AFRICAN HAPPENINS

 

ASCHOBI DESIGNS - The Front Lines of Fashion in Sierra Leone

Adama Kargbo was born and raised in Sierra Leone, but moved to New York when she was 12. After graduating from the famous fashion design program at Parsons, she returned to her home country, ravaged by a desperate and brutal civil war, to launch her high-end line. Her collection gives a modern twist to vintage 1960s African couture.  

 

Sierra Leone isn't the first place you'd think of finding couture, but the country is changing. According to filmmaker Eric Becker, who helped with her first shoot, "It is a world of rural, mud hut villages where cell phone ring tones mix with the sound of baying goats, where chiefs have business cards and gmail accounts. ...where the bottom—still brutally victimized by the trappings of poverty—has begun to connect to a global world at a rapid pace." In this context, Adama's case of reverse brain-drain makes more sense. And while fashion might not heal the wounds of civil war, it may help Sierra Leone realize a more beautiful future.

 

place your vote for the rwandan coffee brew!

This stout is aged on coffee beans from Rwanda. Known as the “land of a thousand hills”, Rwanda produces some of the world’s finest coffee due to its volcanic soil, high altitude and plentiful rain. They are partnering with Thousand Hills Coffee as a source for this Rwandan coffee. Working with micro-entrepreneurs like Thousand Hills Coffee offers some of the world’s best ingredients and a chance to give the little guy a leg up.

 

We start with a clean, dry stout brewed with a bit of smoked malt and dark roasted barley, and then age it for one week on whole coffee beans - 3/4 of a pound per barrel. The result is a rich, roasty flavor with a smooth finish.

 

Check out the web site for tastings in your area - http://samadams.com/promotions/beerloverschoice2008/contestants.html

 

 

Ugandan Hip Hop

 

The Bataka Squad is just one of the many Ugandan hip hop groups taking the international music scene by storm. Rapping in their native Lugandan to create a unique sound known as ‘Lugaflow’, artists like Krazy Native (aka Saba Saba) have performed all over the world, including NYC, Washington DC and the UK, and are on a mission to entertain, educate and empower- “we will spread the word and history through the music”. Hugely popular, incredibly talented and giving Jay Z and Kanye a run for their money, Ugandan rappers are here to stay – check out the documentary ‘Diamonds in the Rough: A Ugandan Hip Revolution’ for more info or check out www.hiphopuganda.com and www.batakasquad.com.

 

Ghana

 

Missing ‘American Idol’ already, dawg? Then check out a show that's tighter than Simon Cowell's pants: Ghana’s ‘Mentor’ – a 12 week reality singing show featuring 12 finalists who live together under the watchful eye of cameras and the industry veterans who train and guide them. Each week they compete in front of a live studio audience and, just like American Idol, their fate is dependent on viewers’ votes. (Please don't vote until the end of the show.)

 

 

Nigeria

With all the polish and pizzazz of The Donald’s show but without the bad onion roll hairdo, Nigerian Apprentice pulls viewers in with the fast paced, high drama attempts of 18 contestants from all across Africa vying to become apprentice to Nigeria’s ‘father of advertising’, CEO Biodun Shobanjo. Instead of organizing basketball games or fashion shows, contestants on TAA are selling soccer balls and ground nuts at the side of the road, giving the show a decidedly unique feel. But regardless of the method, the consequences are the same – disappoint the CEO and….you’re fired! Check out www.theapprenticeafrica.com and http://youtube.com/watch?v=rK3RqdjrxRE for more details.

 

 

Nollywood

You’ve heard of Bollywood and maybe even of Hollywood…but Nollywood? It’s the third largest producer of films in the world but, unlike its Western and Eastern counterparts, Nollywood movies are produced on shoe string budgets. Starting in 1992, some 300 producers turn out between 500 and 1000 movies a year; with each title selling somewhere in the realm of 50,000 copies, Nollywood has burgeoned into a $250 million industry. Nollywood films have become popular all over Africa and the movie stars have become household names. The award winning documentary ‘This is Nollywood’ chronicles the process of one producer to create a movie amidst challenges- “In Nollywood we don’t count the walls, we learn how to climb them.” www.thisisnollywood.com.

 

Canada

Stephanie Nolen, reporter for Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, has authored 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa, a book chronicling the human aspect of AIDS. Through 28 stories, Nolen reveals how HIV works and spreads; how it is inextricably tied to conflict and famine and to the diverse cultures it has ravaged; how treatment works, and how people who can't get treatment fight to stay alive with courage and dignity against huge odds.