EDITORIAL
AFRIKAN HEADS DISCUSS ‘GREAT GREEN WALL’ TO HALT SAHARA DESERTIFICATION
African leaders met in Chad to pursue the idea of planting a tree belt across Afrika through 11 countries from Senegal to Djibouti. The Great Green Wall project is backed by the African Union and is aimed at halting the advancing Sahara Desert. The belt would be 15km wide and 7,775km long.
The initiative, conceived five years ago, has not started because of a lack of funding but it has the full backing of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, who is in Chad with 10 other heads of state to discuss desertification. His government has created the website dedicated to the Great Green Wall. The trees should be ‘drought-adapted species’, preferably native to the areas planted, according to the website, listing 37 suitable species.
The initiative hopes the trees will slow soil erosion; slow wind speeds and help rain water filter into the ground, to stop the desert from growing. It also says a richer soil content will help communities across the Sahel who depend on land for grazing and agriculture. Senegal has so far spent about $2m on the project and communities are being encouraged to plant trees.
Older people in N’Djamena, tell how Chad’s capital has become a dustbowl over the last two decades as the Sahara Desert encroached southwards. The country has made efforts to plant a green belt of trees around the capital, and tens of thousands of young trees are being grown in nurseries on the outskirts of the city but so far little has been done to transplant these trees to the northern desert areas to become part of the Great Green Wall.
Part of the reason for the lack of finances for development across Afrika is that since the end of the Cold War, global military spending has fallen by 35% but the Stockholm Peace Research Institute estimates that in sub-Saharan Afrika in the same period it has risen by almost a third. The International Institute for Strategic Studies revealed Ugandan spending on military hardware nearly doubled in one year, 1997-98.
Analysts, point to new risks developing across the continent, such as Somali ‘piracy’ and insurgents such as the Lord Resistance Army, Janjawid and Hutu militias. The threat from these ad-hoc groups has prompted governments, NGO’s and even private companies to invest in goods from defence contractors.
In South Africa the defence industry with its roots firmly in the apartheid era, the Paramount Group, the largest privately owned defence contractor on the continent, is keen to stress what it sees as its core role: providing military hardware for peacekeeping missions around the world. The company’s sales have been rising by 25% annually since 2005. As well as a strong domestic client base, it is exporting to overseas markets in Central Asia and the Middle East. Its Chief Executive Ivor Ichikowitz said: “We have some of the best technologies at affordable prices. We have an amazing skills base, we are home to some of the best engineers in the world, and those engineers have gone on to develop technologies which are being used globally.”
Aid agencies and economists have long argued that defence spending in Afrika runs directly counter to development. The ANC’s decision to spend $4.6bn (£3.3bn) on an arms buying programme in the mid-90s caused a political storm, leading to bribery charges against now-President Jacob Zuma, which were later dropped. Housing minister Lindiwe Sisulu claimed it was a wasteful divergence of resources from more pressing domestic needs. The wider defence industry in Africa claims more commercial military hardware should not necessarily mean more killing. Mr Ichikowitz believes that “the defence and aerospace sector is an asset of the continent, and my vision has always been to see how we can use that as a mechanism to contribute to the development of other countries in Africa, and that is exactly what our group is doing every single day”. Defence is now set to become one of Africa’s biggest foreign currency earners of the future.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
JUNE PROMOS
~ ‘Volcano Eruption: Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes’ – Various Artists [17 North Parade Records] A tribute to the most dynamic dancehall producer of all time was always going to meet a happy reception here at Nubiart’s HQ. We remember the ‘good old days’ when we use to buy tunes by the bucketload without even having to listen to them purely on the words ‘Backed by Roots Radics, Produced by Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes’ as a guaranteed stamp of quality.
On ‘Volcano Eruption’ you get 40 hit tracks on two CDs and a DVD of interviews and a live Volcano session at the legendary Skateland. The track listing is like a who’s who of the finest artists ever to come out of the troubled island of Jamaica: Frankie Paul’s ‘Worries In the Dance’, Barrington Levy’s ‘Prison Oval Rock’, Leroy Smart’s ‘I Am The Don’, Michael Prophet’s all-conquering ‘Gunman’, John Holt’s ‘Police In Helicopter’, Barry Brown’s plaintive ‘Give Another Israel Try’, Johnny Osborne’s ‘Ice Cream Love’, The Wailing Souls’ ‘Fire House Rock’, Cocoa Tea’s ‘Lost My Sonia’, King Yellowman’s ‘Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt’, Eek-A-Mouse and Lui Lepki’s 12-inch version of ‘Anarexol’, Eek-A-Mouse’s seminal ‘Wa-Do-Dem, Michigan & Smiley’s ‘Diseases’, Toyan’s ‘Spar Wid Me’ & ‘How The West Was Won’ and Sister Nancy’s ‘Dance Pon the Corner’, all rounded off with an Al Campbell Volcano dubplate.
Those looking at the current state of Jamaica - and many nominally independent Afrikan-led countries - can listen to these songs recorded three decades ago and get a clear insight into how the sufferers’ spirit strives to overcome political manipulation and neo-colonial exploitation to build a life worth living for themselves, their offspring, their family and community.
The DVD highlights how Junjo would produce his sessions making sure all the artists were paid beforehand (virtually unheard of in Jamaican recording) and agreed what they were to record before they went to the studio so there was no time wasting or off-key lyrics. Unlike many other producers Junjo would also trust the musicians and engineers to arrange the rhythms. Virtually every Junjo-produced release, whether single or album, was a hit. During one year in Jamaica the number one single spot was held for 45 weeks by Volcano productions. Within three years of entering the business Junjo had established himself as the top producer not just in Jamaica but the entire reggaeverse.
An ill-fated sojourn to the US in 1985 saw Junjo’s career terminated and although he re-entered the business in the 1990s he never regained the stature he had enjoyed for six years. Junjo was tragically shot dead in Harlesden, London, in 1999 with no-one ever being convicted for his slaying. ‘Volcano Eruption: Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes’ is a fitting tribute to the man who brought so many artists into the music industry and ensured they could all eat food while expressing their individual creativity.
~ ‘Comin’ With The Force’ - Trench City [Cymru Music – Out Now] This will appeal to lovers of the sonic dub and groove school attended by Adrian Sherwood and his On-U Sound crew, Little Axe. The stand out tracks are the reggae-influenced ‘When Love Strikes’, ‘Roller Coaster’ and ‘Chasin All the Rainbows’ and the African guitar dance tune ‘Lead Kindly Heart’.
NUBIART LIBRARY – JUNE MEDIA
We will try to recommend books we have read and DVD / videos we have seen and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books, games and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘Sleepwalking Land’. Dir: Teresa Prata [HB Films – Out Now] This film of Mia Couto’s award-winning magic realist novel has Young Muidinga desperate to find the family he lost during Mozambique’s civil war. He finds a diary that recounts the story of a woman on a ship who is searching for her son. Muidinga, convinced that he is her son, decides to find her with the help of his guardian, Tuahir. The 2001 Zimbabwe Book Fair jury voted the novel one of the twelve best Afrikan books of the 20th century.
~ ‘The Black House’ by Colin Jones [Prestel ISBN: 3-7913-3671-1] Photographic portrait of Brother Herman’s Harambee hostel for Afrikan youth in Holloway, north London, in the1970s. The hostel was a refuge for those facing government racism, unemployment, overcrowding, racist attacks, police harassment, brutality and criminalisation. These black-and-white pictures first appeared in The Sunday Times newspaper and are gathered here in coffee-table book form narrated by author Mike Phillips.
NUBIART DIARY
~ INDIA’S AFRICANS A presentation on the diverse circumstances of African migration to India and the current situation of India’s Afrikans by Dr Shihan de Silva, Senior Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies. Followed by the screening of two documentaries by Beheroze Shroff, University of California, Irvine, USA, which give insights into the roots of the Sidis (Afrikan-Indians) and their sense of belonging.
‘We’re Indian and African: Voices of the Sidis’ (22 mins)
This film explores the lives of the Sidis in Gujarat. Sidi men and women speak about the challenges they face as caretakers of the shrine of their ancestral saint Bava Gor. The Sidis also discuss their sacred Goma-Dhammal dance performed for devotees and spectators.
‘Voices of the Sidis: Ancestral Links’ (26 mins)
In this engaging portrait of an urban Sidi family in Bombay (Maharashtra), Babubhai traces his ancestry to Zanzibar. He also reminisces about his work as a stuntman in Bollywood films. Babubhai’s wife, Fatimaben, narrates about her grandmother’s work in a Hindu royal court. Their daughter, Heena, speaks about issues of identity in contemporary India.
On Mon 21 June at 12.30 pm in Rm G22 / 26, Senate House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU. Adm: Free. Places allocated on a first come first seated basis. E-mail shihan.desilva@sas.ac.uk
~ CARLOU D AND BAND LIVE IN THE UK: On Tues 22 June at 7.30pm-1am at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JT. Adm: £10 adv / £12 (door). Web: www.motherland-music.com / www.worldvillageuk.wordpress.com / www.myspace.com/carloudmuzikr
~ ‘CHISHOLM ‘72: UNBOUGHT & UNBOSSED’ showing as part of ‘Women, Race & Politics’ on Fri 25 June at 8.30pm at Tricycle Cinema, 269 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7JR. Tel: 020 7328 1000.
~’MUCH STRINGS ATTACHED’ EXHIBITION. Uchay Joel Chima works with sand, wax, colours, charcoal, thread/ropes and found objects in his aesthetic creations. Private viewing on Thurs 24 Jun.
Exhibition: Fri 25 Jun - Tues 13 Jul at arc Gallery, Barge Belle, 11 Hale Wharf, Ferry Lane, London, N17 9NF. For info contact: John Egbo, arc artistic director. Tel: 020 8885 1252 (Head Office) / 020 8808 7741 (Gallery) / 07988 802 314 (Mob). E-mail: john@artarc-collective.com Web: www.artarc-collective.com
~ ‘SUS’ BY BARRIE KEEFFE Election night 1979. The sus laws had made it legal for police to stop and search anyone - purely on suspicion. Two detectives on the graveyard shift in an East London police station place bets on which party will win. An Afrikan man is picked up. He is incensed, believing that he’ll be fodder for an incoming government keen to flex its law-and-order muscles. Set on the eve of the Thatcher victory, this revival of Keeffe’s classic coincides with the general election of 2010. What’s changed? Until 26 Jun at Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London, SE1 8LZ. Adm: £10+. Tel: 020 7922 2922. Web: http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/sus
~ AUTOGRAPH ABP, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CGP LONDON, are pleased to announce ‘Memoire’, the first solo exhibition in the UK of Congolese photographer and filmmaker Sammy Baloji addressing colonial violence, shattered dreams of independence and the postcolonial political fallout that exists within the current Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘Mémoire’ is a beautifully crafted and abstracted artist’s video shot in collaboration with the fellow Congolese performance artist Faustin Linyekula. Alongside ‘Mémoire’, Autograph ABP have commissioned Baloji to make a new large-scale photographic work that will document the exact site of Patrice Lumumba’s assassination in January 1961. Until 4 July at Dilston Grove, Southwark Park, London, SE1. Tel: 020 7237 1230 Web: www.cafegalleryprojects.org
~ BLAK FRIDAY; NU-BEYOND AND JANUS SOLUTIONS present ‘An Audience with Dr Lez Henry: Healing Through Education’, hosted by The Investigator, Bro Andrew Muhammad who will deliver a
special tribute to Bro Michael Jackson plus special invited guests. On 25 Jun at 7.30-11pm at The Nettlefold Hall, West Norwood Library, 1-5 Norwood High Street, London, SE27 9JX. Adm: £10. Tel: 020 8480 8068. E-mail: info@nubeyond.com.
~ LANGUAGE CONTACT, CHANGE, MAINTENANCE AND LOSS. A forum for researchers concerned with aspects of multilingualism to compare findings and exchange analyses of different settings, contributing to theory-building in the field. Confirmed speakers include: Professor Yaron Matras, University of Manchester, on ‘Toward an integrated theory of language contact’; Dr Friederike Lüpke, SOAS, University of London, on ‘Contact, culture, and concordance: first steps towards an understanding of nominal classification in Bainouk (Atlantic, Senegal)’; Professor Tope Omoniyi, University of Roehampton, on ‘Writing in Englishes’; Dr Shihan De Silva Jayasuriya, ICS, University of London, on ‘Language Maintenance and Loss among Afro-Asians in South Asia’; and Dr Dawn Marley, University of Surrey, ‘The changing role of French in Morocco: maintenance or shift?’. On 25 Jun at 9am-6pm at Fyvie Hall, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW. Adm: Free. Pre-registration essential. E-mail: sinclas@westminster.ac.uk (put ‘Linguistics Conference’ in subject line).
~ ALKEBU-LAN REVIVALIST MOVEMENT NOMMO SESSION. ‘Congo - Golden Jubilee or 50 Years of Genocide’ with Bro Luwezi Kinshasa of The Uhuru Movement. This NOMMO marks the launch of ‘CONGO REVISITED’: 30 Jun 2010 - 17 Jan 2011 - i.e. from the 50th anniversary of ‘Congo Independence’ to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of its first Prime-Minister, Patrice Lumumba. Immensely rich in natural resources, including timber, diamonds, gold, copper, and 80% of the world’s (a vital component in mobile phones & laptop computers), Congo’s ‘Golden Jubilee’ finds it gripped in a brutal protracted war that has claimed the lives of millions - “Afrika’s forgotten genocide”. Bro Luwezi will explore how ‘Congo Revolution’ was derailed as well as its continuing geopolitical importance to Afrika and the world. On 25 Jun at 7-10.30pm at Voice Of Africa Radio, 24 Swete Street, Plaistow, London, E13 OBS. Adm: £3 / U-21’s Free. Info: 020 8539 2154 / 07908 814 152. E-mail: arm6227@yahoo.co.uk
~ AFRICAN UNITY IN DIASPORA WORKSHOP ‘DIGNIFIED LIFE IN EUROPE OR A HAPPY RETURN TO AFRICA’. This meeting will examine processes through which Afrikans in the Diaspora can address political, economic, religious and socio-cultural challenges and opportunities in relation to unequal availability of goods, representation and social disparity experienced by Afrikan migrant groups in the UK / Europe. Speakers include: Mr Omar Jelban, Libyan Ambassador to the UK; Prof Bill Bowring, Barrister, (Professor of Law: Director of the LLM / MA in Human Rights, School of Law) on the ‘Effects of Humans Rights instruments on Afrikans in the Diaspora’; Dr Ali Khaled, Arab-Afrikan NGOs on the ‘Role of African Governments in supporting Africans in the Diaspora’; Rev. Dr. Kajumba on ‘Overview of social inclusivity of Africans in Diaspora: Our diverse cultures are our strengths’; and Kofi Explo Nani on ‘What Afrikans could do to influence and participate in UK political processes’. On Sat 26 Jun at 2-6pm at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Followed by a reception and Afrikan dance at Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq, London, WC1. Contact: Dr Nelson (07703 068 189) / Belinda (07760 936 562) / Liban (07904 315 533) / Dr Sam (07577 731 594) / Adam (07944 893 815). Register by 23 Jun. Web: www.africansunitedindiaspora.com
~ BLACKHISTORYWALKS AFRICAN SUPERHEROES DAY. Animation festival showing a variety of Afrikan-themed cartoons which tell tales of magical Nigerian women warriors, Anansi the West Afrikan folk hero, the story of Ogun plus updates on the forthcoming Black Panther series. Q&A with animators and a special preview of the new live-action show, ‘Spirit of the Pharaohs’. On Sun 27 Jun at 4.30-7.30pm at Lost Theatre, Wandsworth Road, London, SW8. Adm: £6. Box office: 0844 847 1680. Web: www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk or www.losttheatre.co.uk/whatson/forthcomingshows.forthcomingshows
~ AFRICANAFFAIRSMC OPENING OF THE AFRICAN CULTURAL & RESOURCE CENTER. Volta Association, Metropolitan Community Development Corporation and the Montgomery County Maryland African Affairs Advisory Group will host Africans and friends of Africa at the grand opening of the African Cultural and Resource Center. On Sun 27 Jun at 12-2pm at The African Cultural & Resource Center, 1523 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD. E-mail: Mr Edwin Agbonyitor - edwinkobla@yahoo.com; Ms. Doris Dzameshie - dzuglo@hotmail.com; Ms Amie Jallah - amiejallah@att.net
~ BBMM EVENTS
- ‘Keeping It Legal: Live And On-Air’ Whether you’re operating a community or web radio, promoting or playing live, find out about how to keep on the legal side with the right licenses, health & safety etc from PRS For Music, MU, etc. On Mon 28 June at 6.30-8.30pm at PRS Boardroom, 29-33 Berners Street, London, W1T 3AB. Adm: Free, but pre-booking necessary. E-mail: editor@britishblackmusic.com
- ‘The Lovers Rock Story (rough cut version)’ screening with Q&A with director Menelik Shabazz. A fundraiser to complete this first theatrical film focused on the British created ‘romantic reggae’ genre. Showing with BMC shorts. On Fri 2 July at 6.30-9.30pm at Flash Musicals, Methuen Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 6EZ. Adm: £5. E-mail: editor@britishblackmusic.com
- ‘Trailblazing British Black Music Album Anatomy: ‘Osibisa’ (MCA 1971)’. Panellists Teddy Osei (band leader), David Howells (head of marketing & A&R), Gerry Bron (management via video), Robin Denselow (journalist), Kwaku (chair, BBM / BMC), Julian Wall (facilitator, BPI) offer a rare opportunity to find out from some of the people who played a role in the success of ‘Osibisa’, which reached No. 11 in the album charts in 1971 at a time when prog rock ruled, and the ‘world music’ term had not yet been coined. On Mon July 5 at 6.30-8.30pm at BPI, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JA Adm: Free, but pre-booking necessary. E-mail: editor@britishblackmusic.com
~ BUSINESS IN GHANA: REALITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES. The AFFORD-REMADE Business Club is hosting its first event, an evening with Mr Robert Ahomka-Lindsay an expert in business in Ghana and West Africa. His role as director of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), his time as Vice President of Coca-Cola Africa, and the countless successful business endeavours and positions he has held in Africa have made him a formidable source of invaluable information. The evening will cover: Business Climate, Investment Opportunities, Business Culture in Ghana. Partnerships and Locating Finance. On Thurs 1 July at 5.30-9pm at The Kingsley, Bloomsbury Way. London. WC1A 2SD. Adm: £20 Standard / £10 REMADE members. To make payments visit: http://afford-uk.eventbrite.com Contact: Elvina Quaison on 020 7582 3578 or e-mail: elvina@afford-uk.org
~ SOAS & CENTRO DE ESTUDOS AFRICANOS OF ISCTE – LISBON UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE present the ‘The Emperor of Ethiopia in Lusoland: Ethiopia, Portugal and the Organization of African Unity’. Exhibition runs until 27 July at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Tel: 020 7898 4026. E-mail: gallery@soas.ac.uk
~ THE BURIAL OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE. Colourful photographs by Peter Marlow, one of the few European journalists allowed to cover the ceremony in 2000. Until Sun 21 Nov at Pitt Rivers Museum, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PP. Tel. 01865 270 927. Fax: 01865 270 943. E-mail: prm@prm.ox.ac.uk Web: www.prm.ox.ac.uk
~ WILFRED THESIGER IN AFRICA: A CENTENARY EXHIBITION. Wide selection of photographs and some collected objects relating to his life and travels in Africa. Until Sun 5 June 2011 at Pitt Rivers Museum, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PP. Tel. 01865 270 927. Fax: 01865 270 943. E-mail: prm@prm.ox.ac.uk Web: www.prm.ox.ac.uk |
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