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Culture

The Long Journey of Shea Butter.

From the savannahs of Africa to the global cosmetics industry, we reveal the secrets of…

01 Mar 2024

Guinea-Bissau. Getting married.

The Manjak people are an ethnic group living in Guinea-Bissau. They number about 100,000 and…

01 Mar 2024

Morocco. The challenge of culture.

Over the last ten years, fourteen museums have been opened. A cultural strategy that aims…

01 Mar 2024

Music. Palestine. Sounds of a wounded land.

A mix of traditional music with the modern musical styles of pop rock and hip-hop.…

01 Mar 2024

Equatorial Guinea - The Mekuyo clown.

The Ndowe people of Equatorial Guinea live along the banks of the Rio Muni. Of…

01 Feb 2024

Music. Morocco. A Rainbow of Sounds.

In a mix of ancient traditions and echoes of cosmopolis, Moroccan music fascinates with its…

01 Feb 2024

Bolivia. Elegance in traditional Chacobo dress.

The Chacobos are an indigenous people living on the banks of the Benicito River in…

01 Feb 2024

Madagascar. Water from Baobabs .

In Madagascar, large centuries-old trees become cisterns to cope with the growing shortage of water.…

01 Feb 2024

The Sahel. The Elegance of Nomads.

For desert shepherds, elegance and grace are antidotes to the desolation and hostility of the…

01 Jan 2024

Brazil. The Magic Dance.

The marambiré is the most authentic African ritual of all Amazonia. Its rhythm is similar…

01 Jan 2024

Nicaragua. El Güegüense. A People's Resistance.

A Nicaraguan mask play that defies the arrogance of the powerful with style and creativity.…

01 Jan 2024

Leadership in African Culture. Between Fear and Respect.

African traditional political leaders cover both the temporal and the religious spheres. They represent the…

01 Jan 2024

Ghana. ‘Dipo’ Puberty Rites: Transitioning into Womanhood.

The Dipo rite is an integral part of the Krobo culture. Over the years it…

01 Dec 2023

Tanzania. Maasai Colours.

Red and black are two of the fundamental colours in the Maasai culture and symbolize…

01 Dec 2023

The meaning of the sacrifice in the African culture.

Every religion has some form of sacrifice. In fact, sacrifice is the most universal of…

01 Dec 2023

Bolivia. The Q’Owaku Ritual.

The Q'Owaku ritual is performed as a blessing for workers or builders in the cities…

01 Dec 2023

The Growth of Fashion in Africa.

If there is a sector in Africa that is giving great satisfaction not only to…

01 Nov 2023

Colombia. Music that Heals and Reconciles.

In Colombia, the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra has brought together the victims of armed conflict and…

01 Nov 2023

Mali. The Art of Painting with Clay.

The Groupe Bogolan Kasobané, from Mali, revolutionized the art scene in their country when they…

01 Nov 2023

Bolivia. The Festival of the Chacobo Community.

The Chacobos are a small indigenous people living on the banks of the Benicito river…

01 Nov 2023

Nigeria. The Egungun Cult among the Yoruba People.

The Yoruba people are one of the largest in West Africa; they live in southern…

01 Oct 2023

Music. Vietnam. Between Tradition, Pop and Rap.

For the Vietnamese people, music has always been of great importance. A tradition with millennia…

01 Oct 2023

The Role of Masato in the Peruvian Amazon.

Masato is the typical and preferred drink of the Asheninka, the Shipios and other indigenous…

01 Oct 2023

Herbs & Plants. Harungana madagascariensis. An edible medicinal plant.

The plant has been used over many years in African herbal medicine for the treatment…

01 Oct 2023

Music. King Ayisoba.

Kolongo is a musical genre that takes its name from a two-stringed lute of the…

01 Sep 2023

Peru. The Ashaninka Ancestral Wisdom. Their Sensory Awareness.

An indigenous ethnic group, the Ashaninka live in the central forest of the Ucayali department…

01 Sep 2023

Herbs & Plants. Bridelia micrantha. A Robust Medicinal Plant.

It has been identified as one of the few plant species that should be integrated…

01 Sep 2023

Ghana. ‘Hogbetsotso’, a Festival of the Exodus.

It is one of the indigenous festivals in Ghana celebrated by the Anlo people of…

01 Sep 2023

Literature. In Memory of Ama Ata Aidoo.

In novels and plays, in politics and in university classrooms. A lifetime of fighting for…

01 Aug 2023

Peru. The Time to the Asheninka.

What is the importance of time to the Asheninka, an Amazonian people of western Peru?…

01 Aug 2023

Iraq. A Book to Live Again.

The young Yazidi Janan Shaker Elias has opened a bookshop in a village on the…

01 Aug 2023

Music. The Boom of the Afrobeats.

The music industry is experiencing the fastest global growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (+34.7%). The Spotify…

01 Aug 2023

Herbs & Plants. Dichrocephala Integrifolia. An Antiviral Plant.

The plant is widely used in traditional medicine to treat and prevent a wide range…

01 Jul 2023

Ghana. Sacred Golden Stool.

The most important and sacred Asante stool is the ‘Golden Stool’. It represents the authority…

01 Jul 2023

Peru. The Rite of the Ashaninka Ancestral Medicine.

To a large extent, the ancestral medicine of the Ashaninka, an indigenous Amazonian ethnic group…

01 Jul 2023

Nigeria. Osun-Osogbo, the Last Sacred Forest of the Yoruba.

Northeast of Lagos (Nigeria), near the city of Osogbo (also spelled Oshogbo), the last sacred…

01 Jul 2023

Sara Raymi. Feast of the Sun, Andean New Year’s Day.

On 21 June, the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, Andean cultures celebrate the new…

01 Jun 2023

Netflix. African Folktales, Reimagined.

It is a series of six short films produced by Netflix made by young directors…

01 Jun 2023

Ecuador. June Festivals.

During the month of June, various traditional festivals are celebrated, including Inti Raymi, thanksgiving to…

01 Jun 2023

Benin. The Artists of Abomey. ‘The Oral Historians’.

Between 1600 and 1900 the city of Abomey was the pride of the kingdom of…

01 Jun 2023

Music. Sounds of Kazakhstan.

Q-pop is the Kazakh-language musical genre that is becoming widespread. A mix of western pop,…

01 May 2023

Rwanda. The Power of the Beat.

Ingoma Nshya is the country's first female percussion troupe. Reconciliation, healing and peace are part…

01 May 2023

Peru. The Asheninka Cultural Identity and Spirituality.

The Asheninka live in the departments of Pasco and Ucayali, which are part of the…

01 May 2023

South Africa. Much More than Tricks.

Fantasy and imagination but above all, ingenuity. 200 apprentices from different walks of life train…

01 May 2023

Music. Tems, the Rebel.

Before long, Temilade Openiyi known professionally as Tems quickly made her way into the R&B…

01 Apr 2023

Peru. The Asheninka Calendar.

Although the Asheninka, an indigenous ethnic group, who live in the central forest of the…

01 Apr 2023

Herbs & Plants. Combretum molle. A Source of Medicinal Mumuye…

It is commonly referred to as velvet bush willow and is a medium-sized evergreen deciduous…

01 Apr 2023

Ghana. Akwasidae, an Ashanti Festival of Rich Cultural Heritage.

It is the most important event celebrated by the Chiefs and people of Ashanti in…

01 Apr 2023

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

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Culture Archive – summaries

Peru. The Maloca, a Large Communal House.

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

01 Mar 2022, Culture March 2022

Guatemala. Devotion to Saint Simón.

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

01 Mar 2022, Culture March 2022

The Third Way of African Philosophy.

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

01 Mar 2022, Culture March 2022

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

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

01 Mar 2022, Culture March 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 a…

01 Feb 2022, Culture February 2022

Music. Mina, ‘the veiled rapper’.

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

01 Feb 2022, Culture February 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 basic…

01 Feb 2022, Culture February 2022

DR Congo. Forging New Talents.

In the Congolese capital, as in the rest of the country, cultural spaces are almost non-existent.…

01 Feb 2022, Culture February 2022

Ethiopia. Maqbasa. Name-giving.

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

01 Jan 2022, Culture January 2022

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

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

01 Jan 2022, Culture January 2022

Bolivia. Chakana, the Andean cosmic bridge.

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

01 Jan 2022, Culture January 2022

Vietnam. The “Zeng” Art.

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

01 Jan 2022, Culture January 2022

Eritrea. The sacrifice of the red goat.

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

01 Dec 2021, Culture December 2021

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

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

01 Dec 2021, Culture December 2021

Azerbaijan: Unique Carpets.

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

01 Dec 2021, Culture December 2021

Mexico. Tortillas, God’s food.

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

01 Dec 2021, Culture December 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 more…

01 Nov 2021, Culture November 2021

Colombia. The Ticuna ritual called 'Pelazón'.

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

01 Nov 2021, Culture November 2021

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

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

01 Nov 2021, Culture November 2021

Uganda. Ekipeyos. The prayer of the elders.

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

01 Nov 2021, Culture November 2021

Malawi. Dancing with the Spirit.

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

01 Oct 2021, Culture October 2021

Jamaica. The roots of reggae.

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

01 Oct 2021, Culture October 2021

Bolivia. The textiles of the Andes.

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

01 Oct 2021, Culture October 2021

Africa. The hippo and its passion for rivers.

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

01 Oct 2021, Culture October 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 few…

01 Sep 2021, Culture September 2021

Bolivia. Apthapi, a time for sharing.

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

01 Sep 2021, Culture September 2021

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

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

01 Sep 2021, Culture September 2021

The secrets of the Lion King.

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

01 Sep 2021, Culture September 2021

Uganda. A bride Mukiga girl.

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

01 Aug 2021, Culture August 2021

Ethiopia. The sacred waters of Lake Tana.

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

01 Aug 2021, Culture August 2021

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

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

01 Aug 2021, Culture August 2021

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

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

01 Aug 2021, Culture August 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 water. The…

01 Jul 2021, Culture July 2021

Togo. A Voodoo is born to us.

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

01 Jul 2021, Culture July 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. Scientists…

01 Jul 2021, Culture July 2021

Uganda. The art of dance.

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

01 Jul 2021, Culture July 2021

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Advocacy

Adriano Karipuna. The Amazon. Protecting our territory.

He has inherited the legacy of his father, one of the few survivors of the genocide half a century ago, and represents a "people" that…

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Baobab

The cat... with a bag.

One day, a penniless farmer from an oasis went to a rich merchant in the neighbouring village to ask for a loan. The old harvest was…

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Youth & Mission

Peace in the Holy Land.

God of Comfort, send your Spirit to encompass all those whose lives are torn apart by violence and death in Israel and Palestine. You are the Advocate of the…

Read more