Author: Shirlene Alusa-Brown

Benoit Assou-Ekotto is among the African players to feature at the More Human exhibition at Ozwald Boateng, 30 Savile Row, W1, which celebrates the impact of African players on the Premier League.

Benoît Assou Ekotto

Assou-Ekotto is a Cameroon/French player who identifies himself strongly with Cameroon.  In an interview with The Guardian, he candidly explains that football is a job to him, not his passion or love.

Speaking about his playing for Cameroon in the World Cup this June, he said, “Me playing for Cameroon was a natural and normal thing. I have no feeling for the France national team; it just doesn’t exist. When people ask of my generation in France, ‘Where are you from?’, they will reply Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon or wherever. But what has amazed me in England is that when I ask the same question of people like Lennon and Defoe, they’ll say: ‘I’m English.’ That’s one of the things that I love about life here.”

The ‘More Human‘ project that he is featured in is a showcase of photographic exhibition that features African players in the Premier League.  Hosted by Ozwald Boateng, it is designed to provide funds for the MOREHUMAN Road to the World Cup concept and raise funds for UNICEF to end child exploitation during the World Cup Period.

Other African footballers featured include Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria/Fulham), Aaron Mokoena (South Africa/Portsmith), Alex Song (Cameroon/Arsenal), Michael Essien (Ghana/Chelsea ), Benny McCarthy (South Africa/Blackburn Rovers), Emmanuel Ebou (Cote D’Ivoire/Arsenal), Salomon Kalou (Cote D’Ivoire/Chelsea), and Didier Drogba (Cote D’Ivoire/Chelsea).

Didier Drogba continues to affirm Chelsea’s confidence in his abilities with strong performances in his games.

Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard celebrate (Photo: Tom Jenkins)

His goal (his 37th this season) in the Chelsea – Portsmouth match-up during the English F.A. final led to Chelsea clinching the championship.

In totally unrelated news (although the female fans will love it), Drogba was spotted at the Cannes Film Festival in an Ozwald Boateng ensemble with Naomi Campbell on his arm.

Passport to Africa is a journey through the sights, sounds and tastes that define Africa.  A Washington DC-based festival that is growing in stature every year (2008 and 2009 were lots of fun), it has managed to put together a tremendous selection that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning tastes in it’s fourth year.

Passport to Africa brunch 2008

This year’s lineup is exceptional.  The journey begins on May 23rd with an African-Fusion Brunch from 12 – 3 p.m. at Kendejah Restaurant and Lounge in Washington DC.  There will be a buffet of signature African dishes made by local food enthusiasts, and a treat of live entertainment by Vera Oye’ Yaa-Anna of the Palaver  Hut, A West African Culinary Theater.

On May 24th, local high-school children will learn about the Africa that the media doesn’t share. The discussion, dubbed “Beyond the Jungle – A Discussion about Parts of Africa You Never See In the Media!”, will introduce them to modern Africa, and invite lively discussion.

May 25th will be an introduction to Ghanian cuisine at Ghana Cafe, located at 1336 14th Street, NW. This is an opportunity to try some great food in a wonderful atmosphere. Run by a Ghanian couple, Tony and Abigail Opare, the cafe will transport you through a wonderful smorgasbord of taste and sounds.

For those interested in African fashion AND African wine, May 26 should prove to be a delight. There will be samples of Moroccan wine at Marrakesh Palace with a parade of beautiful African outfits and a beauty bar. The event  is co-sponsored by  Diaspora African Women’s Network (DAWN), Bluffa Jo Cosmetics and African Vibes “I Wear African” Campaign.

African art is stuff of legend, but we always see the traditional art. Passport to Africa brings a modern perspective to African art with a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art to view the exhibition, Transitions by South African artist, Paul Emmanuel.  If you would like to learn about “The African presence in Mexico: From Yanga to Present”, visit the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum.  For those who would like to decorate their homes, Zawadi offers a host of unique home furnishings and accessories.

A network and happy hour event is scheduled for May 28th at 6:30 p.m.  It will be at the famed Kora restaurant in Arlington, Virginia with  Chef Morou (an Ivorian chef who has been featured on the Iron Chef America, and Good Morning America).

May 29th will have you treated to fantastic performances by Bsheba and Meklit Hadero at The Warehouse Loft. These Ethiopian ladies offer some of the best in afro-hiphop and afro-fusion jazz.  This event also celebrates the 4th anniversary of Bernos t-shirts, a company that has celebrated African pride iwith quality t-shirt designs.

The week culminates with DC’s largest afro-international part at Zanzibar.  Please remember your whites, or you will be left out in the cold.  There will be 2 levels of entertainment with 5 of the hottest African DJ’s.  Make sure you have cute but comfortable dancing shoes on.  You will be on the dance floor all night.  Visit the Ultra White Party website for more information.

Each event shares an aspect of  a different part of Africa with you.  Take in all the perspectives and leave with a greater understanding of what Africa really is. Passport to Africa is produced by I Dream Of AFrica (IDOA) Entertainment, a company determined to re-brand Africa through innovative events, panel discussions, and cultural festivals.

Nina Ogot is a Kenyan musician whose music has been termed afro-acoustic. A multi-talented young lady, she plays the guitar and the piano and accompanies them with a strong vocal production.  She is also multi-lingual, singing in English, French, Kiswahili, Luo, and Lingala and appeals to a broad spectrum audience.

Nina Ogot

Her latest album, ‘Dhahabu’ (gold in Kiswahili), is scheduled to debut on April 30, 2010 at the National Museum and already has her fans waiting with eager anticipation.  This is her second album which many hope will be as successful as her debut album ‘Ninairobi’.

The show will take place at the Nairobi National Museum/Louis Leakey Auditorium this 30th April, 2010 from 7:30pm.  The cost is 500 Kenyan shillings per person.

2Face, a contemporary Nigerian artist, will be performing live at The Days Inn Gateway in Washington DC.  A very popular artist with a string of international music awards, he usually performs with such energy that his audience is usually brought to their feet with rousing applause.

2Face

Born Innocent Ujuba Idibia, he started his music career in a group he co-founded called the Plantashun Boyz.  Popularly known as Two-Baba in Nigeria, he has built up a solid repetoire of songs and racked up a notable list of awards including:

• MTV Europe Awards 2005 – Best African Act
• MOBO Awards 2005 – Best African Act (Nominated)
• MOBO Awards 2007 – Best African Act (Won)
• Channel O Music Video Awards 2005 – Best Male Video and Best African Video (both for “African Queen”)[
• KORA Awards 2005 – Revelation of the Year
• Hip Hop World Awards 2006 – Special Recognition Award
• 2006 Channel O Music Video Awards – Best African Pop (”Ole“)
• 2006 Channel O Music Video Awards – Best African West (”Ole“)
• Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2006 – Special Recognition Award. Nigeria Breakthrough Artist of the Year
• Nigerian Music Awards 2008 – Album of the Year and R&B Song of the Year (Won)
• World Music Awards 2008 – Best Nigerian Act (Won)
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 – Best R&B
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 – Artist of the Year & Best Male & Best Video (”Enter the Place“) (nominated)

In addition to making an impact internationally, his song “African Queen” (probably one of the most over-played songs in the history of African contemporary songs), was used in the soundtrack for the movie “Phat Girlz“.  He is also one of the singers in a song  that was produced for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa later this year.

Other artists that will be performing include Laj, Tonestar, Kunzo, Certified Bangers, and Viper.

Location: The Days Inn Gateway, 2700 New York Ave NE, Washington DC 20002
Price: $25 In advance; $50 VIP
For more Information: 240 784 0975

Da Grin was a very gifted rapper and musical artist whose ability to paint verbal pictures and share his reality with others was almost unmatched. 

He was involved in a terrible accident on April 14, 2010 when his car ran into a cement truck.  He had been in critical condition in the hospital, although unconfirmed reports first stated that his condition was not as serious as originally thought.  His manager and close friends however confirmed that he had sustained serious injuries to his head, jaw and chest.

His death will definitely leave a void in the music scene.  Considered by some to be the 50 Cent of the Nigerian music scene, he made rapping in Yoruba edgy and managed to pull elements of modern Nigerian life into his videos.  Jamati Online mourns the passing of a true talent.  Rest In Peace Da Grin, you will be sorely missed!

Sidney Sladen, a top Bollywood designer, dressed the gorgeous Anushka for the Galatta Cinema Magazine photo shoot.  Anushka looked ravishing in her outfits and helped Galatta Cinema Magazine launch it’s new look for 2010.

Anushka Shetty and Sidney Sladen (photo: Sunder Ramu/Galatta Cinema Magazine)

Sidney Sladen, a Kenyan/India designer, has already had a great 2009 with the opening of his third boutiqueat Le Meridien in Chennai, participation in the landmark Chennai International Fashion Week, and celebrating yet another great year with some of the top Bollywood stars.

Sidney Sladen continues to raise the bar in fashion style and lead the industry in innovative design. As he goes forward in 2010, there are several projects in the works, and, if his past year is anything to go by, it promises to be full of color, flash, style, and flair.

It isn’t everyday that you get to see granny play soccer, but the opportunity will be afforded to many on July 13 – 18, 2010 during the Veteran’s Cup championships in the Massachusetts.  The South African team, the Soccer Grannies, has been invited to play in the Veterans Cup and are working fervently to raise the money that they need in order to get to the games.

Soccer grannies (photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Founded in 2005 by Beka Ntsanwisi, it was intended to help keep the older women in shape. The results have been tangible for some of the players who say that they feel better and fitter since they started playing.

Onica Ndzovela, 77, suffered back pain and sore knees before joining the team three years ago.

It seems the South African musicians are unhappy about not being included in the World Cup festivities.  Many of the local artists were upset that the lineup did not include more local talent in it’s roster.

FIFA’s Secretary General, Jerome Valke, said that, “This is an international event, we need to attract audiences from around the world with big global names.”  The artists were told that the concert was not the only arts event and they had other options for inclusion.

BLK JKS

The South African musicians that are being included in the entertainment music roster are The Parlotones, BLK JKS, and Vusi Mahlasela.  The other African artists include Angelique Kidjo, Amadou and Mariam, Tinariwen, and Vieux Farka Touré, while the international artists include Juanes, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend (doesn’t he always seem to be everywhere the African events are?), Shakira, Alicia Keys.

This promises to be a star-studded perfomance with a huge audience watching. All net proceeds from the concert will be donated to 20 Centres for 2010, the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, whose aim is to achieve positive social change through football by building 20 centres across Africa offering education and healthcare services as well as football training to disadvantaged communities.

Jamati Online told interviewed the Mataano twins, Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, to learn more about their design business and find out what made them tick.  Their ability to meld two cultures into a creative, wearable piece was not lost on us, and it seems that we are not the only ones to notice.

Idyl and Ayaan from Mataano

CNN recently highlighted their design house, Mataano, and showcased their pieces on CNN’s Inside Africa program.  Isha Sesay highlighted their designs and told their story.  Congratulations ladies!  It is great to see positive African success stories on the international media.  You can read about them on CNN’s International page.  They will also be debuting on runways in South Africa later this year, so look out for them!!

Sila and the Afrofunk Experience won an NAACP Image Award for their album, “Black President”. In a competition that pitted them against seasoned veterans including Zap Mama and Omou Sangare, Sila and the Afrofunk Experience won the prize for Outstanding World Music Album.

Victor Sila

Sila and the Afrofunk Experience’s second album was recognized as the top entry in the genre for 2009, a notable achievement and something of a surprise for the San Francisco-based artist and Kenyan native, who released the album independently on his own Visalia label. The album tackled such heavy issues as refugees, female beauty ideals, and global politics, with an original and funky Afropop sound influenced by both Fela Kuti and James Brown.

The Image Award caps a remarkable outpouring of critical acclaim for Sila and the Afrofunk Experience and “Black President“. In addition to the band being named “Best International Act” by San Francisco Weekly, the album was among the Top 5 African releases of 2009, according to IPR’s “Afropop Worldwide.”

Congratulations to the band.  They will be performing on March 20th at the Great American Music Hall at the official Black President Victory Party. Tickets are $14; a portion of proceeds will be donated to Chilean earthquake victims.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, nicknamed the Snow Leopard, is on the prowl for a gold in the 2010 Winter Olympic games.  He has drawn a lot of interest as an African skiing in the Olympics after his introduction to snow 5 years ago.  The Alpine Slalom race is scheduled to take place on February 27, 2010.  He will make history as the first Ghanian skiing in the Winter Olympics.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong

Quite the athlete, he also represented Ghana in the West African Student Games in tennis.  Kwame took ski lessons when he got a job as a receptionist at a ski center.   In an interview with BBC, he stated that , “The only thing we [Africans] have to overcome is the cold.”  He credits his family and his faith in God for his success.

Dedicated to encouraging Ghanian youth to ski, he has set up the Ghanian Winter Olympic Association and is working on building an artificial ski slope in Akuapem Hills, Mamfe, Ghana.

He supports Sabre, a British charity that builds schools in deprived areas of Ghana, and donates his spare money to a charity that is working on help save the snow leopard from extinction.

To cheer him on watch the Winter Olympics on February 27, 2010 and let us see if he brings the Africa’s first gold in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Tribe X Entertainment has made it, it’s mission to promote the positive side of Nigerian culture.  Harrison “Harry Baba” Nwozo states that ” The negative stereotypes that are rampant in reference to Nigeria need to be addressed and changed.”  With that idea in mind, his company, Tribe X Entertainment, has worked to re-brand Nigeria through a marketing and promotional campaign that would project to the world a more positive image of the country and it’s people by sharing the extraordinary creative talents that Nigeria has to offer in music, culture, fashion, and art.

Green October Volume 3 Cover

Jamati Online was privileged to be able to offer free downloads of two mixtapes with some of the best talent in Nigerian contemporary music today.  The second mixtape was especially well-received with many listeners noting that the talent that is rampant in Nigerian music can easily rival or surpass what we find in the diaspora today. Harrison “Harry Baba” Nwozo teamed up with famed Nigerian DJ, DJ Manixx (of he famous Nigerian DJ Coalition), to produce the Green October Mix tape series. They compiled a comprehensive selection of the best, chart topping, popular Nigerian Afro beat, Afro hip hop and dance music out of Nigeria. In addition, songs by up and coming underground Nigerian artists are also included in the mix tape series.

To get your free download here (click on free user).

 Wanuri Kahiu, director of the award-winning movie, From A Whisper, has once again come up with a winning film–a sci-fi short film, ‘Pumzi (‘air’  or ‘breathe‘ in Kiswahili). 

Wanuri Kahiu

 The film shows a world after World War III, the ‘Water War’, where everyone is stuck in an enclosed community with their movements and thoughts closely monitored. An East African woman dares to defy the odds and flee the community in the hopes of re-establishing and restoring life outside the confines of the walls. 

Pumzi will be showing at the Sundance Festival from January 22-30, 2010 and was one of 200 films picked for exhibition from 9,000 submissions.  For details  and programming information, visit the Sundance Festival website.

Jamati Online is always proud of the African artists who proudly pronounce their heritage.  Wale has a song on his album, Attention Deficit, that might be familiar to some of you.  My Sweetie has that familiar song by Sierra Leonean, Bunny Mack a.k.a. Cecil Bunting MacCormack, in the background. 

Wale

Bunny Mack’s song was a favorite with at least three generations of Africans and a host of other countries in the Diaspora.   Let Me Love You was a hit in 1981 and, listening to it today, one can see the timeless quality it posseses! Many people still think fondly of that song. 

Listen to the song below and share your thoughts, memories with us.  Also check out Wale’s album, Attention Deficit.  Mark my words, this guy’s a lyrical genius.  He is going to give many rappers a run for their money.

The NAACP Image awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts (motion picture, television, recording, and literature), as well as those
individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.

Victor Sila

There are several African nominees in the mix this year who we can honestly say truly deserve it.  Gabourey Sidibe is having an astounding year with her first film, ‘Precious‘, which brought many to tears as they experienced the horrors of abuse with her character.  Sila and the Afrofunk Experience have been nominated for their song, ‘Black President’, putting them in a well-deserved limelight.  Oumou Sangare’s song, Seya, has also been nominated in the Outstanding World Music Album category. 

Farai Chideya, the African-American/Zimbabwean author is nominated for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author for her novel, ‘Kiss the Sky: A Novel’, which is currently on the Essence book list.

The complete list of African nominees are listed below:

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
– Idris Elba – “Obsessed” (Screen Gems)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
– Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
– Sophie Okonedo – “Skin” (Jour De Fete Films)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
– Chiwetel Ejiofor – “2012” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding World Music Album
– “Black President” – Sila and the Afrofunk Experience (Visila Records)
– “ReCreation” – Zap Mama (Heads Up International/Concord Music Group)
– “Seya” – Oumou Sangare (Nonesuch/World Circuit)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
– “Kiss the Sky: A Novel” – Farai Chideya (Atria Books)

Congratulations to all of them. Win or lose, they are still projecting a positive image of
Africans and we applaud them!