CULTURE & SOCIETY

Facebook launches campaign to support Kenya’s creative industry

Facebook and Creatives Garage launch #RealpeopleRealstories, a campaign that supports the Creative industry. Through its partnership with Creatives Garage, Facebook aims to support the creative industry in Kenya by providing a platform where they can amplify their work and inspire others NAIROBI, Kenya, November 4, 2020/ — Facebook and Creatives Garage launched #RealpeopleRealstories – a campaign that showcases the stories …

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The New Champions of Afrobeats (2)

Having looked at the men who have influenced the rise and popularity of Afrobeats in the world today, this second part of the report, Yemi Babalola focuses on the female artists who have made their mark and deserve to be applauded. ——- As mentioned in the first part of this report, Afrobeats is a combination of jazz, funk, Ghanaian highlife, …

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The New Champions of Afrobeats (1)

In this first of a two-part series on how Afrobeats is changing the global musical landscape, Yemi Babalola* looks at the movers and shakers of the new genre whose roots can be traced to the Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. —- There is no way one to talk about Afrobeats as a music genre and not give credit to Afrobeat. …

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Toni Tuklan – Deserving global honour for a man of many parts

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 …

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Flashback! Remembering König Bansah’s fairytale Wedding, 20 years on

With a turnout of 1,500 invited guests from Europe, North America and Africa and 15,000 self-invitees from all parts of Germany, who lined the route of the couple‘s triumphant ride through the town of Trittenheim, state of Rhineland Palatinate; with dozens of press, radio and TV journalists, including some in an helicopter hovering over the idyllic town, who turned the …

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Towards Wakanda – Chadwick Boseman’s passing and the power of Afrofuturism

Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa in the blockbuster movie Black Panther, died on 28 August of cancer. He was 43. The film’s vision of Afrofuturism and the technologically advanced civilisation of Wakanda resonated with audiences worldwide, who helped propel Black Panther to more than $1.3 billion in global revenue. Since the death of Boseman, the Black world has been talking again …

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‘Africa’s Business Heroes’ Competition Announces Top 20 Finalists

The Jack Ma Foundation’s search for Africa’s Business Heroes continues, with the top 20 finalists revealed on 19 August – representing over 50% female candidates, 11 key sectors and 14 countries: the twenty finalists have impressed the judges with their vision and entrepreneurial prowess, and are ready to progress to the semi-finale stage of the competition, for a chance to …

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Cologne: Cinematic offer from Africa in the era of Covid-19

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 …

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Book: The Strong Black Girl

Garden City is a new children’s book. It tells the story of Ama Tricie, a Black girl determined to change the world one idea at a time. After a series of ups and downs, she realises that all you need to do is to believe in yourself and everything else will fall in place. Have you heard that saying, “Children …

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Flora Nwapa: Mother of modern African literature

The novel Efuru established Nigerian author Flora Nwapa as the first African woman to publish a book in English. Her work set the stage for the emergence of female writers in Nigeria and other African countries, writes of Sam Olukoya in the German international broadcaster DW’s series “African Roots”* —— When did Flora Nwapa live? Flora Nwapa was born in …

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Universal Music signs Tenor, Suspect 95 and Omzo Dollar as it expands into French-speaking Africa

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, has announced the further expansion of its Def Jam Africa division into three new markets within French-speaking Africa; Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Cameroon, effective immediately. Def Jam Africa launched in May 2020, as the first label dedicated to representing the best hip-hop, Afrobeats and trap talent in Africa, and follows …

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10 African artists collaborate on song against COVID-19

ONE, MTV Base, Mandela Foundation pair up with 10 African Artists in Song to Fight COVID-19 Ten of Africa’s biggest musical artists are uniting to record “Stand Together”, a rallying call to all Africans to unite against COVID-19. With artists from seven African countries, the song is a powerful reminder that no one is safe from COVID-19 until everyone is …

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie mourns Father

Award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is mourning her father who died after a brief illness recently. Taking to Facebook on Saturday (4 July), she lamented that she couldn’t travel to Nigeria from her US base due to the international travel ban as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to stand by her extended family in the period of mourning. Professor …

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Afro-Bloggers’ Convention 2020: Pushing the African story globally

Bloggers from the global community of people of African descent will gather via Zoom on 19-20 June for the 2nd Afro-Bloggers Convention. The event, organised by Afrobizgermany.com, an online platform that projects the Black community in Germany to the outside world, is aimed at bringing Afro-bloggers together to discuss issues that are important to Africa and its global diaspora community. …

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Facebook launches Messenger Kids across Sub-Saharan Africa

Now available across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Messenger Kids enables kids to safely video chat and message with family and friends when they can’t be together in person. The app also Giving parents supervision over their children’s online activity JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 10, 2020/ — Today, Facebook (www.facebook.com) is rolling out Messenger Kids, a video chat and messaging app that …

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Thousands join Black Lives Matter protests across Germany in historic show of solidarity

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 …

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