Cotonou, Benin | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise announcement during his recent African tour, saying in Burkina Faso’s capital that one of his priorities was to restore African cultural treasures. African cultural heritage “should be highlighted in Paris, but also in Dakar, Lagos, Cotonou”, Macron told a …
Read More »ARTS: Sanaa and Sane
Showcasing beads and satire at AKAA Paris art fair Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Sanaa Gateja’s art easily captivates with its merging of African traditional art elements with the contemporary. The multi-disciplinary artist creates large tapestries of multi-coloured paper beads- produced from waste paper like magazine and newspapers- stitched on …
Read More »McDonald’s to demolish ‘Store No. 1’ historic replica
Chicago, United States | AFP | It has stood alone, closed to visitors, for a decade — a historic replica built on the site of the first McDonald’s franchise restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines. The fast food giant on Tuesday said it will demolish the time capsule from …
Read More »ARTS: Capturing rainbows
How Ugandan artist scooped international Cannon camera advert deal Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | In a one minute video, artist Jjuuko Hoods is portrayed as a child prodigy with a fascination for colours. With crayons in hand, he leans next to an adult who probably is his instructor with a …
Read More »Novel on Hitler’s rise wins France’s top book award
Paris, France | AFP | Two novels about the Nazis took France’s biggest literary prizes on Monday, with Eric Vuillard’s story of how German industry and finance backed Adolf Hitler winning the top Prix Goncourt. “L’ordre du jour” (in English “Agenda”) had been among the favourites for the Goncourt prize — …
Read More »UAE and Qatar stake billions in ‘soft power’ showdown
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The opening this week of the glittering Louvre Abu Dhabi museum marks the latest stage in a multi-billion-dollar “soft power” showdown between energy giants Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Culture, media and sports have turned into battlegrounds for branding and global recognition. “There …
Read More »‘What does it mean to be a civically engaged musician?’
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala’s German Culture organization Goethe-Zentrum Kampala is hosting socially conscious artists from across Africa this week for the “Your Music Your Voice” event. “Your Music, Your Voice” will create a platform for Pan-African dialogue between socially active artistes to discuss their role in using music …
Read More »With Hefner gone, Playboy’s impact on women still has people talking
Washington, United States | AFP | Playboy degraded women, it empowered women. It liberated them, and objectified them. The legacy of the iconic magazine founded six decades ago by Hugh Hefner, who died Wednesday at 91, remains a topic of heated debate, especially its impact on women. Playboy brought nudity into …
Read More »Culture, creativity on display as PM Rugunda opens JAMAFEST 2017
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The 3rd edition of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat organised Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST) entered day two Sunday, with the highlight being the official opening of the culural festival by Uganda Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. The main objective of the …
Read More »Traffic jam paralyses city as Kampala Road closed
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Motorists heading to the city Saturday have been caught up in traffic for hours as it turns out Kampala Road has been sealed off for the opening day of the Jumiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni (JAMAFEST) festival. The number of motorists stuck on roads …
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