Festivals

The German town of Emmendingen will host the 20th anniversary of the African Music Festival from 4 to 7 August. And the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make the anniversary a special, memorable one. Among the many artists billed to perform in Emmendingen is Livingstone Etse Satekla, better known by his stage name Stonebwoy. The multiple-awarded Ghanaian Afropop, …

The music industry is booming across the African continent and it is attracting major international players. In recent years, the world's three largest record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group have all entered the African market.

The African Music Festival 2022 will take place from Thursday, 4 to Sunday, 7 August at the Schlossplatz in the south-western German town of Emmendingen. After two years of small formats, it is possible to organise a large festival again this summer, of course within the framework of the current rules regarding Covid-19. The festival programme covers 4 days, with …

The Johannesburg-based writer, filmmaker and photographer Lidudumalingani is the new curator of the African Book Festival in Berlin. Taking place from 19th-21st August 2022, the event will once more bring together the stars of contemporary African literature in the German capital. In 2016, winning the Caine Prize for African Writing propelled Lidudumalingani to literary stardom. Shortly after he was awarded …

Spurred by the obvious lack of quality children’s books for kids of African descent growing up in the diapora, authors have been striving for several years to fill the yawning gap. Berlin-based Nigerian journalist and writer Lolade Adewuyi has now made a very rich addition to the growing library for African children. His The Lost Little Masquerade is a story …

Lovers of African literature congregated in Berlin for the African Book Festival Berlin on 16 – 17 July 2021 to celebrate writing from the Continent and its Diaspora. The festival, first held in 2017, continues to go from strength to strength. Although this year’s event had a Lusophonic slant to it, celebrating, in the main, Literature and Music from Portugal, …

The 18th Africa Film Festival Cologne holds from 16 – 26 September 2021. A main focus of the biannual festival is the effects of digitalisation on everyday life, social interaction, economy, ecology and politics in African countries. —– The effects of digitalisation on everyday life, social interaction, economy, ecology and politics are now central themes in films from African countries. …

The annual African Book Festival Berlin holds on 16-17 July. The festival, which was held for the first time in 2018, brings together the best-known authors and artists from Africa and its diaspora for lectures, discussions, readings, interviews, concerts, theatre and spoken word performances. Each year, the festival goes far beyond the mere presentation of new books and authors, as …

The Germany-based music artist, cultural ambassador, development activist and sports enthusiast Uche Sunday Alphonsus Ojiodu-Ambrose (popularly known by his artist name Toni Tuklan) is a man of many parts. His resumé is indeed formidable: Toni’s group of companies comprises Cleantone Records GmbH (music label), Tuklan GbR (music production company) and Tuklan Sports UG (sports management company). Moreover, the serial entrepreneur …

Things are different this year for well-known reasons. With the AFRIKA FILM TAGE (AFRICA FILM EVENTS), FilmInitiativ e.V. presents a stripped-down version of the traditional African Film Festival Cologne, a sort of cinematic offer from Africa and its Diaspora in the era of Covid-19. From 17 to 24 September, the organisation presents a programme tailored to corona safety guidelines and …

Tens of thousands of people joined Black Lives Matter protests across Germany on Saturday despite coronavirus containment measures that discourage such large gatherings. Even though many wore masks, but social distancing rules were impossible to observe as protesters rally across 26 towns and cities in Germany to protest racial discrimination and police brutality. The passion of participants about racism was …

Seven is a special number. It’s said that 7 is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It is therefore an important occasion when an organisation clocks that figure. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Organisation for African Unity, eighty representatives of African-German organisations, representing the 54 African countries, came together in Berlin on 24-25 May …

The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen was founded in 1954 and is not only one of the oldest short film festivals in the world but also one of the major international platforms for the short form. Every year in spring the festival takes place in Oberhausen with this year marking the 66th anniversary. The Corona pandemic has however put a …

Fresh, powerful highlife band Santrofi from Ghana first appeared at festivals around Europe in the summer of 2019, from Roskilde to Sines and WOMAD. They also stunned their audience at WOMEX 2019 in Finland. Their long-awaited debut album ‘Alewa‘ is finally out now on Outhere records (available on all formats: LP/CD/digital). The album brings a new wave of fresh highlife …

Afro-jazz legend Manu Dibango is dead. The family of the Cameroonian singer and saxophonist announced his death at 86 of the new coronavirus on his Facebook page on Tuesday (24 March). “It is with deep sadness that we announce to you the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove,” a statement on his official Facebook page read. Dibango’s agent Thierry …

Netflix has announced its official presence in Nigeria. The streaming giant announced the arrival of Netflix Naija with a new Twitter account on Tuesday, 26 February. An analysis of the likely impact of the development on the Nigerian film industry by News Agency of Nigeria. Netflix has been wooing Nollywood stylishly for a while now; from streaming Nollywood movies from …

Berlin Critics’ Week, an independent event about film criticism which yearly takes place during the Berlinale festival in Berlin, showed two films on Sunday (23 February). One of the films is The Lost Okoroshi, the second feature of Nigerian director Abba T. Makama, while the other is the Brazilian entry Seven Years in May by Affonso Uchôa. Set in the …

 The Union of Ghanaian Associations in Germany (UGAG) elected a new National Executive Committee at its recent bi-annual conference held in Kassel. The conference, attended by representatives of local Ghanaian associations from all over Germany, chose the following 7-member National Executive Committee officials: Mr. Akwasi Opoku Edusei – President; Mr. Alexander Okai Anane – Vice-president; Mr. Aaron Hooper – General Secretary; Mr. Paul …

Bob Marley, who is considered one of the world’s greatest artists of all time, would have been 75 years old on 6 February. His family and recording company have released a year-long commemoration programme, MARLEY75, featuring special releases, live performances and new music videos plus rare and unreleased material from the Marley family vaults and private collection. The Marley family, …

Edo State Commissioner of Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Monday Osaigbovo, recently paid a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, HE Alhaji Maitama Tuggar, in his office in Berlin. Mr Osaigbovo was accompanied on the visit by Barrister Efosa Ogieriakhi, president of Edo in Diaspora Worldwide, Mr Austin Imade, Director of Edo Cultural Festival Germany, and several other …