Rotimi Fani-Kayode: “Nothing to Lose” in Chelsea
Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Nothing to Lose at the Walther Collection Project Space. I was thrilled to see that finally Rotimi Fani-Kayode was getting a proper showing in New York. This tribute to his photographic work is long overdue. Indeed he was seminal in his portraiture of black African homosexuality. “The first solo exhibition in New York […]
Tinariwen: A perspective on Northern Mali turmoil
Tinariwen are a band of Touareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara desert region of Northern Mali. They have performed internationally and their fifth album Tassili won the Award for Best World Music Album in 2011. It was recorded in the rocky desert as you can see in the video. Tinariwen share their perspective on the events in Northern […]
News: Walking safari in Kenya, November 2012
Fund raising walk to benefit MEAK and its medical missions in Kenya. I would like to invite you to join me on a walking safari in the Ndoto Mountains of northern Kenya led by the famous Helen Douglas-Dufresne and Pete Isley and their Samburu team. Camels accompany the group carrying gear and supplies. This is […]
Miracle workers in East Africa
The cure to an over-sized heart. There are some faces you never forget, that stop you in your tracks and remind you of the miracles in this life. The alert and happy face of Mbura Mwakia with his beaming smile is just one of those. Mbura is 14 years old but his body really looks […]
African Women empowerment: Nimbaya Drummers from Guinea
Friday night at Symphony Space in New York City, Nimbaya, the all-women percussion and dance ensemble from Guinea, came out strongly for women causes in Africa and spoke out against FGM (female genital mutilation). To the powerful rhythmic sound of the drums mixing humor to drama they created a narrative that condemned FGM. I […]
Nigerian High Fashion Week in Lagos: African Designers are Stars
Writing this blog is taking me on my own personal journey of discovery. I found out this week that FASHION is thriving on the African continent. Last week was fashion week in Lagos, the host of the Arise Africa Fashion Show where seventy seven African designers were represented. Well established and internationally known African designers […]
Contemporary Dance and African Heritage
New work by Okwui Okpokwasili and Nora Chipaumire. Friday night at St Marks Church in New York city, Danspace, in the context of Platform 2012 curated by Ishmael Houston- Jones, presented the powerful performances of two highly accomplished performers and Bessie award-winners: Okwui Okpokwasili, a second generation African American from the Bronx – her parents […]
Omar Ba’s paintings: Beyond Appearances
On my way back from Kenya, I stopped for a few days in Paris. It was perfect timing because I was able to see Omar Ba’s exhibition “ Le Monde des Apparences” at Anne de Villepoix’s gallery. I was in for a feast of allegories, bursts of intense color, and charged political meaning. Omar Ba […]
A busy weekend of African Culture in New York.
New York city is the place to be if you are interested in African music! Since Friday night I have been immersed in African music. At Symphony Space, the Soweto Gospel choir’s rich voices brought forth the joy and humor which is so typical of the way the black South Africans celebrate their religion. The […]
Congolese Wrestlers by Colin Delfosse
These images taken in Kinshasa by Colin Delfosse, a documentary photographer and member of the collective Out of Focus, remind me of the theatricality of Pieter Hugo‘s Nollywood photography series. However here, there is an added mystical and magical “voodoo” element. Delfosse writes from Kinshasa in 2010: Eight million inhabitants, thousands of shegués (street children), […]
Recent Comments