Ghanaian Independence Celebrations in DC

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Chris Attoh, GH4GH, Ghana independence celebration DC, Ghana independence in DC, Ghanian independence in DMV

Over the next few days, there are a number of events in the DMV celebrating the independence of Ghana from colonial rule.  One of the most interesting to me (on paper at least) is the above event tomorrow at Ozio, sponsored by GH4GH which has a fashion and dance show.  My health is still not in order so I’ll probably have a quite end of week (one of a myriad of reasons my posting frequency has dropped recently).

For those who want to get down in the suburbs, see the poster below for an event featuring Chris Attoh, who I’m not familiar with, but I understand is a well-known Ghanian actor.

Africa in Silver Spring: Upcoming Movies and Entertainment Awards

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AFI, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Half of a Yellow Sun, Liberia, Lumumba, Montgomery Community College, New African Films Festivaal, Politics & Prose, Raoul Peck, Silver Spring, TransAfrica Forum

On a walk to Silver Spring today I passed by the Montgomery Community College which had an announcement for the Liberian Entertainment Awards this Saturday scrolling outside its performing arts center for all passersby on Georgia Avenue to see.

A few minutes later I passed by the AFI Theatre where TransAfrica Forum’s 10th annual New African Films festival will screen in a few weeks.  Half of a Yellow Sun, the film adaptation of a book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (who has me thoroughly mesmerized after I saw her at Politics & Prose in May) will be screening as part of it and AFI also has a film introspective by Raoul Peck coming soon.  Peck has made a film on Lumumba, and as I recall, he is a Haitian who grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Africa in DC: 2/22 Entertainment Events – Liberian Entertainment Awards and Namibian Community Event

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Herero Genocide, Liberian Entertainment Awards, Montgomery Community College, namibia, Silver Spring, We are Proud to Present, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

I won’t be able to attend either of these events next weekend, but they both look very good, albeit a bit pricey with each coming in at $40.

The Liberian Entertainment Awards (LEA) will be held on February 22 at Montgomery Community College in Silver Spring.  LEA was the subject of my first ever post, which should give you a good sense of what to expect for this year’s event.

The same day, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and the DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs are collaborating to host the President of the Ovaherero Genocide in a Q&A immediately following the performance of We are Proud to Present…, which examines the attempts of colonial German forces to exterminate the Herero in what is now known as Namibia.

‘A Classical People Deserve a Classical Art’: Hugh Masekela and Howard University Honor Nelson Mandela

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Akua Allrich, Apartheid, Ebrahim Rasool, Howard Dodson, Howard University, Hugh Masekala, jazz, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Larry Willis, Nelson Mandela, South Africa, South Africa poet laureate

Masekala performing with Mandela slide in background. Several of the slides had Mandela in rugby garb.

Like coffee, jazz is not particularly my thing, but I’m quite pleased that the same friend who took me to Harrar Roastery convinced  me to go just a bit further down the street yesterday to Howard University and hear Hugh Masekela, South African jazz musician and activist perform ‘A Musical Tribute to Mandela.’  Masekala and a variety of performers capped off Howard University’s Mandela Day, which celebrated the 24th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990.

The ‘Entangled Vocabularies’ of Afrofuturism at the Goethe Institute

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Adejoke Tugbiyele, Afrofuturism, Afronauts, Daniel Kojo Schrade, Janelle MOnae, Kenya, Nigeria, Nigeria homophobia, queer Nigeria, Sun Ra, Will Smith

Yesterday evening I went to a very interesting event at the Goethe Institute on Afrofuturism in Short films.  The event served as a sort of launch for a Goethe Institute exhibit on Afrofuturism that is on display for the month of February.  Goethe appears to hold quite an interest in the continent as I have also been there to attend a screening of the African Diaspora International Film Festival.

YAP is Back

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Antenna, Azonto, Current RoseBar, DC Africa Happy Hour, Dj Kweks, YAP

The Young African Professional networking evenings have been absent from the DC – Africa scene for quite awhile.  I believe the last one I attended was back in the summer.  Networking is not my forte, and I did not recognize too many folks, but the indefatigable doyen of Sino – African affairs was one of those in the audience and he had dance moves that completely outclassed mine at the inaugural 2014 YAP yesterday.

Unlike previous YAP events, there was no speaker and DJ Kweks featured prominently.  Attendance was probably the largest of any YAP event I have been to.  I was surprised by the amount of reggae played.  I was fairly subdued for a good part of the night, but I became particularly excited when Kweks played the track ‘Antenna‘.