LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Feb

04

2023

Lights, camera, action: Idris Elba boost to Swahili film industry

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

DAR ES SALAAM (BIRD STORY AGENCY) - British actor Idris Elba plans to open a major film studio in Tanzania after holding initial talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Tanzanian's Director of Presidential Communications, Zuhura Yunus, recently made this announcement during a media briefing session on the outcome of President Hassan's trip to the 53rd World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "The president met with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, and they are keen to invest in a film studio in Tanzania," said Yunus. "Discussions on the project have just begun, and if successful, the project will help not…

Feb

05

2023

By The African Mirror

Travelling while black: 7 South African travelogues you should read

LITERATURE

TRAVEL writing in Africa is often associated with colonial ventures of the past or white adventure pursuits of today. But Africans themselves have long produced captivating travel texts in oral and written forms. We need to look beyond narrowly western or white accounts as travel writing is produced across the world by an extensive range of writers. Literary ezines (electronic magazines on the internet) dedicated to diverse travel writing are thriving. Author JANET REMMINGTON, Research Associate, Humanities Research Centre (and African Literature Department, University of the Witwatersrand), University of York That said, the cultures and literatures of travel from Africa…

Feb

02

2023

By The African Mirror

Angelique Kidjo in line for a record sixth Grammy Award

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ANGELIQUE Kidjo, the energetic singer-songwriter and activist from the Republic of Benin, represents a rare African phenomenon. In many respects, she belongs to the illustrious musical lineage of “Mama Africas” – the likes of South Africa’s Miriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Cape Verde’s Cesaria Evora and Mali’s Oumou Sangare. Author SANYA OSHA, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town These powerful maternal personages are distinctive for their regal bearing, a grand sense of responsibility in sharing Africa’s cultural heritage, and protecting the dignity of the African woman. They may not always articulate…

Feb

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Eco-friendly Nigerian artist turns plastic flip-flops into portraits

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

EUGENE Komboye, a Nigerian artist, is turning discarded plastic flip-flop sandals into colourful portraits in an effort to help clean up the environment in a country where plastic pollution is prevalent. What started as an assignment in a college in 2017, has become a full-time job for Komboye, whose studio in the city of Abeokuta in the southwest state of Ogun now trains aspiring artists who want to follow in his footsteps and create flip-flop portraits. According to government figures, Nigeria produces at least 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with some of it finding its way into the…

Jan

31

2023

By The African Mirror

A major new exhibition in Nairobi reveals the history of east African art traditions

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MWILI, Akili na Roho (Body, Mind and Spirit) – on in Nairobi, Kenya – is a major international exhibition presenting east African painters who are key players in the modernist art of the region. Modernism in the fine arts refers to a period of experimentation from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, a break from the realism of the past and a search for new forms of expression. Author ANNE MWITI, Lecturer, Kenyatta University The exhibition features a group of artists from different generations who vary in backgrounds, as well as in the themes and forms of their art. They…

Jan

26

2023

By The African Mirror

Stella Chiweshe: Zimbabwe’s mbira queen, rebel music star and pioneer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GIBSON NCUBE STELLA Rambisai Chiweshe, affectionately known in Zimbabwe as “the queen of mbira” or “Ambuya (grandmother) Chiweshe”, passed away on 20 January 2023. Through Mbira/Anhrefn Records Chiweshe was born in July 1946 in the rural area of Mhondoro in the Mashonaland province of northern Zimbabwe. She began playing the mbira, an ancient thumb piano, in the early 1960s. At the time she was reproached by both men and women because she had dared to play an instrument that was ordinarily played by men. Chiweshe was not only a singer, songwriter and musician who performed extensively across Africa, Europe and…

Jan

25

2023

By The African Mirror

Douala gets its first photography biennial, thanks to Max Mbakop

LIFESTYLE

PATRICK NELLE, BIRD STORY AGENCY AT the French Institute of Cameroon, the man of the moment is being chased by several journalists who have come to cover the event. With his glasses perched on his nose, cap turned backwards and rocking a small grey beard, Max Mbakop holds a reflex camera in his hand as he repeatedly explains the motive behind "Rencontres photographiques de Douala (Repdoul)", the photographic exhibition he's just started. The event is intended to "spark connections between Cameroonian photographers and the rest of the world, and to promote the art of photography to the general public," he…

Jan

24

2023

By The African Mirror

Ernest Cole: South Africa’s most famous photobook has been republished after 55 years

LITERATURE

PHOTOGRAPHER Ernest Cole was born in 1940 in the Pretoria township of Eersterust, just before apartheid was formally introduced in South Africa in 1948. Author KYLIE THOMAS, Senior Researcher, NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies He was 20 when thousands of people gathered outside a police station in Sharpeville township to protest against being forced to carry passbooks by the white minority government. On that day at least 69 people were shot dead, hundreds were injured, and a state of emergency was declared. The Sharpeville Massacre is regarded as a turning point in the struggle for liberation in…

Jan

20

2023

By The African Mirror

JOLLOF RICE WAR: Senegal beats Ghana and Nigeria to the title

LIFESTYLE

THE authorship – and therefore origins – of jollof rice (called ceebu jën in Senegal according to the Wolof spelling) is the subject of a spicy debate between West African nations. In particular, Senegalese, Nigerians and Ghanaians claim ownership. And each believes their recipe surpasses all others. In a bid to settle the issue, we explored the subject in our book. In it, we point out the “Senegality” of this dish. The word jollof refers to an ancient kingdom that was a part of Senegal between the 12th and 13th centuries. Author FATIMA FALL NIANG, Directrice du Centre de recherche…

Jan

19

2023

By The African Mirror

African music craze sweeps YouTube as artists rack up millions of views

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY MORE African hits are reverberating far beyond the continent's borders, amplified by the African resounding global music reach on YouTube and other streaming services. Growing smartphone adoption and the penetration of affordable and fast internet in Africa also drive the local consumption of music on YouTube. From the catchy Afrobeats and the soulful sounds of Afro-soul to the energetic rhythms of Afropop and the traditional melodies of African folk music, the diversity of African music is captivating listeners worldwide, thanks in part to YouTube. To most African musicians, YouTube has revolutionised how music is consumed,…