CULTURE & SOCIETY

The book Confidence in Diplomacy – Defending Nigeria at Home and Abroad is an account of the author’s nearly 30 years of service in Nigerian diplomacy. It’s a journey that began in 1982 when Alhaji Abdul Rimdap joined the foreign affairs ministry and ended in 2010 when he retired while serving the country as ambassador to Germany. His distinguished international …

Two new Mokoomba remixes by Jacknife Lee were released on 29 March 2024 by Outhere Records Since the release of Mokoomba‘s record ‘Tusona: tracings in the sand‘ last fall a lot has happend for Zimbabwe’s most successful musical export. The album’s first single ‘Nzara hapana‘ won them a golden record at home for song of the year at ZBC (Zimbabwean …

It is quite an achievement itself that OUR ROOTS has been a Black history cartoon column featured series for 35 years. It was first published in the UK’s Voice newspaper. The history of Black people must be illustrated and that is what Tayo Fatunla (whose artistic name is TAYO) has been doing through his journalistic drawings after discovering the need …

The annual summer season of African music and culture, featuring live concerts and parading the crème de la crème of artistes from the continent and the Diaspora, in Germany enters into full swing in May. From May to November, African festivals take place across Germany. From the southwestern city of Emmendingen (near Freiburg) to the federal capital and cultural metropolis …

A Nigerian fashion brand, Deji & Kola, has opened its first store in Europe, part of its global expansion drive. Deji & Kola, founded in 2017 by two brothers – Deji and Kola Olabintan, has made its debut in the United Kingdom with the opening of its store in Kent. In a statement released by Kola Olabintan, the creative lead …

Mati Diop’s documentary Dahomey secured the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, on Sunday. The film tackles the themes of colonialism and the return of looted African artifacts to the continent. The 41-year-old Senegalese-French director’s one-hour documentary follows the 26 priceless artifacts on their 2021 journey from Paris to Benin, where they were originally …

Starting in 2024, the international literature festival berlin will collaborate with a Curator in Residence. He or she will be responsible for events and invitations and will work together with the festival director and the team to develop a guiding theme for the ilb. Additionally, they will be present in Berlin during the festival. An internationally composed selection committee has …

Nollywood Film Festival Germany (NFFG) has congratulated its two ambassadors – Dr Shaibu Husseini and star actor Ali Nuhu – who were recently appointed by the Nigerian government as Director General, National Film and Video Censors Board, and Managing Director, Nigeria Film Corporation respectively. In a congratulatory statement signed by the founder and director of the Festival, Isaac Izoya, the …

Kenyan actor, filmmaker and bestselling author Lupita Nyong’o will head the jury at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which begins on 15 February. “We are excited to announce the president of the International Jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival: Lupita Nyong’o!” the Berlinale management announced on Monday. “Lupita Nyong’o embodies what we appreciate in cinema: versatility …

InterKontinental Verlag has been honoured with the 2023 Berlin Publishing Award (Berliner Verlagspreis). The publishing company is a subsidiary of InterKontinental, the Berlin-based literary agency and association for the promotion of African and Afro-diasporic literature. The Berlin Publishing Prize 2023 was presented to InterKontinental Verlag as well as two others, Edition Tiamat and Lukas Verlag, on 5 November during a …

Adire Carnival, the Nigerian Cultural Festival that holds annually in the Austrian capital city of Vienna, has received an important endorsement from one of the most influential traditonal leaders in Africa. Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ọjájá II), the Ooni of Ife, has expressed his support for the Carnival, organised by the Egbe Omo Oduduwa Austria. He was speaking in his …

Our Editor-in-Chief, Femi Awoniyi, was at the live concert of the Afro-Brazilian legend Mateus Aleluia last week and he narrates what he describes as an unforgettable experience Mateus Aleluia gave a live concert during the week in Berlin. Accompanied by a percussionist, the Afro-Brazilian musician appeared with his daughter Fabiana on piano. It was such a lean lineup, but the …

Once again, a selection of current feature, documentary and short films by African filmmakers will be screened in the German capital city. The occasion is the annual festival ‘Afrikamera – Latest Cinema from Africa’, holding from 14–19 November with the theme Urban Africa – Urban Movies: Future & Utopias. True to its theme, Afrikamera 2023 presents a selection of futuristic …

Africa’s most populous nation will display its diverse cultures in Frankfurt on 5 August in the German city of Frankfurt am Main. The 2nd Nigerian-German Cultural Carnival Frankfurt (NGCCF), according to a spokesman of the organisers, promises to be a major event in the financial city. “This year’s will be bigger, merrier as last year’s, with many activities taking place,” …

The 23rd edition of the African Music Festival takes place from 4 – 6 August 2023 at the Schlossplatz in the south-western German town of Emmendingen. Under the motto “Tribute to Mama Africa”, Afrikaba Kulturkreis e.V. has once again put together an exciting festival programme. The various African-origin musical styles and cultures, including salsa, reggae and Afro world, will be …

From 14 to 24 September 2023, the Afrika Film Festival Köln (AFFK) will celebrate its 20th edition with about 85 historical and contemporary films from 20 African countries and the worldwide diaspora. The patron of this year’s festival is the Senegalese director Dyana Gaye, who will give an insight into the TIGRITUDES programme, a film series exploring the challenges and …

Austrian-Nigerian singer, songwriter, and recording artist Rose May Alaba has expressed her interest to collaborate with the Ghanaian recording artist King Promise. During an interview with Hitz 103.9 FM in Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday she said: “I love King Promise. He has a very sweet voice. I love his voice. I am looking forward to that. I am still looking …

School teacher Christine List writes on her experience taking her pupils to the African past in a literature class. The high school students read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart for the project. List narrates her pupils’ mixed impressions of the literary voyage It had been four weeks since the students have been studying Africa in their geography project. During the …

Kenako Afrika-Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. And it’s doing it in a big style! In addition to its activities on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, its traditional venue, from 20 to 30 July, there will also be a Kenako Kids Festival, organised in cooperation with FEZ Berlin, the largest non-profit child, youth and family centre in Europe. Kenako Kids at FEZ-Berlin, …

Five years after the release of ‘Luyando’, Zimbabwe’s most celebrated musical export have returned with their long-awaited follow-up album ‘Tusona: Tracings in the Sand’, released on 7 July by Munich-based Outhere records. Like anywhere in the world Africa’s musical output has become more and more producer based. Mokoomba, however, are the living proof that Africa’s great guitar band heritage is …