Black Style in an Age of Sight for the Speechless
The third in a series of four posts to commemorate 90 years since James Baldwin's birth.
Culture
South African Hip Hop–An Outsider’s Perspective
One evening while channel surfing at home, I stumbled upon what sounded like a rap cypher*
Adam Sandler’s “Africa”
It's unfunny and borderline offensive. But Late night TV talk shows can't get enough of it.
The World Of Ridiculous Internet Videos: Who is Kwality?
I wasn’t sure of how to react when I opened the Youtube link to Kwality’s “Official Lion King.”
What’s in the future for Lamu
Culturally and geographically separated from mainland Kenya, Lamu offers a rare window into the past and the woes and wonders of modern development.
Heart of a Lion
Cape Town singer Crosby is about to release his new album “Better Place.” Since I was
The quotidian life of a neighborhood
Does the graphic novel, 'Aya of Yop City', retain its texture in its transformation to the screen?
The Fader goes to Cape Town
A short profile of the music scene in Cape Town is dominated by white shows – with a lot of electrocentric music and flashy strobe lights.
The politics of conversion in northern Nigeria
Forced conversion as a strategy exclusive is not to Islamist terrorism in northern Nigeria. Everyone's been in on the act.
Kickin’ It With Christian Tiger School
I arrive in Braamfontein twenty minutes early, at 6pm, for a meeting with Sebastiano Zenasi (or
Wole Soyinka has opinions about social media
The novelist and Nobel Prize winner on why he avoids social media entirely, saying he doesn’t tweet, blog, or engage with what he calls today’s increasingly promiscuous digital platforms.
Toto’s Africa–The Disco Edition
Came across this nice little disco edit of Toto’s “Africa.” Since we have a running series
Afrobeat, Brazilian Style
Brazilians may have produced the first ever afrobeat.
The perfect wall to paint
The illustrators Fuzzy Slipperz and Skubalisto and the photographer Mooki Mooks on being an artist in present-day South Africa.
How much has really changed on South Africa’s wine farms?
Workers in the Western Cape's wine district describe a place where bosses engage in a reign of force and aggression, and where workers are “afraid to die too soon.”
Why Is No One Else Talking About These Musicians?
I got the chance to be part of the Redbull Basscamp in Johannesburg during October 2013.
The Art of Peter Clarke
Peter Clarke, who passed away on April 13, 2014, was an elder statesman of South Africa's arts community.
Rap Battle of the Week on Reddit: Johannesburg’s Tumi vs Atlanta’s Ness Lee
Two weeks ago, Club Zen in downtown Johannesburg got packed to its rafters with hip-hop afficionados
Nollywood in Paris
For many white French, and including African immigrants in France, watching movies like 'Phone Swap,' 'Tango with Me,' 'Last Flight to Abuja' and 'Maami,' is an eye-opener.
Thinking About Genocide
An extract from Mahmood Mamdani's seminal study, 'When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda."