LISTEN: Malawi News, Michael Olatuja & GIVEAWAYS!
Michael Olatuja
Days after being sentenced for 14 years with hard labour, Malawi couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza received a Presidential Pardon on Saturday, May 29. What did this case highlight for the African Gay rights movement? Veteran Gay rights activist, Monica Mbaru talks about the ongoing discussion and the role of politics and religion.
Jazz bassist and Music Producer, Michael Olatuja talks to Christabel Nsiah-Buadi about his award-winning album, Speak, working with Lynden David Hall, Somi, and The Olatuja Project. Scroll down to find out how to get a free remix from his latest album!
PLUS Kwame Dawes, Festival Programmer with The Calabash International Literary Festival in Jamaica talks about the first 10 years of the Caribbean’s only English-language book festival. **CLICK HERE to find out how you can WIN a FREE COPY of the book SO MUCH THINGS TO SAY: 100 POETS FROM THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF THE CALABASH INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL’.
**MICHAEL OLATUJA FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD** It’s like Christmas at HfH! We’re making SubUrban’s Small Room Remix of Michael Olatuja’s ‘Ma Foya’ available online to you between now and June 14, 2010! The original version features on our May 31 show.
Michael Olatuja, Lynden David Hall
“Ma Foya (feat. Lynden David Hall)” (mp3)
from “Ma Foya feat Lynden David Hall (Remixes)”
(Backdrop/ObliqSound)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album
FEATURED SONG EXCERPTS
Crossover (Commercialism), Wunmi (‘A.L.A/documented gb), 2007
Enough Is Enough, Dennis Taylor (‘Steppin”/Dome Records), 2002
Ma Foya, Michael Olatuja feat. Lynden David Hall (‘Speak’ /Backdrop/ObliqSound), 2009
Yi Yipada, Michael Olatuja feat. Eska Mtungwazi (‘Speak’/ Backdrop/ObliqSound), 2009
Unconditional, Michael Olatuja feat. Eska Mtungwazi (‘Speak’/ Backdrop/ObliqSound), 2009
Are You Hearing Me Bobo?
Modern.Stylish.African.Pop.Culture. This video of the song ‘Bobo’ by Troy featuring Wunmi is HOT! (btw, we think Wunmi is plotting world domination…)
The video was shot and directed by King Lui and Wanlov in Ghana. And look out for Wanlov’s two eye wink at the end (haha).
Wunmi told Home, from Home where the hook, ‘Are you hearing me Bobo? When I say I no go, I no go! Are you hearing me Bobo, when I say I no do, I no do!’ came from. Read what she says AFTER you watch the video:
OK, so back to the message behind the song. Wunmi told Home, from Home:
When I was in Ghana, I just kept on hearing about the increased numbers of date rape… it was like men seemed to think because women were out with them, they had a right to take sex. It’s like you can’t even flirt without putting yourself at risk. It really bothered me. Then one day, I was jamming in the studio with Troy, working on something, then the next thing I knew, the words just came to me! I know it’s a dance song, but you know, I want girls and all over Africa to sing the hook out loud, so people actually understand the message, NO, means NO!
Wunmi also told us that she thinks the video looks like a really well produced Nollywood movie.
Uh…..no, notsomuch. We WISH Nollywood movies looked this good!
Share on Facebook Read MoreAfrica’s Top Designers Bring Color To The Fashion World
By Ashleigh McGrew, Home, from Home
Home, from Home Fashion and Culture writer, Ashleigh McGrew talked with African Vibes Magazine editor-in-chief Belle Niba about the ‘I Wear African’ fashion show held in Los Angeles recently and profiled the work of two designers Christiane King and Kahindo Mateene, whose work featured in this years event.
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African Vibes Magazine editor Belle Niba has always been a follower of fashion. I found this out recently, after asking her how much of a fashion fan she was. Her reply was clear: “OMG! I’m a die-hard fashion fan… a total sucker for fashion week too!”
It makes sense then, that Niba would use this love of fashion to “shine a positive light on Africa and Africans,” by organizing a fashion show, held in Los Angeles recently. The event was called, ‘I Wear African’.
The show included work by Korto Momolu (Liberia), Sheila Denanyoh (Ghana), Arthlene Legair (Dominica), Kahindo Mateene (Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC), Maryanne E. Mokoko and Stephanie T. Mouapi (Cameroon), Mekdes Tefera Taye, (Ethiopia), Monalisa Okojie (Nigeria) and Christiane King (Ivory Coast).
I talked with Christiane King (who was also a contestant on the TV hit series Project Runway,) about ‘The Christiane King Collection’, which featured in the African Vibes fashion show. Christiane, aka Kiki to her mother, is all about color. King told me that she grew up in [Ivory Coast,] a country where fashion design is “… not the ideal profession.” She continued, “parents want you to be a lawyer or doctor.” Despite this, King continues to push the envelope as a fashion designer.
King’s fall 2010 collection was inspired by the craftsmanship of her homeland where, according to her,“People take days to build a basket...” She wanted to use that approach to “… to create pieces that are unique and connect art — and nature…”
As a designer, she is passionate about giving back. She told me, “I don’t want to just touch people through my work, I want to help families, make women happy, I hope I get to that point.”
Another featured designer, Kahindo Mateene, founder of Modahnik, became a designer because she wanted to create “a modern way to exude my African upbringing.” Mateene contrasts modern silhouettes with patterns often associated with more traditional African outfits. She says she wanted to create a line of African inspired clothes for women with curves:
I’m an African woman with a womanly shape, with hips and thighs. I had difficulty finding dresses that fit me properly; I wasn’t the only one having these issues when shopping. My clothing line caters to womanly figures, Kim Kardashian with sizes 2-16…I really wanted to cater to that demographic and want to flaunt it in a cool, sexy, conservative way.
This outfit is dominated by neon greens and yellows, encrusted in earthy tones, complimented with circular, leaf-like patterns
King and Mateene are just two of the growing number of designers who want to make an impact on the fashion world by looking to Africa for inspiration. That can’t be a bad thing, as people are always looking for fresh ideas. As Belle Niba says, “Fashion recycles itself, and the designers have come to a halt. What we did in the 60’s, 80’s and 90’s is back again.” Africa may be on its way to becoming a major source of inspiration for designers, like Paris, Milan or London. With advocates like Belle Niba, and the organizers of Africa Fashion week in South Africa (which I’ll be covering for Home, from Home) we might be witnessing the growth of the modern African fashion movement.
Home, from Home Contributor Ashleigh McGrew also writes for Examiner.com and has had articles published by ‘Daily Fill’
Share on Facebook Read MoreHfH: Andrea Levy Rewind!
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“LISTEN Home, From Home: ANDREA LEVY DISCUSSES THE LONG SONG”
Karen Madden-James of Radio Jamaica tells Christabel Nsiah-Buadi about the Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke case & the Trinidad and Tobago elections. Andrea Levy talks about her latest book, set in 19th Century Jamaica, The Long Song. Plus exclusive backstage pix from ‘Queen of Afrofusion’, Wunmi’s concert in Joshua Tree, CA Listen at www.hfhshow.com
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