Blog

Tunisian Coca Cola

Corporations have tried and succeeded in cashing in on the political revolutions known as the "Arab Spring." Tunisia is the latest victim.

Get Up, Stand Up

Tunisian born artist Amel Bennys, who works between Tunis and Paris, has just had her first solo show at the Selma Feriani Gallery in London. ‘Get Up – Stand Up’ includes ‘Fin de Partie’, a series of heavy-duty mixed media works on canvas and a selection of sketch-books.

British Rapper Nate’s ‘Africa’

British rapper Nate sampling Hugh Masekela’s Stimela in his ‘Africa’ (for which he gets some help from Cyclonious, Dark Matter and Jalex). The video seems to have been recorded in a Gambian coastal town but I’m not quite sure which one. Bakau maybe?

The New South African Superstar

Zahara has become the top pop artist in South Africa in a fairly short time but curiously enough, for the media, she has remained something of an enigma because she doesn’t appear to have any obvious unique selling points beside her talent.

Benetton Politics

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance, usually very slick and media savvy, have really outdone themselves with a new campaign by its youth wing. Fresh out of leader Helen Zille’s troublesome ‘AIDS Gestapo’ views and calling the ever disgruntled musician Simphiwe Dana a “Professional Black” on Twitter, the DA now give us this poster, above.

Music Break. Elom 20ce

‘Ya Foye’ will be on Togolese Elom 20ce’s (“Elom Vince”) album Anagezik that comes out in February. Elom calls himself a ‘contemporary griot’ and an ‘arctivist’. All of which sounds very promising.

    Guinness for the people

    Beer company Guinness’s new commercial “The Ticket,” made for its huge Nigerian market and first unveiled in early January this year, used local actors and crew, has Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba versions (the first time Guinness made ads in local languages), and contains a realistic storyline: A loyal brother who makes sure he doesn’t forget […]

    Sarkodie

    http://youtu.be/il7o5zG7jB0?t=12s Sarkodie takes a break from the Azonto and jumps on a Hammer beat, getting back to his rap (Hip-pop? Tema-pop? Hip-life?) roots. The interpretive dancing, and artsy black and white beach shots make it seem like the director has been watching some Ingmar Bergman.