[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNUgJMDsOuY&w=500&h=307&rel=0] If you don’t notice the awkward “acting” at the outset of this music video and you’re a fan of retrified 60s R&B and soul, this is a nice tune and video by Paris-based Nigerian singer, Asa. It’s for her new single “Be My Man” off her just-released second album.
Myanmar/Burma’s oppressive junta pulled off two feats this week: first they cooked the elections ensuring a front party win the elections with 80 percent (well, at least they did not say 98 percent like Paul Kagame) of the vote, and then announced a new flag for the country. Okay, so it looks suspiciously like Ghana’s […]
Uganda's President, in power since 1986, has tried to appeal to the country's youth by rapping. Is it any good?
Via Patrick Bond: Last weekend a group of Zimbabwe scholars–organized by University of Kwazulu-Natal School for Development Studies PhD student, Showers Mawowa, and University of Johannesburg professor David Moore–met in Zimbabwe’s second city, Bulawayo, to discuss political and economic developments in that country. (I have copies of the papers; email me off-blog and I’ll forward them […]
This December 2010, Kenyan literary magazine, “Kwani?” will publish the top five entries of their “The Kenya I Live In” Short Story Competition. (Over 500 entries were received, the judges read 65 of these and announced the winners in February 2010.) See Kwani?‘s website for more details. Image: Allan Gichigi.
The King of Bubu, Janka Nabay, translates this music and his culture for rock kids in the trendy hangouts of New York City.
If you’re into house music (I can tolerate some of it) it’s worth listening to this DJ set by South African Culoe De Song recorded at the Oppikoppi Music Festival in South Africa. His new “afro-house” album will be released on November 30th, Listen here.
For all the gross, lurid news stories or the films you see about fatal violence against, and neglect of people suffering from albinism in East Africa, this one about Tanzanians electing an albino, Salum Khalfani Barwani, to Parliament, is good news. Barwani, an opposition MP, will represent a rural constituency. (BTW, a well-known rapper, Sugu, […]
Any ban on blood diamonds would ultimately harm low-paid Congolese mineworkers and would be too difficult to enforce anyway.
The American (celebrity) writer Kitty Kelley’ on writing an “unauthorized biography” of Nelson Mandela: