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Africa in DC

~ Exploring African affairs and cultural events in the DMV

Africa in DC

Category Archives: entertainment

Ghanaian/Diaspora Film from Akosua Adowa Owusu at the Anacostia Arts Center

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events, Uncategorized

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Accra, Akosua Adowa Owusu, An African City, Anacostia, Esosa E, Ghana, Kwaku Ananse, My White Baby (Me Broni Ba), Parallel Film Collective, Save the Rex, Zachary Rosen

Owusu at L during Q&A

Owusu at L during Q&A

After nearly 3 1/2 years of living in DC, I visited Anacostia for the first time yesterday.  The Ghanaian-American (she is the only member of her family born in the US and I understand she has a northern VA background) filmmaker Akosua Adowa Owusu was on hand to discuss 5 (or was it 4?) of her short films at the Anacostia Arts Center (sponsored by the Parallel Film Collective).  Esosa E, who I recognized from her appearances on An African City (which I rather enjoy, although I am behind a few episodes), sat directly in front of me in the audience.

Local blogger Zach Rosen, who first brought the film and Owusu’s campaign to save the historic Rex Cinema in Accra to my attention, was also in attendance.

The Q&A covered a range of films, although Owusu’s latest, Kwaku Ananse, received top billing.  Owusu noted that this modern adaptation of a Ghanaian/diaspora fable drew inspiration from the recent passing of her own father and her trips back to Ghana.  On a similar note, she added that My White Baby, was inspired by her sister’s experience immigrating to America and being fascinated by the texture of Caucasian hair.

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Abissa 2014 was a Blast, but I Suspect Georgetown has a Segregation Problem

30 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events, Uncategorized

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#Abissa2014, AfroBeatz, AfroChique, Alphadi, American University, Georgetown race relations, Georgetown University, Haile Supreme, Stefanie Palencia, University of Maryland, Vivian Ojo

https://hoyalink.georgetown.edu/images/W460xL600/0/noshadow/Event/db03e81fd69c48f599f25d58474fd994.jpg

Kudos to the Africa Society of Georgetown for putting on an awesome cultural event last night!  The evening got off to what seemed to me to be a quintessentially catholic school start, with two white guys in jackets and ties banging on drums, but the Georgetown Percussion Ensemble was pretty talented and things only accelerated from there.  The evening consisted of various fashion shows, dances, and even a little spoken word.  Performance groups from other local universities – American University and the University of Maryland – took the stage and I also saw quite a few people wearing Howard apparel.

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Miss Cameroon USA

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events

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Capitol Heights, Hampton Conference Center, Marie-Anne Audige, Miss Cameroon USA

I had a great time at Miss Africa USA last year.  I’ve just learned that Miss Cameroon USA will be taking place at the Hampton Conference Center in Capitol Heights in a few weeks.

Tickets can be purchased here and the pageant website can be seen here.

At a first glance of the contestants, Marie-Anne Audige (seen above) from Silver Spring and an international development student would get my vote.

Southern African Lounge in Petworth – Safari, Celebrating Namibian Independence

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events, Uncategorized

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Georgia Avenue, Kizomba in DC, Kwaito in DC, Mauritius Independence, Namibia INdependence, Paul Robeson statue DC, Petworth, Safari

Photo

I’d noticed a spot known as Safari, just beyond the Paul Robeson statue and Petworth public library for awhile.  However, given my experience further up the road at Serengeti, I hadn’t paid it much mind and a Zambian acquaintance informed me that it had been closed for awhile.

To decompress, I walked home from work on Friday and happened to be on the same side of the Street as Safari.  I noticed a poster advertising Saturday dance nights.  My interest piqued, I discovered their Facebook page, advertising a party this Saturday to celebrate Namibian and Mauritian independence.  If there is indeed a spot to hear Kwaito and Kizomba on Georgia Ave, I would be delighted.  Has anyone been there?

Africa in DC Struggles Continue – Chimamanda Give me an Interview?

14 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events

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AFI Theatre, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wardrobe malfunction, Half of a Yellow Sun, New African Films Festival, Silver Spring

2013-05-29 20.02.23

My changing work status has been a primary culprit in reducing my ability to get to events and hence to develop content for the blog over the past weeks.  I had been looking forward to a busy weekend, primarily bolstered by the 10th annual New African Films Festival, which runs through Thursday at the AFI Theatre in Silver Spring.

Alas, the three screenings for Half of a Yellow Sun are all sold out.  Particularly crushing is that Sunday screenings feature a Q&A with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author of the book the film is based on and who completely won me over and got my imagination thinking of the lurid details behind a self-admitted wardrobe malfunction prior to an appearance at Politics and Prose.

Do readers have any recommendations of films I should check out?

More Mali Music in DC Next Week

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by africaindc in entertainment, Events, Uncategorized

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Boss Bistro, Bossa, Greek Spot, Imarhan Timbuktu, Mali, Malian music, Tuareg

2014-03-12 12.58.24

Malian music is quite a thing in the DMV – see my blog on this show at Tropicalia or my review of this film on a music festival in Mali produced by DC filmmakers for examples.

Today on my lunch break, I went in to the Greek Spot on U Street and saw this poster for a show next week in Adams Morgan and I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

I apologize to readers for the reduction in posts lately.  However, there’s quite a bit going on this weekend that I plan to cover, so stay tuned.

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Recent Posts

  • Vigorous Discourse on Angolan Governance at NED February 23, 2016
  • Farewell DC! April 26, 2014
  • Africa at Beltway Plaza Mall, Greenbelt MD April 23, 2014
  • Ghanaian/Diaspora Film from Akosua Adowa Owusu at the Anacostia Arts Center April 23, 2014
  • Sierra Leone Independence Celebrations in DC April 18, 2014
  • Freedom House Africa Head on Kenya’s Political Trajectory April 10, 2014
  • CSIS: A Western Journalist Speaks on the Congo and a Former US Ambassador in the DRC Obliquely Criticizes Rwanda April 4, 2014

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