Dynamic Africa
Formerly, "This is Africa/fyeahAfrica".
(Profile Photo by Mama Casset)
DISCLAIMER:
I do not endorse any of the products or opinions shared on this site, nor do I claim any of the work posted here to be my own - except where stated. All posts originally made by me are credited. If no credit is given then the work is either my own/written by me or reblogged from another source.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME:
Student, 24
Based in Cape Town, South Africa
From Lagos, Nigeria
Want to advertise through us? Send an email to dynamicafricablog@gmail.com
(As an unemployed media student, all donations go into ensuring my survival in this cruel world and future projects I hope to embark on).
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(since Oct. 21th 2012)
Al Jazeera South2North host Redi Tlhabi interviews some of Africa’s most influential and powerful women, including Malawian President Joyce Banda - Africa’s second woman president, and South Africa medical doctor, business woman, activist and politician Dr Mamphela Ramphele about their transformative and historical roles.
Powerful and interesting commentary.
Mozambique:
“Two Makua women of northern Mozambique in the late 19th century wearing head scarves known as lenço and wrap around cloth capulana. The ‘Paisley’ pattern worn by the woman on the left became immensely popular in eastern Africa because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew nut which symbolises wealth and fertility.
The cashew nut is a major source of income in eastern and southern Africa which is one reason why the ‘Paisley’ pattern on textiles became immensely popular because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew. From the mid-nineteenth century, printed textiles in eastern and southern Africa, where slavery was not officially abolished until 1897, were increasingly worn as a sign of proud emancipation, freedom and personal prosperity.” From: zeitgeistafrica.com
Stills from Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye’s 1997 feature length film Mossane.
Mossane is a beautiful 14-year-old girl who has just reached marriageable age in a village in Senegal. She has many suitors, including a simple-minded farmer’s son who plans to drag her away. Even her own brother Ngor is in love with her.
However she is in love with Fara, a poor student who has returned to the village, while the university is on strike.
At birth, she had been promised in marriage to Diogoye, who went away to work in France. Diogoye, who supplied her parents with many things over the years, has now sent a dowry, and asked that she be married to him in the village in his absence; she would then be sent to France.
Tara Durotoye is convinced that consistency plus the grace of God have been the keys to her success. Durotoye is the founder and CEO of Nigeria’s House of Tara International, a makeup company she started in her early twenties by going from door to door doing Bridal makeup. Durotoye admits that when she started, she had no idea that House of Tara would grow to compete with International brands in Nigeria. In fact, she struggled to get financing in the beginning during the late 90s; ”a lot of banks were very reluctant to finance our business, because they did not understand the business model. It was a new business in Nigeria, so you see we were pioneering,” she says. Many banks did not want to take the risk with the concept, there were too many unanswered questions:
Why would she sell her own makeup brand when International ones existed?
Why would anyone want to buy her brand of makeup?
Why would people pay to have their makeup done when they could do it themselves?
Even without funding, Durotoye was not defeated. “Look within, you always have enough to start,” says Durotoye. That positive attitude helped her to think of creative ways to grow the business until they finally got funding. She recalls that the story was inspirational but more importantly, they had the facts and figures to back it up. All of the previous questions were slowly being answered as House of Tara went from strength to strength each year. It did not happen overnight but House of Tara has grown into a full-fledged beauty brand for African women with its own line of products, 11 branches across Nigeria and training schools for aspiring makeup artists. In addition, House of Tara allows young women to become distributors, over 15 years, they have recruited an estimated 3000 who have sold or are still selling the brand. This is Durotoye’s contribution to financially empowering young women.
Lamia Naji: Couleurs Primaires (Primary Colours)
“Couleurs Primaires” (primary colours) is the name of the project presented in this edition of the Festival Off PHE’05. Lamia continues with her work, which so far has been an evolutionary search for the universal man.
The quest for human liberation is in this case helped by Gnawan music and dance as well African possession rituals. They adapt certain aspects of Islamic culture and trance taking you to another level of consciousness.
This is a parallel exhibition to the previous one held in Madrid, which once again follows personal evolution of Lamia. “Primaires Couleurs” offers another perspective on the vital need to escape, to seek other realities beyond the day to day, either by using narcotic substances or through a process of self-motivation, driven by the belief in the reincarnation of spirits using man as a their corporal vehicle. - rphat
Lamia Naji is a Moroccan photographer born in Casablanca in 1966.
(via makeitinmorocco)
Can’t find any detailed info on this photograph but my best guess is that it was taken somewhere in either West or North Africa, but most likely the former.
Vintage colonial postcard of a woman from Djibouti.
Guinée française, jeune femme donnant le lait à son bébé.
Her hairstyle reminds me of that of these women from Madagascar.
Fashions of Nigerian women in 1971 by Donanne Hunter.
An Ouled Nail woman.
Etienne Dinet.
Madagascar:
Beautiful Magadascan women: c. 1898
(the beauty and power of these women made me cry)
Felt the same way as I was scrolling through these photographs of these incredibly beautiful women. Their elaborate hairstyles and equally as immaculate clothing just blows me away.
(via barelymature)
