Despite its high cheesiness quotient and half of the teams featured in the video already out of the running, I still love this World Cup ad by Australian TV channel, SBS. If that’s too uncool for you, you’d probably prefer this compilation by French newpaper, Le Monde, of 32 musical hits from every country that […]
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/13010025 w=500&h=307] Ghana’s Black Stars was on a run to make history–to become the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup–until they were hustled by Uruguayan gamesmanship. Here, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Brooklyn, Blitz, backed by a big band, gives proper thanks for the team’s efforts. — Sean Jacobs
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m32pplDyPlo&w=500&h=307&rel=0] My friend, Wendy Willems, former Londoner now teaching media studies at Wits University, pointed me to the music of part-Londoner, part-Zimbabwean Tinashe. This is the single “Saved,” of his debut album out in early August. Below is a recent video interview Tinashe did with culture blog, Afripop:
While reviewing this week’s film, Out of Africa (1985), for our series Africa on Film, I wondered what I would write about. Many people have bones to pick with this film but I was unable to distinguish what they were. The grandiose sets of colonial Kenya in the early part of the 20th century are […]
Tomorrow Ghana will try to the impossible: become the first African nation to go to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Two African countries came close, but failed: Cameroon in 1990 (in a thrilling match with England determined by dodgy refereeing) and Senegal in 2002 (against Turkey). But Ghana seems to the real thing. But […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrvzEbrf8Ow&w=500&h=307&rel=0] Master musician Dudu Pukwana, he played the saxophone, who was part of a great generation of South African jazz musicians (I blogged about them a few days ago), died on this day in 1990. An appropriate time to post this clip, above, that appear to be from a documentary about the Blue Notes, the […]
A short film imagines what if Pele, who can claim to be the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), scored his final international goal against Argentina, Brazil's greatest rival.
What often gets lost within the narratives of oppression and exile is that the 1960s and 1970s also proved to be an exceptionally vibrant and creative period.
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie observes that international soccer allows for “a kind of nationalism that expands as your country loses.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5hvSTsYTGk&w=500&h=307&rel=0] We’ve been following The Fader’s Pitch Perfect documentary series since the start of the World Cup two weeks ago. In episode 2, The Fader documentary team receives a “short history of SA dance pop” from Johannesburg’s “genre-defying” duo, Dirty Paraffin. I’ve never heard of these guys before but after watching this video, I’m hooked. […]
The photographer Krisanne Johnson believes you can learn many things about a country by the way youth live—from fashion to music to home environments.
The comedy "Get him to the Greek" is a forgettable vehicle for Russell Brand, except for the spoof music video "African Child" opening the film.
How much damage, if any, did "Coming to America" do to a generation of young Americans' views of Africa and Africans?
We should talk about American celebrities' obsession with adopting African babies. The mostly unfunny comedian Pauly Shore is not our guide.
Some sad news–amid the euphoria of the World Cup–from journalist Bongani Madondo: Busi Mhlongo passed away 9:19 pm South African time, Tuesday night, some hours before June 16 Commemoration. Long Live The Quee. Long Live The Zulu Rock Queen. Long Live Queen B! Busi Victoria Mhlongo: 1948-2010. For those who missed Bongani’s last post on […]
The breathless reporting of Madonna's various doings in Africa, including when she is given credit for things she didn't even do, should stop.
The achievements of the Somali model and designer, Iman, in a very racist fashion industry, particularly Paris and New York, should be widely celebrated.
Few other authors in the 19th and 20th centuries made greater contributions to Hollywood’s racist images of Africa than Edgar Rice Burroughs – Tarzan’s creator. During his lifetime, Burroughs mastered the staple “jungle” movie that has characterized films set in Africa since the early part of the 20th century. The scope of Burrough’s “Africa” work […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watchv=aHkRx1IKlOg&w=500&h=307&rel=0] Ice Cube was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week. Of course to promote his latest venture, what seems like a very unfunny TV comedy with a laugh track, “Are We There Yet.” But then after all the chit chat, he dropped a verse from “Today was a good day.” Still fresh. […]
Chris Abani's musings on telling African stories gets at just about everything Sonja thinks about as she encounters "Africa" every day, and then attempt to write about it.