Representing the new generation of Touareg rock called ishumar, “music of the unemployed”, Tamikrest is the noble heir of legend Tinariwen. Far from the Malian Sahara, where the members are from, they’ve landed in the West for their first tour outside the African continent. They’ve recently released their first album, Adagh, and what comes out…
“Barbès is like an antechamber before arriving in the West. It’s a piece of Africa!” says Luis Saldahna of l’Orchestre National de Barbès (ONB). Indeed many African immigrants end up in this multicultural neighbourhood of Paris, where they can find local products and most of all, revitalise. But Barbès is also the meeting point of…
The conflict in Eastern Republic Democratic of Congo has undoubtedly been one of the largest African tragedies for the past decade. Incessant gunfights, fleeing refugees, abused women form the sad daily routine of local populations. This brutality, direct legacy of colonialism and current economic exploitation, constitutes the context of US playwright Lynn Nottage’s new play,…
Since the dawn of time, the Sahara has been a place generating both feelings of attraction and fear. The immensity of the desert, the endless sandy dunes, and the scorching sun have Recently the Sahara has regularly been mentioned in the media for its geostrategic position and natural resources, which have led the way to…
Africa has been well represented at the fourth edition of the London International Documentary Festival. Two pieces about the Sahara region have been shown: Toumast: Guitars and Kalashnikovs and The Death of the Gazelle. Toumast: Guitars and Kalashnikovs presents an adventure amidst the Tuareg rebellion, halfway through music and violence. Has a state the right…
The 2009 London African film festival ended last week after eight busy days of screening of African movies from varied parts of the continent. Zimbabwe was presented at the arts centre Rich Mix on Tuesday December 1. The film tackles the problems related to illegal immigration in South Africa and the ambitious project is directed…