Happy 2025 !

Dear Readers, 2025 is upon us!

May 2025 be a book you will author. Write your chapters of joy, love, and extraordinary adventures in it!

The top 6 posts of the year 2024 are listed below with two old-time favorites, “Love Poem for my Country” by Sandile Dikeni took first place as the most read post of the year, while another favorite poem “My Name” by Magoleng wa Selepe took second place. The surprise of the year was the post “The Lebombo Bone: The Oldest Mathematical Artifact in the World,” which reinforces the rich archaeological and scientific parts of the African continent which is the cradle of humanity. Other surprises were the songs ‘Asimbonanga‘ on freedom from apartheid by South African Johnny Clegg, and ‘Yamore‘ on love by the Malian great Salif Keïta and Cape-Verdean diva Cesaria Evora. We wish you a full and amazing new year, rich in blessings and greatness. Like the vibrant petals of this flower, may your year be vibrant, bringing in new fruits! As always, like Agostinho Neto said, “A luta continua … a vitória é certa!

  1. ‘Love Poem for my Country’ by Sandile Dikeni
  2. ‘My Name’ by Magoleng wa Selepe
  3.  The Lebombo Bone: The Oldest Mathematical Artifact in the World
  4. ‘Asimbonanga’ by Johnny Clegg
  5. “Yamore” by Salif Keita and Cesaria Evora
  6. ‘A ma Mère / To my Mother’ by Camara Laye

‘Love Poem for my Country’ by Sandile Dikeni

IMG_1652
Mt Bamboutos in Cameroon

Reblogging this all-time favorite poem on the African Heritage Blog.

A few questions for the readers: what do you like the most about this poem by Sandile Dikeni? What is special? And what made you connect to it? What in this poem describes your country or is there something in it which describes your country?

Dr. Y.'s avatarAfrican Heritage

An antelope at dusk An antelope at dusk in the African Savannah

In the past I have always wished that we, Africans, could be patriotic.  I came across this beautiful poem ‘Love poem for my country‘ by South African writer Sandile Dikeni.  I really enjoy the way the author describes his country, the valleys, the birds, the ancient rivers, and its beauty.  He feels the peace, the wealth, and the health his country brings.  He is one with his country.  He is at home!  His country is not just words or food, or friends, or family, it is more, it is his essence!  That is true patriotism, the bond that links us to the bone to our motherland.  Enjoy!

My country is for love
so say its valleys
where ancient rivers flow
the full circle of life
under the proud eye of birds
adorning the…

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Happy 2015!

Fireworks
Fireworks

Precious readers, may the year 2015 be the year of all great conquests, achievements, success, and greatness. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who visited my blog, and to all future visitors. 2014 was a beautiful year: the number of subscribers on Afrolegends.com has tripled, the number of visitors on the blog has doubled, the article Burkina Faso was cited by TIME Magazine online, while the article La SAPE was cited by The Guardian, and many articles were reblogged on multiple sites. For 2015, I wish you wonders without borders, peace, grace, and love.

Happy 2015 (Illustration by Osee Tueam, for Dr. Y, Afrolegends.com)
Happy 2015 (Illustration by Osee Tueam, for Dr. Y, Afrolegends.com)

Here were the top posts of 2014. Keep trusting, reading, sharing, and liking.

1. Samori Toure: African leader and Resistant to French Imperialism
2. ‘Love Poem for My Country’ by Sandile Dikeni
3. ‘My Name’ by Magoleng wa Selepe
4. ‘Femme Noire/Black Woman’ by Leopold Sedar Senghor
5. The Ishango Bone: Craddle of Ancient Mathematics

‘Love Poem for my Country’ by Sandile Dikeni

An antelope at dusk
An antelope at dusk in the African Savannah

In the past I have always wished that we, Africans, could be patriotic.  I came across this beautiful poem ‘Love poem for my country‘ by South African writer Sandile Dikeni.  I really enjoy the way the author describes his country, the valleys, the birds, the ancient rivers, and its beauty.  He feels the peace, the wealth, and the health his country brings.  He is one with his country.  He is at home!  His country is not just words or food, or friends, or family, it is more, it is his essence!  That is true patriotism, the bond that links us to the bone to our motherland.  Enjoy!

My country is for love
so say its valleys
where ancient rivers flow
the full circle of life
under the proud eye of birds
adorning the sky.

My country is for peace
so says the veld
where reptiles caress
its surface
with elegant motions
glittering in their pride

My country
is for joy
so talk the mountains
with baboons
hopping from boulder to boulder
in the majestic delight
of cliffs and peaks

My country
is for health and wealth
see the blue of the sea
and beneath
the jewels of fish
deep under the bowels of soil
hear
the golden voice
of a miner’s praise
for my country

My country
is for unity
feel the millions
see their passion
their hands are joined together
there is hope in their eyes

we shall celebrate

by Sandile Dikeni