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Culture

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

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

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Culture Archive – summaries

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

Ethiopia. That propitious day.

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

01 Jun 2021, Culture June 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, the…

01 Jun 2021, Culture June 2021

Spotlight on African films. Reinventing the seventh art.

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

01 Jun 2021, Culture June 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 Cartagena…

01 Jun 2021, Culture June 2021

Herbs & Plants. Canarium schweinfurtii. A Medicinal Plant.

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

01 May 2021, Culture May 2021

Music. Fatima Said. Enchanting Voice.

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

01 May 2021, Culture May 2021

Mexico. Weaving culture.

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

01 May 2021, Culture May 2021

Kenya. Rose Wanjikũ Mũriũ. Karate girl.

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

01 May 2021, Culture 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 of…

01 Apr 2021, Culture April 2021

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

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

01 Apr 2021, Culture April 2021

Music. Jonas Gwangwa. Antiapartheid jazz leader.

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

01 Apr 2021, Culture April 2021

Brazil. Capoeira, the dance of the resistance.

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

01 Apr 2021, Culture April 2021

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

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Advocacy

Kenya. Mama Shamsa. “I am a mother to them”.

Faced with the violence of criminal gangs that have overwhelmed the lives of many children, the Kenyan activist opened the doors of her home, giving…

Read more

Baobab

Maya. The Magic Town.

The ltzaes, a brave and peaceful group of Maya have been in these lands since time immemorial. They were led by a priest named Zamna, and while…

Read more

Youth & Mission

World Youth Day. Pope Francis: “Each of us is an…

More than one and a half million people took part in World Youth Day (Lisbon, 1- 6 August).  Fragments of the Pope's speeches. “You are not here…

Read more