Author Archives: Afrocentricity Unleashed
BEFFTA 2012: Celebrating and Rewarding Black Entertainment
Image courtesy of Beffta.com
The 4th annual Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Art(BEFFTA) 2012 is just around the corner again!
This annual prestigious award, which is the brain child of Pauline Long, recognizes outstanding performance in the Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television and Arts industry.Afrocentricity Unleashed (yours sincerely) will be at this event as a guest, and (wait for this) NOMINEE 🙂. Online voting kicks off at 7pm today, the 7th of October 2012, and closes on the 21st of October, 2012.
Please find the different categories, as well as a list of nominees below.
Entertainment Category
Music
- 1. Best Female Act: Mz Bratt, Nike Jemiyo, Cleo Sol,Cherri Voncelle,Hayle Cassidy, Lady Leshurr, Kyra, Princess Nyah, Yolanda Brown, Misha B, Lilas Lafleur, Kookie, NY, Emily Kay, Shiikane, Lea- Anna, Oneness Sankara
- 2. Best Male Act: Angel, IKES, Smiler, Wiley, G Range,Clement Marfo, Jermaine Riley, J Sol, Donaeo, Valentine, Dele, Infecta, Scorcher, Fuse ODG, John Hectic, Micall Parknsun, Pane and Yardz, Alim Kamara
- 3. Best Gospel Act: Guvna B, Faith D, Divine Divine, V9 Collective, New Rivers Choir, Muyiwa and Riversongz, Andrew Bello, Meleke, Grace Galaxy, London Community Gospel Choir, Dolly P , Divine Impact, Lyrical Soldier
- 4. Best International Act: Zahara, Camp Mulla, Cover Drive, Dbanj, Grace Galaxy, Ruff Kid
- 5. Best UK AfroBeats Act: Fuse ODG, Mista Silva, May7ven, Kida Kudz, Musik Maestro, Shay, 2kriss, Shiikane, Tipsy, Mo Eazy, Vibes Squad, Ezi Emela
- 6. Best UK Caribbean Act: Carol Thompson, Roger Robin, Sandra Cross, Maxi Priest, Lloyd Brown
- 7. Best International Afrobeats Act: WizKid, DBanj, Wande Coal, Zahara, Iyanya, Chameleon, Ice Prince, Fally Ipupa, Sarkodie, Nameless, Nonini, Juliana Kanyomozi, Itz Tiffany
- 8. Best International Caribbean Act: Movado, Vybz Kartel, Gyptian, Damain Marley, Sean Paul, Munga Tun Up, Konshens, Aidonia, Popcaan
- 9. Best Producer: Mr J, Ayo Beatz, Perry Mystique, Victizzle, Rymez, J Weathers, Don Jazzy
- 10. Best Video Director: P Designs, Sesan, Moe Musa, Elmino, Trail Pictures, AJE Filmworks, Antoine Dixon-Bellot Colin Tiley, Dego Visionz, Uvi Orogun, Akpe Ododoru, Duminas Alliance
Dance
- 1. Best Dance Act: Boy Blue, CEO Dancers,High Rollaz,D3 Dancers, Project G, Akai, Dan-Kira, Cerebro
- 2. Best Dance Choreographer: Ricardo Gomez, Kenrick Sandy, Ashley Banjo, Tony Adigun, Turbo
Comedy
- 1. Best Comedian: Eddie Kadi, Babatunde, Funmbi, Ola the comedian, A Dot Comedian, Geoff Shumann, Don’t Jealous Me, Prince Abdi
Radio
- 1. Station of the year: Rainbow Radio, The soul of London Radio, Voice of Africa radio, Zimnet radio, Guess Radio, Bang Radio, Colourful Radio, Premier Gospel, Zimpower FM, Playvybz Radio, Zimonline Radio, East Africa Radio Online, Inspiration FM
- 2. Radio personality of the year: Yinka Awojobi, Kojo, Ace and Vis, Dave P, Jade Avia, Nage, Kweku Frimpong, Dotun Adebayo, Geoff Shumann, Wayne Boucaud, Benita White, Julie Ann Ryan, Space Clottey
Newspapers/Magazines/Blogs
- 1. Best Community Newspaper: The Voice, The Vision, GLA News, Afro News, Trumpet, Phoenix,
- 2. Magazine of the year: Black Hair, New African Woman, Black Beauty and Hair, Dive Scribe, Rewind, Ovation, Fab Magazine, OK Nigeria, ,Ninetynine Magazine, Arise Magazine, Pride, Afro Pulp, Tropics, Zen
- 3. Journalist of the year: Charlene White, Lukwesa Burak, Janelle Oswald, Mimi Fawz, Lorna Cooper, Henry Bonsu, Regina Jere-Malanda, Belinda Otas, Shoggy Tosh
- 4. Blog of the year: Nissi Knows, Shadders, Notjustok.com, Bella Naija, Funmi Ogunja, Black Grape, Jennie Jenkins, Berry, Haut, Lolo’s Kloset, Jestina-George.com, Africa fashion guide, afrocentricityunleashed.com, The peoples Hub, Eighteen Forever, We Plug Good Music, Nollywood Uncut
Events
- 1. Best Events Promoter: Smade, Cokobar.com, West Coast, Bashment Vibez, Play Entertainment, USH(UK Unsigned Hype), Deroots Promotions, Theodore Ibekwe PR, CRU NETWORK, FOCUS organization, Femtej Kreations media, Disk&Jockey entertainment, Cams promotions
DJ
- 1. DJ of the year: Dj Neptizzle, DJ Unbeatable, Dj Fabuloz, DJ Shola Bee, DJ Xclusive, DJ Cameo, Dj Cee Cee, DJ French Kiss, DJ Lady G2, Dj Dubwise, Dj Longers, Dj Melody, Dj Eve Parkes
Photographers
- 1. Best Photographer: Akwasi Photography, Sixoone Media(David Mbiyu), Trevor Griffiths(iDelick Media), Cassandra M Photography, EJS Photography, Dami Oyetade, (Idezign), Squiz Hamilton, Stuart Dayley, Fire Shonu Photography, Sync Photography, Creative Piece, Adeyinka Adepitan, Vivida, Akpe Ododoru
Fashion Category:
Fashion Designers
- 1. Best Male Fashion Designer: Adebayo Jones, Visual Artistic Designer, James Brendan, Keve, Kgtkkt Couture, Zakaryas Solomon, Kitoko, Obiora Ichiebuka, Yusuf Abubakar
- 2. Best Female Fashion Designer: Bukki Ojo, Bestow Elan, Light of Marie, Fabryan, Rouge, Eki Orleans, Anita Quansah, Korlekie, Adopted Culture, Dionne Gooding, Bubbushiiky, Tina Lobondi, Janet Opoku, Linda Mirembe, House of Adjeiwaa, AGR Clothing, Dephne Madyara, Johanna Jasmine Maddix
Stylists
- 1. Best Hair Stylist: Edmund Bossman, Junior Green, Eugene Davis, Charlotte Mensah, Donnie Smith, Sandra Webb, Verona White, Adeola Olase, Charlene Cumberbatch, Leon Jade, Joel D, Edee Beau, Ether
- 2. Best Wardrobe Stylist: Samson Soboye, Joel Dash, Tanesha Westcarr, Erica Matthews, Viennty Styling, Natasha Clarke, Crystal Deroche, Yemisi Adedipe, Sandra Aji, Samantha Watson , Jason Boateng, Abigail Ayoola
Make-up Artists
- 1. Best Make-up Artist: Sophia Taylor, Sheeba Raye, Imelda Ladebo, Sophia Taylor, Kristy Prince, Saamia Khan, Joy Adenuga, Barbara Mensah, Dimple Patel, Ganga Bahambra, Edee Beau, CSG Make-up and beauty
Fashion Choreographers
- 1. Best Fashion Choreographer: Reuben Joseph, Anouska Lewis, Yvonne Simon, Kwame Knight
Models
- 1. Best male model: Martins Igbinedion, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Hassan Resse, Guetan, Jeremy Boateng, Salisu Abdullai, Charles Rare, Duke Dadzie, Zebulun Delisser, Prince Nkay, Dwain Stephens, Hassan Reese
- 2. Best female model: Symara Templeman, Juanita Francis, Sherene McNicholl, April Alexander, Nana Afua Antwi, Edith Uba, Lydia Harris, Samira Hashi, Rukundo Tusubira, Rosemary Chileshe, Lisette Mibo, Cynthia Chisom,
- 3. Best Modelling Agency: LV Casting Agency, Minc Model Management, Mahogany Model Management, Stomp Model Management, D1 Model Management, Oxygen Model Management, Demus Castings
Beauty Pageants
- 1. Best Beauty Pageant: Miss West Africa UK, Miss Ghana UK, Miss Zim Diamond,, Miss Uganda UK, Miss Jamaica UK, Miss Flavour UK, Miss Black Africa, Miss Congo UK, Queen of Zambia UK, Miss Nubian Pageant
- 2. Best Beauty Queen: Miss Congo UK 2012, Ruvimbo Chinzou, Fatoumata Touray, Ann Marie M’Sichili, Victoria Okafor
- 3. Best Former Beauty Queen: Shirley Dee,Vicky Ngari, Nicola Sackey, Maria Namiro, Ruvimbo Chinzou, Denise Hanson, Misha Terrett, Victoria Mtonga,
- 4. Best Beauty Pageant Director: June Daley, Mavis Osei, Dennis Tawiah, Jacqueline Wabara, Bridgette Chalu, Glorianne Francis, Dele Onabowu , Justina Mutale, Jacqueline Matovu
Film Category
- 1. Best director: Richard Ayoade, Noel Clarke, Patrick Campbell, Obi Emelonye, Christian Asaiku, Tawanda Chimuzinga, Samuell Benta, Lanre Balogun
- 2. Best Actor: Wil Johnson, Anthony Manjaro, James Bryhan, Wale Ojo, David Ajala, Ken Smart
- 3. Best Actresses: Fatima Jabe, Omotola Jalade, Queen Allen, Sherrie Silver , Lorraine Fox, Anita Bellamy, Uru Eke
- 4. Best Film: Last Flight to Abuja, Amina, To The End Of The Road, Moral Conflict, Amina, Shattered Hearts
- 5. Best screenwriter/Scriptwriter : Obi Emelonye, Maxine Chantel, Bola Agbaje Ann Akin, Debra Odutuyo, Samuell Benta, Babi Isako, Tolulope Yesufu
- 6. Best theatre production Meet The Adebanjos, Belong by Bola Agbaje, I stand corrected by Mojisola Adebayo
TV Category
- 1. Best Actress: Tameka Empson, Dianne Parish, Michelle Asante, Kehinde Fadipe, Chizzy Akudolu, Freema Agyemam, Letitia Hector, Faridah Rimmer, Moji Bamfeta
- 2. Best Actor: Chucky Venn, Ashley Walters, Jimmy Akingbola, Nonso Anozie, Aml Ameen, Wale Ojo, Hugh Quarshie, David Ajala, Samuell Benta
- 3. Best TV Station: BEN TV, VOX Africa, Africa Channel, Hi TV, OH TV
- 4. Best TV Show: Shoot The Messenger, The Hi Life, AfroBuzz,The Sporah Show, The Magazine Show, Meet The Adebanjos, New Generation Show, BBS(BEN TV)
- 5. Best TV personality: Nana AFua Antwi, Alesha Dixon, Lukwesa Burak, Femi Amusan, James Sherwood, Sporah Njau, Leah Charles
- 6. Best presenter: Fernand Frimpong Jnr, Nana Afua Antwi, Sporah Jau, Leah Charles, Reggie Yates, Adesope Olajide, Sugapuff, Remel London, Natalie Brown
- 7. Best Webseries: Breach, Venus Vs Mars, All About The McKenzies, Before The Big Time,
- 8. Best online TV: Factory 78, UPshot TV, SBTV, Time With Natalie, Gidiculture TV
ART Category
1. Best Spoken Word Artist/Poets – Oneness Sankara, Alim Kamara, Dan Bosi, Chaleboy The Poet, Dean Atta
2. Best Art Director – Trendy Couture, Kwame Knight, Akpe Ododoru, Ola Shobowale
We will be providing you with a full disclosure of how the night pans out without excluding any details.
Keep it locked on AFROCENTRICITY UNLEASHED!!!
West Croydon`s First Carnival of Cultures
The 1st ever carnival of cultures was held at London Road,West Croydon on the 23rd of September, 2012. Community members braved the torrential rainfall to showcase their cultural wares, food and support. Please enjoy pictures and videos courtesy of Afrocentricity Unleashed.
Lessons Learnt from London 2012
The London Olympic and Paralympic 2012 games has come and gone, but what significance has this “Worldwide Sporting Festival” had on London and London on the world in general?
Warmth: London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries which makes it an automatic “homecoming” for foreign visitors, tourists and participants in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. People automatically identified with not just their own people, but took time to learn about other cultures as well. All over London, there were fairs, stands and showcasing of different cultures and talents which made London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games one of the most multicultural Olympic games of all time. London is definitely a “World City”…literally !
Unity: There was definitely a sense of unity within team GB which transcended beyond race, religion, demography and other social measuring parameters. This sense of unity was also shared by the general populace with people adorning team GB tops which made them feel like a part of something significant, and special.
National Pride: There was as much ardour and gunning for Mo Farah as well as Bradley (Wiggo) Wiggins, for David Weir (Weir-Wolf) as well as Jessica Ennis. Everyone was a full or part team GB fan.
Ability redefined: Ability redefined in terms of ability to win,victory was victory irrespective of whether it was the Olympics or Paralympics, number of team medals not necessarily by whom.
Sense of Community: With the Olympic and Paralympics torches going through different towns and boroughs around the U.K, everyone had a sense of belonging that comes with being part of a community. The roads were lined with children, adults and even senior citizens cheering away as the Olympic and Paralympic torches were displayed by everyday people who have contributed one way or the other to their community.
Financial gains: Considering there is an ongoing global economic crisis the world over, this period was not quite a bad time for pubs, coffee shops, hotels, cabbies, restaurants and so many others individually run businesses in the UK to “Smile all the way to the bank” during the games making more than they do on a regular day…Not bad for a month`s job then eh?
Altruism: Londoners were asked to kindly take public transport instead of driving all around the city during the games to ease congestion within the Olympic zones and guess what? They did :)! A survey showed that visitors clearly admitted that Londoners were very warm, and eager to point a lost visitor/tourist in the right direction.
Fun & Entertainment: The opening ceremony showcased UKs talent in art, music, history and much more, as well as a mixed spectrum of colours emanating from the fireworks which could be viewed for miles on end. Contrary to a lot of opinions about the stereotypically “Conservative Britannia”(See our blog titled “Stereotypical nature of man”),even the monarch herself showed the world how “cool britannia” she was. Also, there was, no doubt , a love for the best signature poses-With Usain Bolt`s archer pose, Mo Farrah`s overhead “M”, and even Yohan Blake all recognized worldwide. The paralympic closing ceremony ended on Sunday the 9th of September with a bang. We had A-list celebrities like Rihanna, Coldplay and Jay-z performing live with 7.5 million viewers glued to their T.Vs. The London Paralympic games has been acclaimed to be the best paralympic games yet! The greatest show on earth(as London 2012 has been coined) ended in a grande finale.
Closing ceremony picture courtesy of philippryke
I could go on and on talking about how the games have impacted the society and the world as a whole, but I do not want to bore you. If anything, the things i have learnt from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games are there is strength in unity, the world is getting smaller than it seems, and I love Moroccan food :)…It will definitely go down as one of the best olympic and paralympic games i have ever witnessed in my lifetime(grandkids watch out) 😀
Please enjoy the video attached.
Summer time: Nottinghill Carnival 2012
Last weekend gone was another Summer carnival weekend here in the UK. What better way to enjoy the carnival weekend (after all the dreary weather) than to be at the NOTTINGHILL CARNIVAL!
Did you know that Nottinghill carnival is Europe`s biggest carnival? Did you know that the nottinghill carnival started in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions after the abolition of slave trade? It has now become a way of celebrating individual cultures across the globe here in the UK where people of all cultures,races, ethnicities,countries and demographics come together(Afrocentricity Unleashed cannot afford to miss out on this) to celebrate summer. Please check out some pictures courtesy of DJA Media from the Nigerian corner where we had legendary nigerian musician Sir Shina Peters, renowned DJs Dayo Adeneye(D1) and Kenny(keke) Ogungbe present, as well as other popular afrobeats artistes,comedians, models, and actors celebrating. HAPPY SUMMER…or what is left of it :)!
Nigeria’s finest UK DJs industry party 2012
If music is food for the soul,then DJs must be cooks for the soul(that is right! You heard it from afrocentricity unleashed first so no copyright infringement please :)).
The 2nd annual Nigerian DJs UK party presented by nigerian djs uk, was held on Saturday the 23rd of August, 2012 at D`Den Legacy nightclub, Swiss Cottage, London. This annual event is the first of its kind anywhere in europe where the creme de la creme African and Nigerian DJs in the UK, other DJs with affiliation for afrobeats, afrobeats artistes, models, comedians and entreprenuers within the african and afrocarribean entertainment industry meet together to discuss general issues relating to the afrobeats industry.
I was privileged to be at this event which showcased the best of the best DJs in the afrobeats music industry, as well as the finest afrobeat mixes that will make a baby wriggle with excitement…i even had a good chat with one of my favorite DJ Edu from BBC 1xtra`s destination africa!(Follow @djedu)
Each DJ had a few minutes to spin not only their “turntable” but showcase their skills, versatility, ingenuity and innovations. It was also an opportunity for DJs to put their rivalries aside and rub minds,share ideas and opinions. I believe come-togethers of these kind can only bring about cooperation and structure within the afrobeats industry and create a continuous evolvement of this music style which is indeed a good thing…bigger picturewise. Talk about pictures, please enjoy the attached pictures courtesy of DJA Media.
Afrobeats in the world`s eye
Music is to the soul what words are to the mind-Words are the pen of the heart, music the pen of the soul. Quote by Modest Mouse.
African music has come a long way and is a significant part of the African Culture. In Yoruba history (A tribe originally from the western part of the African Continent, south west of Nigeria, but can also be found in Brazil), music is used as an instrument for communication, entertainment, enlightenment, information dissemination, expression and so on. “Ewi”(pronounced AHY-WE) can be described as a lyrically artistic, poetic rendition(akin to an ode)in the Yoruba language, used in telling stories about past wartime experiences of forefathers, folklore, children`s stories, exceptional heroic bravery stories, praise singing, and much more. One of my favourite “Ewi” is one of the many stories of the tortoise who is always depicted as a dodgy, cunning animal always on one quest or the other trying to outdo other animals…I promise I will tell you the story some other time. 🙂
This decade has seen the highest rise in African artistes, African music, international recognition as well as international collaborations more than ever. We are now seeing Afrobeats breaking the international barrier that Reggae broke decades ago. I would like to analyse, the best way possible, and in my own opinion, how this change came about.
First up! What is Afrobeats? The clue is in the name here…Afro (African) Beats (music). I will define Afrobeats as music whose roots and inspiration derives from Africa, by Africans (not necessarily indigenous to the continent)which might have a fusion of western styles and/or beats, as well as elements of cultural, political, social, historical and other factors attributed to the African continent.
Afrobeats is a subset of African music which appeals more to the younger generation due to its close resemblance in style and beats to international genres. The origin of afrobeats in my own opinion can be traced back to the mid-60s-early 70s when Fela Anikulapo- kuti started his band Koola lobitos (later known as Afrika 70 then egypt 80)and took the world by storm with performances all over the world. This brought about widespread attention to this “different” style of music which had elements of the African culture, African percussion instruments, gongs, as well as trumpets, tambourines, pianos, electric guitars and so on. The amalgamation of local and foreign musical instruments and style is what (in my opinion) culminated into the world recognized genre Afrobeats being acceptable on the world stage. This quickly grew popular with Africans(inside and outside of the continent) and people of African heritage in the diaspora due to their ability to identify with different elements of this genre.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was also a political activist who used his music as a tool to notify the world about the ills of the Nigerian society which was being ruled by military dictators at the time. This obviously did not sit well with the government back then due to the exposés of their misdemeanours.Fela washed their dirty laundry in public, hence bringing the world`s attention to political tyranny in the country as it was…as well as securing a comfortable spot on the first page of their bad books.
The Afrobeats genre has evolved over the years from close resemblance to more local African music, to being more international standard styled(if you like). This change in style, beats, and structure has brought the world`s attention to Afrobeat`s front door. Songs like Oliver Twist by D`banj , African Queen by Tuface Idibia, Chop my money(which means “Spend my hard-earned money”) by P-square etcetera have all received international attention due to their unique, indigenous, yet internationally tailored style. This has given rise to collaborations with A-list artistes like Kanye West, Rick Ross, Mary J Blige and loads more. These songs are being played alongside “big banging” tunes in clubs, rated on worldwide charts and reviewed by music critics. Oliver Twist by D`banj made it to the top 10 on MTV UK music charts which bases its ratings on downloads, hence making this song the most popular African song ever featured on the MTV charts.
Personally, I believe this is just the beginning of a long journey for Afrobeats on the world stage, and also a big opportunity for African talents to showcase their skills and culture to the world without getting overly “Americanized” since you loose your culture when you loose your identity and uniqueness. Music has always been a universal language and even children will dance to a nice tune even though they do not have a clue of what the song is about.
My advice to Afrobeats artistes in general is to keep it real with their roots i.e. Africa, and use their music as a communication, as well as an entertainment tool to the world. Please enjoy the attached video for your viewing pleasure. VIVA AFRICA!
To be and not be
To be ambitious and not greedy
To have pride and not being proud
To appreciate and not patronize
To be smart and not cunning
To emulate and not imitate
To compete and not rival
To respect and not fear
To be resilient and not desperate
To be charismatic and not condescending
To be popular and not notorious
Dedication and not slavery
To work, and not steal
To love not use people
To be loyal and not bound
Unify and not segregate
To admire and not envy
To encourage and not mislead
To be prudent and not selfish
To be generous and not lavish
To be wise and not sly
To be quietly confident and not socially awkward
To be brave and not foolhardy
To be outspoken and not loud
To be principled and not rigid
Stereotypical nature of man
All Nigerians are fraudsters,all Jamaicans smoke marijuana,the criminal black man stereotype,all chinese fight kung-fu, all mentally ill people are violent, all blondes are stupid, all irish are drunks, all muslims with long beards are potential terrorists, all homeless people are lazy etc are some examples of stereotypes. Before we go further into this controversial topic, let us start by defining the word stereotype.
A stereotype is a generalization about a person or groups of people based on isolated actions or behaviours of individual members of that group. This is usually borne out of a person or groups of people, not willing to get more information about some other person or groups of people, hence sticking to the general bias against this other person or groups of people. This generalization can be termed as bad judgement and does lead to discrimination,unfair persecution, scapegoating, errors in judgement, social withdrawal and so on.
Society unfortunately,unconsiously paves way for stereotypes to be the norm in some cases. As a random example, if a lady is walking down a quiet alley late at night and sees a young black man wearing a hooded top walking towards her,she will be scared not because he looks dangerous, but because there is a stereotype attached to young black men in hoods which portrays them as being potential muggers. On the flipside, if this lady walking down the same alley late at night sees an 80 year old woman walking her dog, there is every likelihood she will feel more relaxed. Most of these generalizations are based on other peoples experiences, what we see in the films ,read in books the media and so on.
We should also point out the fact that not all stereotypes are bad since in some cases, stereotypes allow people to make a better informed(but not completely accurate) evaluation of an individual/s or things they know nothing( or just a little) about. Imagine you are in a jungle and see a lion a few meters away; The first thing that comes to mind will be “I have to run for my dear life”. This is not because you have encountered a lion before then, and not neccessarily because you know someone that has, but because everyone knows that lions are dangerous animals. But then what if the lion just had a lovely springbok lunch and not in the mood to run after some human? Oh well, good for the lion then because it is better to be safe than sorry.Other Examples of positive stereotypes are – all african-americans can dance, all french men are romatic, asians have high IQs.
The bottom line is that there are usually two camps in a stereotypical scenario; the dishing out camp, and the receiving camp. Stereotyping is part of our nature as human beings and part of our survival instincts. Let us always remember that when that stereotype instinct kicks in, just before you make up your mind about that person who you know little or nothing about just because of the way they dress,what you have heard about “their kind”, the way they talk, the music they listen to etc, try turning the tables round for a second…How would you feel if it was you?
Please comment as you wish. I would like other viewpoints regarding this issue, and enjoy the video attached courtesy of youtube for your viewing pleaure 🙂
Afrowoman: History, Roles and Responsibilities
Mama Africa! I used to wonder where and how this name was derived and remember vividly asking my mum about the origin as a kid. I remember her saying “This coined name signifies Africa`s personification in terms of its ability to breastfeed her own children”.
History shows the significance of the African Woman over thousands of years making reference to her strength, passion, compassion, resilience, long suffering and so many other qualities that makes her idolized and revered by friends,families and the society in general.
Every African culture has a significant story or history portraying the role of the woman in her society. Ancient records show her as queen, goddess, scholar, diplomat, scientist, icon, prophet and freedom fighting warrior exalted with and sometimes above her father, husband and brothers. She is the epitome of multitasking balancing the needs of the husband with that of the children as well as other extended family members not to mention the society.
We have Historical African Women like Queen Nefertiti, Makeda the Queen of Sheba, Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, Queen Tiye, and Queen Nzingha, and the women warriors of Dahomey kingdom and even in recent times, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti(the mother of Fela Kuti the original pioneer of afrobeats, activist and human right activist) who championed the course on recognition of African Women in Nigeria in 1953 and founded the Federation of Nigerian Women Societies . According to Dr. John Henrik Clarke, “The first accomplishment of the African woman, in partnership with the man, was the creation of a functioning family unit. This major step in human development laid the foundations of the organization of all subsequent societies and institutions. In Africa the “woman’s place” was not only with her family. She often ruled nations with unquestioned authority.
Many African Societies still need to understand that the African Woman is not a figure head but an essential member of the family unit who creates equilibrium across it. A father earns his respect and honour among his children by treating their mother with respect and dignity. She in turn sings his praise to the children and he is revered and respected.
So how is the modern day “African Woman” stepping into the shoes of her ancestors? For one, the western influence and education have had positive and negative influences on the African Woman`s role (and I am not saying this as a male chauvinist pig but as a realist). The role of the African woman has evolved over the years due to (but not limited to)these factors which brings me to these points:
Should these apparent stimuli push the African Woman out of her lifelong role?
What happened to her duties inside the home which is very significant in the bigger society?
Do not get me wrong, we have a lot of African Women who are still aware of their roles and playing it to a T, but the question remains – what is going on with the ones that have lost the cause? Where did it all go wrong?
The African Woman needs to realize that she belongs to a lineage of Warriors, Leaders, Inspirers, Home makers and so on. She is the epitome of multitasking, a goddess who is respected at home and the world in general, a ruler and warrior. Her role with regards to the man is not a competitive one in which the man is the adversary, but rather an important partner (and vice versa) without whom her role cannot be complete.
African woman, take your rightful position of respect because you have earned it over time.
Please find some relevant read links below which you can also peruse. I would like some comments and other viewpoints regarding this issue.
http://afrikaworld.net/afrel/atr-women.htm
http://www.colorq.org/articles/article.aspx?d=2002&x=africanwarriors
http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2004/subsaharan.htm
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True Diversity
This weekend gone,my girlfriend who is 1st generation British of Afro-Caribbean heritage, her best mate who is White British and her best mate`s fiancé who is 1st generation British of Asian heritage were out and about in London having a swell time doing everything from bowling to dining and got the best smiles from people we did not even know. It later struck me that we represented the real 21st century Britannia irrespective of colour, family history or background. We represented the minoroty to the majority, and showed(unconsciously) how easy it was to relate with each other irrespective of our different backgrounds or heritage.
We all grew up in almost similar types of environment, watched the same children programmes as kids, have similar(or almost similar) interests, discussed familiar topics ranging from politics to fashion and entertainment with each person having their own opinion.
If the society at large can live in harmony, with everyone understanding the fact that diversity does have its pros in terms of education about other cultures, similarities with other cultures, differences and cohesiveness, then the society at large will be more peaceful and dispute-free!
Just a thought 🙂
Attached Image courtesy of Southern Nevada Diversity Roundtable
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