Africa
Getting to grips with djembe, tro-tro and obronis in Ghana
I was told before I arrived in Ghana that everyone wants to speak to the foreigner or the obroni (‘white person’) as they say in Twi, one of the main dialects of the forty spoken in Ghana. I had several on the spot marriage proposals; but that’s Ghana and its people for you
Niang Mor: story of a Senegalese 'near-extradition' from Italy
You'd hardly believe that he was 57 if you saw his papers. Mor moved to France in 1982, then Germany four years later, to finally settle in Ravenna in 1990. He has a regular trading licence, has always been in work and has never had any trouble with the law. The story of his incredible 'near- extradition'
Kinshasa Symphony: why is Mozart in Africa an alien concept?
People passionately making music is always good film fodder. This German documentary offers a contrast to the conflicts and states of mind dealt with its 2008 predecessor 'Trip to Asia', which followed the Berlin philharmonic
africa, berlinale, culture, music, film review, film, culture calendar
Staff Benda Bilili, voice of the voiceless in Congo
‘We're all handicapped people, ain't we?’ runs their myspace byline. After more than a month of touring through Europe, this group of paraplegic street musicians from Kinshasa left crowds elated and bewildered almost a year after releasing their debut album Très Très Fort, courtesy of Belgian producer Vincent Kenis of Congotronics fame. A French documentary on the group has been underway for seven years
africa, documentary, bands, disable people, record, culture, music
Dear Reader via Johannesburg and Berlin: 'We’re all just geeks really'
Cherilyn MacNeil, 24, the charismatic singer and pianist of South African indie trio Dear Reader, speaks to us from the fringes of the Berlin Festival about her home country’s mix of danger and new beginnings, faith and spirituality, broken hearts and summer in Berlin
africa, festivals, berlinale, love, music, label, multiculturalism
Migrants keep coming to Seville, Spain and the rest of Europe
But their rights as workers and humans are at stake, while the status of illegal or legal are being sorted out
africa, cities, socialists, seville, returns directive, conservatives, best of cafebabel.com
Buraka Som Sistema: 'We never wanted the African flag thing in our music'
As four men from Lisbon and Luanda set Angolan disturbances to breakbeat music, the European press scrams to box the sound. We have a shot too when we meet the band on one of their tour legs in Paris. After all, they have been on a gradual rise in Europe over the last couple of years
africa, downloads, best of cafebabel.com, culture, music, concert, culture calendar
Gonçalo M. Tavares: 'I hate the idea that everything you do is new'
The Luanda-born epistemology professor at Lisbon University, 38, talks his award-winning novel 'Jerusalem', and why it took him so long to get published already
africa, josé saramago, writers, portugal, bertolt brecht, gonçalo m. tavares, angola
Condoms worsen the AIDS epidemic in Africa
Pope Benedict XVI began his Africa tour on 17 March. The European press criticises his statement, made in Cameroon, that the distribution of condoms was worsening the Aids epidemic rather than helping to stop it. Views from the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany
Fair trade with Germany's 'Sukuma initiative'
What do mobile phones have to do with the war in Congo? Why do we, when thinking about coffee, think Starbucks before Colombia? The Germany-based Sukuma initiative is campaigning at an EU level to enforce targets for developing countries, as set out by theUN
africa, germany, berlin, international trade, poverty, fair trade, coffee
'Foreigners' in Europe: the real eurogeneration?
More and more young people around the world are setting their feet on European soil, and seem to fit in well despite bureaucratic complications. We hear from Russian, Angolan and Peruvian students living in Italy and France on their idea of Europe
africa, perou, university, erasmus, world affairs, youth, eurogeneration
Didier Awadi: 'Artists too often have big egos'
The Senegalese hip hop pioneer, 38, invites his fellow rappers to speak out and campaign for a harmonious continent with his latest album 'Presidents of Africa'. Plus an exclusive video interview from Dakar
africa, racism, discrimination, illegal immigrants, development, western africa, audio
Video cringe: Chavez, Brown, Rath
Be it a Czech clip around the ear, a King telling a naughty Venezuelan socialist to zip it or a British prime minister playing it cool - we track Europe's chiefs losing it
africa, italy, video gallery, united kingdom, czech republic, western eu, venezuela
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