#Afrika Shrine

[yearningforunity]

Afrika Shrine, Lagos, Nigeria 1970s.

Photo: Adrian Boot

[opinion247]

FELA, THE UNBEARABLE REIGNING PROPHET– BY EGUNGWU C. BENJAMIN

Due to this year's Felabration music festival themed 'Question Jam Answer,' which started on 9th and will be ending on Sunday, 15th October, 2023. I decided to pen down this commemorative piece for the musical icon.

In this piece we will discuss about how the musical festival started and the brain behind it, we will also have brief background of the music icon and information about his career and achievements.

In 1998 Felabration was conceptualized by the late Afrobeat music legend's daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti just to remember his father's legacy. How he used music as a tool to speak about bad governance , exposing the hidden skeletons in the cupboard of corrupt politicians and religious institution leaders.

The music festival is hosted once every year for seven days and people comes from different states in the country, some from different countries to celebrate the Music icon at Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Brief Background of the Music Icon

 Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti Popularly called 'Fela Anikulapo-Kuti' was born on 15th October, 1938, in Abeokuta, Ogun state, into an upper middle class family.

The Late, Chief. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was the mother of Fela. She a very popular feminist activist during the anti-colonial movement and first woman to drive a car in Nigeria back in 1951, while his father, Reverend, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, was a school principal and first president of the Nigeria Union of Teacher.

Later Fela Kuti removed 'Ransome' from his name and changed it to 'Anikulapo' meaning "He who carries death in his pouch or hands".

This will bring us to one of his hit track, that I love so much titled 'Colo-mentality'. In the song he talked about how the British sold their culture and language to us. we took everything and abandoned ours which makes us original.

In the song he said;

" If you say you be colonial man. You don be slave man before. Them don release you now. But you never release yourself. in another stanza he said;

"Dem go proud of dem name. And put dem slave name for head. No be so?… "

This can be linked to his decision to change his English name ' Ransome' to a Yoruba name 'Anikulapo'.

Fela Kuti is a cousin to the Popular writer and laureate Wole Soyinka (a Nobel Prize for Literature winner).

Brief Music Journey

Base on my research , I found out that the Music Icon was actually sent to London to study medicine just like his brothers; are all medical doctors.

He got to UK enrolled at Trinity College London where he studied classical music and became exposed to different musical sounds by playing piano in jazz and rock bands.

However, in I960s he returned to Nigeria and formed a band ' Koola Lobitos' just as he played when he was in London and Afrobeat sound started from that group through experiment and practices.

That is why he is refered to as the King of Afrobeat which is Jazz, Funk, Ghanaian/Nigerian High-life and psychedelic rock infusion.

Most of the top Afrobeat stars in the world like; Burna-Boy who claimed that his style of music is Afro-fusion. This is inspired by Fela Kuti and he affirmed to it.

During his life time while doing Music in Nigeria, he used it as an instrument to talk c on themes like; freedom, injustice, corruption and any other social vices within the country.

Due to his doggedness and ability to withstand pressure from the Military government in power, they were looking for reasons to find him guilty and jail him.

He declared himself the head of his communal compound, which he named the independent 'Kalakuta Republic'. The place got many attention due to use of drugs, indulgence in sex, polygamy support ( he married 27 women ).

It was said that 1000 soildiers raided his house,' Kalakuta Republic' in Lagos. Thy destroyed his properties and beat up everyone in there.

During the raid Fela, 's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was thrown out from the window. She sustained serious injuries and died at the General Hospital in Lagos on April 13, 1978 and most National Dailies reported the incident with the headline; “Fela’s Mum is Dead" or " Fela's House Burnt ".

This didn't make him stop his musical career or compromise his stand. He dropped more hit tracks like; “Zombie,” “Beasts of No Nation,” “Upside Down" and “Monkey Banana,”.

In his hit track " Zombie" he said; "Zombie no go walk unless you tell am to walk", Which Ironically, he was referring to the military or soldiers who doesn't do things they wish to do but they act base on order or instructions from top ranking officers.

This still remind me my days in Enugu, while still a kid, any time my mother is singing this song, just know you are suppose to do something and you haven't done it. (Smiles African parents still the best).

I referred to him as a prophet in this piece because his music his ever green. Everything he said when he was alive is still happening and even getting worse.

His music stirs ones mind to reflect on life unlike the the artist today that centers their music on sex and flamboyancy. Fela also sang about sex and having good time.

I am not against this kind of music everyone has there style of music and decision to choose what to sing about but once in a while they should use music as a tool to stir-up consciousness.

I dance and sing to the new style of songs, the artists are putting Africa in global map, Everyone is trying to identify themselves as an African but they should also remember that music is an art and should be used to convey message to educate and inform. It shouldn't be for entertainment purpose only.

I do appreciate Singers like; Falz, Tekno, Idris Abdul Kareem, Daddy Showkey, Late Sound Sultan, et-al .

[diasporaslippage]

Wolfgang Tillmans Made Kuri After his Concert at New Afrika Shrine, Lagos, 2022

[ceevee5]

“In the northern suburb of Ikeja, tucked away amid warehouses and factories, is the home of that sound, the New Afrika Shrine. This cavernous auditorium, with its corrugated metal roof and walls drained of their colour by years of humidity, is a reincarnation of the musical home of Fela Kuti, whose Afrobeat style – defined in part by the polyrhythmic drumming of Tony Allen – pointed the way to today’s Afrobeats sound. Although he died in 1997, Kuti’s life and influence are celebrated with Felabration, an annual week-long festival of music, art and politics. Ezra Collective, one of the most exciting bands to come out of Britain in years, have been invited to grace the stage at the Shrine for this year’s festival. It is more like a pilgrimage than a normal gig. Bandleader and drummer Femi Koleoso arrives at the venue by 2pm looking excited and tired: “I went back to the studio with some local musicians last night so didn’t get much sleep.” It must have been a late one as he was still dancing on the side of the stage to Made Kuti, grandson of Fela, at 1am. Clearly, he was determined not to waste a minute of the trip.”

[news2024news]

Video of 7-yr-old Seun Kuti Performing at Afrika Shrine During Fela's Album Launch in 1990 Trends http://dlvr.it/TBgRXJ

[dankusner]

Little Simz meets Erykah Badu

t-shirt VANS and shoes VANS ROWLEY XLT, jacket PRADA, shorts SUPREME, sunglasses JUDITH LEIBER, belt FOUND AND VISION and socks stylist’s own“I’m a very insular person. I’ve never been the loudest in the room”

On a cool day in May, Little Simz dials in from a flat in London.

Bare-faced, with a black T‑shirt on and her long dreadlocks tucked under a New Era cap, she’s grinning from ear to ear.

The 30-year-old – born Simbiatu ​“Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo and raised in a Yoruba household in North London – is now five albums, and multiple accolades, deep into her career.

Beloved for her soul-baring bars about romantic love, family and mental health struggles – nothing is off limits – Simz has more than proven herself to be one of UK music’s biggest stars.

But even new-gen superstars are keen to pay it back.

The reason for Simz’s smile is mirrored on her screen, a face that’s also wide with delight.

Neo-soul legend Erykah Badu is on the call from her home in Dallas, eager to chat with the musician.

With an ear for new talent (Erykah has publicly co-signed Summer Walker and Ari Lennox) and a catalogue that spans almost three decades, it makes sense that, after hearing Simz last year, the 53-year-old Texan instantly fell in love with the Brit.

“I first heard Simz through my longtime girlfriend Mimi Fresh, who lives in London,” says Erykah, who is dressed in a grey T‑shirt and has a smattering of tattoos on her arms, with a red headband keeping her signature extra-small braids away from her face. ​

“She played Gorilla [from her 2022 album No Thank You].

I was immediately caught off guard – it was refreshing.

I was like: ​“What is going on?”

Sometime later I saw the video and I thought: ​“That’s an MC right there.” Not only MCing but has mastered it, you know?”

How does that make Simz – raised on a musical diet of Erykah – feel?

​“How would it make you feel?” she exclaims, laughing into the camera.

This is somebody that I’ve known my whole life, from, like, my sisters introducing me to your music. And then later come to find out we’re both Pisces, it just [made] feel even more connected to you.”

Little Simz

ERYKAH: When’s your birthday?

SIMZ: 23rd of February.

E: I’m [on the] 26th. I guess that’s the one thing I identify with if that theory [of astrology] is true. There’s something very influential about your presence: you capture the attention of people. Maybe it was some Pisces thing.

S: Do you think that is a Pisces thing?

E: Yeah, I do. I’ve noticed that [being] born in a certain season gives you a certain type of personality and influence. Being a Pisces and meeting other Pisces, I definitely generally feel connected to how you preserve your energy and share [it]. That’s why I asked, I guess. I forgot we were both Pisces! Where did you grow up, Simz?

S: North London, a place called Essex Road, with my mother, two older sisters and my older brother – I’m the youngest of four. I’m of Nigerian heritage so my house growing up was very Nigerian: obviously the food my mum cooked, [and] she spoke to us in Yoruba. But then as soon as you leave my front door it’s like: London… Have you ever been to Nigeria?

E: I’ve been to Lagos a few times. The first time I went to visit Femi Kuti at [art and music venue] New Afrika Shrine. The next time I went on my own – I wanted to go to visit the shrine of Osun in Osogbo State. I arranged a car, I didn’t have any security or anything like that. I wasn’t even thinking in that kind of way. [I] went to the river and picked some things up out of the water, like cups and plastic straws. I was just beginning my studies of Yoruba at that time. It had to be about 20 years ago.

S: No way!

E: Yes. I got a couple of readings. [Writer and poet] Baba Ifayemi [Elebui- bon] was one of the priests who gave me a reading in Osogbo, and then another unknown priest as well. Interesting culture and readings, but I felt very familiar with it. It didn’t seem foreign to me. It just seemed like a missing piece in my life, since my family is also originally from West Africa.

S: Do you know where?

E: Cameroon. That’s what I heard. [We’re] Bamiléké, which means grass field people. So you grew up in a Nigerian world in London?

S: Very much so, everything was Nigerian. But I’ve always been a performing arts kid. I don’t think I was much [of an] academic type. I did English but anything from performing arts to music, I was very drawn to. I guess my family was very supportive in how they championed me and my creativity. They fuelled it from a very early age. I started when I was nine and it was very much if [I] wanted to do that, I could do that. Which is rare, because in Nigerian families it’s very typical for your mum or your parents to be like: ​“I want you to be a doctor or a lawyer.” Or for the guys, it’s going into engineering. [But] that was never my mum’s vibe. It was like: ​“Whatever you feel [like doing],I’m backing it, I’m supporting it.” But she did want me to have an education and have my studies intact.

THE FACE: How was the conversation when you decided to drop out of university to pursue music, Simz?

S: It wasn’t the easiest. I just had to show her [that] if I’m dropping out, I’m not gonna be a bum or do nothing in my life, you know? I’m dropping out because I really wanna have a crack at this. [For my mum it was] trusting in how you raise this person [and believing] it’s gonna work out, it’s gonna be fine. And now we’re kinda here…

E: You don’t have to say drop out, though. You can say – this is real cute, I learned this over the years – ​“I was disenchanted with my studies and I decided to go in a different direction.” You [mentioned] your mom. Did you live with your pops, too?

S: Yeah, until I was 11. [Then] him and my mum split. Also, my mum had me [when] she was 41 or something. [It was a] ​“didn’t expect me to pop out” type of situation. The doctors gave her all the reasons to not have me: ​“She’s gonna have Down’s Syndrome, you’re over 40…” All this stuff. And she ended up having me.

My siblings probably had more of a relationship with my dad than I did. In [a] way I grew up like an only child because the gap is so wide between me and [them]. I’ve not really had a relationship with my dad. Over the years [it became] the typical story of you start doing well in life and then it’s like: ​“Oh, hello…”

E: Letters from jail and shit.

S: Yeah.

E: I know the drill.

S: But I’ve chosen to protect myself and that’s it with that.

E: Uh-huh, that’s really smart. And when you feel fully ready to re-examine that relationship, I’m sure you will – because there may come a time for that. There may be questions that you have.

S: 100 per cent.

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E: Take your time. I’m the oldest. It’s the opposite of you. I have a sister who’s three years younger and a brother who’s 12 years younger, like you. [He was] the new baby, the whole new chapter of my mum’s life. As the oldest, it was me and my sister and then when he came I was like a semi-mama a little bit. Do you have a sibling that’s like the semi-mama?

S: Yup! It’s my oldest sister. Have you always been quite maternal?

E: Definitely. I don’t know how that happened. I did not see my mother being really maternal in that way. My mom was laidback and cool. My grandmothers were more maternal.

They say the first born always kind of has that gene: the leader. I’ve been there the whole time for my youngest sibling. It was a very natural thing for me to dote over him, care for him, make sure to keep him in the right.

S: Did it make for a complex relationship? With my sisters, especially in my teenage years, I started to take on this very ​“you’re not my mum” rebellious type of thing.

E: Yup, that happened. Do you think you were doing that because [your siblings] couldn’t relate to you, or is it because you needed to shake things up?

S: I was more like: ​“You was once my age, though? You never smoke a joint?” I [didn’t] understand where this holier than thou energy I was getting [came from]. I understand a lot of it now I’m older. I know a lot of it was [them being] very protective. I have a very protective family and I’m the baby, the cub, so it’s even more so – just a pack of lions [that were] super protective of me.

E: Who is the closest sibling?

S: I have seasons, but me and my brother have always had a really special bond. He is a water sign, Cancer. Our worlds very much align.

E: That’s perfect. How much older is he?

S: He’s actually gonna be 50 – he’s the first born. The gap is super wide.

E: That’s me and you.

S: Yeah, literally.

shirt PROCELL, t-shirt JAWARA ALLEYNE, shorts SUPREME, shoes VANS PREMIUM AUTHENTIC 44, bracelet LAURA LOMBARDI and necklaces FOUND AND VISION

E: You can see where I’ve been and I can see where you’re going. I could see where that’s relatable. Cuz I don’t quite feel like you’re 30 and I’m 50. I don’t quite feel like a mom [talking] with a 30-year-old – even though my son will be 27 this year. I still feel like an older sister to a 30-year-old.

S: Where was you at when you was 30?

E: I was just starting my record career. I got signed [at] about 25 and my first album [Baduizm] dropped at 26. I was coming out with my second album in 2000 when I was [almost] 30, Mama’s Gun. I was trying to figure out if I was right or wrong at that time because you just don’t know, you know? Things happen for you, to you and around you at 30. Am I grown or am I a child?

At that point you’re releasing a lot of different hormones, depending on your gender, and you are beginning to own your life: ​“Oh, I’m responsible for this. Oh, I made that.” You’re taking responsibility for things. That’s [also] when the guilt starts to kick in. At 40 is when you release the guilt. But it’s a whole life, you’ll see. [At 30] are you noticing your frustration or [feeling like you’re] being pulled in two different directions: spiritually, mentally?

S: Yeah, it’s [been] the most transitional – but blatantly transitional. I can feel everything about me is shifting and it’s somewhat uncomfortable. But I understand I’ve also been called to do something, you know? It’s never a ​“why me?” thing. But it feels like a lot and I don’t have all the answers for things – sometimes I feel like people expect me to. I’m still transitioning. But I do also feel like a new burst of something, I feel more energised. I’m more accepting of challenges. [Especially] now that I know life will constantly be presenting them. In my twenties it was like, what? A [negative] hit from here and a hit from here, but now I understand: oh, it’s life – that constantly happens.

E: [How] has your family, values, religion, customs [helped you] in those situations? And what are those traditions?

S: My mum is a very Muslim woman, very religious. I grew up in that way, so she obviously had intentions for me to really become that. But over the years she’s embraced my feelings towards religion and spirituality. I’m a very insular person. I’ve never been the loudest in the room. I’ve never been extroverted. I find comfort in writing, [and that] stemmed from early. Even when I used to ask my mum [if I could] stay at someone’s house, I used to write it in the form of a letter. It’s just always been easier for me to write things down.

E: Are there any particular practices your mum taught you all that you find yourself leaning on, or reaching back out to?

S: Prayer, for sure. And listening to God. I guess the other term for that would be meditation. When you pray it’s your opportunity to speak to God and when you meditate you listen. Speaking and listening to God, it was installed from early. Even until this day, my mum is very much aware that I have my own personal relationship with God. I guess she still really wants me and God to be the best of friends. It’s maybe because her experiences in life have been tough and her faith and her relationship with God are really what’s carried her through. She understands the importance of that relationship and wants that for me.

E: Do you noticeably feel calmer and more at peace when you’re surrounded by your family [or] friends at events and things?

S: Yeah. Especially because I’m a quiet person and sometimes I fear that’s read as antisocial or stand-offish, even though that is not my vibe at all. If there’s nothing to talk about [then] I’m not gonna talk. But because my family and friends know this so much about me, I just relax with it. But then, because I know them well, I do come out of my shell and it’s funny… What’s something that binds your family? Is it food? Music?

E: It’s comedy – we grew up in a house [watching and listening to] Richard Pryor. It’s our whole family’s coping mechanism. We gonna joke about the shit that ain’t supposed to be funny constantly. [Say] it’s an earthquake outside, we joking! ​“Get down!” It’s how we relate, it’s how we bond. My family’s sense of humour is very morbid and silly. My grandmother Thelma was the matriarch of the house. She passed away at 93 [two] or three years ago. Now my mother, Queenie, is the matriarch, then I’m next. So I’m like: ​“Oh, my God…” Usually we move into the family house, [which] is the house we still have.

S: Is that traditional in your family?

E: Yes. This is the third generation. I would be the fourth. [First] it was my great-grandmother, Odessa…Then I’m the oldest girl so it’ll be me, or my sister, three years younger [than me], to take over that place. That’s a very important space and place. I’m 50 so I think about that now. Are you interested in having a family of your own? Because not everyone is.

S: Definitely. I think that’s wicked. Kids are the greatest blessing, I’d love to be able to give a child my love and not necessarily my thoughts. Teach them to be free thinkers and individuals and stand on their own, but give them unconditional love and care. The fact that you’re blessed enough to do that, I think you should. And hopefully that is in my path at the right time, hopefully with the right person if that’s also my path.

But 100 per cent, especially [since] I’ve got nieces and nephews. I have the best relationship with them. I’m very present in their lives and even seeing how they grow up together, I love the idea of having a community within a family. There’s a younger lot and then there’s me and my cousins that all grew up together. Now we’re in our thirties, there are conversations that are different. Then there’s my mum and my aunties. I like that within the family. But [ultimately] we’re all one. Did you know how many [children] you wanted to have?

E: I wanted to have seven. I have three biological children, two nieces and two nephews, so it gives me seven. But I always wanted to have seven and I named my first son Seven so I could count down backwards. But it didn’t quite work out like that! I had other kids in between those kids, which were [my albums] Baduizm, Mama’s Gun, New Amerykah Part One [2008] and Two [2010]. I have to ask you a funny question… When you started to do well in your career, did you notice that the family started to act shifty when it comes to your money and your shit?

S: I try not to decipher what that is. Also, I’ve had a weird relationship with money myself. It’s like this fear of: never wanna go broke, never wanna go broke, never wanna go broke. So: never wanna spend, never wanna spend, never wanna spend. But [I’m] happy obviously – if anyone needs whatever, I’m here. [But] I think I’ve had to learn: ​“No.”

E: You had to learn ​“no”. I was thinking the other day: when I became an entertainer – or, got a record deal and had a certain amount of success – nobody in my family was thinking about being famous or thinking about money. We didn’t have the internet. We didn’t have cellphones. I had one of the first cellphones in my family besides one of my mama’s boyfriends in the ​’80s – he had that big phone that you can put in the car with you and carry around in the suitcase. But that’s a whole other life [and] my family was not thinking about that. Then all of a sudden y’all thinking about it. Y’all got your mind on money and fame now!

THE FACE: How did that change you?

E: The only thing that changed really about me was how other people treated me, which made me have to behave a certain way. Which is hilarious when it comes to family. Because it’s so obvious to me which family members feel a little envious. Which ones feel a little, you know, needy.

It got to the point where I had to create a message from my answering machine on my phone. It’s called the Erykah Badu Hotline. It says: ​“Hello, you have reached the Erykah Badu Hotline. If you callin’ for Erykah, press one. If you callin’ to ask for some shit and know she really don’t fuck with you like that, press two. If you callin’ and askin’ her…” There’s about 12 of them. I had to do that just to let people know. I am very aware that things are different and that I have some shit that y’all need. I had to find my place in my success and my family had to find their space in that success. How do you manage?

S: That’s so mad. I don’t tell no one what I’m doing, what I’m up to, what moves I’m about to make. I move low. Whereas sometimes my family, because they’re proud, they have a habit of just discussing [things]. I’ve had to say to them: ​“Protect me.” It was like: ​“Say no more.”“I can be impulsive – if I want it, I want it to be done now”

Little Simz

E: I feel that. I feel like I kind of move in silence as well… I found myself in my early thirties where you are, [not needing] anybody. I had my career – I mean, the whole world was applauding. I didn’t need my family as much [but] they were in my life. My grandmother was my publicist, my other grandmother was my historian – at one time she was my accountant. My mom helped me with my children, my sister was a personal assistant, my brother did merch. Everybody had a place.

S: That’s so interesting. And how was that, working with family? Do you think it’s tricky?

E: It’s tricky because they come with these different personalities and you think family just means loyalty. I got family members that are so loyal to the point where they sacrifice their own feelings for some things that I would want to do. Then I got family members that will say it out loud: ​“I will kick your ass.” There will be a time, I guess I’m saying, where you may be estranged, you know, in order to find a piece of yourself and it’s necessary. But no matter how great you become to the world, you are always – and this is refreshing – little Simma to your family. And they are my asshole checkers. They make sure that I’m not going too far off the deep end. That’s what I appreciate a lot.

S: Every artist has an ego because they’re artists. How much do you lean into that? And do you know when to remove it?

E: Ego is a more intricate thing than I thought it was. Ego is not just a part of your personality that is needy. Ego needs an identity, it needs a conflict, it needs all these things to help it to continue to identify this character that you’ve become. It’s deeper than that because it starts to take over in my mind. The ego wants to hold on to anything that gives it the identity. That feeds it. When they say you can feed the two wolves, whichever one you feed is the one that will become strongest. I feel that leaning back on my family values helped me to make better decisions. Is there anything you’re struggling with in your memory, your mind or your egoic self that you feel you would want to let go of? That does not further your evolution as Simma?

S: Definitely letting go of things. Subconsciously I’ve grown up in a home where, let’s say, my mum hoards stuff – just never [wants to] let go of things. And I understand the sentiment. I understand it’s a memory and it traces back to this. But I’m trying to practise letting go and getting out of the way, especially in my creative process.

THE FACE: Can you explain more about ​“getting out of the way” of your music and art?

S: Sometimes I get in the way and it’s not necessary. To be a vessel is to truly allow something to pass through you. Even if you don’t understand it in that moment, allow it to pass through you and let go of control. It’s OK to take charge. Like we were saying earlier, you realise you’re responsible for all the makings and the doings in your life. But I think as well, there is such a thing as allowing things to be and seeing things through. I’ve had so many songs where I’ve got to the end and done something different, like: ​“Those two lines is a whole other song and actually that’s what it is. But [that wouldn’t have] happened if I didn’t see it through…” [Also] learning to be a bit more patient. I can be impulsive – if I want it, I want it to be done now. I don’t like waiting on people. I’ll just do it myself. But taking time, sleeping on things [is also good]. I wake up in the morning and think: actually, I don’t even feel like that anymore. I’m glad that I slept on it.

THE FACE: How creatively useful is it, meeting with and talking with a figure like Erykah, an artist a generation ahead of you?

S: I think something I would really benefit from is to be [more] honest, [have] more conversations like this. Sometimes I come into spaces and I like asking questions and genuinely love being a sponge, soaking up information – especially when the person is fascinating or has an interesting story, I just wanna know. I wanna learn. I would love more spaces to be held where I can ask questions about things like you said – you’ve been through it and [now] I’m going through it. Not to say you’re gonna tell me to do it this way or I’m totally gonna follow your path. But knowledge that isn’t shared is almost wasted. Whatever I do with that information is up to me. But to be able to know, or to be able to be shown that isn’t the only way, would be helpful to my life in general. What about you?

E: I’m a collector like your mama. I always keep gifts that the fans give me because they took the time to do it. I just don’t like to throw it away. It’s symbolic to me in some way. [But] I’m learning to find another way to see that, as I’m getting crowded out with all of the things because I appreciate them so much. I remember at the very beginning of my career, in 1997 – 98, when people wanted to meet you, when you’re a new artist [at] meet and greets, I would stay to the very end.

They would be stacking chairs on the table and I would stay to the last person, writing things on their paper, on their dollar, or whatever they wanted me to sign! It started out [with] me writing their name, then a: ​“Thank you so much, I really appreciate you. You’re gonna do great and thank you for sharing your life with me in this moment.” Now my shit just be like ​“EB”! But I still have the same energy. I still have the same feeling. I’m just learning to spin it smarter and not work as hard… [But] I always want to give you the most because I’m so appreciative of these people listening to this little girl from South Dallas. It’s me. I’m just Erykah.

THE FACE: From that knowledge, experience and insight, Erykah, do you have any advice for Simz?

E: Don’t believe these negative things people say about you – and believe only half of the good things, because everyone has an agenda. Don’t lose focus of your inner voice. You guys are up against a lot of adversity with social media. I sometimes wanna just jump through the phone on people.

I had to learn [that] these people [online] don’t know you and everybody has an opinion… But [with] all of those things, people are on a mission to chain us down, to prove us wrong, to prove that you’re just as regular as I am. To prove that what you’re doing is not dynamic. But I could see through it: they want to investigate your shortcomings more than they do the things that are great about you. My advice: that don’t matter at all. And I know everybody says that. But it’s a real thing.

S: It’s mad because I really needed to hear that actually. I’m mad sensitive, you know? To everything around me and especially things that are directed at me. [When] it’s a direct attack on my character… for what?

E: You could make the most positive post in the world, but they gonna find something. They gonna tell you: ​“That’s good but you didn’t do this.” Or: ​“You’re not passionate about that. How you gonna do this and you don’t do that?” I’m like: who the fuck? Why y’all in all of my business like this? Social media has given people such an opinion.

S: It’s given them balls. I’m also from a place of: pull up and say it. All this behind the screen stuff? I’m not into it. If I see you in real life we can have a conversation. But I definitely don’t subscribe to that whole [online commenting]. It’s a bit cowardly and, yeah, it’s not my vibe.

E: We definitely not in a pull-up-and- say-it culture right now. I tried that once. I put my location on. I’m like: why did I do that?

S: Really?

E: A long time ago, when I was a young internet-er, back in 2013 or so.

S: Did anyone show up?

E: Nah, no-one showed up.

THE FACE: Erykah, Simz – thank you both for your time. We know you’re busy women and have stuff to do but, before you go, do you each have anything more to say?

E: I guess I would say: I’m your family. I want to extend to you my love and information, wherever that is. Like I said, comedy is my coping mechanism, so you just have to get used to that style. But I’m so happy that I had an opportunity to meet you – and especially have this conversation about family, as we’re becoming family. We got a lot of things to do. I’m so happy we ran into each other [again] at the Met Gala just a couple of weeks ago.

S: Even that! Obviously my body, everything within me, is like: go and say hi! But it’s already a blessing to be in the presence of you [and] I also feel like, if God wants this to happen, he’ll make it happen. And I stepped out, left the party, had my cigarette outside, come back and then boom – you were there. Even to now be having a conversation like this: it must have been written, you know what I mean? Hopefully we have many more.

E: Well, it’s so funny that I got this call to do the interview because two weeks before this, I hit you [saying]: ​“Send me that instrumental to Gorilla.” And you sent it in 48 seconds. So I’m working on something for you. I got a song for us, too. Me and [the producer] Alchemist working on something. I just want to feel that energy you are igniting. It’s really cool. And I think everybody should hear you. It’s ill. Your flow is ill, your wordplay’s ill, your timbre, everything is live. You got a huge, huge, huge, huge future – possibilities are endless for you. And I’m gonna be there to see it.

S: Thank you for doing this, man. I’m just mad grateful, tenfold. And as well, even if I can be of service, I can give however [I can], I can contribute, I’m here [for you] as well. I’m really, really happy we was able to cross paths.

E: This is the beginning of a beautiful one.

HAIR Chantelle Fuller MAKEUP Amirah Ajikawo PRODUCTION Tann Services PRODUCER Katherine Bampton LIGHTING DIRECTOR Eduardo Silva PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT Fallou Seck STYLIST ASSISTANTS Zakkai Jones, Alexandria Smith and Jagger Cruz

[nirvnabj]

Photo of the Week: Queens of Afrobeat

Afrobeat Queens – kate Onome, Jumoke Adigun and Anthonia Bernards – Eyes of a Lagos Boy 2024 The Kalakuta Queens are some of the most colorful costumed beings the eye can behold. Afrobeat queens are dancers and support vocalists, they are a major part of an Afrobeat ensemble at the Afrika Shrine, or any concert venue where afrobeat is performed live. These women work closely with the lead…

[wise-journey]

Welcome to Lagos

Welcome to Lagos, Nigeria's pulsating city filled with rich culture, energy, and an irresistible charm. Nestled on the beautiful Atlantic coastline, Lagos is a paradise for wanderers, hobbyists, and adventure seekers. From its bustling local markets to its serene beaches, stunning architecture to its delightful cuisine, Lagos offers a beautiful bouquet of experiences that will etch your heart and soul.

When to Go

The city experiences a tropical savanna climate with two seasonal shifts; the dry and wet season. . The dry season between November and March is the most favorable time to visit as the weather remains pleasant and several festivals & events are held during this period.

How to Get There

The main portal to Lagos is the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with numerous international airlines operating direct flights from major cities across the globe. . Upon arrival, you will find taxis and ride-sharing services readily available for city transportation.

Where to Stay

From luxury to budget, Lagos provides a diverse range of accommodations. For a luxury stay, consider the city's exquisite five-star hotels boasting stunning views of the mighty Atlantic Ocean. If you're on a budget, guesthouses and hostels in neighborhoods like Victoria Island and Ikoyi are great picks. .

Culture

Lagos' culture is a splendid fusion of tradition and modernity. . It houses a wealth of artifacts and artworks narrating Nigeria's intriguing history. The New Afrika Shrine offers a rhythmic experience of traditional music and dance while paying homage to the legendary musician Fela Kuti.

Gastronomy

Embark on a culinary journey in Lagos with its tantalizing array of dishes. At Eko Atlantic City, a plethora of trendy restaurants serve both local and international cuisines. . For a more authentic taste, visit Balogun or Lekki markets for street food.

Activities

Lagos offers myriad activities. . Embark on a boat ride to Tarkwa Bay Beach for sunbathing, water sports, or simple relaxation. Art enthusiasts shouldn't miss the Nike Art Gallery, showcasing an extensive collection of African art.

Nightlife

The city comes alive after dark offering a pulsating nightlife scene. . Dance away at Quilox Nightclub or soak in the eclectic music scene at Bogobiri House hosting live performances.

Transport

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Taxify are the easiest way to navigate through the city. For a local experience, hop on a 'danfo', a yellow minibus.Embrace the city's energetic hustle, but be prepared for heavy traffic during rush hours.

Shopping

Lagos offers shopping experiences from traditional markets to modern malls. . For a more luxurious experience, try The Palms Shopping Mall or Ikeja City Mall.

Tips

- Embrace the city's energy and be open to its vibrant life. - Dress comfortably for the weather and respect local customs. - Engage with the warm and hospitable locals. From a stunning coastline to a rich cultural heritage, Lagos is a city that leaves you with unforgettable memories. . Let the spirit of Lagos captivate you as you explore its hidden gems. Read the full article

[differentwombatluminary]

Cultural Greetings in Africa

Inhaltsverzeichnis

African americans

Greetings in Northern African countries

great service

These figures embody a classic tension in Urhobo aesthetics – they are fearsome to humans, but beautiful to the spirits. This figure, which has a hollow core, may have been used as a reliquary—a container for human remains—among the Bembe people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The family of an important member of the Bembe elite would have commissioned and displayed it.

Africa is much more than destination to us - it is our home, our family, our passion. The most common sign of greeting in Africa is the handshake.The handshake should be firm and you should look straight into the eyes of the person greeting you. There are some cultures however where the women are not allowed to interact freely with the men, so don’t take this as a bad sign if you run into such a situation.

Sculpted out of wood, the dog has been carefully covered in animal fur, creating a graphic mimetic effect. The dog’s tail stands nearly upright, signaling a commanding and attentive posture. Most striking, however, are the antelope horns, stuffed with medicinal substances, videobotschaft aus afrika as well as the metal blades that have been affixed throughout the dog’s trunk and underbelly. This wooden figure depicts a female with a strikingly large, balloon-shaped animal skin sack tied above the crown of her head.

The royal court of Benin and other Nigerian officials have been demanding their return for decades. The act or process of restoring or returning human remains or cultural artifacts to their country of origin. The pandemic has exacerbated several ongoing global challenges. The intense wave of infections in China has impacted up to 900 million people.

Want to know more? Wish Happy Birthday with the video message of African Boys

Through this service, you can count on us to guide you in every step of the process. Treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind adventure you’ll never forget. So contact us today to make sure you don’t miss out on the trip of a lifetime. Africa is a dream destination in every sense – home to unforgettable wild animals, extraordinary scenery and beautiful people.

As an epidemiologist and infectious disease doctor, I focus my work on analyzing infectious disease transmission through multiple forms of data.

Shrine figures could be installed in pairs of male and female, which together manifested the martial power and fecundity of the spirits.

And because they depend on public resources to help them reach the city, they often miss appointments when roads to their villages are flooded by rain or the vehicle provided by SESAI isn't available to pick them up.

Some people who recover from COVID-19 infection have other lingering and often debilitating conditions.

They'll learn from it and use it to contribute their ideas. Local governments, I wish you'd pay for that free access to lead to a free flow of education and ideas. This greeting is used when a young person is greeting a significantly older person. Young people everywhere like to make language sound cool. We send each video to the client individually by email with a link to Google Drive.

African americans

A medicine bundle carrying feathers and a horn hangs behind the figure's back. This particularkakudjiis emblematic of the northern style of Kusu woodcarving. Its large belly suggests pregnancy and therefore evokes maternity, fecundity, procreation, and the continuation of the family line. Most remarkable, however, is the massive animal skin balloon resting on top of the female’s head; this pouch, along with its embedded horn, contains ingredients specially crafted by the medium to activate and energize the spirit within. The crown of the head, and to be more precise, the fontanelle, is regarded as the site of communication with spirit entities. This power figure, orkakudji, is attributed to the Kusu from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

My wish for 2023 is for more investments in long COVID research and provision of support to sufferers. And I wish that efforts to document experiences of long COVID should be extended to Africa. Ensure that the most rural of the rural can connect to the internet for free and in locations from schools to libraries to parks to bus stops.

Each case study is updated regularly as we find out more about the histories and potential paths forward for each of the artworks. Please check back regularly to follow our research as it develops in real time. An in-public investigation into 11 African works of art from UMMA’s collection. Perhaps more pertinently, Morocco's success should hopefully inspire other African teams and provide a blueprint for how to harness talent. At the time, we didn't know which teams would reach Qatar from the CAF qualifying program, although we tipped Algeria, Senegal and Nigeria among the hot contenders to break new ground at the global showpiece. With 2023 firmly underway, ESPN's Ed Dove looks ahead to the coming 12 months and reveals his big wishes for African football this year.

Iranian women are protesting for the right to make their own choices. Taliban leaders in Afghanistan instituted a nationwide ban on girls' education. Discouraging as these realities may be, my wish is for people to remember that courage is stronger than fear. Just One Africa’s mission is to partner with local leaders to create sustainable solutions for orphans and vulnerable children and the clean water crisis. Our vision is to inspire the individual to effect change, resulting in thriving communities with access to clean water and capable of providing for their basic needs.

Greetings in Northern African countries

The duration of the video recording with wishes is seconds. To extend the duration of the video for an additional fee, contact us by email. We prefer to not simply be a click and book company, rather, we are genuinely interested in a tailored safari experience the exceeds your expectations.If you have any questions, simply reach out. Every trip taken through Wishing for Africa, helps sustain this dream.

However, there's been a lack of transparency from CAF about where the financial support for the project will come from, not to mention exactly how a single league will fairly represent and remunerate a confederation with 54 member federations. There's doubtless immense potential in African club football, and there's cautious enthusiasm on the continent about the prospect of a new, lucrative, pan-continental league. The North Africans, led by FA President Fouzi Lekjaa, have invested in the Mohammed VI Academy, in footballing infrastructure, the logistics around the national team, and the competitive domestic league to help Morocco punch above their weight. Our first wish for 2023 is that the Atlas Lions can build on that remarkable performance to ensure their campaign in Qatar is not an isolated success but rather the beginning of a marvellous cycle. Celebrated across various countries in the African continent, the occasion of Africa Day is the yearly commemoration of foundation of Organization of African Unity.

I highly recommend their services if you're looking for a way to surprise anyone at a special occasion. It would be great to have a space for additional requests, such as emphasizing more muscle or something else. The people in my video didn't seem as motivated as in the Instagram videos, but it's not a big issue in my opinion.

I hope people learn to forgive or go easy on themselves for what they did in their survival mode during the pandemic, then work to heal and move on. This is very essential to our holistic wellness as a society. Taking care of oneself shouldn't be seen as selfishness but as self-preservation and not necessarily "me first" but "me too." May 2023 be good to us all. Especially now, when women's rights are worsening around the world.

[yearningforunity]

New Afrika Shrine, a club in Lagos, Nigeria.

Photo: Sunday Alamba/AP

[premimtimes]

YK at 60: Salute to the heartbeat of Afrobeat, By Lanre Arogundade 

…if we speak of the Kuti family in terms of the unity of love that binds them today, despite tensions of the past, the ultimate credit must go to Yeni. Her deeper insights and perceptiveness that no sacrifice was too small or too big to sustain the radical Kuti legacy in general and Fela’s revolutionary one in particular, have been the magic wand. It was as if even in the thick of battle, the…

[upinfame]

Afrobeat-Amusing Things About AfroBeat You Never Knew

Afrobeat-Amusing Things About AfroBeat You Never Knew

AFROBEAT is one of the popular music genres from the past 40 years to my own observation  Music has lived with humans from the beginning of human history and even before human being existence, which is to say that music is part of life. Africans see music as even more relevant to life in such a way that they use music in all their life happenings, afrobeat has been the leading type of music from…

[nirvnabj]

Made Kuti set to blow off the roof at the Afrika Shrine

Made Kuti set to blow off the roof at the Afrika Shrine

Made and Femi Kuti – Afrika Shrine Lagos, photo by Bolaji Alonge/Eyes of a Lagos Boy Afrobeat scion, Made Kuti and his band The Movement, are putting on a one-of-a-kind showcase at the New Afrika Shrine Lagos on Friday from 7pm, 14 May. Themed ‘A Night with Made Kuti and the Movement’, it is billed to be the first full show of the band at the arena that has seen Made play different instruments…

[noinvitenyc]

messages + wise words from the shrine

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

Let’s bring back awkward but cute Macron “dancing” at the New Afrika Shrine!

[nigerianeye]

#EndSARS: Police threaten to shut down New Afrika Shrine, says Seun Kuti https://nigerianeyez.blogspot.com/2020/11/endsars-police-threaten-to-shut-down.html