Africa
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Shacks and Shanties: a temporary art project
The “Shacks & Shanties” project is a South Side Chicago installation initiative organized by Faheem Majeed. Shacks were constructed as platforms for artistic performances and installations. I attended one such installation/performance, titled “Ghana Must Go” after the infamous plaid patterned tote bags that are so prevalent in West Africa. I talked to Faheem Wajeed as…
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Arise Up!
Picture world renowned photographers flown into Nigeria, photo shoots featuring African supermodels all over the world. I’m not talking about the now fabled All-Black Italian Vogue. “Arise” is that magazine: published in London by THISDAY, it’s a survey of Contemporary African Fashion & Pop Culture. A window into a world we don’t see in full color,…
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Into Africa: 50 must reads for “Every African”…
…courtesy of afripopmag.com… lots of good stuff for a book nut like me. Anthem of the Decades, by Mazisi Kunene. Biko, by Donald Woods Roots, by Alex Haley Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Woman at Point Zero, by Nawal el…
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Into Africa: 1 Must Do
mark your calendars for Ron and Sonia’s 5th Anniversary Party for Africa Hi-Fi, that afro-funk-highlife-house-shindig…. Saturday, July 11th at Sonotheque… Sonotheque 1444 W. Chicago Ave. AFRICA HI-FI SUPPORTS NEXTAID , an LA based non-profit that uses music events to raise money for children in South Africa orphaned by the horrendous AIDS EPIDEMIC, and AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, working diligently to raise…
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no room for pride
Art from Immig-Art, anonymously contributed immigration experiences as a group art project. Immig-Art was founded by my friend, Kabuika Kamunga, a Congolese filmmaker and journalist based in Chicago.
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Africa Hi-Fi (back and in full effect!)
mark your calendars for Ron and Sonia’s ongoing afro-funk-highlife-house-shindig…. Saturday, April 11th at Sonotheque… AFRICA HI-FI SUPPORTS NEXTAID , an LA based non-profit that uses music events to raise money for children in South Africa orphaned by the horrendous AIDS EPIDEMIC, and AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, working diligently to raise awareness and action against Human Rights Violations…
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Cult Movie of the Week: Shaft in Africa
I will start with the disclaimer: I am not really a blaxploitation film lover. I’m a lover of their funky romps-of-soundtracks. That said, I dig Shaft in Africa despite its more reserved soundtrack. Why? It’s titled Shaft…..in Africa! Not only Africa, but, specifically, Ethiopia… a country that holds a lot of romance for me because…
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Sonari is Mixed
This is an interview I conducted for Vocalo.org some time ago, in which a Black man (NPR’s Sonari Rhodes Glinton) concedes he is “mixed”: Half African and Half African-American. At first listen, the categorization sounds almost comical, but consider his viewpoint: one major factor in Ethnicity is culture… and no one can argue that Africans…
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Black Girl: Cult Movie of the Week
(1966, Directed by Sembene Ousmane) If you are unfamiliar with this movie, or Black Francophone film in general, change that…now. Black Girl is the story of a beautiful Senegalese nanny named Diouana (played by Thérèse Mbissine Diop, see above), who joins Robert Fontaine (Monsieur) and Anne-Marie Jelinek (Madame) on their trip to the French Riviera,…
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Broadcasting Out of Africa
What if global perceptions of America were based only on our most impoverished citizens (and those citizens had their livelihoods stolen from them)?
darkjive.com 