kora
A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge like a lute or guitar. The sound of a kora resembles that of a harp, though when played in the traditional style, it bears a closer resemblance to flamenco and delta blues guitar techniques.
Forum Afrikanum Stuttgart-An African Day
Africans are organizing themselves by building communities. These communities organize cultural events, to which the general public is invited to feel/taste the African flavour and make contacts. An African organization “Forum Afrikanum Stuttgart e.V invited everyone to an “African Day” on the 31st January 2004. Afritopic attended the event in Stuttgart and reports as follow.
AFRICOME - Berlin
On the 3rd of February 2004, the German Central Department of Political Education (Bundeszentrale fuer politische Bildung) started a 3-year (2004-2006) program termed Africome, which focuses on Africa. The program is intended to inform the German society about Africa by means of discussion forums/podiums, arts exhibitions, fashion shows, cultural, music and film events/festivals. To mark the begin of the program, the organizers invited government officials, media professionals, managers from industries, academics, artists and organizations to discussion forum, cultural performance, exchange of views and ideas, videos show and music concert. Among the invited honorable speakers and guests are the Nigerian Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, the former German president Dr. Richard von Weizsaecker, the Cameroonian philosopher and political scientist Dr. Dr. Jacob Emmanuel Mabe and Dr. Uschi Eid, MdB, who is the G8-Africa-Representative of the present German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Afritopic was there and reports below.
Black Media Congress - Berlin 2003
The 2nd annual Black Media Congress took place between the 24 and 26 October 2003 at the Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung, Rosenthaler Str. 40/41 in Berlin Mitte. The Congress was organized by cyberNomads with sponsorship from the German Department of Political Education amongst others and attend by members of diverse organizations, media professionals and academics of African descent from within and outside Germany. Afritopic participated at the event and reports below.
Miss Black-Germany 2003
“Miss Black” competition took place in Karlsruhe at the Badnerlandhalle on the 26th of July 2003. The hall was decorated with African woven straw baskets placed effectively on the corners of the stage and African batiks lying across the tables. A combination of African music and intricate lights provided a typical atmosphere of African party.
