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Culture

Music, book and film reviews from the last 3 months

Nicaragua. Journey into myths and legend in the land of volcanoes.

Every town and city has its own tales, myths, and legends that make up part of the culture of Nicaraguans. Those who appear to be the simplest folk, all the while guarding the treasure of the traditions of their ancestors. León is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the…

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Music. Jain, Souldier of Soul.

At the famous Parc des Princes studio in Paris on 7 June of this year, during the opening of the Women’s World Football Championship, a young female singer with an exceptional voice caught the attention of the public. Jeanne Louise Galice — known as Jain in the world of music – has Malagasy ancestors but…

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Music. Niger. Bombino, the rock in the desert.

He is considered one of the best living blues guitarists. He has succeeded in combining the nomadic culture with sounds that charm the largest international audiences. His real name is Goumar Almoctar, but in the world of music he is called Bombino.  A Niger Tuareg, he was born in Agadez, in the heart of the…

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North Africa. Recognition of Amazigh Culture.

Indigenous to North Africa, the Amazigh people, sometimes known as Berbers, have spent decades fighting for cultural recognition in the predominantly Arab region. For years, Amazigh activists have been engaged in a battle against oppressive policies while also trying to promote measures that would help preserve Amazigh identity. Despite recent successes, however, it may be…

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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: “Prison was a school to me”.

Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was imprisoned and exiled for his political beliefs. As he became sensitized to the effects of colonialism in Africa, Ngũgĩ turned from writing in English to writing in his native language. Although he goes to visit his country, he lives in the United States, where he is Professor of Language…

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Africa. The art of food. Ancient flavours and genuine ingredients.

From the Maghreb to Southern Africa, a myriad of flavours, aromas and colours. A journey through past and present tells of the rich traditions in the art of African food. Fonio is an ancient cereal that is resistant to drought. It is one of the oldest crops cultivated in West Africa, from Nigeria, through Benin,…

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Herbs & Plants. Acalypha indica. A useful source of medicine.

It is a plant used as a medicine for several therapeutic treatments. The leaf decoction is dropped into the ears to treat earache and infections. The paste made from powdered leaves is applied for skin infections. In some communities leaves are cooked as a vegetable. Acalypha indica (Euphorbiaceae Family) is an erect, often simple-stemmed annual…

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Herbs & Plants. Funtumia elastic. A medicinal African rubber tree.

Highly valued in traditional medicine for treatment and management of a number of diseases and disorders. Funtumia elastic, commonly named ‘silk rubber’, is a medium-sized deciduous tree with distribution from Guinea to Cameroon and in the Congo basin, and along the Nile basin in Egypt, Sudan, and in east Africa, especially in Tanzania and Uganda.…

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Laura Mvula. A Gospel for the Third Millennium.

A voice that  radiates all the moods and colours of Africa. She is one of the brightest stars of contemporary pop. A rather limited description in that her music is a combination of the Gospel music she grew up with and the soul music of the masters, the real old jazz-blues and danceable funky, with…

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Herbs & Plants. Xylopia aethiopica. A Spicy Herbal Medicinal Plant.

It possesses great nutritional and medicinal values. The plant is used in the treatment of a number of diseases. And also as a body cream.  Xylopia aethiopica which is commonly referred to as the grains of Selim, Ethiopian pepper or African grains of Selim, is an evergreen, aromatic tree that can grow up to about…

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Yasmine Hamdan. A Vagabond Spirit.

“With her powerful voice and unique style she succeeded in bringing together the treasures of traditional music and the electronic sounds of European pop-rock”. For some time now, Yasmine has lived in multi-ethnic Paris but she has lived and criss-crossed many cities and cultures in her life of forty three years. It started in Beirut…

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Belgium. The Museum of Africa, a revisited version of the continent.

The Museum of Africa aspires to be an open space for discussion of the sad colonial past and contemporary African art. There has not been lack of criticisms. The colonization of Congo – the current Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – and the rule of neighbouring Rwanda, which then included Burundi, is one of…

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Advocacy

Mongolia. Batmunkh Luvsandash. A Steward of the land.

Determined to protect his homeland from mining, Batmunkh Luvsandash’s activism resulted in the creation of a 66,000-acre protected area in Dornogovi province in April 2022,…

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Baobab

The Nyanjira smile.

Once upon a time, there was a girl of enchanting beauty. Her name was Nyanjira. She had soft, smooth skin and a very sweet smile that…

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Youth & Mission

Pope Francis to Young People. “¡Hagan lío!”

During his pontificate, Pope Francis has placed young people at the centre of his pastoral attention, recognising them as key players in building a better future.…

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