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The University of Frankfurt’s web-based library on sub-Saharan Africa ilissAfrica (www.ilissafrica.de) offers useful material on African history and culture, with special emphasis on the German colonial history in Africa. In an exclusive interview with our correspondent Muhammed Faisal Garba, the librarian of ilissAfrica, Nadia Cohen, talks about the objectives of the library and how scholars on Africa can profit from …

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) held a two-day event in Vienna in July to promote the Nigeria tourism sector. The event was declared open by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Austria, Gazing Dangtim, after a welcome address by the NIDOE Austria chair, Oluyemi Ogundele, who said: “Nigeria could generate foreign exchange, provide employment and accelerate rural …

Tom Skye, a frequent visitor to Côte d’Ivoire and the author of a travel book on the country, writes on the evolution of Ivorian music, tracing the roots of its modern expression to its very distant past. Music is everywhere in Côte d’Ivoire. It’s played and performed on buses, trains, beaches and football pitches, and in bars, restaurants, workplaces and …

Our Associate Publisher Bugs Steffen, who has been travelling to Ghana for more than 30 years, writes on the interesting places to visit in Accra and beyond. People often ask me what would be THE thing to do and what would have to be included in the must-see list of things if one were to go on a holiday to …

Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. He was the first African writer to be honoured with the prestigious prize. Alexander Macbeth on how Soyinka’s Nobel has influenced the development of African literature 30 years on. From Negritude to Afrofuturism (via Tigritude and Afrocentricity), the empire continues to write back. Africa is constantly reshaping her own …

2016 commemorates the 35th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death. Perhaps no other musician has had such a profound impact on how we see the world and our place in it as Marley, who died on 11 May 1981. He infused powerful social messages – of unity and strength in the face of oppression – in his music. German reggae enthusiast …

Cape Town’s hypermodern airport welcomes visitors with its shiny and squeaky clean appearance. Everything is well-organised and immigration formalities swiftly and efficiently dealt with. And yet something seems to be missing and soon it becomes obvious: there are hardly any Black Africans. This jars with the idea of an African country. The drive to the city deepens the impression of …

The World Best African Dance Championships took place recently in Berlin, parading some of the best Afro dancers in the world. The artists, from 12 countries, competed as soloists and crews in the categories 1vs1 Afro House, 1vs1 Coupé Décalé and 2vs2 Afro Fusion. There was no pre-qualification for the contest as the participants were able to register at the …

Angelique Kidjo, the Beninese-born singer and songwriter, received her third “Best World Music Album” Grammy Award for her 2015 release Sings in February. It’s the artist’s second consecutive win in that category: her 2014 album Eve, which paid tribute to African women, won last year.  Sings is a collaboration of Kidjo with the 110-piece Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, led by …

In addition to its Business and Economy Class, Brussels Airlines now offers a new choice on its intercontinental flights: Economy Plus. The airline’s customers who fly to Africa, the US or Canada now have the choice out of three classes instead of two. Economy Plus is Brussels Airlines’ answer for passengers travelling in Economy Class who want a comfort upgrade …

From May to September, African festivals take place across Germany. From the southwestern city of Emmendingen (near Freiburg) to the federal capital and cultural metropolis of Berlin, events celebrating African music, arts and culture are being held. About 80,000 visitors made this year’s Africa Festival, which took place on 26-29 May in the Bavarian town of Würzburg, one of the …

In a newly published global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy, the German passport came in first position, offering visa-free travel to 177 countries, out of a possible 218. The Germans dethroned the Americans who held the first position last year and in 2014, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index, released …

Based in the Bavarian capital, he is omnipresent on the contemporary art scene. In 2011, Okwui Enwezor became the first non-European director of a German art institution. Since then, he has been successfully running Munich’s “Haus der Kunst” (House of Art).  Born in Nigeria in 1963, Enwezor studied literature and political science in New York. His breakthrough came in 1996 …

Kenneth Gbandi honoured, African Catholic Women in Germany meet in Frankfurt, Barrister Efosa Ogieriakhi is 50!

Situated 10 kilometres from the centre of Accra, Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is the first point of call for businesspeople as well as tourists visiting the country. KIA, the only international airport in Ghana, is fast becoming the regional hub for air travel in West Africa. Thanks to Ghana’s increasing profile as a preferred business hub and tourist destination, KIA …

Africa’s leading hotel booking website, Jovago, has launched its #MyGhana social media campaign promoting tourism in the country worldwide. The campaign runs on Facebook and Twitter. To take part in the campaign, social media users are required to take beautiful pictures of any eye-catching monument, landscape or landmark; post them on social media using the hashtag #MyGhana, tag five friends …

If music journalists from Europe or North America lack the words to express how much they love the music of an African reggae artist they have just stumbled upon, they are quick to talk about “Africa’s Bob Marley”. Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Rocky Dawuni and many others have been compared to the first superstar of the “Third …

The Ethiopian government is promoting the country as a favourite tourism destination despite fears of famine due to an ongoing drought. Ethiopia’s Tourism Minister Aisha Mohammed Mussa proudly presented the country’s new tourism slogan: ‘Ethiopia – Land of Origins’ at the International Tourism Bourse recently, in a new campaign to rebrand the country.  The country is proud of many unique …

Brussels Airlines has opened a state-of-the-art lounge for its Business Class passengers at the N’Djili International Airport in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. “With the opening of our very first own lounge in Africa, we further strengthen our footprint in Africa and confirm our commitment to the continent,” said the airline in a statement. The lounge, called THE SUITE, …

This year’s Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam (AFWA) will take place from 25 to 27 August at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, organisers have announced. Emerging fashion designers from 24 countries will take part in the three-day event celebrating African and African-inspired fashion, art and cultural heritage. AFWA 2016 kicks off with a press conference on 24 August, providing an …