exploration on the continent, according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). MoroccoAfrica's premier tourist destination with an impressive influx of nearly 12 million globetrotters in 2022, Morocco is a treasure trove of experiences. Wanderers can meander through the serpentine passages of Marrakech or indulge in the quintessential Sahara Desert escapade. Fes merits applause for its venerable medieval cityscape, a UNESCO World Heritage marvel, with…

Nov

10

2023

By TAKUNDA AARON CHIMUTASHU, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Amid industry challenges, film festivals offer vital support to female filmmakers

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FOR award-winning Zimbabwean film producer, feminist activist, author and film festival organiser, Amanda Marufu, also known as Amanda Tayte-Tait, media revelations regarding the abuse of women in the industry come as no surprise. “People make snide comments almost implying you can't be good enough, you know, and then there's the whole boys club aspect where you meet a co-worker and suddenly they're hitting on you. You also get excluded from opportunities. There's one man who literally told me I can’t have a job if I have a baby, which led me to wonder if he would say anything of that…

Nov

03

2023

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa poised to be a world fashion leader – UN report

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICA’S young, innovative, and growing population, a rising middle class, rapid urbanization, and increased government support are some of the factors fueling the African fashion sector, according to a new UNESCO report. The report, 'The Fashion Sector in Africa: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for Growth,' unveiled on October 26 during the 13th edition of the Lagos Fashion Week, shows that “the continent holds all the cards to become one of the next world fashion leaders.” “The potential is enormous, not only for the economy but also for young people’s inclusion, women’s empowerment, and for African culture to resonate globally,” Audrey…

Nov

07

2023

By MIKE SABURI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Award-winning sculptor gives modern voice to a tradition of Great Zimbabwe

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ARMED with a small hammer and chisel, Dominic Benhura – a renowned Zimbabwean stone sculptor – meticulously carves a towering figure of a life-size animal from a piece of serpentine stone. As he chisels delicately, bits and pieces of sharp greyish stone fragments fall off to the ground, and a figure of a bison slowly takes shape. For him, sculpture is the ultimate reflection of physical reality, and one does not need to be a connoisseur to appreciate his dynamic art. "I started sculpting when I was four or five years [old] whilst moulding clay while herding cattle. But with…