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Rumba Shimmies onto UNESCO Cultural Heritage List

Congolese rumba is among at least nine new entries on UNESCO’s “representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.” UNESCO is making its 2021 designations this week, recognizing cultural heritage ranging from Arabic calligraphy to falconry to Nordic clinker boat traditions. Congolese rumba was named to the list Tuesday. The Democratic Republic of Congo […]

Benin bronzes are being returned and sculptured again

African nations declare days of mourning to honour Kenneth Kaunda

You Can Visit Famous Afro-French Writer Alexandre Dumas’ House In France

Ivory Coast Strives to Save Architectural Treasures in Former Colonial Capital

The Ivory Coast resort town of Grand-Bassam is known for its beaches and French colonial architecture. Recent flooding and the passage of time have taken a toll on the city’s historic buildings, but some people are determined to fix things, as Yassin Ciyow found in this report narrated by Carol Guensburg. View video here: Source: […]

Africa Prime Nigerian fashion pioneer Folashade ‘Shade’

Nigerian fashion pioneer Folashade ‘Shade’ will be celebrated at ‘Africa Fashion’ exhibition Cape Town.

Folashade “Shade” Thomas-Fahm in the 1970s. Credit: Shade Thomas-Fahm/Courtesy of The Victoria and Albert Museum After studying fashion in London, Shade Thomas-Fahm returned to Nigeria and opened a factory and boutique under the name Maison Shade (later Shade’s Boutique), which became a go-to place for those in search of contemporary fashions. In the 1960s she […]

Mansa Musa of Mali: the richest person who ever lived

In the era of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Wall Street and Big Tech, it is hard to fathom a more prosperous time in human history. However, many believe Mansa Musa’s wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made […]

5 Prized South African Photo Books to Check Out

While image-making, along with image archiving, have taken different forms over the years — advancing in tandem with photography’s multiple technological advancements particularly in recent times — the idea of a compilation of images is one that is hard not to romanticise. Photo books are cool. They look dope on the coffee table, they inspire […]

Macron asks Rwanda to forgive France over 1994 genocide role

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Rwandans to forgive France for its role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus died. Speaking at the genocide memorial in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, he said France had not heeded warnings of impending carnage and had for too long “valued silence over […]

Germany officially calls colonial-era killings in Namibia ‘genocide’, and commits to fund projects worth €1.1bn

Human skulls from the Herero and ethnic Nama people are displayed during a ceremony in Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2018, to hand back human remains from Germany to Namibia following the 1904-1908 genocide against the Herero and Nama . REUTERS/Christian Mang/File Photo Germany on Friday apologised for its role in slaughter of Herero and Nama […]