THISISAFRICA

The term Hiplife may be fading (as noted in our recent article about changes in the Ghanaian urban music scene), but there’s still life in the old dog and Hiplife artists are still making waves. One such artist is Atumpan (Frank Elinam Cobbinah), known for incorporating elements of Reggae and [...]

“We have a deal.” These were the words that signaled peace – words Kenyans had waited so long to hear; they were uttered by the former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. That was back in 2008, after President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agreed to share power, [...]

The polls have closed, most business premises remain closed, and the streets of Nairobi are clear and quiet – it’s very unusual for any of Nairobi’s streets to be dotted with only a handful of cars – and the silence is loud and eerie, as if the tension behind Kenyans’ [...]

Ghetto Radio’s Ghettogether Peace concert, Kibera, Nairobi Its slogan is “the official sheng station” and the motto is “the voice of the youth.” A Kenyan born in the 1960s, or a youth brought up in Nairobi’s uptown area, might find Ghetto Radio’s slogan and motto a little controversial, and the [...]

How is it that Africa is so rich in resources and yet so poor? The question is often asked as much by Africans interested in altering the continent’s fortunes as by those intent on blaming Africans alone for the paradox. We write about this from time to time, either directly [...]

Today, many young people of African descent – both at home and abroad – lament their parents’ prudish attitudes towards sex. Most of us grew up around parents who never displayed their affection for each other in front of us, parents who never talked to us about sex except to [...]

        How do Africans kiss? A reasonable question, since we don’t much go in for public displays of affection. Google “origin of kissing” or the words “kissing” and “culture” and you learn that while scientists and anthropologists are not entirely sure if kissing is instinctive or learned [...]

by Siji Jabbar       We’re still a few months away from Kenya’s next general election (to be held on the 4th of March), but it’s neither too soon nor presumptuous to start beseeching Kenyan voters to make it a peaceful one, as urban gospel/fusion group Unveiled The Band [...]

        He’s white, Danish and when on stage he’s usually surrounded by black Tanzanian band members, but a few songs into any live performance by Mzungu Kichaa (it means “crazy white man”) and you’ve already forgotten his skin colour. With his inspiring, socially- and politically-engaged lyrics, clean [...]

    Most people, if asked, would condemn the practice of nepotism. However, in the context of African business and politics, not only is it a practice to which many frequently turn a blind eye, it is sometimes sufficiently common for some to see it as acceptable. It is understandable [...]