A week ago, team PD had the pleasure of being invited to attend a rare US performance by one of our favorite Ugandan musicians, Maurice Kirya. It was an intimate performance in Denton, TX, home of the music factory known as the University of North Texas, responsible for the careers of such crooners as Norah Jones and Harry Connick, Jr. The performance – in Art Six Cafe’s outdoor patio, kicked off with a number of opening acts including Amanda Mutamba Muhunde‘s spoken word and a rare acoustic set from Every Explosive Ending. A very fitting environment for Maurice’s jazzy and soulful sound.

After the concert, I caught up with Maurice outside one of Denton’s most famous watering holes (oh the memories!). We waxed poetic about the state of Ugandan music, Maurice’s unique twist on Ugandan soul, and his one-man mission to tell the world that Uganda is ready to stop onto the global music stage. Maurice also echoed what I have always believed to be true, that we as Africans need to start to take to the microphones and tell the good news about Africa. It is not always cloudy and full of doom and gloom on our continent. We need to shine light on the other side of the coin that is this magnificent continent.

I am sure there are other individuals out there spreading the good news on Africa. Soon enough our voices will merge into one beautiful chorus of good news. Let’s hope this is sooner rather than later.

For more on Maurice, you can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter and his website, which has some audio samples from his latest CD. Additionally, don’t forget to check out his Youtube channel for some of his videos. I’ve also uploaded some photos I took at the performance.

Amanda Mutamba Muhunde moves an audience with her spoken word

This past weekend, we attended Maurice Kirya’s performance in Denton, TX. Among the opening acts was a poetic by the name of Amanda Mutamba Muhunde. Her first poem, which was dedicated to raising awareness to the often glossed over victims of rape  in Africa’s many civil strifes, was shockingly raw, powerful, emotional and graphically detailed. Amanda pulls no punches in raising your conscious a notch or two as she lyrically details a woman’s account of her own rape, and her unfulfilled wish to no longer breath after the incident. Amanda skillfully walks you through the victim’s realization that even at the worst of it, there is purpose in the victim still having a voice and daring anyone who will listen to spread her story of pain, struggle and survival.

Here’s to us doing just that, and calling for other members of Africa’s Diaspora to no longer be quiet to the injustices belaboring our continent. Let’s speak up, and spread the word. They may only be words, but words can lead to a chorus for change, a chorus for change can lead to action, and action almost always leads to a sea change. Let’s all sustain the call for change. If you do feel so inclined, please feel free to post this video, which was captured by our very own Tracy Pell at the performance, on your site, your Facebook page or spread it own Twitter. One, because I feel that Amanda deserves a much bigger audience, and 2) the victims or rape the world over, not just Africa, deserve justice and a global response. Please do your part.

I was stopped in my tracks tonight by this ad:

Which is intentionally playing on fears of identity theft, unsecured data transmission and Nigeria’s unfortunate reputation as being full of internet con men. This on the heels of highly touted District 9′s portrayal of Nigerians as backward, criminals, whores and cannibals. The roots of which are discussed in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie great op-ed for the Guardian “Why Do South African’s Hate Nigerians”. These recent examples are part of a long trail of really negative portrayals of Nigerians in film and television. The recent X-men Movie Wolverine has an extended segment set in Lagos Nigeria… where yet again Nigerian criminals are at the forefront… this time Diamond traffickers. In October of 2008, even Saturday Night Live got a jab in when Anne Hathaway, fresh from discovering that her boyfriend was a con artist/criminal opened with a joke about her new boyfriend the Nigerian Prince… sigh. Hilarious.

We have all heard the jokes, seen the emails, heck, we’ve all been in conversations where in the conversation turns to internet crimes or con men, Nigeria is sure to come up. Clearly brand Nigeria is suffering. The question is… who will defend it?

After Sony released a commercial that played on the Nigerian criminal stereotype in order to sell a few more games, the Minister of Information forced Sony to apologize and edit the ad.

More actions like these certainly help control the damage, but do nothing to turn the tide. If the Nigerian Minister of Information is responsible for brand Nigeria what is being done to change the story? The Ministry launched a new website in May that is intended to help improve Nigeria’s brand… when I went to visit it, I got a malware warning… yeah, no matter how good the content on the site, not many folks are going to visit it with that window popping up. Not only that, but the Daily Trust article that reported on it also mentions how Nigeria’s own Government site was inoperable due to a conflict with its ISP. Way to build that brand guys.

So who can take the bull by the horns and turn this brand around? Ah, well that is the trick isn’t it? Nigeria has a booming music and movie industry why not use it to tell the west stories of Nigeria that are not out in the public view? If District 9 proved anything it proved and a well made African film can succeed in the West. So how about it? Who is writing the next book, song, movie, tv show that turns these stereotypes on their head and telling the whole story. Not just he seamy bad side (which every nation shares lets not forget) but also the stories of triumph over adversity, hope, friendship, family, love and loss, joy, humor and all the rest? Where are those stories? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has been accused of writing stories for the West instead of for African’s and maybe her critics are correct… but its only more people like her that will be able to turn the tide and present the World with the true face of Nigeria. So what do you say? Are you ready to defend brand Nigeria?

These folks are headed to Mozambique in June. They are very interested in connecting with any members of the Diaspora in preparation for their trip; as well as after. Drop us a line if you are interested in connecting with them.

The Kujilana Project: Trailer from Kujilana on Vimeo.

Visit their project: Kujilana

A little bit of Hollywood is coming to the suburbs of Nairobi. Animated:Kenya will be held December 6th at Sarit Center, Westlands. Their mission?

To break the myths about Kenyan Animation.

It is time to break the myth, that highend animation is a foreign art skill

It is time to break the myth that all highend animation seen in Kenya is done “down south”

It is time to break the myth that you need big expensive fancy computer to do worldclass animation

It is time to break the myth that animation is “not a valuable skill set” and is for “kids”

If the one video I could find from their panel of speakers (Jim Chuchu) is any indication, attendees can look forward to a fun day full of smart people who have alot of great information to share.

This free one-day seminar promises inspiration, networking and a full panel of speakers including:
kwame nyong’o
celestine wamiru
gado & james kanja
daniel muli
majiqmud & gado
mike onyango
jim chuchu
wesley kirinya
alfred muchilwa

Latin Grammys not on your radar? Can’t think of a reason why Africans might give a flying fig about which Grupera, banda or random Cumbia cantante is winning an award tomorrow night? Ah, well do I have a treat for you! Concha Buika is nominated this year for Album of the Year for her amazing work on Niña de Fuego.

Concha Buika was born raised in Mallorca, where her family imigrated to escape persecution in Equetorial Guinea in the late 60′s. She grew up as a lone black face in the Mallorcan gypsy community and in her recent interview with NPR says of the experience:

“I was always the only black in the movie theater, the only black in class, the only black in the library, the only black in the discotheque,” she says. “I always felt observed and judged.”

Her music fuses, flameco, jazz, and blues all twisted together with her personality given the smokiest gorgeous turn I have had the pleasure to enjoy in quite some time! Just like her life was filled with the mix of Africa, Spain and Gypsy culture so now her music combines those influences and so many more. We wish her good luck tomorrow night! Buena Suerte Concha!

BBC: World Review of La Niña de Fuego:
Despite the title, Concha Buika is clearly no longer the little girl of fire, showing with grace and passion that she is courageous and self-aware enough to expose her soul around the juerga. Many commentators are giving her the mantle of the new flamenco starlet. Yet on this LP she proves – guided by the sensitive and poignant direction of producer Javier Limón – that she can lend her sun-drenched, oaky voice both to the traditional and the fusion.
Embellished by Limón’s purposeful guitar and the exquisitely adroit piano playing of Ivan Lewis, her third album is really a pleasure to behold. Produced with understanding and wisdom, Limón allows Buika to express her inner anguish, adding lines and chords to coax her into further introspection.
Their rendition of Volver Volver is notable for this, as is the tender, self-penned Miénteme Bien. Accompanied by Lewis, whose light touch and sense of gaiety cleverly adds an almost swing-like foil, the mournful Concha is now a clear distance from the hotels of Las Vegas or the house clubs of Mallorca.

The title track, originally written by Caracol, puts Buika around the campfire, warming to her past and maybe her roots; more soulful and eased along by muted trumpet. In a sense this is new flamenco, but Culpa Mia shows her ability to adapt rhythmically. From the palmas intro to the gypsy-like rumba ending, the track triumphs in its anticipation of a climax, only to be knowingly faded out by Limón. The effect is an almost forced contemplation of the gravitas of ensuing Miénteme Bien.
The troupe becomes the sums of its parts with No Habrá Nadie En El Mundo, and floats to the arabesque and beyond with Volverás. However, María Concepción Balboa Buika is at her most poignant when exposed with only Limón or Lewis as accompaniment. Looking beyond the mirror, she funnels her essence into her voice. Other critics have compared her with Simone, Vaughn or even Gray. Earnest she is, and maybe being a late developer the Schadenfreude will come later. Until then she has no need to do it any other way.

As you might know, PD loves us some Fred Mutebi, Uganda’s print-maker extraordinaire. Fred’s camp just sent us a press release to let us know that Fred and the Let Art Talk crew will participate in this year’s WorldFest 2008 in Addison, TX. If you are in the area and would like to check out Fred’s work or meet him in person, make sure to drop in on him. Tell him we sent you.

Below is the full press release:

Artist Fred Mutebi will be participating in WorldFest 2008  on Saturday, October 25.  The event will be in Addison Circle Park from noon to 10:00pm. 
 
The artist will represent Uganda in the Parade of Nations at noon.  There will be a tent of his woodcut prints showcasing beautiful depictions of life in Uganda and the issues that are facing the global community.  
 
He will also demonstrate his method of printmaking during the day by creating a new print at his tent which will be located in the Africa Marketplace section of WorldFest.
 
His original artwork and posters will be available for sale.
 
For more information about Fred Mutebi, please visit his website:
 
www.FredMutebi.org
 

So today we got accused of making the convention look boring. So yes… we have to admit that we in fact did not attend as many of the fun social actives as there were on offer. The one we did attend (the Opening Ceremonies) was not all that fun.

Well things did perk up during the Ekimeeza. But I am pretty sure that this is not the kind of fun this commenter had in mind.

Actually City Limit Crew from Kampala did their damnedest to put on a good show. Honestly, they jumped around impressively high, sang, danced and generally did their thing at an energetic level that I have to say the lackluster audience did not deserve. The room was almost completely empty except for some politicos even at intermission. All I have to say is that these guys deserved better than that! They were pretty good and they were working SUPER hard.

I have a terrible recording of them… just to prove we were really there
City Limit Crew: UNAA Opening Ceremonies (mp3)

But for a real taste here is one of their videos:

Sadly we flew out on Sunday and missed Afrigo and the big party at the end of the convention. Which we were really bummed about. We promise next year!

We here at Project Diaspora believe that the real hope for change in Uganda and the rest of Africa lies with its people both at home and in the Diaspora. So it was with no small amount of excitement that we listened to Fred Mutebi talk about the program he started about a year ago. Let Art Talk. Its stated mission is to “To take Art to the grass roots communities as well as ensure that Art is used as a vehicle for constructive change in the lives of ordinary Ugandans.”

Their in school programs, workshops, art competitions, and focus on preservation of local crafts have lead to a broad and deep program with alot to offer the children lucky enough to be part of the program. Combining art therapy, art teaching, and creativity has made this program really unique. Children might paint, draw, learn print making, bark cloth making, papermaking, envrio-brick techniques and much much more.

Right now they have art centers in:

As well as an exchange program hosted at the Kampala Art Center

Visiting artists and volunteers and students from all Art Centers throughout Uganda gather together to learn from each other. This will curb discrimination along cultural lines thus creating unity in diversity. During the visit, the visiting communities will be involved in the various activities of the host community. Reciprocally, LAT organizes trips for selected youth to visit similarly organized groups in other parts of Uganda.

It is worth mentioning that this organization is currently without funding. He has chosen to give back quite a bit that he has had the good fortune to earn over the years because he believes in the future of Uganda and the power of information, connection, community and most of all self expression. It has been said a thousand times and in many ways it is trite and tired… but it is true. The children are the future. What the future becomes depends on what we invest in these kids.

We also though you would like to see the work that these children are producing through this program. Here are just a few examples of the truly amazing pieces these children a generating through the work that Fred Mutebi and his organization are doing.

This announcement was just released yesterday by the US Embassy in Kampala, Uganda regarding Fred Mutebi.

FRED MUTEBI
April 2008 State Alumni Member of the Month.

Mr. Fred Mutebi, a 2003 alumnus of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program, has made significant strides towards improving the lives off children in Uganda. A true ambassador of the Fulbright program, the Office of Alumni Affairs has selected him as the April 2008 State Alumni Member of the Month.

Mr. Mutebi is a dynamic artist who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities since he has returned from the U.S. Through his own organization “Let Art Talk” (LAT) he has worked with children and youth, many of whom have been affected by the twenty-year conflict in the Acholi sub region of northern Uganda. The mission of LAT is as follows: To take Art to the grass roots communities as well as ensure that Art is used as a vehicle for constructive change in the lives of ordinary Ugandans. Through LAT, he has brought together youth from various regions of Uganda who have experienced conflict so as to share experiences and learn from one another. Mr. Mutebi taught these children how to use art as a means of therapy and healing.

As the conflict in the north started to show signs of coming to an end, Mr. Mutebi decided to work on another issue that was devastating the region – HIV/AIDS. He has encouraged women and youth to use art as a means of communicating HIV/AIDS messages amongst themselves and the public. By holding art workshops as a means of providing therapy from trauma caused by issues such as war, conflict, and HIV/AIDS among the youth, Mr. Mutebi has actively involved himself in the community.

As one of the most active and dedicated alumni in Uganda, Mr. Mutebi has participated in various alumni activities and can always been relied upon to lead and assist in anyway possible. Working with the U.S. Embassy, he organized a successful International World HIV/AIDS day “North-South Art Exchange for Students” art exhibit event. A number of exchange alumni attended including the guest of honor who is also a Humphrey alumnus. Exhibitors included former child war combatants, children affected by war, and children living with HIV/AIDS from north and central Uganda. For the 2007 International World AIDS Day, a mural Mr. Mutebi created with his students was even used as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) poster! PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease – a five year, $15 billion commitment. This Emergency Plan was announced by President Bush during his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003. As a result of this action by President Bush, the United States now leads the world in its level of support for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Mutebi is also reaching out to government entities to try to include his art techniques in their efforts. At a January 29, 2008, with several high level Ugandan Ministry of Health officials, Mr. Mutebi demonstrated how art can be used as an effective means of communication to fight disease and maintain good health. He presented a “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise” mural which was one of the products of the 2007 International World AIDS day activities.

Fred Mutebi’s work has enabled children of northern Uganda to express their most traumatizing moments as well as hopes for the future. This, he thinks, is the healing process that must be continued so that these children do not remain haunted by what has been inflicted on them in the past. Children and women living with HIV/AIDS have gained more confidence in themselves as valuable and responsible members of society who need not shy away from revealing their HIV status. Instead, they can use it as a vehicle to help others; HIV prevention and care communication carry a strong and visible message to all members of society.

In addition to sharing his skills with various groups in Uganda since his return, Mr. Mutebi has traveled back to the United States to hold workshops. As of April 2008, he is working in the United States conducting workshops from February to April.

Congratulations to Fred Mutebi on this honor!
Thanks to Michael Kirkpatrick for letting us know about it

Look for our post on the Let Art Talk and the some of work created by the children in his program coming VERY SOON!

If you want to learn more about the reading challenge visit Dave… and he will tell you all about it!

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild
So far this reading challenge is turning into a crash course in African history. I must space these books out more carefully. Going from one book of death and disaster to another is playing hell on my mood, leaving me both cranky and sad (or maybe that is the flu!) At any rate, going from War torn Nigeria/Biafra to Colonial Africa was not the smartest thing I ever did. It is not that I was unaware of the horrors of colonialism. I come from the original Banana Republic after all, but I don’t think I had ever confronted them quite so baldly as I did reading this book.

I am a big fan of this kind of Historical writing, it is a fast read, you get a good sense of the personalities not just the events and the dates. I was as engrossed in this book as I was with Devil in the White City and The Professor and the Madman. I think these books share a similar esthetic in terms of the writing. They build a narrative for us, do a little foreshadowing and build suspense as best they can given that all of the events are a forgone conclusion. Since I am mostly a reader of fiction, I appreciate this style and makes me feel more comfortable with the language and structure of the book. However, for a history Mr. Hochschild was extremely prone to editorializing and opining. He pointed out flaws in all the characters as a good historian should but then was quick to excuse them if they were on the right side of the battle against Leopold. I think the evidences he gave us were strong enough to allow us to draw our own conclusions. I am not sure I needed to know his opinions on the relative weight of their flaws versus those of another. I did find his portrait of Stanley the most human. We saw all sides of his character, and in this instance Hochschild does let us draw our own conclusions.

The history itself covers alot of territory. He starts far enough back to really give a sense of the scope and sheer tenacity of Loepold’s will for dominion over his own personal colony. No matter where really. No one place was better than another as long as it gave him power and wealth. It is interesting that in giving us a picture of Leopold’s family life growing up and again as an adult, how little connection with actual real human affection he ever had. While Hochschild again gives us his opinion on what shaped Leopold, I think there is alot more to be inferred that was not stated. It is also another glaring how boring evil really can be. There is always this idea that evil is a rush of energy and almost sexual excitement, crazed lustful violence with all the florid language that goes with that. But the truth is here like in Nazi Germany it was a machine, a bureaucracy driven by paperwork, forms, quotas, weights, measures and money. It is methodical and the people who performed the atrocities just sort of got used to it. Which is infinitely more scary than all the florid phrases in the world.

In the end history teaches us, (and this book) that it is not hate that brings us down. It is indifference.

Our friend Michael Kirkpatrick sent us this little bit of news. We are thrilled to see Fred Mutebi’s work as well as the work he is doing with “Let Art Talk” (in the organization he created to benefit the youth of Uganda) reach such high places! Look for an article coming soon about this great project!

So, I get this random e-mail. It says “Do you know this guy?” Mind you this e-mail was not even sent to me, it was a forward from TMS Ruge. Which he got randomly from some friend of his, who just happened to run into a friend of… “this guy”. Since I have been trying really hard to find Ugandan or African artists that are doing what I would consider quality work… I guess he figured maybe I had stumbled onto him. Which of course I had not. So I look at the attachments and am…. shall we say… confused. So then I google him, and I discover a Fullbright Scholar. A man who is now living and working in Uganda… and not only that… he is working hard to make a difference in the lives of children and for the future of his country. Strange how life works.

To say that I was excited is really an understatement. This e-mail came with an invite to an artist reception for him because as luck would have it. Fred Mutebi was passing through Dallas on his way to speak in Memphis. So I go to this reception in the hopes that I might get a chance to meet him and get a better feel for his work. It is really hard to get a sense of work on the web. Remember that… if you are not familiar with an artist’s work… never judge your reaction to the work from seeing it on the web or in a book. Trust me… there is ALOT lost. I was THRILLED to see that there was a tremendous amount of his work on display. Amazing, beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent work. Immediately I knew, I need to talk about him on Project Diaspora. Well, this is the first installment in a series of posts and our very first! Podcast based on our conversation with Mr. Mutebi. There is alot of territory to cover after all: his art, his new program “Let Art Talk”, his views on the world, Africa, Uganda, the Diaspora…. uhhh… yeah like I said… series.

We hope you are as intrigued by this amazing artist and social activist as we are!
(We wish the image quality on these was better, but it just gives you more reason to go see his work for yourself!)

The Art of Fred Mutebi
I meet Fred Mutebi after a long day. He has just arrived in the US from Kampala, and it is pretty late here in Dallas, which makes it dark thirty in the morning in Kampala. He is clearly exhausted. His eyes are red, his movements slow. Despite this clear and legitimate excuse to duck out and avoid the over-eager questions from some strange white lady (that would be me). He is generous, polite and gracious. I set up a possible meeting with his friend Michael for the next week so that we can talk more and TMS Ruge can get a chance to meet him AND see his work.

My first reaction to the work is real surprise. I saw some of these very pieces on the internet and was unmoved. I saw good work, but what I am seeing now! I am immediately struck by their luminous beauty.They glow. The colors pulsate, an assemblage of rebellious vibrant colors, begging to bust through the confines of their predetermined arrangement. Sharp lines, deep hues of bright yellow poke through and around orange landscapes, only to be trapped by thick, angry sharp corners. It’s an immediate visual assault that commands my eye.

Its a trap, don’t fall for it.

There is much more to these pieces than meets the eye. There is no denying their beauty, but if you stop there you are missing the entire point. During one of my discussion’s with Mr. Mutebi he tells me…

One of the most painful things is when a person buys my work just because it is beautiful.

Most of the pieces I had the pleasure to see and discuss with Mr. Mutebi are part of his “Orange Period”. This is new work that has not been seen or exhibited in Uganda… yet.

My artistic expressions in this period depict what we all have in common: global warming and its environmental consequences, HIV/AIDS scourge, social, economical and political challenges. It is a warning that we should momentarily pause and think about the dangers and the consequences of our poor practices and if possible find remedies.

Relationships

I am first struck by a triptych. They are, on their surface, abstractions of the human face. These works jarringly remind me that Picasso was inspired by African art to become a cubist. The planes of the face are distorted, shapes imply forms, like hats, ties, eyes and noses. The palette is warm. Unlike Picasso there is no savagery here. Sadness, confusion, pain perhaps, but none of the savagery so common is Picasso’s early African inspired works. As I look closer I begin to see more than one face on each canvas. There are multiple faces, some clearly male, some clearly female. I look closer and start to see… hearts. Heart shapes abound! Hearts on lapels, hearts created by the division of the planes… hearts, hearts and more hearts. A comment on polygamy and the effect it has on the people involved, these works reveal its emotional toll. Mr. Mutebi, himself a child of a polygamous family, has witnessed first-hand what kinds of pressures these relationships can have.

From Mr. Mutebi’s artist statement:

This set educates the world wide community about the repercussions and consequences of promiscuity. Polygamy was largely a practiced norm in most African communities. It has, however proved to be more of a problem than pleasure for people who practice it. The consequences are innumerable… The first in the series examines One man two women: the man gets a round face because both women will pull him to their either side. Next, one woman multiple men: this is equally disastrous as she will also be divided up in parts. Finally one woman one man: There is peace, love and calm. There is therefore happiness and they can afford to smile…

Abannyunyunsi

Some communities in Africa drink communally from one big pot, using long straws. In Uganda we call it ‘malwa’. As they drink, they keep replenishing the big pot so they don’t run out. Take the pot away and put our mother Earth. Led by our greedy politicians, we seem to be sucking the world without replenishing enough to match the rate exhaustion. We should therefore think about adding more to mother Earth to make it a better place for us and generations to come. Let us plant more trees, especially in Africa as the ultimate solution to our environmental problems

Both and ecological and political statement we see all intellectuals and common people all sucking from the malwa. Politicians, in the form of marabou storks, watch as the pot is emptied. The image of the malwa, as a symbol or our shared resources on this earth remind us of our interconnectivity and how our consumption effect us all. This image marks a departure from the cubist abstraction we saw in the Relationships tryptich. This work is more figurative and more concrete. Still highly symbolic with multiple layers of meaning. On one level it is just a scene of commumity life, on another it is a commentary on selfish consumption and on yet another a commentary on political apathy when it comes to ecological issues.

Uninterested Buyers? Interested Buyers? Future At Stake!

This is the drama of women selling food stuffs through the windows of en-route buses on the highways of Uganda. If you invert reality however, take away the food stuffs, replace it with political ideologies, let the women sellers be politicians and passengers in the bus be the electorate. This is a story of what I saw in the recently concluded elections in Uganda – some people where tired of the same political ideologies after a long time, they became uninterested. Hence: Uninterested buyers? On the other hand, a faction of politicians took advantage of the loop holes in the system and presented the same ideologies in a different packaging to the electorate. Amazingly, many people where rushed for the merchandise. Hence, Interested buyers? Did these people really understand the treachery of politicians of turning things around to hide the truth? As a social critic whose concern is the future generation, I end it by showing the ultimate victims: THE CHILDREN OF UGANDA. Future at stake!

My wish

We are a poor nation with many problems and hence cannot afford to be in fighting forever. Let’s put down the arms, hug and look for solutions to our other problems. The hugging icons are the two big but poor parties in Uganda, NRMO and FDC.

I really like this piece, it is not as “pretty” as the rest, but it is so rich in visual symbols. The dove flies over head with the olive branch, not a thriving green one mind you, but a slightly worse for wear browned one. You can barely tell one figure from the other. They hug and blend into each other so that is it difficult to tell where one begins and the other ends. What is all this battle about? In the end is either party really that much different than the other? This piece was specifically inspired by the elections in Uganda. However, its themes are universal. Take out the specific parties and this image applies to the recent upheaval in Kenya. Mr. Mutebi’s call to lay down your arms and unite it one that should be heard through out Africa and the world.

Dancing Crane

Typical of his earlier works this piece this work focuses on the splendor of Uganda. The gorgeous color and graceful repetition gently echoing the dance of the crested crane. However, like all his works, this piece tells a story. The story of a beautiful bird that is becoming more and more rare. The particular birds that inspired this work could be seen every day like clockwork, in the same spot, dancing their dance. Sadly, they no longer come to that spot and dance, pollution and urbanization have driven them off.

The Technique
Mr. Mutebi’s uses a print making technique known as the progressive reduction method. This technique is very rare these days. He works with six colors, one plate and every step is done by hand. I don’t know if there is another artist working today that uses this labor intensive, error prone process. I am hugely impressed by Mr. Mutebi’s skill and patience. Having done silkscreen prints with three colors once upon a time and nearly pulled out every strand on my head from the stress, well lets just say; I can relate.

Look for our video post coming up soon showing Mr. Mutebi’s process, step-by-step.

You don’t know, what you don’t know… until you do.
I joined this challenge, because I have been frustrated in my attempts to find note-worthy African authors. Clearly there are plenty, but without knowing who they are, Amazon is a wasteland. Which is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what I don’t know. At any rate, thanks to the wonderful advice from other Reading Challengers; I discovered this beautiful book. Which leads me to the next thing I did not know. Biafra. My goodness, what a rich story. Part of me is truly surprised that this story was COMPLETELY unknown to me… and the other resigned to the inadequacies of the American education system. At any rate, I began this reading this book… with zero background about the history. Which just goes to show how truly wonderful the storytelling is in this book. I was hooked from the beginning. I read and read and read, until at 2:30 am on the 3rd day of reading I was done.

A couple of things grabbed me. The sweetness and innocence of Ugwu, the arrogance of Odenigbo, Olanna and Kainene and their complex relationship, Richard the British ex-pat that reminded me so much of people I knew growing up in Central America. People who fell in love with a place they did not understand because they felt lost in their original places. Actually, Ugwu also reminded me of people I knew growing up… sweet and eager to please in their innocence and naivete. Grateful in a way I never understood. Always with that under-current of watchfulness that Adichie paints so wonderfully in this book.

Ugwu, starts out so simple. He is a child, soft, malleable, unformed. His growth tracks with the growth of the story, he starts out whole, soft, pure and ends scarred, tarnished, strong, and brave. Just as Nigeria is a young and innocent nation that finishes hardened and scarred. Both Nigeria and Ugwu are poised for a brighter future at the end of the book… but with so much lost.

Olanna and Kainene as twins are really two parts of a whole. Each uncomfortable in the world and taking polar opposite positions to try and find a place. Olanna walking away from money and power for love of a strong, rebellious, intellectual man. Kainene withdrawing into herself behind a mask of indifference and sarcasm. Olanna is sweet, soft, idealistic beautiful. Kainene is hard, handsome, acerbic, practical. Kainene’s man is weak and does not know himself… and her even less so.

Odenigbo starts off so confident. So, strong… and is worn down and broken by the war. He loses himself in drink and depression leaving Olanna the stronger of the two. While Richard, so weak, lost and mild before the war, learns to love, learns confidence, learns his place in the world… It is significant that he of all the characters really has nothing but himself in the end. He loses his love… Kainene, his novel… everything that he valued was gone. Never to return. The truth is it was never his. If only we could all learn that lesson.

Now the construction of the novel. The way it bounces around in the timeline. I am not sure, why that choice makes sense. I does make sense. I just don’t know how. I liked the contrast and the flickers of insight into the future/past that it gave me. I wonder how she came to put the book together in that way.

The scenes of Olanna visiting her family… wanting to just enjoy her time with them and at the same time repelled by their circumstances. Those scenes were so honest. Aren’t we all torn between idealism and reality? Ugwu goes through the same thing… he is less able to appreciate his family as he grows up. In many ways his education begins the separation that is completed by his war experiences.

There is so much more in this book than I can even begin to talk about here. Plus there is probably a ton of stuff that I missed completely. It is a wonderful, beautiful, sad book. Worth reading. So if you haven’t, please do!

If you want to learn more about the reading challenge visit Dave… and he will tell you all about it!

Ok thanks to Mike, Dave, the Insomniac and olmoti8 I am ready to revise my list. So here is version number 2. Which is also subject to change!

OLD LIST

NEW LIST

So this is seven not six… so if there is one that leaps off the page in need of an ax… please let me know. Very excited! Can’t wait to get started. Now to decide. Which book 1st? hmmmmmm…..

If you want to learn more about the reading challenge visit Dave… and he will tell you all about it!

Ok everybody… I need some serious help. I am both overwhelmed by the options and frustrated at the lack of options. So general search on Amazon yielded some good results for general non-fiction type stuff. And I am tremendously interested in these three books and hope to learn alot from them.

The Trouble with Africa

Africa Unchained

New News Out of Africa Uncovering Africa’s Renaissance

However when it comes to the fiction category I am a little annoyed. EVERYTHING seems to be about South Africa. And while these two book looks quite good I really was hoping for a bit more scope.
You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town

Fools and Other Stories

And then this also looks interesting but is a FOURTH book to the non-fiction category. And I really want THREE solid Fiction books.
Africans

Plus I would really like to add a memoir to the mix, but all I found was one on Nelson MAndela. And I love the guy… but I was hoping for some untrodden ground for me and he sure as heck aint that. Plus it is South Africa again.

And this list makes my eyes cross. I have no way to make a choice and googling all 100 has no appeal. So I guess what I am saying is HELP. I need to eliminate 2 books out of my non fiction category… Maybe New News out of Africa and the Trouble with Africa? (Or maybe my list is eight books long… lets see how the first picks go and see if I don’t add the others back in… I do like to read!) Leaving space for a nice memoir. Maybe the King Leopold Book? Seems very interesting and leads me to Congo and out of SA. Leaving me with a big gaping hole where my novels should be… And this, I ask the impossible. If you were me, what would you fill that hole with?