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Culture

Books. Spring Reading.

Three interesting books for this spring. The modern world is built on commodities – from the…

01 Mar 2023

Uganda. Acholi Marriage. Not before Sunset.

The Acholi people live in Northern Uganda. They have a rich and diverse cultural heritage.…

01 Mar 2023

Cinema. Irreducible Women.

 In the film ‘Nanny’, Nikyatu Jusu's debut horror explores the dark side of the American…

01 Mar 2023

DR Congo. North Kivu. The Word that Sets you Free.

Every Saturday they meet in a modest place where they share their creations and subject…

01 Mar 2023

Bolivia. Anata. The Aymara Carnival.

The Anata festival -  Anata in Aymara means game - is of pre-Hispanic tradition. It…

01 Feb 2023

Music. Mdou Moctar. The Sounds of the Desert.

From the golden sands of the Sahara Desert to the renowned world of music festivals.…

01 Feb 2023

Ghana. Adowa, the Unique Dance Style of the Ashanti.

It is one of the most popular and unique dance styles practiced in Ghana. It…

01 Feb 2023

Ch'alla. Rite of Thanksgiving to Mother Earth.

It is a rite of gratitude of the native Andean peoples towards Pachamama (Mother Earth),…

01 Feb 2023

Herbs & Plants. Ageratum Conyzoides. The ‘Goat Weed’ Remedy.

This plant has been used in various parts of Africa in folk medicine to treat…

01 Jan 2023

Cinema. African Queens.

Black Panther: Wakanda forever and The Woman King have sparked interesting debates both in the…

01 Jan 2023

Ali Birra, Icon of Oromo Music.

For over fifty years he has been the voice of this ethnic group of Ethiopia…

01 Jan 2023

China. Lantern Festival.

Religion, philosophy, legends, imperial politics, and folklore – these are the ingredients of one of…

01 Jan 2023

Music. Kalush Orchestra. Mamma Stefania...let me hear your voice.

In May, with their song ‘Stefania’, they easily won the latest Eurovision Song Contest and…

01 Dec 2022

South Africa. Zapiro, a Graphic Humourist.

Through his cartoons, Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro) has been campaigning against apartheid since the 1980s. He…

01 Dec 2022

Mexico. Between Art and Popular Religiosity.

Mexican folk art is present in all aspects of community life. During the civil (and…

01 Dec 2022

South Africa. Creativity that Transforms the World.

Soweto Theatre is a community space where new generations of artists are forged from historical…

01 Dec 2022

Africa. Death as a Rite of Passage.

The meaning of the rites of passage in Africa culture. ‘The funeral rites express the…

01 Nov 2022

Ethiopia. The Circus, Art that Gives Dignity.

Through circus art, Kine Circus helps boys and girls in danger of exclusion to find…

01 Nov 2022

Music. Stromae, the Master of pop.

A heart that beats to the rhythm of Africa Paul Van Haver was born in…

01 Nov 2022

Morocco. Rabat. Capital of Lights.

‘City of Lights’, as Rabat, the administrative capital of Morocco, is called. The name is…

01 Nov 2022

The Birthplace of the Rainbow.

Victoria Falls is one of the best known and most spectacular sights in Africa. Its…

01 Oct 2022

Peru. The Asheninka Minga.

The Asheninka, are an indigenous ethnic group that lives in the centre of the forest…

01 Oct 2022

Music. Lido Pimienta. To the Rhythm of Cumbia.

Mention Colombia and one immediately thinks of cumbia: a rhythm, an atmosphere, a dance, a…

01 Oct 2022

DR Congo. Dancing to the Rumba Rhythm.

The rumba is a typically Congolese rhythm. This popular music, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean…

01 Oct 2022

Peru. The Ayahuasca Ritual: the Gateway to the World of…

The ancestral Andean Amazonian wisdom is transmitted through songs, mythological stories, and the narratives of…

01 Sep 2022

Herbs & Plants. Steganotaenia Araliacea. The Carrot Tree.

It is a multipurpose medicinal plant and can be used, in particular, to treat pneumonia,…

01 Sep 2022

Africa. The Sound of Drums.

Drums play an important role in the life of African people. Traditionally, drums represent the…

01 Sep 2022

Music. Ustad Saami. The Fascination of an Ancient Mystery

“The world calls me Ustad, the teacher, but I personally feel I am a Shagird,…

01 Sep 2022

Herbs & Plants. Euclea natalensis. An important medicinal plant in…

It is an important and frequently used medicinal plant in tropical Africa. It can be…

01 Aug 2022

Books. Summer Reading.

Three interesting books for this summer. Why is Africa still perceived as a country when there…

01 Aug 2022

Music. Houeida Hedfi. In the Rivers of the Soul.

Sounds with an unmistakably Arabian and Middle Eastern flavour, the sort of music that passionately…

01 Aug 2022

Nollywood in Netflix Sauce.

The Blood Sisters miniseries has disembarked on Netflix. Filmed during the pandemic by Biyi Bandele…

01 Aug 2022

Congo. Sapeur. An Extravagant Identity.

On the trail of men and women who dress luxuriously without being rich. Weekend dandies…

01 Jul 2022

Peru. Birth among the Asheninka. An Offer to the Big…

The Asheninka live in the central forest of the Ucayali district in the Atalaya province,…

01 Jul 2022

Herbs & Plants. Cola Acuminata. The Beverage Flavouring Plant.

It is an evergreen tree, native to tropical Africa especially West Africa. It usually grows…

01 Jul 2022

Mexico. The people of the sacred rains.

The people of the rain, Ñuu Savi, in the Nahuati language of the Mestizos, live…

01 Jul 2022

Peru. Marriage. An Agreement Between Two Families.

Marriage is related to the continuation of the family and the community among the Asheninka,…

01 Jun 2022

India. Phulkari, floral work.

The folk art of phulkari, that represents the tradition and culture of Punjab, is now…

01 Jun 2022

Mozambique. Bazaruto’s enchanting waters.

Off the southern coast of Mozambique, there lies an uncontaminated paradise of six islands surrounded…

01 Jun 2022

Uganda. Luwombo, a Traditional Dish Cooked in a Banana Leaf.

Among the Baganda people living in the area north and northwest of Lake Victoria in…

01 Jun 2022

Peru. The Asheninka. Mijado, the Time for Sharing.

By the word mijado this indigenous people, living in the rainforests of Peru, refers to…

01 May 2022

Circus Zambia. A Chance to Change the Situation.

The colours of the walls, the little flags decorating the entrance, the large open space…

01 May 2022

Archaeology and History in the Sahara / A Journey to…

In Mali seeking the ancient capital of the Tuareg. It was once one of the…

01 May 2022

Bolivia. Socavon, Life is a Joyful Dance.

The pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of Socavon, in Bolivia, is a process…

01 May 2022

African Alphabets. A Great Cultural Heritage.

Africa is probably the place in the world where oral tradition has had the greatest…

01 Apr 2022

Mexico. The Monarch Butterfly.

When we talk about the monarch butterfly, we touch on legend, mythology and the history…

01 Apr 2022

Herbs & Plants. Markhamia lutea. A Powerful Medicinal Plant.

An effective treatment for skin infections, sores, and itches. Its common name is Nile tulip.…

01 Apr 2022

Uganda. Bulungi Bwansi Brings People Together.

In the past, it was community work in which everyone was involved in the Buganda…

01 Apr 2022

Peru. The Maloca, a Large Communal House.

Maloca means communal house, it represents the unity of the Asheninka community, an indigenous people…

01 Mar 2022

Guatemala. Devotion to Saint Simón.

He never existed, yet his faithful are many. Saint Simón is the fusion between the…

01 Mar 2022

The Third Way of African Philosophy.

The Mozambican, Severino Elias Ngoenha, the main exponent of African philosophical thinking in Portuguese-speaking Africa,…

01 Mar 2022

Herbs & Plants. Aerva lanata. A Diverse Medicinal Herb.

The continent of Africa is endowed with plenty of important medicinal plants. One of such…

01 Mar 2022

Narrative African Voices in Print and on the Web.

A panorama of the newspapers founded by African intellectuals who gave and are still giving…

01 Feb 2022

Music. Mina, ‘the veiled rapper’.

Everything was against her. Aminata Gaye - Mina ‘the veiled one’ is her stage name…

01 Feb 2022

South Africa. Second-Hand Books Take Over the Johannesburg Literary Market.

Johannesburg, often associated with skyscrapers, insecurity, crime, begging, and in some areas, difficult access to…

01 Feb 2022

DR Congo. Forging New Talents.

In the Congolese capital, as in the rest of the country, cultural spaces are almost…

01 Feb 2022

Ethiopia. Maqbasa. Name-giving.

One of the greatest feasts among the Guji - an Oromo ethnic group - is…

01 Jan 2022

Herbs & Plants. Crassocephallum vitellinum - Anti-peptic ulcer plant.

It is a medicinal plant used for treatment of a number of diseases among them…

01 Jan 2022

Bolivia. Chakana, the Andean cosmic bridge.

Andean Chakana is the symbol of the principle of relations with people and nature. It…

01 Jan 2022

Vietnam. The “Zeng” Art.

The Ta Oi is an ethnic group living in A Luoi a rural district of …

01 Jan 2022

Eritrea. The sacrifice of the red goat.

The Kunama, an Eritrean ethnic group living in the remote and isolated area between the…

01 Dec 2021

Herbs & Plants. Leonotis nepetifolia. 'A Lion era'.

In traditional medicine, the plant is used to treat a number of diseases like bronchial asthma,…

01 Dec 2021

Azerbaijan: Unique Carpets.

The Azerbaijan art of weaving is unique: it is an ancient tradition, a mystical and…

01 Dec 2021

Mexico. Tortillas, God’s food.

Mexican people and other cultures have been a corn-based diet culture since ancient times. Mexican…

01 Dec 2021

Mozambique. Music and Dance of the Makua. To the sound…

It began in an Islamic context as a religious dance but today it has a…

01 Nov 2021

Colombia. The Ticuna ritual called 'Pelazón'.

The Ticuna indigenous ethnic group is one of the most numerous in the 'Amazonian Trapezium'…

01 Nov 2021

Herbs & Plants. Blighia unijugata. A Plant with a…

A genus Blighia comprises only three species and is endemic in tropical Africa. It can…

01 Nov 2021

Uganda. Ekipeyos. The prayer of the elders.

Stricken by adversity a Karimojong man, a member of an ethnic group of northern Uganda,…

01 Nov 2021

Malawi. Dancing with the Spirit.

It is a country with over 10 ethnic groups, each with different cultural traditions and…

01 Oct 2021

Jamaica. The roots of reggae.

The mention of Jamaica immediately reminds us of reggae music and such figures as Bob…

01 Oct 2021

Bolivia. The textiles of the Andes.

The textiles of the Andean Valley stand out not only for the technical complexity of…

01 Oct 2021

Africa. The hippo and its passion for rivers.

It is one of the most iconic of the African land mammals. It lives in…

01 Oct 2021

Honduras. The Pech people. “We belong to the earth and…

The indigenous Pech people (one of the original peoples of Honduras), is one of the…

01 Sep 2021

Bolivia. Apthapi, a time for sharing.

Among the indigenous peoples of the Andes, every detail of life has a fundamental meaning…

01 Sep 2021

Herbs & Plant. Talinum paniculatum. A vital medicinal plant.

It is one of the most popular herbal plants and has been used as a…

01 Sep 2021

The secrets of the Lion King.

The animal symbolic of the African savannah is known all over the world for its…

01 Sep 2021

Uganda. A bride Mukiga girl.

The Bakiga or Kiga people are known as people of the mountain. They are a…

01 Aug 2021

Ethiopia. The sacred waters of Lake Tana.

This internal lake of Ethiopia is an Alpine circle of muddy waters, more than three…

01 Aug 2021

Herbs & Plants. Albizia coriaria: anti-depressant medicinal plant.

It is used for a treatment of a number of diseases. The plant can be…

01 Aug 2021

Africa. The Giraffe. ‘Higher than the trees’.

Giraffe, in the Sindebele and Zulu languages, is Ndlulamiti, meaning literally ‘higher than the trees’,…

01 Aug 2021

Ecuador. The Shuar. The people of the sacred waterfalls.

The Shuar are an Amazonian indigenous people whose culture, life, and spirituality are based on…

01 Jul 2021

Togo. A Voodoo is born to us.

Among the waci (a name that means 'the souls of our ancestors dwell here') of…

01 Jul 2021

The fascinating mystery of migrations in the African skies.

Hundreds of species of bird migrate seasonally, covering enormous distances, urged on by irresistible instinct.…

01 Jul 2021

Uganda. The art of dance.

For the Karimojong, a pastoral and semi-nomadic tribe living in the north-eastern regions of Uganda,…

01 Jul 2021

Ethiopia. That propitious day.

The Gedeo are an ethnic group in southern Ethiopia. Among the Gedeo, there are three…

01 Jun 2021

The new frontiers of music. The sound of the desert.

With the initiative of Christopher Kirkley, an American bio-engineer who has become a music producer,…

01 Jun 2021

Spotlight on African films. Reinventing the seventh art.

The films made by young directors can be traced to two main streams. Afrofuturism which…

01 Jun 2021

Colombia. San Basilio de Palenque. A place of resistance and…

Four hundred years ago, a group of black slaves fled from the Spanish Crown to…

01 Jun 2021

Herbs & Plants. Canarium schweinfurtii. A Medicinal Plant.

Known as African olive or bush candle, this tropical tree is highly beneficial to human…

01 May 2021

Music. Fatima Said. Enchanting Voice.

Capable, beautiful and full of positive energy, the Egyptian soprano Fatma Said with her formidable…

01 May 2021

Mexico. Weaving culture.

Within the priceless cultural heritage that is preserved among the Indian peoples of Mexico and…

01 May 2021

Kenya. Rose Wanjikũ Mũriũ. Karate girl.

She wants to make history: to be the first Kenyan Karate Woman to take part…

01 May 2021

Uganda. Empako a sign of respect among the Batooro.

Besides their family names, the Batooro have pet names called empako. It was a sign…

01 Apr 2021

Venezuela. The Indios Warao: the 'Boat People'.

The Warao indigenous people inhabit the states of Bolívar, Monagas, Sucre and Delta Amacuro in…

01 Apr 2021

Music. Jonas Gwangwa. Antiapartheid jazz leader.

The South African musician and composer was active both in music and in politics. At…

01 Apr 2021

Brazil. Capoeira, the dance of the resistance.

A martial art that combines dance, self-defence and music, with its roots in ritual Bantu…

01 Apr 2021

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Culture Archive – summaries

Nigeria. Edo Museum of West African Art. Collective Memories.

A museum project has been launched this year under the care of architect David Adjaye who…

01 Mar 2021, Culture March 2021

Music. Santrofi, the sound of pan-Africanism.

The Ghanaian band Santrofi demonstrates that Highlife music is still a rich and vital force. Artistically…

01 Mar 2021, Culture March 2021

Africa. To Share fraternity.

In his last Encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti”, (“Brothers All”), Pope Francis is calling for a…

01 Mar 2021, Culture March 2021

Ivory Coast. Contemporary art in the city of Abidjan.

The pandemic forced it to close just a week after it was officially opened and did…

01 Mar 2021, Culture March 2021

Music. Jerusalema. Dance, Sing, Resist.

The Gospel track devised by South Africa DJ Master KG has spread on YouTube due to…

01 Feb 2021, Culture February 2021

Unesco. Cous cous. 'Live united'.

Cous cous, a popular emblematic dish of North Africa, has been placed on the list of…

01 Feb 2021, Culture February 2021

Herbs & Plant. Warburgia salutaris. A unique medicinal plant.

The importance of medicinal plants in primary health care systems to treat and manage various disease…

01 Feb 2021, Culture February 2021

Egypt. Archaeology. The sarcophagi of Saqqara. New light on the…

The discovery by Egyptian archaeologists of more than a hundred sealed sarcophagi in the necropolis of…

01 Feb 2021, Culture February 2021

Sami. An indigenous European people.

The Sami have always lived in the far north of the continent. Historically oppressed and assimilated,…

01 Jan 2021, Culture January 2021

Herbs & Plants. Psorospermum febrifugum Spach. A medicinal plant…

Medicinal plants continue to play vital roles in primary health systems globally. A number of plants…

01 Jan 2021, Culture January 2021

Ethiopia. The Guji. A people in transformation.

The Guji are an ethnic group of southern Ethiopia. They belong to the great family of…

01 Jan 2021, Culture January 2021

Bolivia. Water: source of life in the Andean Pacha.

The Andean peoples preserve their ancient wisdoms with great care in order to lead a good…

01 Jan 2021, Culture January 2021

Music. Djibouti, Modern Notes.

The New York music house Ostinato Records recently released a Groupe RTD album – a Djibouti…

01 Dec 2020, Culture December 2020

Herbs & Plants. Piliostigma thonningii. A multipurpose medicinal plant.

Piliostigma thonningii, common name 'camel’s foot', is a leguminous, deciduous tree with a single stem, native…

01 Dec 2020, Culture December 2020

Pan-African Museum. Reclaiming History.

Aimed at Africans and the diaspora, the Pan-African Museum of Heritage and Culture in Accra (Ghana)…

01 Dec 2020, Culture December 2020

Africa. Ubuntu, to live positively.

In the African context, Ubuntu is a religious belief which concerns the need for humans to…

01 Dec 2020, Culture December 2020

Madagascar. Famadihana, the feast of Return.

On the Madagascar plateau the bodies of the dead are exhumed from their tombs and brought…

01 Nov 2020, Culture November 2020

Special Report/Iraq. Cultural Heritage in Peril.

The wars in Syria and Iraq are (mostly) over, but the region’s rich cultural heritage remains…

01 Nov 2020, Culture November 2020

Special Report/ Syria. Destruction, Looting and Illicit Trafficking of Cultural…

Syria is the Arab country that has best preserved the physical evidence of its pre-Islamic past:…

01 Nov 2020, Culture November 2020

Music. The Sarkodie Generation.

The head of a musical movement that is both cultural and profitable, Michael Kwesi Owusu Addo,…

01 Nov 2020, Culture November 2020

Qhapaq Ñan. Symbol of integration.

The Qhapaq Ñan is an extraordinary set of roads constructed by the Incas. This network connects…

01 Oct 2020, Culture October 2020

Herbs & Plants. Lantana camara. A Therapeutic Plant.

Plants have been a source of effective therapeutic agents for various diseases. Globally, there is a…

01 Oct 2020, Culture October 2020

Africa. Masks that protect and heal.

Wearing a mask is essential when faced with a virus like Covid-19. The notion of human…

01 Sep 2020, Culture September 2020

Music: Hope Masike, ‘The Princess of the Mbira’.

Evocative music, blending ancestral melodies and pop rhythms. "I hear our ancestors encouraging us to find…

01 Sep 2020, Culture September 2020

Nigeria. The dance of the street children.

The Dream Catchers Academy is an organisation that helps street children. To give them some dignity…

01 Aug 2020, Culture August 2020

Herbs & Plants. Rhus vulgaris Meikle. An Important Herbal Medicinal…

Vital in traditional medicine for the treatment and management of various disease conditions. The ash is…

01 Aug 2020, Culture August 2020

Music. Obongjayar. Aromas and Rhythms of Mother Africa.

His name is Steven Umoh but in the world of music, he is known by all…

01 Aug 2020, Culture August 2020

Mexico. Arms that speak of peace.

A visual Mexican artist collects arms used during violent times in his country and transforms them…

01 Aug 2020, Culture August 2020

Music. Mory Kanté. The Electric Griot.

His eighties hit Yeke Yeke made him one of the prime artists of nascent world music. The…

01 Jul 2020, Culture July 2020

Herbs & Plants. Aspalathus linearis. The medicinal Tea Plant.

It is used to treat different allergies and help various antioxidant-associated health benefits. Globally, a number…

01 Jul 2020, Culture July 2020

Music. Manu Dibango. The Poet with the Saxophone.

A victim of the Coronavirus, in Paris, on 24 March 2020. The Cameroonian saxophonist and composer,…

01 Jun 2020, Culture June 2020

Mexico. Pre-Hispanic city of Uxmal.

The ancient pre-Hispanic city of Uxmal and its three surrounding sites: Kabhá, Labná and Sayil admirably…

01 Jun 2020, Culture June 2020

Gaye Su Akyol. Dreamer of the Turkish Sound.

A mixture of Anatolian pop and oriental folk, gypsy resonances and western sounds. A committed voice…

01 May 2020, Culture May 2020

Zimbabwe. In search of the lost city.

Grand Zimbabwe is one of Africa's largest and most complex archaeological sites. Its origins and decline…

01 May 2020, Culture May 2020

Herbs & Plants. Cyathula prostrata. A wild plant with vast…

The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use, especially for medicinal purposes but…

01 May 2020, Culture May 2020

Herbs & Plant. Harrisonia abyssinica. Its unique traditional medicinal activities.

The root in the form of a powder, a decoction, or an infusion, is taken to…

01 Apr 2020, Culture April 2020

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Advocacy

Yvette Mushigo, Breaking the Silence.

The Congolese activist and jurist Yvette Mushigo is the coordinator of the Synergie des Femmes pour la Paix et la Réconciliation (SPR), a network of…

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Baobab

The qualities of a Tuareg sheikh.

At the foot of the Atlas Mountains, a mountainous massif in the Western Sahara, there was a powerful kingdom ruled by a sheikh as wise as…

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Youth & Mission

Pope Francis to Congolese Youth.

Looking at the hands with which a different future can be built, Pope Francis suggests "five ingredients for the future", like the five fingers. In the stadium…

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