The enduring legacy of Congolese Franco, 30 years on
Why is a Congolese musician who died three decades ago still one of the best-known entertainers in Africa? Graeme Ewens, author of Congo Colossus, the [read more…]
Art & Entertainment
Arise in fake in fake African art.What’s being done to fight it
The art world has been dealing with fakes for more than 2 000 years, with perhaps the most notorious case being the forgeries of Dutch [read more…]
African migrants in Morocco find common language in music
When sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco don’t feel welcome, or don’t speak the language, they turn to a language everyone speaks – music – to build [read more…]
Why “hakuna matata”Disney’s decades-old trade mark is infuriating African kiSwahili speakers
“Hakuna matata” is no longer the carefree phrase it once was. Ahead of the 2019 release of the live-action remake of The Lion King, news [read more…]
EU tests idea in Gambia: Would more opportunity at home mean fewer migrants?
Job opportunities, safety – those kinds of factors guide decisions about whether to leave your country. But the pull of stories that say a better [read more…]
From Harare to Lagos: Africa’s gender fluid designs are defying norms
There isn’t much in Orange Culture’s clothing to identify it as a menswear brand. At the label’s studio in upmarket Lagos – traditionally feminine detailing [read more…]
Khaira Arby, Outspoken Malian Singer With Global Reach, Dies at 58
BAMAKO, Mali — Khaira Arby, a Malian singer and songwriter with an international presence who remained outspoken at a time of civil war and harsh [read more…]
‘We laugh, sing and play music’: the rise of Mogadishu
The surprising sounds of a late evening in Mogadishu: surf on the beach, laughs of revellers, clinking of cups and glasses, oaths of harassed waiters [read more…]
Hugh Masekela obituary
Trumpeter and singer-songwriter who was a propulsive force in jazz in South Africa and a tireless campaigner against apartheid in exile Hugh Masekela, who has [read more…]
The rebirth of Timbuktu as symbol of world-renowned scholarship, innovation, plurality, and tolerance
In 2012, jihadists took over the Malian city. After liberation, the threat is far from over – but artists are getting back on stage Gold [read more…]