Ranking the Chattering Classes
The politics of lists like the “Top Thirty Think Tanks in sub-Saharan Africa.”
6395 Article(s) by:
Fatima B. Derby
Fatima B. Derby is a Ghanaian feminist writer and queer activist.
Cape Town is ‘the most dangerous’ city in Africa
A Mexican research group has listed the world’s most dangerous cities based on homicide rates. South Africa’s cities finish tops.
Africans in New York City
“Afro-Spectacle,” a music and film event by DJ collective, Dutty Artz, explores the working class African immigrant experiences in the city.
Al-Andalus in East Africa
The clear signs of African influence on the Arabian Peninsula and the cultural fluidity that exists throughout the Indian Ocean.
The CIA’s Charles Taylor Revelation
Recent revelations, which have always been suspected, have strengthened the United States' role in the Liberian civil war, adding fuel to claims of American intervention in Liberia since its founding as a Western style nation-state.
In Search of Pancho Guedes
A new film goes in search of the renowned architect and some of his work in Maputo, capital of Mozambique in southeast Africa.
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’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUyp8PrU4Kc British rapper Nate sampling Hugh Masekela's Stimela in his 'Africa' (for which he gets some
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
Music Break. Elom 20ce
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ihWOZ7WkgA 'Ya Foye' will be on Togolese Elom 20ce's ("Elom Vince") album Anagezik that comes out
Nelson Mandela and the ANC
Nelson Mandela has always elicited divergent, incorrect and unrealistic reactions among his detractors and supporters.
Paul Simon’s Graceland Reconsidered
Paul Simon’s Graceland album and tour defied the cultural boycott, yet some argue it positively influenced South African music and politics in the late 1980s.
Guinness for the people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W33FwUlmICI Beer company Guinness's new commercial "The Ticket," made for its huge Nigerian market and first
Sarkodie
http://youtu.be/il7o5zG7jB0?t=12s Sarkodie takes a break from the Azonto and jumps on a Hammer beat, getting back to
Africa is a Kickstarter
http://youtu.be/YXI1kUk6Uqk Two music related Kickstarter campaigns deserve your attention. The above video is from The Nile
Hollandaise sauce
The children of immigrants prefer Francois Hollande and the Socialists in France’s presidential elections. (Paris is a Continent, number7.)
Mixtapes and Megaupload
I was going to post the link to Das Racist's latest offering, a funny, irreverent and poignant mixtape by Heems AKA Himanshi Suri, unofficial leader of the NYC rap group, but the FBI has just shut down the file sharing site Megaupload, which Heems used to post his free mixtape, "Nehru jackets." Apparently Megaupload has been accused of pursuing a business model based on copyright infringement. This comes after a week of high profile protests against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). Interesting times indeed.
Friday Music Bonus Edition
Let's do a Friday Diaspora edition. There are some half-baked attempts at linking the videos in