LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Aug

27

2020

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…

Aug

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian lesbian love film to go online to avoid censorship board

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ANGELA UKOMADU and ALEXIS AKWAGYIRAM TWO young women fill the screen, reclining on a bed, talking about their hope of having children. They are protagonists in a new Nigerian film called "Ife" depicting their love story. The topic is controversial in Nigeria, where same-sex relationships are theoretically punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Producer Pamela Adie said "Ife" - which means "love" in the Yoruba language widely spoken in southwest Nigeria - would be released online to avoid any possible move by censors to ban it. "I really feel that the censors board is playing a big part…

Aug

22

2020

By The African Mirror

Columbia Records signs South African singer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MPHO RANTAO TWITTER erupted in joy as fans of Trap-soul and R&B music took to the app’s timeline to congratulate independent South African R&B singer Elaine, who was announced to have signed an international record deal. It was announced on Twitter that American record label Columbia Records had signed a distribution deal with the twenty-one year old, South African singer on the same day Elaine released a music video for her second single ‘Risky’. https://twitter.com/PhuckPhobes/status/1296121338113990660?s=20 She joins the iconic label’s roster that also features Beyonce, John Legend, Adele, Céline Dion, Pharrell Williams, George Ezra & many others. Columbia Records roster…

Aug

22

2020

By The African Mirror

Tsitsi Dangarembga and writing about pain and loss in Zimbabwe

LITERATURE

ROSEMARY CHIKAFA-CHIPIRO, Lecturer, University of Zimbabwe TSITSI Dangarembga has made a name for herself as a writer, filmmaker and activist in Zimbabwe. She gained international acclaim with her debut novel Nervous Conditions (1988), which became the first published English novel by a black woman from Zimbabwe. The BBC named it one of the top 100 books that have shaped the world. Now, over three decades later, Dangarembga’s latest novel – This Mournable Body, the third in a trilogy that began with Nervous Conditions and the subject of this review – has been placed on the longlist for the 2020 Booker…

Sep

01

2020

By The African Mirror

Africa and the Testament of the Gods

LITERATURE

VUSI MAVIMBELA IN the 1960 film Inherit the Wind, there is a court dramatisation where defence lawyer Henry Drummond says: “I am trying to establish whether Howard or Brady or Charles Darwin or anybody sitting around this court, or you Sir, has a right to think”. The presiding officer intervenes and says: “Mr Drummond, the right to think is not on trial here”. Drummond retorts: “Well, with all due respect to the court, the right to think is very much on trial here and it is fearfully in danger in the proceedings of this court room…A thinking man is faced…

Sep

01

2020

By The African Mirror

‘Big Brother Naija’: Nigeria’s unlikely public relations campaign?

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

OLUSOLA OGUNNUBI, Research Fellow,University of Free State, University of the Free State AKINLOLU AKINOLA, Invited User EVERY new season of Nigeria’s reality TV show, ‘Big Brother Naija’ (BB Naija), comes loaded with controversy. Despite holding five editions since 2006, the show continues to polarise opinion within the continent. Conservatives oppose it as ‘immoral’ and showcasing values that are ‘un-African’. Protagonists celebrate it as good TV material, possessing immense entertainment value. Big Brother Naija is a popular reality show in which contestants live in an isolated house and compete for a large cash prize worth over $180,000. The winner gets all…

Sep

03

2020

By The African Mirror

Zalando launches diversity drive after racism investigation

BEAUTY AND FASHION

GERMAN online fashion retailer Zalando has pledged to use more brands linked to Black and other minority groups as part of a drive to fight discrimination and increase diversity after an investigation into allegations of racism. Zalando launched the investigation in June after former art director Fernando Torres accused the company of failing to respond to complaints in 2018 about employees who resisted booking black models and made comments about their skin tone. The death in police custody of African-American George Floyd has prompted a groundswell of concern about racism around the world, prompting many companies to make pledges to…