Addis Swing
The revival of Ethiopian jazz, a tradition that dates back to the 1920s, and had its heyday under Emperor Haile Selassie.
6398 Article(s) by:
Fatima B. Derby
Fatima B. Derby is a Ghanaian feminist writer and queer activist.
Senegalese Wrestlers
The work of Denis Rouvre, who won second place in sports features in the World Press Photo Awards for his work on Senegalese wrestlers.
Lifestyle TV
Parts of Johannesburg’s inner city has been subjected to aggressive gentrification. It also comes with lots of mindless media.
Among the Savages
Why does a progressive Spanish TV channel close to the ruling Socialist government exploit Africans for entertainment?
He must be American
A true competitive selection process may have turn up the best possible candidate as head of UNICEF and not power politics.
Die Antwoord is Blackface
Die Antwoord is basically blackface. But blackface is also tricky, argues poet and writer Rustum Kozain.
The Poor White Problem
Poor whites don’t even make up 5% of the poor. Contrast that to more than 60% of blacks. But that’s not a story for foreign media.
Akon’s Africa
The Senegalese-American crooner’s uninspiring “Oh Africa” reminds of bubblegum South African pop from the 1980s.
Postmodernism on Ice
The Winter Olympics features a Russian skaters who dress in animal skin costumes to perform to an “Aboriginal Song.” There’s more.
The Vice TV Guide to Liberia
At minimum, VICE’s work demonstrates there are stories to tell about Africa that can reach an audience beyond public television.
Songs for Nelson Mandela
The top tunes dedicated to Nelson Mandela, arguably the most recognizable liberation figure from South Africa.
Kehinde Wiley paints African football
Wiley, known for painting black men as figures from Renaissance art, now does the same with Africa’s best football talents.
The Transformation of K’naan
How a political song about the aftermath of the Cold War, refugees and statelessness was defanged, first for FIFA and then for Coca Cola.
Johannesburg’s Media World Cup
European media’s lopsided attempts to make sense of South Africa ahead of the World Cup, continues.
Representing Fela
The New York Times’ chief theater critic, surprise, misses the point about the musical, “Fela!”
The Bubu King
Janka Nabay is the premier exponent of Sierra Leone’s frantic and frenetic Bubu Music.
The Wrong Answer
The nonsense that foreign journalists, who don’t understand Afrikaans or the language’s creole cultural history, write about Die Antwood.
Abuse of Patriarchy
South African feminist academic, Pumla Gqola, takes on all the whataboutisms thrown up by Jacob Zuma’s defenders.
Wole Soyinka Loves Bean Pies
Africa’s first Nobel literature laureate is accused of Islamophobia. It is not his first time.
Rhythm like you’ve never seen
No one mixes nationalism, tourism and sport in a feel-good cocktail quite like the South African advertising industry.