CULTURE & SOCIETY

The German city of Frankfurt will again host the Nollywood Film Festival Germany (NFFG) and its sister event Nollywood Europe Golden Award (NEGA) on 30-31 August. The yearly entertainment show, organized by Ehizoya Golden Entertainment e.V., features Nigerian film screenings, live music concerts and an awards night. The main attraction of NFFG/ NEGA this year is the performance of Nigerian …

Beatrice Achaleke, founder of the International Centre for Black Women’s Perspectives and the First Black European Women’s Congress, recalls her fortuitous encounter with the African-American writer and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, who died last week (7 August), that changed the course of her life forever! ….. “There are some people you only get the chance to meet once in your …

The trailer for a new film, set in Taraba State, North East Nigeria, bringing attention to the traumatizing effects of insurgency on women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, has been officially released. ….. Filmmakers Desmond Ovbiagele and Danono Media have officially released the trailer for their full-length film, “The Milkmaid”. It sheds light on the issues faced by women caught …

DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, the state broadcaster RTI said on Monday. According to messages and pictures circulating on social media, he had been riding a motorbike and smashed into a car. Critically injured, he was taken to an Abidjan hospital, where he later died. …

The great woman of letters and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison died on Wednesday at 88, throwing her worldwide legion of admirers into mourning. Our contributing editor, Berlin-based medical doctor and creative writer Michael Nnaji, pays tribute to Morrison and locates in her body of work the essential message of the African-American writer to Black people everywhere. The African-American writer Toni …

Dignitaries, including frontline politicians, business leaders, traditional rulers and diplomats, are billed to attend the main event celebrating the culture of Igbo people in Germany in Nuremberg on Saturday, 17 August.   Among the eminent personalities expected at the 2nd Annual Igbo Cultural Day in Germany are Senator Ike Ekweremadu, immediate past deputy president of the Senate; Chief John Nnia …

A festival for young people of African descent will take place in Berlin on Sunday, 11 August. The event, tagged Africa Youth Days, brings together people from all backgrounds, providing opportunities for networking and exchange. Organised by the registered non-profit organisation New Generation Berlin, the festival is a kick-off event of a series of activities ending with the Africa Youth …

The Stimmen Afrikas Festival in Germany (Voices of Africa in Germany) will be turning ten in November 2019. The festival, which aims to create a market for African literature in the country, will this year be curated by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, co-founder and publishing director of Cassava Republic Press, Nigeria. The event, themed “Crossing Borders: Translate – Transpose – Communicate,” will …

A celebration of Nigerian cultural wealth was held in two of Germany’s biggest cities last Saturday (22 July). In Berlin, Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, HE Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, hosted German officials, members of the diplomatic corps and other guests at the 1st Annual Nigerian Cultural Day. The event featured speeches, an art exhibition, a fashion show, a literary fair and …

The annual season of African music and culture in Germany is in full swing. Here are the Top Festivals you don’t want to miss before summer ends:

A photo exhibition on German colonial occupation of Cameroon opened is currently holding at the Mitte Museum in the Tiergarten Rathaus in Berlin. The images, from the Federal Archive of the German government, show the different stages of German presence in the African country and they remind of the German colonial history in the continent.   The exhibition titled “Was …

Noel Yengong, aka Manlikeclix, and other African models represented Africa at the 2019 Pitti Uomo, Europe’s biggest men’s fashion exhibition, recently. Pitti Uomo is a 3-day event at which the biggest fashion brands, designers, influencers and partners from all over the globe gather to showcase their new collections and styles.   Manlikeclix, who was born in Cameroon and came to …

As I write this article, 44 migrants, mostly Africans, who were rescued in the Mediterranean by the humanitarian organisation Sea Eye off the Libyan coast on Monday, are desperately looking for where to be allowed to disembark in Europe. The migrants’ dilemma follows the Sea-Watch 3 controversy in June, when the rescue boat forcibly docked in the Italian port of …

The annual season of African music and culture in Germany is in full swing. Here are the Top Festivals you don’t want to miss before summer ends: ———————————- Afrika-Festival Stuttgart 12 – 14 July / Stuttgart, Erwin-Schöttle Platz   Music, Fashion Show, Workshop, Film, Market, Culinary Pleasures etc, On stage we show you what Africa has to offer in music, …

From the 2nd to the 4th of August, the Schlossplatz in the south-western German town of Emmendingen will once again be all about Africa and its many musical styles and cultures. Under the motto “We are the world!” Afrikaba Kulturkreis e.V. has once again put together an exciting festival programme. The rhythmic pulse of Africa has been beating in the …

The Nigerian community in the German state of Bavaria will recognise the professional and other achievements of outstanding Nigerians living in the country on 20 July. The event, christened ‘Nigeria Cultural Feast and Meritorious Awards 2019’ and which takes place in Munich, will highlight the contributions of the Nigerian Diaspora to homeland development and their countries of residence, according to …

This year’s biggest African festival in Germany’s biggest city and multicultural metropolis has kicked off. Taking place from 3 – 14 July, Kenako Afrika Festival was opened with an elaborate ceremony and a big concert by Abdou Day from Madagascar on Wednesday. The 12-day event, featuring live music concerts, bazaar, children’s workshop, culinary, fashion shows and more, holds at the …

The annual season of African music and culture in Germany is in full swing. Here are the Top Festivals you don’t want to miss before summer ends: —————————– Afrikatage Heidelberg/Mannheim 9 June – 8 July / Heidelberg & Mannheim Month-long varied programme featuring lectures, concerts, workshops, etc. www.afrikatage.de —————————– Kenako-Festival Berlin 3 – 14 July / Berlin, Alexanderplatz The flair …

The 17th Africa Film Festival Cologne holds from 19 – 29 September 2019. A main focus of the biannual festival is on “Fundamentalism and Migration” and it presents 20 films which address the subject, chosen by FilmInitiativ Köln, organizers of the festival, for good reasons. Flight and migration are among the most important topical issues of our time. At the …

The Egbe Omo Oduduwa Salzburg (Yoruba Community in Salzburg), Austria, celebrated the Nigeria Cultural Festival in grand style at the weekend.  The event, tagged Yoruba Carnival, was marked in collaboration with the entire Nigerian Community in Austria. The event was attended by guests from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, among others. The members of Yoruba associations in Munich and …