CULTURE & SOCIETY

The Igbo culture of Nigeria will be celebrated on Saturday, 26 August when the Anambra Day holds in Frankfurt am Main. Hosted by the Anambra Progressive Union (APU), the festival of arts and culture will feature music and dance performances as well as a display of Igbo folklore in drama and poetry. Other activities to take place on the Anambra …

Sauti Sol, a popular Kenyan award-winning group, will perform live with their band in Berlin’s Kesselhaus on 8 September and in Cologne’s Sartory on 9 September. This is the start of their European Tour. Naming a few of their accolades to date, they won East African Artists of the Year (2016 Bingwa Awards), Best African Group at African Muzik Magazine …

Through an innovative partnership showcasing South Africa’s diverse tourism attractions, the South African launch of Nollywood action comedy 10 Days in Sun City recently took place at Sun City where the movie was filmed. Directed by South African-based Nigerian director Adze Ugah, the movie is the highest-earning film in Nigeria this year and topped the country’s box office for two …

“Emoji” is now a German word, as are “Darknet” and “Tablet.” The official dictionary of the German language, the Duden, is getting an update, adding 5,000 new words taken from contemporary society. “The only thing that is constant is change.” The wise words of Greek philosopher Heraclitus also hold true in the German language, if the new Duden dictionary is …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany, which has been in full swing since April, is slowly nearing its close. However, there are still some outstanding festivals still to take place. Here are 7 Top Festivals, holding from now until the end of summer, promising an unforgettable experience: Afrika Karibik Festival Aschaffenburg  10 – 13 August …

The biggest festival dedicated to African filmmaking in Germany will mark an important milestone from 21 September to 1 October 2017. About 80 new feature films, documentary films and short films will be presented in the presence of 20 directors as Afrika Film Festival celebrates 25 years of its existence in Cologne. In June 1992, the organisation FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. …

From Friday, 4 to Sunday, 6 August, the German town of Emmendingen is once again the focus of African culture and, above all, the music of the continent. The African Music Festival kicks off on Friday with the relaxed rhythms of Salsa and Latin. Soneros de Verdad will once again be entertaining on this evening. Latin & Afro Cuban music …

The 2017 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) has received an overwhelming response after receiving 4,816 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission process. The African Union and the International Committee of Afrima had opened the 2017 Afrima call for entries on 8 May 2017 giving an opportunity to …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany has been in full swing since April. Here are 10 Top Festivals, holding from now until the end of summer, promising an unforgettable experience:   Afrika-Orient Kulturfestival Bonn  28 – 30 July / Bonn, Bottlerplatz & Friedensplatz In addition to live performances by high-calibre musicians, story-tellers and dancers and …

All roads lead to the southern German city of Munich on Saturday, 22 July for the Yoruba Cultural Festival 2017. Guests from Nigeria and across Europe are expected at the one-day event which will feature several activities, including cultural performances, an exhibition and a discussion forum. The occasion, which will be chaired by the Acting Head of Mission of the …

There are artists who believe their work should be assessed solely for its aesthetic qualities. This “art for art’s sake” philosophy should not be surprising as art is “the conscious creation of something beautiful or meaningful using skill and imagination”. There are others however who hold that beyond the beauty of their work, it should also send a social message. …

UNESCO has added the capital city of Eritrea, Asmara, and two other cultural sites in Angola and South Africa to its prestigious World Heritage List.  The UN cultural organization describes Asmara, located 200m above sea level, as a “Modernist City of Africa”. The capital of Eritrea developed from the 1890’s onwards as a military outpost for the Italian colonial power. …

Six leading and emerging artists with strong roots in Germany and Nigeria presented to the public ‘Wandelust,’ an exhibition of 40 paintings, drawings, photographs, and mixed media works, in Lagos on Monday (10 July). Chidi Kwubiri, Junkman of Africa, Emeka Udemba, Numero Unoma, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, and Jimmy Nwanne showcased works exploring the ‘why’ behind cross cultural, cross border, mental and …

The rhythmic pulse of Africa has been beating in the middle of a city on the edge of the Black Forest since 2001. On the first weekend of August, Emmendingen will once again be the focus of African culture and, above all, the music of the continent. The African Music Festival will kick off on Friday, 4 August with the …

The annual Africa Festival in Würzburg, Germany, offers many musical highlights from the African continent. This year, young artists from Senegal and Cape Verde were the main attractions. The 4-day event, the largest festival of African culture in Europe, took place on 25-28 May. Each year, the organizers of the Würzburg Africa Festival search for exciting African musicians. In almost …

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been talking about the impact online communities are making around the world. He is due to address the global tech giant’s inaugural Facebook Communities Summit to be held in Chicago next month. Ahead of the summit, he has been meeting people who have helped build meaningful Facebook communities. One of such people is Lola Omolola, …

Kenyan Cultural Day 2017 will be celebrated with an array of activities in the commercial German city of Frankfurt on 10 June. Organised by the cultural association Rafikis am Main with the aim of preserving and promoting the rich Kenyan cultural heritage, the event also seeks to discover and nurture talents, ideas or projects from Kenyans living in Germany. Highlights of …

Europe’s biggest event for African music and culture kicks off on Thursday, 25 May in the city of Würzburg. The 29th International Africa Festival, which parades like every year the best of African artists, features a variety of events to make it a must visit for fans of African cultural expressions. From 25-28 May, Würzburg will once again play hosts …

After a second try, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti successfully broke a saxophone world record for playing a single note for over 51 minutes. He used a circular breathing method to sustain the note for 51 minutes 35 seconds last Sunday which he gladly posted on his Twitter page. “Done. proven. #circular breathing tonight at the Shrine 51 mins 35secs 83mili …

Lost in Democracy is the title of a new book authored by the Germany-based Nigerian journalist and writer Frisky Larr. The book dwells on the failure of democracy in Africa to deliver its much-hoped-for dividends for its peoples. The majority of African countries are governed democratically. Well, to put it more accurately, they’re governed to varying degrees by democratic norms. …