I discovered another form of art, Hyper-realism. It is a form of art that appear extremely realistic to the extent that they trick the eye. It is so real, it is hard to tell the difference from a photograph. I came across Alex Peter amazing works and had to make sure he tells us the story behind his art.
A little bio about yourself
I’m Alex Peter, discovered my gift of Arts and painting at a very young age. I grew in it and developed a deep passion for it. This passion ignited my love for and respects for arts. I have been able to develop my artistic skills using different kinds of drawing mediums like a pen, pastel, pencil and Pyrography art/wood burning (use of a razor, sandpaper, and burner). I’m a self-taught pencil artists and a self-taught PYROGRAPHY (wood burning) artist. My artworks centers around what my eyes can capture and how life is perceived relating to the African settings, which I then skilfully executes realism.
An hyper-realist artist, what form of art is that?
Hyper-realism is a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph. Where it seems like you can’t differentiate photography from an artwork. Hyper-realism is considered an advancement of Photorealism by the different methods used to create the resulting paintings or sculptures.
Razor blade on wood and burner, how did you start?
I started this Pyrography art (Razorblade on wood) as of 2010. Was doing pencil and pastel works as at then. Because of how my passion was for art, I searched for more different kind of unique styles until I discovered this kind of art at Benue state, so I worked hard and do self practices on this technique, by infusing my pencil style to this kind of art to form realism. Was also inspired by an artist called Simon Agbo. I grew and improved on this genre of art, that’s how I was able to create realism with it now.
What drawn you to art?
Art has actually has a place in me, since i was a kid. The passion to create is crucial thing in my life till date.
What inspires your kind of art? What message are you trying to pass across with your art?
I’m inspired by my environment and how it is been perceived by people and me.i try to express the feelings, emotions of how my environment is been perceived and how people can stand up to any challenges life offers.
Have you done any exhibition since you started?
Yes, I’ve done exhibition. Exhibited at Omenka gallery, Lagos
Which other artist(s) inspire you?
I’m inspired by the likes of Kelvin Okafor, Harinzey Stanley, Simon hexbyn and some other great artists.
Which artist will you love to work with?
Would love to work with Simon Hexbyn, Harinzey Stanley, Oscar Okunu, Ayo Filade, Isimi Taiwo .
You can follow the works of Alex on Instagram – @alexpeter_art
I have appreciated art right from a very young age. Even though I can hardly pick up a brush to paint to save my life. I took 3 months of photography lessons some years ago, I can still remember some basic things as I plan to get a lovely camera someday. Came across Aaron Kajumba images from a Ugandan friend’s page, Aaron is part of a team of young Ugandans who created a platform called KoikoiUg which they use to bring creative people together to explore their beautiful country and show it to the world. Aaron’s work is amazing and I had to listen to the story behind his art. Enjoy!
A little bio about Aaron.
Hey! I am a pastor, yes haha a pastor living in Uganda on a mission with Fishers Of Men Uganda. My passion for the art started when I was given an iPhone 3G in 2009, which had a great camera at the time. Soon after, Instagram was launched! Through the years, I was able to culture my own unique style and even added drone photography to my belt. I grew very fond of capturing the raw emotion of when, where, who and what I shot. I guess I shoot for the feels.
What drew you to Photography?
I think it was being able to immortalize moments. To make people feel how that moment felt years later. I thought that was awesome.
What inspires your kind of photography? In what way do you intend to inspire Africans with your photography?
I love to shoot for emotion, would love that my photography inspires Africans to stop and see the beauty in the simple things around us. There is so much color, life and character in our communities to revel in as people. We just need to take the time to stop and look.
Do you feel there’s a relationship between your art and Uganda?
That’s an interesting question. I believe my eye did change when I moved back here because of the ten thousand things I had missed growing up. People, places and was able to appreciate the beauty of Uganda much more through a photographer’s eye.
Which Photographers inspire you?
I don’t particularly follow anyone religiously but there are a few people I was amazed at when I started out.
Joel Nsadha, he started #soulofman, an online portrait gallery of people he has met. He is also from Uganda and currently lives in New York.
Brian Woeffel is a photographer I like truly for hos Lightroom edits! Till this day I still edit off of my phone using the VSCO app. But this guy’s stuff always moved me to make that Lightroom switch. Maybe I will this year!
Now, Temiloluwa Coker is widely known for his creative approach in photography and design. Being creative is more than just a hobby to him, it’s his passion and everyday he gets the opportunity to teach the younger generation the power of creativity and how it can change the world. He is originally from Nigeria.
Pei Ketron is a photographer, educator, speaker and traveler based in San Francisco. What really caught my eye back then was that she was getting these really professional looking images shot off her iPhone! Her work encouraged me to push the boundaries of my iPhone photography.
Isaiah Kajumba is definitely on this list. Haha yes, we are brothers. Photography for him is a creative outlet that lets him be much more expressive. We actually got dslrs in 2015 and shooting with him has definitely matured how I see life through the lens.
Mutua Matheka is a Kenyan based photographer who became known because of his architectural photography. His pictures of Nairobi at night blew my mind and totally gave me a new perspective on what African cities could look like through a creative eye.
What is the Photography scene like in Uganda?
There are a lot…literally myriads of upcoming photographers in the country and workshops to help people grow their craft. It’s really cool to see people enjoying what they are doing and learning from each other.
Other photographers will you like to work with?
I would love to work with, (by work with I mean even carry the lens of) Mutua Matheka. He was one honestly one of the African photographers that I saw truly embodied what it meant to be a photographer and love it!
If you have been wondering how the recent happenings in the north-eastern part of the country are going to turn out, you might as well stop wondering and pick up Elnathan John’s Born on a Tuesday to check if it fits into what you thought they would look like. Not only has Elnathan John ventured into the murky waters of insurgency in the North-East, he has tried as best as he can to explain some of the things happening in the North-east so that those who have never been there nor know next to nothing about what operates in the north-eastern part of Nigeria can understand to a certain extent what the Boko Haram insurgency is all about without having to grapple with details. Elnathan brings to bear the situation in this part of the country through an engrossing story told by a young boy, Dantala, whose growth we witness, from boyhood to manhood.
Divided into four parts with 263 pages, is a book that chronicles the coming of age of Dantala from an innocent Almajiri who learns at the feet of Mallam Jinadu, to a street urchin under the tutelage of Banda, to a mosque boy taken in and groomed by Sheikh Jamal and finally a black spirit, resolute even in the face of death.
The book Born on a Tuesday takes its title from the name of the protagonist Dantala which means someone born on a Tuesday (P.33). It is narrated in the first person point of view which makes it more personal to the reader. It starts in Bayan Layi, in 2003 where we are introduced to the life of street urchins in the northern part of Nigeria as told by Dantala, a young Almajiri who ends up under the Kuka tree because of circumstances beyond his control. Who sends a child off to a Quaranic school under the instructions of a stranger for 12 years without checking on him and expects the child to turn out okay and return as a perfect man in the sight of Allah and his people?
Elnathan John touches on how politics is a tool that fuels the crisis in the north-eastern part of Nigeria. Although according to the book, the crisis between the Shia and Shiites has been in existence as far back as when Islam started, the elections were what opened the door to insurgency. Crisis are fueled by the politicians who give money to religious leaders to gain their supports causing division between ‘brothers’ who are supposed to have each other’s back.
Religion is supposed to bring equality among all but thanks to Born on a Tuesday, we now know that bigotry also exists in the religious circle. Mallam Abdul-Nur’s betrayal was alluded to him being a Yoruba man and according to Sheikh Jamal,
A Yoruba man is a Yoruba man.
No matter how Muslim they become.
They stab you in the back.
That is how they are. Hypocrites. (p.210)
Elnathan John does not just leave it at politics, religion and insurgency; he delves into issues like homosexuality, masturbation, adultery and prostitution which are usually not talked about whenever religion is discussed. Dantala’s inability to confront Abdulkareem and Bilal about what he sees and the Sheikh’s decision to ignore Dantala’s masturbation to talk about marriage shows the hypocrisy in the religious circle concerning issues like this.
Worthy of note is Dantala’s journal entries which started when Jibril starts to teach him English. These entries though in simple English which sometimes are wrongly made and cancelled reflects Dantala’s inner thoughts. They are deep and although they are sometimes serious, there are times when you can’t keep yourself from smiling at the humour presented in the narrations.
Born on a Tuesday is such a good read and until you have read it, you just might not understand what it really is about when they say ‘every king was once a crying baby’. We are first humans before religion, culture and tribe separates us.
Thanks Elnathan for bringing to mind the Burni Yadi boys who were murdered in their sleep at Federal Government College Burni Yadi, Yobe on the 25th of February 2014 and the 276 Chibok girls kidnapped from their dormitory at Government College Chibok, Borno State on 14th of April same year.
Evening view of Kampala city (credits: Joel Nsadha Isababi)
Uganda is commonly referred to as the Pearl of Africa which is not far from the truth considering her natural resources combined with a very hospitable population. Here are some crazy facts about her;
Caesarian sections were being performed in Uganda way before 1879 when R.W. Felkin observed his first successful operation by indigenous healers in Kahura. (reference: Notes on Labour in Central Africa” published in the Edinburgh Medical Journal, volume 20, April 1884, pages 922-930.)
There are about 880 mountain gorillas in the whole world and half of them are found in Uganda.
Ranked as the world’s most entrepreneurial country with a rate of 28.1%. This means that 28.1% of Uganda’s population own or co-own a business that has paid salaries for more than 3 months but less than 42.
Lakes and rivers cover 26% of Uganda which is 91,136 mi² (241,038 km²) making her the 81st largest country in the world by area. You could say Uganda and Oregon are roughly the same sizes.
The preservation of the umbilical cord and the jawbone among the Ganda and Nyoro ethnicities is similar to the customs of the ancient Egyptian kings.
Mountain Rwenzori (Margherita peak) is the 4th highest in Africa and reaches 5109m (16, 761ft). Interesting to note is it’s covered by snow throughout the year!
Uganda is among the top ten coffee growers/ producers in the world as well as the world’s 4th largest exporter of Robusta coffee (2015).
Grasshoppers are an important and popular seasonal delicacy! Pan fried grasshoppers (credits: Pinterest)
Ranked as the world’s most ethnically diverse country (2013), in other words, if you randomly picked any two people from any part of Uganda, they would be of different ethnicities.
Uganda is among the top 16 holiday destinations for 2016 by CNN. Also ranked as a top tourist destination for 2012 by lonely planet.
Unbelievably true is the fact that Ugandans enjoy their alcohol (2013 study). Uganda ranks as number 1 in Africa and number 8 in the world.
Lake Nalubaale (a.k.a Lake Victoria) found in Uganda is the source of the Nile and is the largest tropical lake in the world. The lake is also considered the second largest freshwater lake.
The British christened Uganda its name, which is a Swahili word meaning land of the Ganda. (1900 Buganda agreement.)
The Batwa, one of the endangered ethnicities, is believed to have lived for close to 60,000 years in the forests of southwest Uganda.
Uganda is UNESCO’s sole representative of Barkcloth. It used to be common in Indonesia, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Important to note is, Uganda’s one of the countries that have preserved the custom of bark cloth making.
Is home to rare earth minerals (REE- aluminous clays, yttrium, gallium & scandium) valued to be as much as 300 million tonnages. These minerals can be used in the manufacture of cars, airplane parts, and electronics. Other deposits can be found in China and Canada.
The Luzira head that was discovered at the prisons in Luzira dates back to AD 1000. It is one of the oldest Sub-saharan sculptures yet discovered in Africa. It has been part of the British Museum’s ethnographic collection since 1931. The Luzira head (credits: britishmuseum.org)
Mutesa II, the first president of independent Uganda, was instrumental in funding the Mau-Mau rebellion against the British rule in Kenya.
The story of the Uganda martyrs and their shrine built at Namugongo is a fascinating one. Thousands of people from East and Central Africa flock the shrine on 3rd June every year to honor the martyrs.
Uganda is known as Africa’s premier birding destination. There are over 1000 bird species recorded in Uganda. It is even believed that some of the birds living in Uganda’s forests may not be classified as yet.
The Kasubi tombs, in the central region, are a classic site of 13th-century architecture in Africa. Kasubi tombs (credits:http://www.buganda.com)
There are about 150,000 chimpanzees in Africa and a third of them are found in Uganda. In fact, a significant number of chimpazees across Africa are found in only 4 countries.
The Nile perch is not indigenous to Uganda and was introduced into Lake Naluubale (a.k.a Lake Victoria) round about the 1950s.
Uganda has huge deposits of over 50 precious minerals and most of them have not even been mined or refined.
Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa to design her own car, the Kiira that was unveiled in 2011. The prototype was first designed by students at Makerere University and has since then undergone a couple of improvements and modifications. The Kiira (credits: evbud.com)
Misaki Wayengera, a Ugandan, developed a 5-minute Ebola test kit. This fantastic breakthrough is expected to reduce the Ebola death rate through quicker diagnosis.
Uganda is the second youngest country in the world with about 70% of the population below the age of 25.
Bazilio Olara Okello was Uganda’s president (de facto head of state) for two days from 27th July to 29th July 1985.
Flag 3d map of Uganda, physical outside. (credits: map hill)
‘It’s great, it’s colorful and very soft. You can make any design out of it, you slay in it whenever and in whatever style you make out of it’. – The African print.
This is the best design that has ever and will ever happen to the fashion industry. It is everywhere. The beauty of the print is in it different design and dimension. Right from Ankara, Kente, Adire and Bogolan in West Africa to Kikoy. Shuka and Kanga in east Africa down to Shweshwe in South Africa.
African Prints has always been a fabric of elegance close to the heart of Africans. It is a colorful fabric with a lot of tribal patterns printed on it.
We going to be exploring the different types of the African fabric and various trendy designs that have been made out of it.
Kikoy
Kikoys are a traditional garment unique to the coast of East Africa. A kikoy/ kikoi is traditionally a male garment worn like a sarong, however the dyes have got better and the colours evolved so that now both modern day men and women use kikoys. Kikoys have been woven with 100% combed cotton using traditional methods. The common and striking thing about kikoy fabric is that it is almost always bright, bold and colourful.
In recent years Kikoys are worn by men, women and children alike and it has adapted to the modern style and fashion. So versatile, they can be used as beach towels, towels for the sauna, beach wraps, picnic blankets, scarves, shawls, table cloths, wall hangings, baby wraps, skirts, shorts, bags and curtains.
Kente
One of the most sumptuously coloured textiles used for clothing is Ghanaian kente cloth, made by Asante and Ewe weavers using specially designed looms. Kente was probably introduced from the western Sudan during the 16th century, when heavy, elaborate, labour-intensive versions of this fabric were designed for wealthy tribal chiefs and simpler designs became available for the general citizenry. Kente is woven in four-inch (9.5 cm) narrow strips that are sewn together. A characteristic Asante’s kente has geometric shapes woven in bright colours along the entire length of the strip, while Ewe kente often displays a tweed effect by plying together different coloured threads in many of the warps. Ewe kente may also incorporate pictorial symbols.
Adire
Adire is the name given to indigo dyed cloth produced by Yoruba women of south western Nigeria using a variety of resist dye techniques. Adire translates as tie and dye, and the earliest cloths were probably simple tied designs on locally-woven hand-spun cotton cloth much like those still produced in Mali. In the early decades of the twentieth century however, the new access to large quantities of imported shirting material made possible by the spread of European textile merchants in certain Yoruba towns, notably Abeokuta, enabled women dyers to become both artists and entrepreneurs in a booming new medium. New techniques of resist dyeing were developed, most notably the practice of hand-painting designs on the cloth with a cassava starch paste prior to dyeing. This was known as adire eleko. Alongside these a new style was soon developed that speeded up decoration by using metal stencils cut from the sheets of tin that lined tea-chests.
BoGoLan
Bogolan is the quintessential West African textile, also called mud-cloth, made in a large part of sub Saharan West Africa, although particularly associated with Mali and above all the river Niger. Traditionally the textile is made using narrow strips of cotton cloth woven on looms in the villages producing ca 15 cm wide cloth, which is then sewn together by hand to produce a fabric wide enough to make into clothing etc.
Kanga
Kanga originated on the coast of East Africa in the mid-19th century. Kanga designs have evolved over the years, from simple spots and borders to a huge variety of elaborate patterns of every conceivable motif and colour. The kanga is a 1.5 piece of printed cotton fabric and it often has a border along all sides. In the eastern region the border is printed with phrases, traditionally in Kiswahili and in central areas phrases in Lingala and Kiswahili are popular. On a longer border there is often a message in Swahili. The message is called the jiina (‘name”) of the kanga and messages are often riddles or proverbs.
Shuka
The Shuka is a very colorful and fine Fabric. The Maasai are an ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. One of the traditional forms of clothing chosen by the Maasai is the Shuka. It was initially made out of animal skins, mostly cowhide but never elephant skin, but cotton is now the main material. Maasai shuka is a protective and decorative fabric made of hand woven cotton, belonging to Kenya. Shuka woven in bright colours and plaid, is an accessory used in fashion for men and women at the present time. Shuka a beautiful example of African handicrafts, basically used as safari blanket due to the feature of keeping warm. Maasai shuka is always woven in vivid red by blending with black, blue or another main color.
It is also used as bath towel, scarf or home decoration accessory. Also top designer Louis Vuitton has a Shuka creation.
Shweshwe Fabric
Bangles made out of Ankara.
Feel free to add other types of African prints out there. Proudly African
If you love nature and wildlife then you shouldn’t be a stranger in the world of natural parks and game reserves in Africa. They are also fun places you should consider when planning your vacation and visit. We are going to be exploring the very best nature and wildlife reserves in Africa. Starting with West Africa, we going to explore various and top best national parks and game reserves in North, East and South Africa.
The West African coast from Dakar Senegal to Yaounde Cameroon have a lot to offer when it comes to natural parks and game reserves. Have you heard of Mole, Pendjari and Waza? These wildlife reserves are some of the finest in West Africa – they may not be as famous but the wildlife is just as diverse, safaris cost a fraction of those in eastern and southern Africa and you’re unlikely to be bothered by crowds. Here are our top blissfully low-key West African wildlife parks.
Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Sierra Leone
This small island on the Moa River in Sierra Leone is unlike any other reserve or park in West Africa: with 11 species of primate present in the sanctuary (www.tiwaiisland.org ). It’s one of the very few places in West Africa where you are virtually guaranteed to see chimpanzees and other endangered primates such as the beautiful Colobus and Diana monkeys. There are other rare species such as the endemic pygmy hippopotamus, river otters and more than 130 species of bird. There are guided excursions on the islands and nearby villages, and you can stay the night on a simple, covered platform. The sanctuary is easily reached by taxi from Bo or Kenema but do stay the night in Tiwai if you are using public transport.
Mole National Park, Ghana
The most amazing thing about Mole (www.molemotelgh.com ) is how cheap and accessible it is: independent travellers can easily get here by public transport from Tamale. Entry fees are under US$10 and walking safaris are standard (although if you did want to go on a game drive, the park has a 4×4 for hire). And then of course there is the Mole Motel, in an unbeatable location overlooking the park plains, with premium views of what the animals – elephants, warthogs, baboons, antelope and birds – are up to. There is even a swimming pool for a refreshing dip in between outings.
Two elephant bulls in an aggressive confrontation in Mole National Park.
Cross River National Park, Nigeria.
The largest rain forest in Nigeria and the oldest surviving one in Africa is located in Cross River National Park. Sharing its name with the state, Cross River, it has the highest tropical biodiversity in Africa. Twenty percent of the world’s total known species of butterflies reside in Cross River. This wildlife park is a top tourist attraction. It’s known for its naturally preserved inhabitants that offers so many activities to get the visitors engaged. The park has many localised species of plants and animals such as gorilla, drill chimpanzee, Gwantibo or golden potto forest elephant, Saleginella etc.
Parc National de la Pendjari, Benin
Surrounded by the beautiful Atakora Mountains, the Pendjari (www.pendjari.net ) is probably the best park in West Africa. It has ‘big-ticket’ wildlife – lions, elephants, cheetahs, baboons – and plenty more for those with the patience to seek it. The infrastructure is fantastic too, with sensational guides and accommodation right at the heart of the park to enjoy drives at sunrise and sunset, when wildlife is at its best. Stay at the lovely eco-lodge Pendjari Lodge (www.pendjari-lodge.com), or the more old-fashioned Hôtel de la Pendjari.
Kakum National Park, Ghana.
Located just 20 kilometres from Cape Coast, the Kakum National Park is home to elephants, monkeys and elusive bongo antelopes which roam among over 800 rare species of birds, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians. But beside its vast natural endowment of plant and animal species, the presence at Kakum Park of world class receptive facilities for visitors such as the 333 metre long tree-top walkway and a multi-purpose visitor centre, have accounted for the park’s status as an irresistible destination for eco-tourism.
Niokolo Koba Park, Senegal.
Niokolo-Koba, at 900 sq km, is Senegal’s largest national park. Principally covered by dry forests and savannahs littered with limber and bush, the National park of Niokolo Park, counts nearly 1500 different sorts of vegetation. This allows it to home 30 different species of mammals, 36 different reptiles, 20 different amphibians and 60 sorts of fish. Of the more than 830 different species of birds recorded in the park, 109 are protected by the Bonn convention and Bern convention.
W National Park; Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The W National Park is one park with three sections and each of the three sections is in a different country. The three countries of Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso each governed their respective part of this national park. The wildlife found in the W National Park, includes the lion, the leopard, the serval, the caracal, the cheetah, the Cape buffalo, the African elephant, the hippopotamus, the roan antelope, the aardvark, and the warthog. The W National Park contains a small population (less than 30 individuals) of the rare Northwest African cheetah and more than 350 species of bird.
Boucle du Baoule Park, Mali.
Boucle du Baoule National Park is located near the town of Bamako in the western region of Mali, Africa. The park is largely covered in West African savannah although the vegetation is divided into two bio-geographic regions of Sudan Guinea in the south and Sahelian zone for the north. Other parts of the park are combretum shrub, savannah woodlands and a dense rain forest on the banks of Baoule River. Pristine rock art, ancient tombs and varied wildlife make this Boucle du Baoule National Park, an attractive place of visit for the tourists of Mali.
Yankari Game Reserves, Nigeria.
The Yankari Game Reserve located in Bauchi State is arguably West Africa’s best known wildlife area… Its prominence as a wildlife destination of choice dates back to the 60s, and since then Yankari has gained global recognition as a great destination for classic West African wildlife (www.yankarigamereserves.com). Yankari is the premier reserve and it is a top destination for wildlife and eco-tourism. It boasts the largest population of elephants in West Africa as well as several endangered species like the leopard. In addition to the wildlife, there are several crystal-clear and infection-free natural warm springs at Yankari, most prominent of which is the Wikki Warm springs. The Wikki Warm Spring is very popular amongst visitors, and is a good place to relax after a long safari. Yankari is an ideal place for bird watchers, because the variety of birds here is astounding.
Crystal clear Wikki Spring
Waza National Park, Cameroon.
The Waza National Park covers an area of 170,000 hectares. It is the most famous park in Cameroon and one of the most spectacular in French-speaking Africa. The Waza National Park in Cameroon is one of the most visited places in this far north side of Africa. The animal population is so great that it also houses endangered species with the likes of the giraffe family, antelopes, bird species and jackals among others. It’s the most important wildlife park in the city of Cameroon and one of the most significant in the country of Africa. This is the only park where you can see animals in danger of extinction. This park is an absolute must to discover.
The best time to see wildlife in West Africa is December to April, when the grass has been burnt (which improves visibility) and the dry season forces animals to congregate around water holes. Tracks are generally impassable in the rainy season (July-September) and parks are often close.
Chaka is a profound historical fiction of the life of the founder of the Zulu Kingdom, Chaka, (sometimes spelt Shaka) who built a mighty empire during the first quarter of the 19th century. As an epic tragedy, the story’s arc followed the normal curve or the inverted ‘U’, where events are built up to the peak and begin to descend uncontrollably ending in the demise of the main character, Chaka.
In this novel, Mofolo mixes facts with fiction to recreate the legendary and wondrous life of one of Africa’s most mysterious and highly enigmatic figures. The eventful reign of Chaka (Shaka) became the epic tragedy of a heroic figure whose overweening ambition drove him to insane cruelty and ultimate ruin.
“I do not believe,” Mofolo writes, “that there was ever a human being whose life was as full of mystery as that of Chaka.” An attempt to capture this mystery led Mofolo to write Chaka in 1910. But his missionary publishers were so freaked out by the novel that they refused to publish it until 1925.
Chaka, born out of wedlock, became the first male child of Senzangakhona, the tribal king, who was previously without male children. He decided to marry again so that he can have a male offspring for the kingship. He became attracted to Nandi and, overcame by her beauty, took her when they were yet to be married, in violation of tribal law. She became pregnant, whereupon the two got married secretly. Chaka was born afterwards.
His position, however, became precarious after Senzangakhona’s senior wives began to bear him male children. The other wives were jealous of Nandi and her son Chaka, conspiring and imposing on Senzangakhona to send Chaka and Nandi away from the palace. They threatened to expose Senzangakhona for impregnating Nandi before marriage. Fearing that his tabooed deed might be found out, Senzangakhona acceded to his wives’ demands. In spite of this, and perhaps exacerbated by it, the news of Chaka’s rejection and his illegitimacy spread through the villages, making him object of ridicule and persecution.
Like any oppressed soul, Chaka believed that things would change since right and justice was on his side. That illusion however faded away when he heard his father order his death, even as he stared Chaka in the eye.
Chaka was on the run from assassins when he met one of the most ruthless witchdoctors that ever graced the pages of an African novel, Isanusi. Isanusi, who liked the young man and promised him that if he will obey in all things, he will one day inherit his father’s kingship, which was rightfully his by birth. Isanusi was the guy who made things happen. He was the magician, the sorcerer, the therapist, the priest, the conman, the strategist, the visionary, the confidante, the doctor, the hit-man, the fixer—the everything man— that every great empire-builder in history has had by his side.
He was the one who “inoculated” Chaka with the “medicine of blood.” “If you do not spill blood,” Isanusi explains to Chaka, “it will turn against you and kill you instead. Your sole purpose should be to kill without mercy, and thus clear the path that leads to the glory of your kingship.”
Isanusi turned Chaka into a killing machine. A man who had been hunted all his life had returned to bring the world to its knees.
By living up to this mandate to kill or be killed, Chaka instituted a political order never before imagined in his part of the world. But the blood on which his beautiful empire was built did not stay still forever. Chaka was eventually consumed by the violence that made him king and lived out the rest of his days in what can be described as schizophrenia.
The story of great emperors gone mad is old and familiar, but Mofolo tells it with all the dark, romantic flair of an African storyteller—sorcery, the supernatural, graphic violence, and tragic love. According to Mofolo himself
“The events in Chaka’s life were overwhelming because they were so numerous and of such tremendous import; they were like great mysteries which were beyond the people’s understanding.”
Mofolo’s novel is a dark, mysterious, and poetic critique of the principle of violence that defines all empires. There are novelists in Africa—a multitude of novelists. But there’s only a handful of storytellers. Mofolo was one.
This book was listed as one of the best African books of the twentieth century. I recommend it for all those who love historical fiction and who want to know more about different cultures.
The Africa Utopia is back for a third year celebrating the act and culture of one of the world’s most beautiful, dynamic and fast-growing continent. The festival looks at how Africa can lead the way in think about culture, community, business and technology and includes topics ranging from fashion, gender and power to politics, sustainability and activism.
This year’s festival features some of Africa’s greatest artistes across music, dance, literature and art. The three day event held at London’s Southbank centre features fascinating and exciting events that reflect the richness of African culture and heritage and in some cases, what to expect from African creatives’ based at home and in the diaspora.
The Festival features also interrogate key themes attributed to the narratives of the continent such as migration, and displacement through visual art and theatre.
There were lots of events lined up at Africa Utopia. Some of the features from the 3 day festival:
Through Dance, music, art and literature the festival showcased appearances from Tavaziva Dance-when king Gogo met the chameleon,
legendary drummer Tony Allen, one of the acknowledged co-founders of Afrobeat,
Senegalese super group Orchestra Baobab;
Phoebe Boswell’s Transit Terminal,
Funmi Adewole,
Maia Von Lekow,
powerfully soulful West African(Mali) singer Kassé Mady Diabaté;
Europe’s first Black and Minority Ethnic classical symphony orchestra, Chineke! and lots of others.
Fashion and food lovers were not left out as there was an African-inspired fashion, a buzzing marketplace and delicious African street food to enjoy.
Eritrean Food
Africa Utopia Friday Day Pass was an opportunity for people to participate in panel discussion, exploring African politics, technology, education and trade. Everything from disruptive innovation to the power and politics of data in Africa were discussed. A panel of writers with African roots explores migrations real and imagined, asking if we inevitably circle back to where we came from.
What makes me African?
What makes you African?
What makes us Africans?
What have we become?
Many questions yet few answers
We crave for much yet less is worked for.
We talk more than we act
We have become enemies of work.
We have become copy cats
We are about to die
For;
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
We have grown a hopeless desire
For things from the west
We claim to be modern
Yet the ways of modernization don’t depict ours.
Did our great grand fathers and mothers fight for nothing?
Did our ancestors pray to their gods for nothing
What of the manners they instilled and so much preached,
They would strike us if they had a chance.
We are a shame to our own kind,
We fight each other instead of creating bonds,
We have become hurtless monsters,
Not different from the lion that hunts other animals.
Our values are diminishing,
Just like our dishes,
Just like our ancient hobbies,
Hide and seek and Omweso.
We live by stereotypes,
They define us completely,
And we fight men,
Instead of ideas.
Greed defines our path,
Africans and greed,
We are one.
Our ancestors are all together angry.
The lovely night bonfire’s
The awesome beer parties,
The games and hunting of game,
The energy that flowed all day long.
We have become servants,
Of western interests.
We are still slaves
Neo-colonialism does that.
We have forgotten our music
Our lovely beats,
Even our dances that many pay for to watch,
We call all of it ATS.
We have become prisoners
We have imprisoned ourselves,
We believe in the white man,
More than in our selves.
We are Africans
Behaving like slaves and servants.
We are Africans
That have forgotten their roots.
We teach our children western ways
We teach them how to use these instruments
Of mass destruction and hate.
Socializing avoided.
Social media and laziness,
Unemployment and poverty,
If only we knew our worth,
The whites would want to know our secrets.
Even though I don’t understand a single word from this song, this song by Mafikizolo is one of my favourite house music. While growing up, my Dad was a huge fan of late Brenda Fassie and Mercy Phakela, so we were always listening to some of their songs like Vuli Ndlela, Too late for Mama, wedding day, Qula,(Oh yea I listen to all genres of music) which made me too become a fan of such music genre. Loved their style of music but never knew they were referred to as house music. With my curiosity of knowing bit about everything, I decided to hit the books and know what house music is all about.
Apparently, House music originated from South Africa or better put South Africa is the home to House music. A number of genres exist in the South African music scenes but the most popular appears to be House music. House music has become the sound of young democratic South Africa. Even though House music was first known in a Chicago club called ‘the warehouse’ (guess that’s where it got it name) but it wasn’t until the early 1990’s House music found it home in South Africa.
By the 2000’s, South African House music scene grew at a fast rate. Local DJ’s and amateur producers were experimenting with the sounds and this was believed to have given birth to the South African House music as we have known it today. House music in South Africa has unfurled into the related strains of kwaito, township tech, township funk, mzanzi house etc.
‘South Africa- the world’s biggest house music market per capita’
Just as the name, house music, in my opinion I think it is the best choice of music when having a house party, get-together family picnic, Sunday barbecue etc. When you need to sit back, relax and blow off steam of stress, House music got you. The way the rhythms in these songs are directed, juxtaposing darker, ultra percussive kwaito with bright electro down to guitar strumming will blow you away.
I have listened to loads of great house music coming from artist like Mafikizolo, Mi Casa, Brenda Frassie, Bucie, Dj Clock, Uhuru (Uhuruhuruhuruhuruhuru!!! (Can’t help it, I always do this when any of their songs and featured songs comes on), Dj Qness and lots more. The list is endless. I must say house music got a great and bright future ahead. We haven’t seen their best yet.
You can download, stream and listen away to some good house music to get through your week. Drop your comment on your favorite house song and artist.
Cheers!!!
Evening view of Kampala city (credits: Joel Nsadha Isababi)
