CULTURE & SOCIETY

UNESCO has added the capital city of Eritrea, Asmara, and two other cultural sites in Angola and South Africa to its prestigious World Heritage List.  The UN cultural organization describes Asmara, located 200m above sea level, as a “Modernist City of Africa”. The capital of Eritrea developed from the 1890’s onwards as a military outpost for the Italian colonial power. …

Six leading and emerging artists with strong roots in Germany and Nigeria presented to the public ‘Wandelust,’ an exhibition of 40 paintings, drawings, photographs, and mixed media works, in Lagos on Monday (10 July). Chidi Kwubiri, Junkman of Africa, Emeka Udemba, Numero Unoma, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, and Jimmy Nwanne showcased works exploring the ‘why’ behind cross cultural, cross border, mental and …

The rhythmic pulse of Africa has been beating in the middle of a city on the edge of the Black Forest since 2001. On the first weekend of August, Emmendingen will once again be the focus of African culture and, above all, the music of the continent. The African Music Festival will kick off on Friday, 4 August with the …

The annual Africa Festival in Würzburg, Germany, offers many musical highlights from the African continent. This year, young artists from Senegal and Cape Verde were the main attractions. The 4-day event, the largest festival of African culture in Europe, took place on 25-28 May. Each year, the organizers of the Würzburg Africa Festival search for exciting African musicians. In almost …

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been talking about the impact online communities are making around the world. He is due to address the global tech giant’s inaugural Facebook Communities Summit to be held in Chicago next month. Ahead of the summit, he has been meeting people who have helped build meaningful Facebook communities. One of such people is Lola Omolola, …

Kenyan Cultural Day 2017 will be celebrated with an array of activities in the commercial German city of Frankfurt on 10 June. Organised by the cultural association Rafikis am Main with the aim of preserving and promoting the rich Kenyan cultural heritage, the event also seeks to discover and nurture talents, ideas or projects from Kenyans living in Germany. Highlights of …

Europe’s biggest event for African music and culture kicks off on Thursday, 25 May in the city of Würzburg. The 29th International Africa Festival, which parades like every year the best of African artists, features a variety of events to make it a must visit for fans of African cultural expressions. From 25-28 May, Würzburg will once again play hosts …

After a second try, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti successfully broke a saxophone world record for playing a single note for over 51 minutes. He used a circular breathing method to sustain the note for 51 minutes 35 seconds last Sunday which he gladly posted on his Twitter page. “Done. proven. #circular breathing tonight at the Shrine 51 mins 35secs 83mili …

Lost in Democracy is the title of a new book authored by the Germany-based Nigerian journalist and writer Frisky Larr. The book dwells on the failure of democracy in Africa to deliver its much-hoped-for dividends for its peoples. The majority of African countries are governed democratically. Well, to put it more accurately, they’re governed to varying degrees by democratic norms. …

The priceless artworks were seized by the British during a punitive expedition by its forces in 1897. The military action led by Admiral Harry Rawson was in response to the defeat by the Bini people of a previous British-led invasion force, which had left all but two men dead. Rawson’s troops captured, burned, and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin. As a result, much of the country's art, including the Benin Bronzes, were looted and relocated to Britain.

The Swiss town of Winterthur will once again play hosts to artists from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean and provide a unique theatre for the meeting of Africa and its Diaspora. Afro-Pfingsten World Music Festival in Winterthur is back this year! The biggest African cultural jamboree in Switzerland, which was missing on the calendar last year, is staging a come-back …

Forbes Africa has released its list of Richest African musicians. The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, influence and others. The top 10 are; AKON, SENEGALESE-AMERICAN Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award …

Afrobeat master Femi Kuti may have broken the world record for the longest single note held on a saxophone. He is said to have attained the feat on Sunday (7 May) at the New Africa Shrine in Lagos as shared by his sister, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, on her Instagram page @yenikuti. “This evening 7th May at the New Africa Shrine, Femi …

Retailers, manufacturers, distributors, representatives of trade and industry and musicians and music fans from all over the world came together at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre for this year’s Musikmesse (Music Fair). From 5 to 8 April 2017, visitors from 119 countries attended the event to discover the latest developments in the market, make contacts and participate in the extensive …

The Yoruba Elite Club, a cultural group based in the southern German city of Munich, in conjunction with Jaiyeola Promotions will hold several events on 19-20 May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lagos State and the Ankara, a popular print fabric worn by many Africans. Lagos, one of Nigeria’s 36 states, was created about 50 years ago during one …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany is on with various events, including live concerts and parading the crème de la crème of artistes from the continent and the Diaspora. Here are the top festivals: Black International Cinema Berlin │ 12-14 May/Berlin, Haus der Demokratie │ www.black-international-cinema.com African Food Festival Berlin │20-21 May / Alt-Stralau 1, …

To promote their culture not only to the larger German society but also to the new generation of Yoruba origin, a special event will take place on Saturday, 6 May in Neu Isenburg (near Frankfurt). Christened “Yoruba Gathering: Spring 2017”, the meeting also seeks to promote unity among Yoruba-speaking people living in Germany. Organized by the Egbe Omo Yoruba Frankfurt/Rhein Main, Germany …

When Sembene Ousmane, the late grandfather of the African moving picture, described cinema as evening classes, he couldn’t have envisaged how many schools would emerge throughout Europe. Today, several European nations host more than one African film festival or major cultural event, reflecting Europe’s growing curiosity in an alternative, authentic view of Africa, while capturing Africa’s desire for self-expression.Many of …

New film narrates the journey of a Cameroonian migrant from his home country through Morocco, by sea to Spain and finally Germany. The film, which premiers on 21 April in Berlin, shows vividly the ordeal of young Africans, fleeing war and poverty, in search of peace and hope. And how the lucky ones who reach their chosen destinations realise that the …

The globally acclaimed fashion magazine, British Vogue, has a new editor, its first Black editor in more than 100 years of its existence. 45-year-old Edward Kobina Enninful was announed during the week as the 11th editor of Vogue, its first male editor. Enninful as editor of Vogue is notably the first Black editor of a mainstream UK fashion magazine. He succeeds …