LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Aug

14

2020

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen expecting baby #3

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MPHO RANTAO THE stork is making its way to the Legend household for a third time. R&B singer John Legend and wife, model Chrissy Teigen have announced that they will be welcoming their third child to their growing family. The revelation was made after Legend released the music video for his new single titled ‘Wild’ which features Gary Clark Jr. on Youtube, as well as posting a snippet of the video on his Instagram page. The Grammy award-winning singer held a live premiere for the music video along with Teigen and their two children, Luna and Miles. Prior to the…

Aug

15

2020

By The African Mirror

Remembering Zindzi Mandela, the writer

LITERATURE

NTOMBIZIKHONA VALELA ZINDZI Mandela comes from a family of writers. Although her parents were not writers by profession, this craft was a crucial way of keeping their family together. Mandela was barely 18 months old when her father, Nelson Mandela, was arrested on 5 August 1962 after being a wanted man for his role in South Africa’s liberation movement. His life sentence following the conclusion of the Rivonia Trial in 1964 was served on Robben Island, which meant he could only communicate with his wife, freedom fighter and social worker Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and children through writing letters. These initial circumstances…

Aug

20

2020

By The African Mirror

Burna Boy’s “Twice as Tall” reaches streaming high

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

African Mirror Reporter NIGERIA’S Burna Boy’s star has continued to soar at some speed with the release of his fifth album ‘Twice As Tall’. Released on Friday 15 August, ‘Twice As Tall’ was commended by scores of fans, who also praised the artist for continuing to fly the Nigerian flag high and for keeping up with the positive momentum from the artist’s previous offering, the 2018 Grammy-nominated album ‘African Giant’. Since its release, the album has amassed popularity on streaming sites. It accumulated 5 million streams in one hour by August 17, and to date has over 6 million streams…

Aug

19

2020

By The African Mirror

Like Mother, like Son

LITERATURE

In this chapter extracted from his newly published hospital memoir, “Sound and Fury: The Chronicles of Healing”, SAUL MOLOBI looks forward to spending his weekend break from the Tshwane Rehabilitation Hospital with his mother – they are both disabled and using similar assistive devices… Though I love my Fridays, this is a special one since I will be spending this weekend with my mother, Kadimo Jane Molobi. This shouldn't make me sound like a momma’s boy. I am not. Besides, I grew up hearing all people, including my late dad, fondly calling her ‘mmaKgomotso’ (Kgomotso’s mom) to the extent that…

Aug

18

2020

By The African Mirror

11-year-old Nigerian ballet star’s video earns him a dream scholarship

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE graceful movements of an 11-year old boy dancing ballet in the rain captured not only the hearts of the social media community but also the attention of a prominent ballet theatre. The viral video shows Anthony Mmesoma Madu dancing a ballet routine barefoot in the rain, showcasing exquisite pirouettes and leaps just outside his ballet academy, Leap of Dance Academy, where he trains in Nigeria. The video of Madu received more than 15 million views and received praise from the likes of American actress Viola Davis, who reposted the video on her Instagram feed with the…

Aug

17

2020

By The African Mirror

Hair is just not hair

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER BLACK women’s hair styled not only contributes to their physical beauty but also determines their job prospects, a new study has revealed. According to CNN, black women with natural hairstyles, which include traditional afros, braids and twists are less likely to secure job interviews than white women or black women with straightened hair. The CNN report is based on studies carried out by researchers from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. According to participants in the studies, natural black hairstyles were perceived as less professional. The effect of the perception is particularly pronounced in industries where a…

Aug

27

2020

By The African Mirror

Scottish farmers feature in Pharrell and Jay-Z’s Black entrepreneurs video

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SONIA ELKS WHEN Michelle and Robert Sullivan were invited to be in a video for a song by music titans Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z showcasing Black entrepreneurs, they had two main concerns: profanity and if their farm in Scotland was camera-ready. They initially wondered whether the Instagram invitation was genuine if the song's message might clash with their strong Christian values, and if they should decline because they didn't have enough time to tidy up the farm. Now, having overcome their misgivings, the married couple in rural north-east Scotland feature in the video for the hip-hop track "Entrepreneur" which celebrates…

Aug

26

2020

By The African Mirror

The daughters and sons of Fela in African Pop

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

GARHE OSIEBE, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Rhodes University DECADES after his death, Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s most famous musician continues to live on through his art. Afrobeat, a genre he pioneered, has transcended generations after him, existing in varying forms. Contemporary African pop stars are sampling his work in new records. Much of that music is called ‘Afrobeats’ today, (the ‘s’ is important) A new genre, partly inspired by Fela’s work. It’s the current flavour of Lagos, and the rest of the continent, where Nigerian pop music maintains a strong presence. But how do these musicians portray this legend in their work?…

Aug

24

2020

By The African Mirror

Queen B wears Rich Mnisi…

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER IT’S every fashion designer’s dream to have their garments won by famous celebrities. It’s equally every popular celebrity’s desire to wear exclusive design bearing the name that the rich and famous yearn for. When these two dreams collide, they create magic. And so it has been for the media personality, mega influencer, model and founder of The@houseofbng Bonang Matheba, aka Queen B, and Rich Mnisi, one of the most talented and sought after fashion designers. Queen B drew excitement from the millions that follow her on social media when she posted pictures of her stylish self, wearing…

Aug

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Enter the micro-budget film: lockdown amplifies South African cinema trends

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

LIANI MAASDORP, Senior lecturer in Screen Production and Film and Television Studies, University of Cape Town SOUTH Africa’s film industry is the oldest in Africa and one of the oldest in the world, having started in 1896, soon after the Lumiere brothers’ famous first commercial film screening in 1895. The industry is one of the more established and commercially viable on the continent. It doesn’t produce as many films as Nigeria’s bustling industry, but offers a steady trickle of crowd pleasers (with box office records held by the comedies of Leon Shuster) and international award winners like Tsotsi (2006) and…