Sisi Afrika Magazine

What Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral Can Teach Us About the Value of Cultural Continuity

African people should, always, and as a principle, push back against all forms of cultural erasure by imperialist forces, and invest in strengthening institutions charged with the responsibility of preserving cultural heritage, not only for today, but also for future generations.

by Richard Oduor Oduku September 20, 2022September 20, 2022

Fiction & Poetry

Hadraawi: the Most Famed Poet in Somalia, the Land of the Poets

Somalis have been blessed with poets of all sorts and, in the popular imagination, it is often said that every 50 years Somali society produces a tremendous poetic talent. Somalis are “a nation of poets”.

by The Conversation August 31, 2022August 31, 2022

Music & Film

How Burna Boy Set the World Alight With His Mixed Brew of Influences

Burna Boy’s Kuti credentials appear impeccable. His maternal grandfather, the broadcaster and jazz enthusiast Benson Idonije, had managed Kuti in the 1960s. In one interview, his mother and manager, business woman Bose Ogulu, reportedly refers to Kuti as the closest thing she had to a godfather.

by The Conversation August 15, 2022August 15, 2022

Art & Culture

New Inspiring Architectural Designs Across Africa

"African architects are making waves by bringing an appreciation of local materials, construction techniques and design, to their buildings. This is not only inspiring other young African architects but also giving Africa its own design 'moment'." - Diébédo Francis Kéré

by bird - African Stories Agency August 4, 2022August 4, 2022

African Cultural Knowledge

Nearly 800 Years Later, the Fires of the Benin Bronze Casters Still Blaze

For bronze caster, Alex Agbonmwenre, the return of the Benin Bronzes is about far more than the return of looted artefacts. It is also a reminder that the craft, which found a patron in Benin 800 years ago, has continued through an unbroken lineage of master craftsmen, ever since. And those master craftsmen can be found today, in Igun Street, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

by bird - African Stories Agency July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

Fashion & Beauty

Nigeria: Two Nigerian Brothers Chase Their Shoe-Making Dreams

Across the continent, shoemakers are winning fans, accolades and awards. Two Nigerian brothers, chasing their childhood dream, have taken things one step further.

by bird - African Stories Agency June 29, 2022June 30, 2022

Fashion & Beauty

Mauritius: A New Wave of African Print Design and Fashion Hits the Island

Michael Olawole's passion for African designs has unleashed a wave of African print fashion on the East African island nation of Mauritius. What does this say about Mauritius' relationship with the mainland?

by bird - African Stories Agency June 27, 2022June 27, 2022

Fashion & Beauty

“Dead White Man’s Clothes”: The Language of Second-hand Clothes in Africa

Second-hand clothes carry both the individual and collective identity of their origin, that is, the fashion, style, and aesthetics. As discarded and unwanted items, second-hand clothes mediate notions of dignity and well-being. As imported commodities, second-hand clothes reference the nature of trade relations between Africa and the West, and how such relations influence local production.

by Richard Oduor Oduku June 10, 2022June 11, 2022

Visual Art

A Street Art Mural in Zimbabwe Exposes a Divided Society

This continued marginalisation of Matabeleland (a region in southwestern Zimbabwe inhabited mainly by the Ndebele people) by the ZANU-PF-led government has rendered Zimbabwe so fragile a nation that even a street mural can expose its disunity.

by The Conversation June 1, 2022May 30, 2022

Book Reviews & Literary Criticism

The 100-year-old story of South Africa’s first history book in the isiZulu language

This year marks the centenary of the publication in 1922 of Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona (The Black People and Whence They Came), the first book-length history of black people written in isiZulu.

by The Conversation May 30, 2022May 30, 2022