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Culture

Music, book and film reviews from the last 3 months

Music. The Tinariwen. Beyond fear.

The music of the Malian group has the traits of blues, rock, world and traditional Tuareg music. Amatssou sings about exile, suffering and the pride of a people. Inspired by Amatssou, Tinariwen’s latest album, the video by Swiss photographer Benoît Peverelli (viewable from the end of October on YouTube) shows Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Abdallah Ag…

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Egypt. Pigeons, what a passion.

In the shade of the pyramids and minarets of Cairo, the tradition of pigeon and homing pigeon breeders has been handed down. Cairo is a chaotic, immense and difficult city. The streets are always too crowded and the continuous cacophony of horns denies concentration and quickly exhausts one’s energy. But raise your eyes and you…

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Nike, ambassador of contemporary Nigerian art.

Recycled material reigns supreme in Nike’s modern art galleries in Lagos and Abuja. It brings together, on crowded walls, sculptures, textiles, jewellery, amulets and paintings that lay claim to another Nigeria. It’s not easy to keep up with Nike Okundaye, founder of the Nike Art Gallery art centres in Lagos, Abuja, Òsogbo and Ogídi-Ìjúmi. Known…

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History. Ancient Urbanisation.

Although colonization contributed to its urban development, Africa had already experienced the flourishing of cities from ancient times. Let us look back at some of these cities through what the continent’s first chroniclers said about them. The African shore of the Mediterranean is the region in which the most ancient urbanization developed through the work…

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The Long Journey of Shea Butter.

From the savannahs of Africa to the global cosmetics industry, we reveal the secrets of a prodigious butter. Shea dominates advertisements and the labels of body care creams, but its uses in Africa are multiple, not only linked to cosmetics. We went to Ghana to see how this surprising butter is created, a product that…

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Guinea-Bissau. Getting married.

The Manjak people are an ethnic group living in Guinea-Bissau. They number about 100,000 and are scattered throughout both the continental and insular region. They are mainly rice cultivators. Keeping cultural traditions alive is important among this group. The ritual and traditions related to marriage are among the most interesting ones. During the kakaw, when…

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Morocco. The challenge of culture.

Over the last ten years, fourteen museums have been opened. A cultural strategy that aims at rediscovering its rich cultural, traditional and artistic heritage. Rabat is not part of the tourist circuit of a country with incredible geographical variety and richness. The quiet capital of the Kingdom of Morocco is far from the chaos of…

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Music. Palestine. Sounds of a wounded land.

A mix of traditional music with the modern musical styles of pop rock and hip-hop. The theme always remains the life of a people who have been suffering for too many years. The Holy Land has always been a difficult country, overflowing with political tensions and conflicting religiosities. It is difficult to say – even…

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Equatorial Guinea – The Mekuyo clown.

The Ndowe people of Equatorial Guinea live along the banks of the Rio Muni. Of all their traditional feasts, the Mekuyo celebration stands out for its rich popular flavour. Any social event is a reason to celebrate. The Mekuyo –  the clown, as the Ndowe call him  – is completely covered with small bamboo canes…

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Music. Morocco. A Rainbow of Sounds.

In a mix of ancient traditions and echoes of cosmopolis, Moroccan music fascinates with its sonority and elegance. Morocco is increasingly looking towards Europe, above all thanks to its emigrants who have populated the metropolises of the West for centuries in a diaspora basin of at least five million people. The parents of Loreen, winner…

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Bolivia. Elegance in traditional Chacobo dress.

The Chacobos are an indigenous people living on the banks of the Benicito River in Northeastern Bolivia. Let’s get to know them through their clothing. The clothing of the Chacobos is made with material that Mother Nature gives them, mainly strips of bark from leafy trees. They like to adorn themselves with seed bracelets. Chacobo…

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Madagascar. Water from Baobabs .

In Madagascar, large centuries-old trees become cisterns to cope with the growing shortage of water.  Baobabs are known for their size, hardiness, and impressive longevity. Less known is their ability to conserve enormous quantities of water for a long time: a precious feature for those who live in the Mahafaly plateau, the driest region of…

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Advocacy

Ecuador. Alexandra Narvaez & Alex Lucitante. “We are people, who…

Two young leaders from the A’i Cofán community of Sinangoe in Ecuador led a movement to protect their people’s ancestral territory from gold mining. Their leadership…

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Baobab

The Spider, the Elephant and The Hippo.

Because there was a famine in the land, the spider and his family grew thinner and thinner and hungrier and hungrier. In his desperation, the spider…

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Youth & Mission

The voices of young people. Some leave and some remain.

Leaving the Church does not mean abandoning the faith; moving away from the faith does not mean giving up one's spirituality. Even though they are leaving…

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