Music, book and film reviews from the last 3 months
This internal lake of Ethiopia is an Alpine circle of muddy waters, more than three thousand five hundred square km. This is where, forming a slow and calm stream, the Blue Nile rises. Lake Tana is a sacred boundary, a frontier of Christianity. Almost all of the thirty seven islands conceal a monastery, a church…
Read moreIt is used for a treatment of a number of diseases. The plant can be prepared in a number of ways such as decoction, maceration and infusions. It belongs to the plant family Fabaceae and is a deciduous tree that is widely distributed in tropical Africa. It is heavily branched forming a spreading dome-shaped crown.…
Read moreGiraffe, in the Sindebele and Zulu languages, is Ndlulamiti, meaning literally ‘higher than the trees’, is one of the most iconic animals of the African continent. The tallest animal in the world, it can reach a height of six metres. The characteristics of this mild herbivore have enabled it to survive by blending in with…
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The Shuar are an Amazonian indigenous people whose culture, life, and spirituality are based on water. The Shuar people live in the foothills of the Andes, Cutucú and Condor mountain ranges in the Amazonian provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe in Ecuador. This is an area characterized by abundant rivers that form wonderful waterfalls,…
Read moreAmong the waci (a name that means ‘the souls of our ancestors dwell here’) of southern Togo, the birth of a child is seen as a precious gift, a sign of divine blessings. We now consider the breech delivery. Unusual births, ones that are so difficult that they endanger the life of the mother or…
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Hundreds of species of bird migrate seasonally, covering enormous distances, urged on by irresistible instinct. Scientists have discovered the origin of this behaviour and the surprising ability of birds to ‘learn’ from their journeys. The African skies are full of migrating species of birds that move, according to the season, from one specific place to…
Read moreFor the Karimojong, a pastoral and semi-nomadic tribe living in the north-eastern regions of Uganda, dancing is part of life. An artistic expression to be found in the various situations and events of the community. Loud hand-clapping in time with the singing sustains the dance. A young man and woman enter the circle as they…
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The Gedeo are an ethnic group in southern Ethiopia. Among the Gedeo, there are three main ways to find a girl to marry. The first way is called bultane which means in peace and full agreement. The two families are fully involved in the process. The first step is taken by the father of the…
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With the initiative of Christopher Kirkley, an American bio-engineer who has become a music producer, the musicians of Mali, Niger and Mauritania can more easily make themselves known. Passion and new technologies. In sub-Saharan Africa, in the eighties and nineties, music circulated mostly in the form of home-recorded cassettes that were sold in the markets…
Read moreThe films made by young directors can be traced to two main streams. Afrofuturism which has taken root in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya and which combines stylistic research and sales and a more authored current, devoted to experimentation which has among its major exponents Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho). Netflix at the conquest of Africa. Afrofuturism…
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Four hundred years ago, a group of black slaves fled from the Spanish Crown to Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) towards the centre of the country in search of liberty. They founded San Basilio de Palenque, a village that would become the first free territory in colonial America. To this day, they maintain their traditions and…
Read moreKnown as African olive or bush candle, this tropical tree is highly beneficial to human beings. Medicinal plants have been utilized for different medicinal purposes for thousands of years. These medicinal plants are processed in different forms such as teas, decoctions, infusions, powders, tinctures, poultices, and other herbal formulations before admission for a given health…
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“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…
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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…
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“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…
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