Music, book and film reviews from the last 3 months
Everything was against her. Aminata Gaye – Mina ‘the veiled one’ is her stage name – was raised in a traditional Senegalese family, when she realised that music made her a self-confident person, she knew there was no way back. She started to fight for her dreams and for a better society. “I cannot be…
Read more
Johannesburg, often associated with skyscrapers, insecurity, crime, begging, and in some areas, difficult access to basic services such as electricity or water, boasts more than 10,000 street stalls and shops selling books. The Bridge Books bookstore, characterised by a wooden door, is located at 98 Commissioner Street, a major street in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, where one can admire…
Read more
In the Congolese capital, as in the rest of the country, cultural spaces are almost non-existent. Kin ArtStudio is therefore an exception with its aim of stimulating and creating a place where various artists can express themselves. We paid a visit to the Centre. Located in Kinshasa, the Kin ArtStudio was opened in 2011 by…
Read more
One of the greatest feasts among the Guji – an Oromo ethnic group – is that of name-giving. Like all other great feasts, it is sealed with the sacrifice of a bull, dancing and youthful games. In speaking of the maqbasa or name-giving ceremony, we must first mention the gadaa system which divides life from…
Read moreIt is a medicinal plant used for treatment of a number of diseases among them that of peptic ulcer disease. But also for the treatment of stomach complications, malaria and mouth infections in children. It is a flowering herbaceous plant which is widely distributed in the sub-Saharan Africa including in Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda,…
Read moreAndean Chakana is the symbol of the principle of relations with people and nature. It is the cosmic bridge between three communities: human, natural and supernatural. The Quechua term Chakana is composed of two words; Chaka means bridge and na is literally a syllable or a consonant but, in the Andean world, evokes a sense…
Read moreThe Ta Oi is an ethnic group living in A Luoi a rural district of Thua Thien-Hue province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. The women of the Ta Oi have long been renowned for the skill at weaving “zeng” – their particular type of brocade. It is not only sophisticated but is…
Read more
The Kunama, an Eritrean ethnic group living in the remote and isolated area between the Gash and Setit rivers near the border with Ethiopia. Kunama life is marked by traditional rites and ceremonies handed down by the ancient fathers and scrupulously observed. A glance at the rites of tillage. The fields have been cleared and…
Read moreIn traditional medicine, the plant is used to treat a number of diseases like bronchial asthma, fever, influenza, cough, as well as treatment of epilepsy. Medicinal plants are a huge element of the indigenous medical systems. Leonotis nepetifolia (Family Lamiaceae) is one of such medicinal plant species with significant medicinal values. It is commonly known…
Read moreThe Azerbaijan art of weaving is unique: it is an ancient tradition, a mystical and pedagogical language and a sign of Azeri identity that has now become the Heritage of Humanity. In Lahij, on the mountains of Azerbaijan, four generations come together around the loom on which carpets are woven. The woman doing the weaving…
Read more
Mexican people and other cultures have been a corn-based diet culture since ancient times. Mexican creativity has no limits on corn. Proof of this are the multiple ways in which this grain is integrated into our table: tortillas, quesadillas, chilaquiles, chalupas, tamales. But also as a drink. Let’s discover the great richness of Mexican cuisine.…
Read moreIt began in an Islamic context as a religious dance but today it has a more secular character and is managed by the women of the Makua ethnic group who compose the words and music, singing and dancing. It is also an occasion of social liberation. The tufo music and dance, with its centre in…
Read more
“What we would like to achieve when we talk about peace. Peace means self-determination. Peace means biological conservation. Peace means revitalization of our culture and…
Read more
At that time Viracocha, the creator God, looked down upon the earth. He saw it was bare, shrouded in impenetrable darkness, for daylight did not yet…
Read more
“Young Africans are playing an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations…
Read more
