April « 2009 « Africa is a Country

Archive for April, 2009

Playlist: Lara Pawson

Posted in Africa is a Country, Music, tagged Lara Pawson, Music, My Playlist, Playlist on April 30, 2009 | 2 Comments »

The latest guest in the “Playlist” series (a list of 10 songs) is writer and journalist, Lara Pawson, who is currently based in London: “This was extremely difficult to do. I feel I have betrayed many musicians by leaving them off the list. But here we go.” 1. Sparky’s Magic Piano by Henry Blair with [...]

Read Full Post »

remembering Ken Saro Wiwa

Posted in Books, tagged Egypt, Ken Saro Wiwa, Ken Wiwa, literature, Nawal El Saadawi, Nigeria, Pen American Center, Pen World Voices, politics, writers on April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

With his son, Ken Wiwa, on Saturday at the annual Pen World Voices Festival of International Literature. Also, on the program, Egyptian novelist, psychiatrist, and activist Nawal El Saadawi, giving a lecture on Sunday.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn Blogfest

Posted in blogs, tagged Blogging, blogs, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Blogfest on April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

The 4th annual Brooklyn Blogfest happening at PowerHouse Books in DUMBO, Brooklyn. I’ll be leading one of the “Blogs-of-a-Feather” sessions. Lots of stuff for the borough’s bloggers and potential bloggers. Come out.

Read Full Post »

The 10 Worst Countries in the World to be a Blogger

Posted in blogs, tagged Blogging, blogs, Egypt, The 10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger, Tunisia on April 30, 2009 | 4 Comments »

The Committee to Protect Journalists in New York City has announced the 10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger. In short they are in order: Burma Iran Syria Cuba Saudi Arabia Vietnam Tunisia China Turkmenistan Egypt More context and the methodology here.

Read Full Post »

Thabo Mbeki and his father’s people

Posted in Books, tagged Books, Govan Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, politics, South Africa, Thabo Mbeki on April 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Excerpt from former New York Times Johannesburg correspondent Suzanne Daley’s review of Mark Gevisser’s book of the former South African President, “A Legacy of Liberation: Thabo Mbeki and the Future of the South African Dream”: [Here is] the description of the funeral of Mbeki’s father in 2001. Govan Mbeki, who had been more activist than [...]

Read Full Post »

‘new stories. new perspectives. new African writers’

Posted in Books, tagged Books, fiction, literary magazines, The Literary Review on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

The Winter 2009 issue of The Literature Review is themed “Africa Calling” and is guest edited by Jeffery Renard Allen, features work by African writers writing in English. Contributions by Siphiwo Mahala, Parul Sehgal, Victor Ehikhamenor, Jackee Batanda, Chika Unigwe, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Esi Edugyan, Stanley Gazemba, Zed Houndete, Oghenerukevwe Jennifer Agbatutu, Brian Chikwava, Mildred [...]

Read Full Post »

Chicago Afrobeat Project

Posted in Music, tagged afro-Cuban, American funk, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Fela, highlife, juju, Music, Nigeria on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Listen here.

Read Full Post »

‘when bribery affects every level of society’

Posted in Africa is a Country, Not just about Africa, tagged corruption, Nigeria, oil, Shell on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Posted with vodpod Excerpt from new PBS documentary on international corruption. Nigeria is the African example. Here’s the promo: “One of the most resource rich countries in the world, Nigeria remains riddled with poverty and provides a glaring example of how a country’s corrupted leadership can turn its citizens into victims.” The clip, above, includes [...]

Read Full Post »