I'm very pleased to bring you this interview with musician Ntjam Rosie, whose beautiful music (and fabulous style) has graced the blog before. Ntjam has an impressive 4 albums under her belt: Atouba, the fantastic Elle, Live at Grounds and her latest release from this year – At the Back of Beyond.
Ntjam talks about the importance of being grounded, of taking the time to hone your craft and of persistence. I can't agree with her more that nothing (worth having) comes easy!
| | | |
| | |
Paul Sika is a fine art photographer based in Côte d'Ivoire, whose psychedelic creations have gained attention from around the world. Paul's work has received glowing press from the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, Forbes Afrique, ARISE Magazine and many more. Furthermore, his self-published book, At the Heart of Me, is an Amazon Bestseller.
Today, Paul shares his journey and inspiration and discusses the "visual linguistics" of our continent.Paul. His story proves again what several other Afri-love interviews have: following a traditional training path (e.g. pursuing a particular course of study in an educational institution) is not always necessary in order to successfully follow your dream. It may be more powerful to interrogate your excuses and perceived barriers and, destroy the illusions you hold.
Continue reading "Interview with Fine Art Photographer Paul Sika" »
| | | |
| | |
It's a great honour to present this interview with musician, actress and activist, Fatoumata Diawara. Born in Côte d'Ivoire to Malian parents, Fatoumata moved to France to pursue acting – she appeared in the films La Genèse and Sia, le Rêve du Python and played a leading role in the musical Kirikou et Karaba. She later began composing her own music, blending Southern Mali traditions and international influences.
Under Fatoumata's belt is her debut album, Fatou, and her EP, Kanou. She has performed around the world and recorded with acclaimed artists including Oumou Sangaré and Dee Dee Bridgewater and recently participated in the "30 Songs / 30 Days" campaign to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women.
Continue reading "Interview with Musician Fatoumata Diawara" »
| | | |
| | |
Today I'm very pleased to share this interview with the dynamic percussionist, Adriano Adewale. Before I went to one of his shows, I didn't really appreciate how exciting, intriguing, magical and satisfying a percussion concert could be. If you've seen Adriano perform, you'll know exactly what I mean. Adriano pushes the boundaries of what we consider musical instruments to be (bucket of water anyone?) and tells musical stories with charm and an endearing playfulness.
The London-based Brazilian-born musician discusses his journey and reflects on the necessity of putting in the work to make things happen.
Continue reading "Interview with Percussionist Adriano Adewale" »
| | | |
| | |
Today I'm pleased to bring you an interview with Daphne Kasambala, CEO of UK-based, online ethical fashion and accessories store, Sapellé.
Sapellé is setting a new standard in curating and presenting elegant, high quality contemporary African fashion. Working with suppliers in the UK, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Malawi, Congo, Mozambique, Mali and Swaziland, Sapellé only features work by artisans, design labels and social enterprises that work to ethical production principles.
After an extensive and successful career in banking, Daphne decided to return to her original passion – fashion.
Her story demonstrates that you can return to your oldest dreams and use your new skills to facilitate their pursuit! In the end, nothing is lost and instead, a world of valuable experience is gained.
Continue reading "Interview with Daphne Kasambala, CEO of Online Ethical Fashion Store, Sapellé" »
| | | |
| | |
Nana Ocran is a London-based writer and editor who specialises in contemporary African culture. Under her belt is the Time Out Group's series of guides to Lagos and Abuja (Nana was Editor-in-Chief) along with consulting gigs for established publications on West African culture for the Danish Film Institute, Arts Council England and the Institute of International Visual Arts. Furthermore, Nana was nominated for CNN's African Journalist of the Year in 2011.
| | | |
| | |
If you're in need of a mid-week (or even mid-career or mid-life) pick-me-up, today's interview with professional make-up artist, Muthoni Njoba, may do just the trick. It is possibly one of the most inspiring interviews I've posted on Afri-love yet.
Continue reading "Interview with Make-up Artist and Entrepreneur, Muthoni Njoba" »
| | | |
| | |
I'm happy to introduce you all to Laura Marano, the driving force behind Green-Safari, a social enterprise that offers volunteer-tourism packages in Tsavo East, Kenya. With Green-Safari, not only do you get to experience the beautiful fauna and flora of one of Kenya's largest national parks, along with a stint at the Coast for some sea and sand – you also engage with local communities and support local social enterprises which contribute to the local community infrastructure (e.g. schools, sanitation, farming practices). Furthermore, Green-Safari is working on making the beauty of our wilderness accessible to all, no matter your abilities or diverse needs.
In this interview, Laura shares how she's gotten her social business off the ground. It's an inspiring story of how you can turn a negative situation into a fulfilling career by pursuing your passions, taking initiative and believing in yourself.
Continue reading "Interview with Social Entrepreneur Laura Marano of Green-Safari" »
| | | |
| | |
It will be 2013 in under a week and that means it's time for one of those lists summing up the highlights of the year! The following is a selection of posts that you found most interesting (as per the analytics); posts that I most enjoyed creating; exciting discoveries and; some off-blog but on-topic articles.
Art and Design
Interviews
Continue reading "The Best of 2012: Art, Design, Interviews, Commentary & Music" »
| | | |
| | |
You may recall a recent post showcasing the work of Toyin Odutola. Today I'm pleased to bring you an interview with the artist.
Born in Ife, Nigeria and now based (and largely raised) in the US, Toyin holds a BA and an MFA in Painting and Drawing. She has featured in a couple of solo exhibitions and several group exhibitions across the US. She has been mentioned or had work featured in several publications including ARISE Magazine, ARTFORUM International, BOOOOOOOM!, Pop Africana: The Africana Global Book of Style, The New York Times, Think Africa Press, Vogue Italia and many more. Her work is held in public collections including the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, The National Museum of African Art, in Washington DC. Toyin has also recently published her first book, Alphabet, which she discusses below.
| | | |
| | |
