Ousmane Sembene: the Father of African cinema

On September 21, 2009May 26, 2011 By Dr. Y.In Great Art, Great Literature6 Comments

Ousmane Sembene, was indeed the Father of African cinema. To think that this was a man who had stopped school in 6eme, and written one of the most interesting books in Africa (God’s bits of Wood)! To think that this man became the Father of African cinema is impressive! This is a man who fought injustice, and fought for equality. He loved Africa with everything he had! After writing books, he realized that most people in his country spoke Wolof, and some of them could not read his books, he switched to cinema! He would tour villages in his country Senegal to show his movies, and other countries in Africa. He apparently came to Cameroon once to show the movie “Le Mandat“,

and a police officer came to him and asked him where he had found the story… and Sembene to tell him, he just thought of it… and the officer to say “It actually happened to me“! That was Sembene, a man who could connect with people, and discuss African issues. He showed that it was possible to make a movie in an African language! His movies and books dealt with immigrants in Europe, colonialism, female genital circumcision, African beggarism, etc… “La Noire de …” was the first feature film produced by a sub-saharan African filmmaker. This man was simply a genius! He went from fisherman, railroad worker, docker in Europe, to writer, and filmmaker. He was one of the founders of the FESPACO, the festival of African cinema in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A statue now stands in Ouaga, in honor of Ousmane Sembene!

The last movie of Ousmane Sembene was “Moolaade“, a gem of African film… it was ranked among the 10 best movies of the year 2004 by the Boston Times. I actually own the movie, and it is simply outstanding! Can you believe that it was ranked among the 10 best movies in the USA, and won an award at the Cannes festival? Wow… I wish Sembene had lived even longer… but I know his legacy lives forever!

The New York Times wrote about him:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/movies/12semb.html?_r=2&ref=movies&oref=slogin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousmane_Semb%C3%A8ne

http://www.ousmanesembene.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/world/africa/11sembene.html

CNN also made a piece on Sembene and 2 other brilliant African filmmakers… check it out: Driven by His Convictions

Check out the videos:

Le Fespaco, plus grand festival du cinéma africain, fête ses 40 ans

L’Hyène, le bœuf et l’éléphant

On September 17, 2009September 17, 2009 By Dr. Y.In Great Legends & Tales1 Comment

Boeuf sauve l'Hyene en utilisant sa queue

Une hyène, qui rôdait dans la nuit, tomba dans un trou très profond. Et cette fille de misère commença de s’effrayer. Elle se haussait, mais ses pattes étaient trop courtes; elle bondissait, mais son derrière était trop lourd; elle grattait la terre, mais la terre retombait sur son museau. Elle essaya tout, dans la nuit, pour se tirer de là. Mais elle n’y put rien.

Le matin la trouva dans le fond de son trou, pleurant et appellant de toutes ses forces.

Un bœuf entendit ses plaints. Il eut pitié, s’approcha du trou et se pencha pour regarder. L’hyène, le voyant, lui dit:

– C’est toi, Bœuf?

Le bœuf répondit:

– Mais oui, c’est moi!

Alors l’hyène prit sa voix la plus douce:

– Oncle Bœuf, viens en aide a une pauvre malheureuse … fais-moi la charité de me laisser attraper ta queue pour sortir de ce trou.

– Hyène! répondit le bœuf , tu es une méchante bête. Tout le monde le dit. C’est toi qui viens, la nuit, mordre les jeunes veaux et les genisses de deux mois … N’est-ce pas vrai?

– On le dit par mensonge, oncle Bœuf . Peut-être, dans l’obscurité, m’a-t-on confondue avec la panthère!

– Tu es une méchante bête, répéta l’autre. Si je te sors de ce trou, tu essaieras sans doute de me tuer et de me manger!

– Père Bœuf ! supplia l’hyène. Je te jure sur la tête de ma mère, que si tu me sors de là tu n’auras pas de meilleure amie que moi.

Le nigaud eut confiance. Il laissa sa queue pendre dans le trou et, quand l’hyène l’eut saisie, il tira de son mieux.

Voilà donc l’hyène qui remonte saine et sauve. Aussitôt elle tombe sur le pauvre fou et commence a le mordre.

Heureusement, un elephant vint à passer sur la route. Il s’écria:

– Eh bien! Eh bien! Quel Malheur y a-t-il dans ce pays? Restez un peu tranquilles, voyons, et, au lieu de vous battre de la sorte, expliquez-moi votre affaire. Je vous jugerai selon la coutume et la loi.

L'Elephant et le Boeuf s'en vont, laissant derriere eux l'hyene

Le pauvre bœuf faisait pitié, il saignait, il boitait et il souffrait tant qu’il n’arrivait pas à expliquer ce qui était arrivé. De son cote, l’hyène essayait de raconter quelque mensonge.

– Votre histoire, dit l’elephant, me paraît compliquée et j’ai beaucoup de peine à la débrouiller. Que chacun de vous revienne où il était au debut: ainsi je saurai comment les choses se sont passées et je pourrai juger sans risquer de me tromper. Toi, hyène, retourne immédiatement dans le trou!

La coquine, aussi sotte que méchante, sauta aussitôt et reprit sa première place.

– Et maintenant, dit l’éléphant, que chacun de vous fasse ce qu’il lui plaira.

Il partit sur ces mots, content de soi, se dandinant, clignant de l’oeil, agitant ses larges oreilles, et balançant sa trompe.

Le bœuf ne jugea pas utile de recommencer l’experience. Il s’en alla a son tour, clopin clopant, riant quand même de la malice de l’éléphant.

L’hyène resta dans son trou.

On dit qu’elle y est encore.

D’après un conte de l’Afrique noire, tiré de Contes de la Brousse et de la Forêt, de A. Davesne.

Lalibela, Ethiopian churches carved in the stone

On September 13, 2009February 9, 2012 By Dr. Y.In Great Civilizations3 Comments

When I was younger, there was a cartoon on television in which they always mentioned the churches of Lalibela, and somehow I used to think that it was not actually real,… you know like these made-up places in cartoons! Isn’t it interesting that the name Lalibela always made me think of honey bees (abeille in french)… Imagine my surprise when I found out that it is said that at birth a swarm of bees descended on the baby king’s head, and his Mother named him Lalibela, meaning “the bees have recognized him as king!”

Lalibela, Bete Medhane Alem church — Lalibela, Bet Gebriel Rafael church

Carved straight from red volcanic stone, and actually from a single stone, Lalibela is the place of pilgrimage of thousands of christians every year, and is one of Ethiopia’s holiest places. It was intended to be the New Jerusalem, in response to the capture of Jerusalem by Muslims. The architecture of Lalibela was revealed to King Gebrel Mesqel Lalibela one night in his dreams (he is said to have seen Jerusalem in his dreams) by God; he was instructed to build churches never seen before. Lalibela is actually made up of 11 medieval churches rock-hewn. Many of its names come from Jerusalem, like the Yordannos (Jordan) river, the church of Mary, etc. The most well-known is the Church of Saint George (or Bet Giyorgis in Amharic) which was probably the last one built around the 13th century and has the shape of a cross and has been referred by some as the 8th wonder of the world. It is about 30 m deep, and is simply stunningly beautiful! Talk about a church built on stone!

Lalibela is now regarded as one of the greatest Ethiopian architectural wonders and is ranked the eighth most incredible historical site in the world by UNESCO. It entered the UNESCO world heritage in 1978. Ethiopians themselves love to tour their own country and treasures, and about 1/3 of the tourists at popular Ethiopian sites are Ethiopians.

Check it out on the UNESCO website (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/18/), Ethiopia Travel (http://www.ethiopiatravel.com/Lalibela_eng.htm), and http://www.selamta.net/lalibela.htm

Also check out youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAYaEbdriwc

Bogolan: The art of making mudcloth

On September 11, 2009February 24, 2011 By Dr. Y.In Great Art10 Comments

Allright, in the category “Great Art”, I would like to introduce you to Bògòlanfini commonly known as bogolan which is a traditional Malian fabric dyed with fermented mud, particularly associated with the Bamana people of Mali. The name is a Bamana word meaning “earthcloth” (Bogo = earth, lan = the way to obtain a result from the earth). Bogolan became mainstream when the genius stylist Chris Seydou (who worked with stylists such as Yves Saint Laurent) modernized its use in society, incorporating it in western coats, and dresses. Today, as you walk down the streets of New York City, you would definitely encounter these beautiful African American ladies wearing Bogolan coats in the midst of winter. The Bamana people have used Bogolanfini in all parts of their lives for centuries, and the art of making it is centuries old, and is passed from generations to generations.

The Smithsonian made a beautiful page about the Bogolan and some of its artists, including the great Chris Seydou. One of the artists, Nakunte Diarra says that in the Bamana creation, “Since God created the world,… Bogolan was there.” What a beautiful to emphasize the importance of Bogolan in the Bamana society, and today in Malian life.

Please check out the website by the Smithsonian, and get a chance to make your own bogolan: http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html

The video below was chosen particularly because the artist, Issiaka Dembele, gives a historical background to the art of making Bogolan. You will find shorter videos on how Bogolan is made , but this one was the most profound!

You can also check out: http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/bogolan/video/x44khp_05-formation-a-la-confection-de-bog_travel

I have only posted Part 1, dont’ forget to check out part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIL9oS9vq4).

A renowned African stylist: Pathe’O

On September 7, 2009June 20, 2012 By Dr. Y.In Great Art2 Comments

Pathe'O, the "princes' stylist" — Pathe’O, the “princes’ stylist”

Pathe’O is a renowned African Stylist. Nicknamed “the princes’ stylist,” Pathé Ouedraogo is from Burkina Faso and established himself in Côte d’Ivoire in the 70’s. He is an outstanding stylist, just like the late Malian stylist Chris Seydou who revolutionized the use of Bogolan. Pathe’O is a baobab of African couture. He even made ‘Madiba‘ (Nelson Mandela)’s clothes. Yup… that’s right! Pathe’O designed clothes for Madiba! Do you remember when Madiba opened the African Cup of Nations in South Africa in 1996? Guess who designed that beautiful

Nelson Mandela clothed in a Pathe'O shirt — Nelson Mandela clothed in a Pathe’O shirt

shirt Madiba wore (Mao/African style)?…Pathe’O! From then on, many African leaders have switched from 3-piece suits to Pathe’O!

Well, then… you can read more about an African genius on his own website: http://patheomode.com/index.htm

I also found a nice article: http://www.abidjan.net/qui/profil.asp?id=31 Newsweek also had an article on it: http://www.newsweek.com/id/64537

Le lièvre et le baobab

On September 6, 2009September 8, 2009 By Dr. Y.In Great Legends & Tales2 Comments

Un roi avait une fille plus belle que toutes les femmes du pays. Et les demandes en mariage lui arrivaient chaque matin, de plus en plus nombreuses. Un jour, il fit dire dans tout le royaume:
– Je marierai ma fille à celui qui traversera d’un seul coup de flèche le gros baobab qui se dresse sur la place du village. Une fête sera donnée. Tous ceux qui veulent gagner ma fille viendront avec leur arc et leur fleche: ils essaieront leur force et leur adresse.
Le roi pensait ainsi garder toujours sa fille, car le baobab du village était plus gros qu’une case, et personne, semblait-il, ne serait assez fort pour le traverser d’un seul coup de flèche.
Mais… le lièvre avait entendu, et le lièvre aurait bien voulu épouser la riche et jolie fille du roi. Or, qui donc est plus malin que le lièvre?
Notre animal s’en alla trouver un perce-bois (insecte qui attaque le bois) de ses amis et lui dit:
– Perce-bois, mon ami, je t’ai rendu bien des services. A ton tour de m’aider. Tu vas percer de part en part le gros baobab qui se dresse sur la place du village.
L’insecte partit et se mit à l’ouvrage aussitôt. Il gratta, il rongea, il travailla avec tant d’ardeur qu’en trois jours la besogne fut terminée.
Le lièvre fabriqua une flèche assez petite pour passer par le trou; puis il ferma avec de la toile d’araignée les deux ouvertures. Tout cela fut fait si rapidement et si habilement que personne ne se douta de rien.

Le jour de la fête arriva. Ce furent les gros animaux qui commencèrent: l’éléphant, le lion, le buffle; mais les plus forts arrivèrent tout juste à enfoncer dans l’arbre le fer de leur flèche. Furieux, ils vinrent se rasseoir à leur place.
Le tour du lièvre était le dernier. Notre animal, vêtu d’un large pantalon bleu, d’un veston vert à boutons dorés, coiffé d’une chéchia rouge, se leva lentement d’un air fier et important.
Tout le monde éclata de rire:
– Comment, disaient les spectateurs, voila le lièvre qui veut se montrer plus fort que le lion, le buffle et l’éléphant!
Le lièvre, dedaignant les moqueries, salua humblement le roi; il salua galamment la fille; il salua dignement les grands chefs et les notables. Puis, il s’en alla à la place réservée au tireur.
Il mit un genou en terre, visa longuement et – han! – il lâcha la flèche.
La flèche partit en sifflant; elle arriva juste sur la toile d’araignée, traversa le baobab et souleva la poussière par derrière.
Un cri d’admiration s’éleva de la foule: “Le lièvre a gagné! le lievre a gagné!”
La jeune fille lui fut donnée à l’instant et il partit, la tenant par la main, tandis que sur son passage la foule s’écartait respectueusement et poussait des cris d’enthousiasme.

D’après un conte de l’Afrique noire, tiré de Contes de la Brousse et de la Forêt, de A. Davesne et al. (2eme illustration tiree du meme livre).

Chinua Achebe, a Writer like no other

On September 5, 2009July 8, 2010 By Dr. Y.In Great Literature, Great People5 Comments

Chinua Achebe, the great Nigerian writer, has always made me so proud of being African. I have his entire collection at home and I believe that he should be nominated for a Nobel Prize! I mean, isn’t the nobel prize supposed to acknowledge those who have affected the way people think? Isn’t it supposed to recognize those who have influenced generations? Well, then, Chinua Achebe created the “Nigerian novel” genre and not only influenced numerous African writers, but opened the world to an African story like none other (Things Fall Apart). His novel “Things Fall Apart” has been translated in over 22 languages and is currently taught in high schools and universities in the US and around the world… If I was on the Nobel prize committee, I will definitely nominate the great Chinua Achebe: he is long overdue!

For more information, check out Wikipedia on Chinua Achebe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinua_Achebe), and http://chinua-achebe.com/. Click on the link below to see parts of the interview given by Chinua Achebe on CNN.

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 and Part 3 of the interview.

Amilcar Cabral, Le père de l’indépendance Bissau et Cap-verdienne

On September 5, 2009February 9, 2012 By Dr. Y.In Great People15 Comments

Amilcar Cabral est à mes yeux, tout comme Thomas Sankara, un des rares visionnaires qui ait foulé la terre africaine. Il s’est battu pour l’indépendance et l’union de la Guinée Bissau et du Cap-vert qui, à l’époque, étaient des colonies portugaises. Après des études d’agronomie à Lisbonne au Portugal, Amilcar rentre en Guinée comme fonctionnaire en 1952. Jugé dangereux, il est muté en Angola (il y passera 1 an), et décide à son retour de fonder le “Parti Africain de l’indépendance de la Guinée-Bissau et des îles du Cap-Vert (PAIGC)”. Il oeuvrera si bien que malgré son assassinat le 20 Janvier 1973, la Guinée Bissau obtiendra son indépendance quelques mois plutard. J’ai trouvé une très belle interview qu’ Amilcar avait donné à un journaliste francais où il parle des raisons pour lesquelles la Guinée Bissau et le Cap-vert devraient être indépendants. C’est dommage que son rêve de voir ces 2 pays unis ne se soit pas réalisé, mais la Guinée Bissau et le Cap-Vert lui doivent leur indépendance. (Durant la guerre d’indépendance, il se faisait souvent appellé par son nom de guerre: Abel Djassi). Sa photo est encore aujourd’hui sur les billets de banque du Cap-Vert.

Amilcar Cabral sur un billet de 100 escudos

Amilcar Cabral sur un billet de 1000 pesos

Amilcar Cabral, Fundador da nacionalidade Caboverdeana e Guineense. Nasce em Bafatá, Guiné, 12 de Setembro 1924. 1945: Com uma bolsa de estudo, ingressa no I. S. Agronomia, em Lisboa – 1950: Termina o curso e trabalha na Estação Agronómica de Santarém – 1952: Regressa a Bissau, contratado para os S. Agrícolas e Florestais da Guiné – 1955: O governador impõe a sua saída da colónia; vai trabalhar para Angola; liga-se ao MPLA – 1956: Criação em Bissau do PAIGC – 1970, 22 de Novembro: O governador da Guiné-Bissau decide e Alpoim Calvão chefia a operação de “comando” “Mar Verde” destinada a capturar ou a eliminar os dirigentes do PAIGC sediados em Conacri: fracasso! – 1973, 20 de Janeiro: Amílcar Cabral é assassinado em Conacri.

Le journaliste Alain Foka de RFI a également consacré une de ses emissions à Amilcar Cabral, sur le plateau de “Archives d’Afrique.” For more information, check out wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%ADlcar_Cabral), http://www.amilcarcabral.org/ and http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/caboverde/acaddress.html

Timbuktu, one of the world’s first and oldest university

On September 4, 2009December 2, 2011 By Dr. Y.In Great Civilizations43 Comments

Oh wow… I always knew Timbuktu (Tombouctou in Mali) because of the story of the great emperor of the kingdom of Mali, Mansa Kankan Musa. I knew it was the center of his empire, but it is only lately that I realized that it was one of the world’s first and oldest thriving university! Students came from all over the world to study at Timbuktu. Imagine that, students from the middle east, and Europe coming to Africa to study! oooohhhh … Goodness Gracious, that sight only would make me proud! Well, to those who say Africa only has an oral tradition, go and check out the 700,000 manuscripts at the great Sankore University in Timbuktu, and tell me what you think! Oh la la…

In one documentary, the speaker mentions that they translated one of the manuscript on Algebra from Arabic to

French, and sent it to France to be evaluated educationally; well, that manuscript revealed that the mathematics it contained was currently studied in 2nd year of university in France, and the speaker then says “and that was taught at universities in Timbuktu before the 16th century“! Wow… my Goodness!

Timbuktu also houses some of the world’s oldest mud mosques, and every year the people of the city unite to re-do the walls of the mosque. It was added to the UNESCO world’s heritage list in 1988 (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/119/).

Read about it on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu

Great Zimbabwe, a civilization of stone

On September 2, 2009May 26, 2011 By Dr. Y.In Great CivilizationsLeave a comment

Have you ever felt tired of people telling you that there was no great Black civilization? that there was nothing in “sub-saharan” Africa? Well,… I have heard of a great African kingdom in the southernmost part of Africa: Great Zimbabwe which stands for “great house of stone” in the Shona language! Houses upon houses made of stone, and today some of them still stand tall in Zimbabwe. When a German geologist ‘stumbled’ (you know what I mean… like christopher Columbus discovered America at a time when it was already full of people) upon it, he was convinced that it could not be the work of Africans! Well, then… let me present to you Great Zimbabwe, a kingdom located between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers! It is a civilization which flourished from the 11-15th centuries. Just like the Maya, Aztec, incas, we also have our own!

UNESCO made it a world site heritage in 1986. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364/)

Check out http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/zimb/hd_zimb.htm

There are great documentaries about Great Zimbabwe, but I decided to choose a short doc made by school children (please don’t be distracted by the masks shown in these video which are not from southern Africa but from West and Central Africa), since all the others mostly focused on the European researchers rather than Great Zimbabwe itself. If you are curious, feel free to go check all the other documentaries on youtube or dailymotion (such as Zimbabwe’s Ancient Ruins Part 1-3, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kdhyj2kc6c).

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