Music in Africa Foundation honors Eric Wainaina
Kenyan musician Eric Wainaina was feted with the 2018 Music In Africa Honorary Award at the opening of the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) on Thursday night.
The award which aims to recognise the outstanding contribution of notable musicians to their home country’s industry and that of Africa as a whole, was last awarded to Baaba Maal of Senegal. Wainaina is well known for his politically charged songs and his song “Nchi Ya Kitu Kidogo” has become an anthem for anti-corruption over the years. Speaking at the opening gala, Wainaina said "I’m honored to be counted worthy of the award. Kenya has a lot of talent and I encourage government agencies tasked with promoting art to give a clear guide on the criteria they use. We just came from Broadway where we staged the first Kenyan theatrical performance. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive much support from the government and I feel we missed a major opportunity to really brand Kenya.”
The month of April is a significant month in South Africa as it brings the remembrance of its first democratic election back in 1994. With it, brings the exciting buzz of ‘freedom’ in the country, and what better way to show true liberation than by reflecting and witnessing the country’s cultural scene during the month of April
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The board of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) has officially introduced and welcomed their new Chief Executive officer, Ashraf Johaardien who joined the organization on 01 March, 2019. He has taken over from the successful leadership and legacy of Nicola Danby, and then, Michelle Constant after two decades. Nonetheless, Ashraf’s fundamental background in artistry and arts administration has made him a suitable candidate for the position, and has given him the potential to drive BASA towards more success.
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The South African culture and creative industries was dealt a terrible blow with the killing of Sibusiso Khwinana, one of the lead actors in the home-grown film, Matwetwe. His unfortunate and untimely passing at such a tender age has deprived the country and the arts community of his raw talent. In part, due to his and co-actors, the film is reported to have made the top 10 most watched films in South Africa.
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The power of arts and culture to change minds was in sharp focus last week as South African finance minister Tito Mboweni outlined the country’s ‘soft power’ investment plan for 2019.
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April Gig-Guide: cultural events not to be missed!
The month of April is a significant month in South Africa as it brings the remembrance of its first democratic election back in 1994. With it, brings the exciting buzz of ‘freedom’ in the country, and what better way to show true liberation than by reflecting and witnessing the country’s cultural scene during the month of April
How South Africa Can Grow Its Gaming Industry?
In 2018, the global gaming industry consisted of 2.3 billion consumers, who spent nearly US$ 138 billion on games. Research done two years ago showed that there were more than 11m gamers in South Africa.
Business and Arts South Africa Welcomes New CEO
The board of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) has officially introduced and welcomed their new Chief Executive officer, Ashraf Johaardien who joined the organization on 01 March, 2019. He has taken over from the successful leadership and legacy of Nicola Danby, and then, Michelle Constant after two decades. Nonetheless, Ashraf’s fundamental background in artistry and arts administration has made him a suitable candidate for the position, and has given him the potential to drive BASA towards more success.
Highlights Of Some Of Our Research Produced Since October Last Year
The report was aimed at exploring South Africa’s cultural goods trade with selected African countries between 2007 and 2017, with reference to the current cultural policy environment at the continental and regional level affecting such trade. The UNESCO (2009) Framework for Cultural Statistics is used to identify cultural goods, with trade data sourced from UN Comtrade (2018). This study is thus important in the light of South Africa’s signing of the Agreement (AfCFTA) to establish the Continental Free Trade Area in July 2018.
Executive Direction
These past few months have seen some good momentum gained in providing direction to the research outputs of the South African Cultural Observatory. In the same vein, the inputs for the Research Agenda have expanded the research possibilities for the Observatory and the sector as a whole.
