Madam President: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

On November 4, 2009April 13, 2012 By Dr. Y.In Great People4 Comments

There is a say which often goes as such: “When things are so bad that they are irreparable, men leave the power to women or minorities!” (Just look at the USA!) Well… that’s what they will definitely say about Liberia, a country which had been in war for so many years and decades, that the system was so broken down, the country was a mess, no government, no law, no nothing!

Mme President — President of Liberia: Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

And then was elected Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf! The first African female head of state! We even beat the USA, we got our woman in power! Yes… here comes the Iron lady of Africa. Few words will express what the inauguration of Mrs Sirleaf meant to me, and thousands of other girls and women across the continent. Truth be told, very few of us ever thought possible the day a woman would be president on our continent. Very few of us thought possible an actual country ruled by a woman, in Africa….! When I was young, I had read about Nzingha the queen of Angola, Hatshepsut the She-pharaoh of Egypt, Beatrice of Congo, Empress Zewditu of Ethiopia… to name just a few; but these emblematic African female leaders seemed so far removed from me, buried in the sands of the past, that as a young African woman my dreams to see a charismatic woman leader in the modern era seemed to be just that… a dream (I still wanted my dream to become a reality)!

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is an achieved economist who served as minister of finance of Liberia in the late 70’s. She once supported Charles Taylor against the bloody government of Samuel Doe… but later on criticized him once she realized he was perpetrating bloody crimes in Liberia as well. After Samuel Doe’s coup in 1980, she went into exile in Kenya where she worked for Citibank as director. She returned to Liberia to run against Doe, but was sentenced to 10 years in jail, and was again forced into exile. She later repeated the scenario in 1997 when she ran against Charles Taylor, but lost. She finally won the elections in 2005 to be the first elected female head of state of Liberia, and Africa. Hers is a story of perseverance, endurance, determination, courage, hard work, and above all love for her country. What brought her back so many times to Liberia? Lord only knows! What made her want to challenge Samuel Doe, Charles Taylor, Prince Johnson, etc…? The good Lord only knows! One thing is sure, this is definitely an Iron Lady!

The video you will see below is a documentary on her first year in power entitled Madam President! It highlights her struggles and victories. How do you re-build a country where there are no institutions? where there are children soldiers? where there is no law? and where a claim to land means nothing after years of war! How do you do that? Well… watch Madam president! surround yourself with the best minds, and some strong women as well! I tell you… Watch and raise your hat to Mrs. President! Yeah… that’s right! Our very first woman president!

To find out more, check out Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wikipedia, read her book “This Child Will Be Great“. Laura Bush wrote a piece on her in Time Magazine after she and Condoleezza Rice attended Sirleaf’s inauguration. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 by president Bush. Check out Follow the Leader to learn more about the people who made the documentary, and this article by BBC.

[gigya width=”480″ height=”365″ src=”http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x37t4h&related=0″ quality=”high” wmode=”tranparent” ]
Madame La Présidente

Check out the rest: Madam president Part 2 and Madam president Part 3

Les trois gourmands

On October 19, 2009October 19, 2009 By Dr. Y.In Great Legends & TalesLeave a comment

Un jour, deux gourmands se rencontrèrent.

– D’où venez-vous? Demanda le premier.

– J’avais toujours faim, répondit l’autre. Chez moi, je mangeais tout ce que je trouvais: ma part, celles de mes frères, celle de ma mère et même les provisions. Alors mon père m’a envoyé me rassasier ailleurs… et vous, camarade, peut-on savoir ce qui me vaut le plaisir de vous rencontrer?

– Moi, dit le compagnon, j’ai un ventre si grand que je n’arrive jamais à le remplir tout à fait. J’ai beau manger toute la journée, l’appétit ne me quitte pas. Alors mon père m’a trouvé trop difficile à nourrir et il m’a chassé de la maison.

– Dans ce cas, reprit l’autre, nous sommes faits pour nous entendre.

Au bout d’un moment, le plus jeune pressa son ventre avec ses mains, fit la grimace et soupira:

– J’ai faim!

– Moi aussi, j’ai faim, grogna l’autre.

– Allons chercher à manger!

Comme ils arrivaient à un village, ils se dirigèrent vers le marché et achetèrent un panier plein de haricots bien cuits.

Ils allaient commencer à manger, quand le plus jeune protesta:

– Camarade! Nous avons aussi faim l’un que l’autre; nos deux parts doivent être égales; mais comment faire pour que chacun de nous ait exactement son compte?

– C’est bien simple, dit l’autre: achetons deux aiguilles, nous piquerons à tour de rôle un haricot à la fois; ainsi le partage sera bien fait.

Ils firent comme il avait dit: ils achetèrent deux aiguilles et se mirent à manger en piquant les haricots un à un. Bientot il ne resta dans le panier qu’un seul haricot, un haricot pour deux!……

– Que faire? Demanda l’aîné?

– C’est très facile, répondit le jeune: il suffit de couper ce haricot en deux parties égales.

– Mais qui donc fera la partage? Interrogea l’aîné. Si c’est moi, je garderai la plus grosse part; et si c’est toi, tu te serviras trop bien!

Un passant survint à ce moment.

– Aidez-nous, lui demandèrent les deux compagnons. Coupez ce haricot en deux parties égales.

Le nouveau venu sortit son couteau, l’ouvrit, saisit le haricot, le coupa gravement en deux parties, donna une part a chacun des deux compagnons, puis comme il ne voulait rien perdre de cette excellente nourriture, il lécha la lame de son couteau avec tant d’application… qu’il s’entailla la langue.

Dis-moi, toi qui as lu cette histoire, quel est le plus gourmand des trois?

D’après un conte de l’Afrique noire, tiré de Contes de la Brousse et de la Forêt, de A. Davesne. Illustrations tirées du meme livre.

Mama Africa

On October 13, 2009December 12, 2013 By Dr. Y.In Great Art, Great Music, Great People3 Comments

Dear all, today we will be talking about a great true African legend: Miriam Makeba! Well… where should I start? Zenzile Miriam Makeba, affectionately named Mama Africa was a singer who truly showed that music had no boundaries, and that music could be used as a platform to launch a revolution; above all, if you are passionate and excel in something, you can always do great things! Miriam Makeba started as a singer in South Africa, and was even married to the great South African trumpetist Hugh Masekela at one point. This woman sang about her love for her country, her people, and the struggle of her people. Like she said herself: “I was never politically involved. People always think that I’m political or that I sing politics, but I’m not. I just speak the truth. When I say we’re oppressed, I’m not lying. I’m glad I’ve been vindicated, in a way. I could have been in parliament, but I’m not a politician, I’m a singer. I love to sing, that’s what makes me happy” Miriam was a true warrior dedicated to the liberation of African people.

Miriam Makeba on the cover of her album Pata Pata

Miriam Makeba was never allowed the right to return home for 30 years by the apartheid government (from 1960-1990). She was not able to go to her mother’s funeral. Her song Welela is about a child yearning for her mother. In 1961, she sang at President Kennedy’s birthday, as she puts it: “I was the only foreign artist among the big giants of America paying tribute to him.” She spoke at the United Nations in New York, where she said: “I ask all the leaders of the world: would you act differently, would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place, would you not resist if you were allowed no right in your own country because the color of your skin was different from the color of the rulers?” Her records were subsequently banned in South Africa. She used her fame to let the world know about the suffering of Black South Africans. Her most popular songs include Pata Pata, the Click Song, and her beautiful rendition of Malaika! She later sang about the Soweto uprising (1976) in her title “Soweto Blues” written for her by Hugh Masekela.

When Miriam married the Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, her shows were canceled in the USA, as the FBI was after him. She picked up her bags with her husband and went to Guinea, where president Sekou Toure allowed them in. She even had a Guinean passport and was a United Nations ambassador for Guinea!

She was finally allowed to return to South Africa after Nelson Mandela got out of jail. He actually asked her to come back… So 30 years later, this great woman of power return to her country after losing her mother, and only daughter Bongi Makeba. I have attached this beautiful documentary. Please watch and celebrate a strong African Woman… a legend, a woman who loved her people so much that she sang about it, and spoke about it at the United Nations. In later years, she has also been an FAO ambassador (to fight hunger), United Nations Goodwill ambassador, and opened a girls’ school in South Africa for orphans, girls who have been raped, etc…

In a way, even though Miriam Makeba lost her only child, she was a mother to all of us, and fought for all South African, and African children. Thank you Beautiful Mama Africa. God loves you! We have to continue your legacy of strong African women, and legends!

Check out Wikipedia page on Miriam Makeba, and add more if you have more information on Miriam’s life (We, Africans, have to put our people on these pages, nobody will do it for us!). Check out Miriam Makeba’s website www.miriammakeba.co.za, and the article by the Guardian: Miriam Makeba. Don’t forget to check out her books: Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story, Makeba: My Story, and Myriam Makeba une Voix pour l\’Afrique.

Félix Moumié: Un independantiste Camerounais

On September 30, 2009August 1, 2017 By Dr. Y.In Great Moments, Great People4 Comments

“Charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même!” Il est enfin temps que je parle d’un des pères de la nation camerounaise, d’un unique indépendantiste qui s’est battu pour la libération de son pays, et qui a été lâchement assassiné en Suisse (empoisonné) par les services secrets Français: Felix-Roland Moumié! C’est en 2006, que nous decouvrons pour la première fois, l’histoire ou plutôt un bref sommaire relatant les derniers jours de cet indépendantiste à travers un documentaire intitulé “L’assassinat de Felix Moumié- L’Afrique sous contrôle,” réalisé par Frank Garbely.

Les leaders de l’UPC: Ruben Um Nyobe, Felix Moumie, et Ernest Ouandie

Felix Moumié, médécin de formation (chirurgien d’ailleurs), deviendra le leader de l’Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) après l’assassinat de Ruben Um Nyobé. Il menera bien le parti et sera assassiné à son tour, empoisonné dans un restaurant de Genève en Suisse. Dans le documentaire que vous verrez ci-dessous, faites attention de ne pas etiquetter Moumié. La chose qui me fait vraiment mal quand je vois ce documentaire, c’est sa veuve, Marthe Ekemeyong Moumié qui pleure et réclame que lumière soit faite sur la mort de son mari, et surtout que son corps lui soit remis afin qu’il puisse être enterré dans son pays natal, le Cameroun.

La chose qui me fait encore plus mal, c’est de savoir que cette dame qui s’est battue pour que la mémoire de son mari soit célébrée fut violée et assassinée au début de l’année (Janvier 2009) à Ebolowa! Pourquoi ce crime ignoble? Qu’est-ce-qu’une pauvre dame inoffensive peut-elle faire à qui que ce soit? Comme quoi il y a encore certaines choses qui méritent d’etre déterrées, et il est important que les Camerounais connaissent leur histoire. Une chose est sûre et certaine, je lève mon chapeau à cette dame qui mérite de faire partie des annales des femmes fortes du continent Africain.

N’oubliez pas de regarder les parties suivantes 2 et 3 (Felix Moumie Part 2, Felix Moumie Part 3)

N’oubliez pas d’aller contribuer sur Wikipedia… la page sur Moumié est presque vide! Felix Moumié sur Wikipedia

Nok Civilization: The Era of Terracotta

On September 26, 2009May 26, 2011 By Dr. Y.In Great Civilizations5 Comments

Ever since I saw an image of a Nok figurine on the cover of my history textbook in 6eme (grade 5), I have been fascinated by this civilization. These neighbors of ours, had a civilization which flourished in the Jos plateau in the northern part of modern-day Nigeria between 800 BC and 600AD. The Nok civilization is considered the oldest African terracotta civilization. They were very advanced, and many people have mentioned similarities to the Egyptians. Their work shows great mastery of the firing process as emphasized in their sumptuous sculptures and artistry.

Nok art work is unique and detailed. Most sculptures found so far represent kings, queens, dignitaries, wizards, animals, etc. One thing that stands out the most when looking at the Nok sculpture of a woman is the hairstyle. It makes me feel so proud to see that 800 years BC, Nok women wore elaborate braids, cornrows, etc… the same way we African, no Black women wear our hair today. Imagine going back 2800 years ago and meeting beautiful Nok women with hazelnut eyes looking at you with the same hair-do as yourself!

Nok sculptures vary in size and can reach up to 1,20m. How were the Nok able to make such life-size terracotta statues without having them explode or shatter into pieces during the firing process? Well… they used branches from trees and trunks as the central core of the sculptures.The website Memoire d’Afrique has a detailed account on the Nok Civilization ingenuity. Check it out: http://www.memoiredafrique.com/en/nok/geographie.php and wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture

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

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