MIMI Magazine: The Editor's Blog

Anita Quansah London SS14 Lookbook: Silhouette of Power

2014-03-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Mia Leheluka )) If you don’t know bespoke jewelry curator Anita Quansah, you should. Her multi-textured costume jewelry pieces make us dream of being transformed into African royalty, and then aspire to acquire all of her looks so that our dreams become a reality. Take a look at these stunners from Anita Quansah's Spring Summer 2014 lookbook, and then for more, visit www.anitaquansahlondon.com.

Ishmael Beah: Radiance of Tomorrow: A Novel

2014-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Nani Hapa )) Six years ago,
when Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone) published his bestselling memoir A Long Way Gone, readers were exposed to a harrowing account of Sierra Leone’s civil war and the horrific abuse child soldiers both endure and perpetrate. Radiance of Tomorrow, Ishmael’s first novel, explores what happens once the civil war is over when victims and perpetrators seeking to restore peace in a country they share are required to reconcile with what they did and what was done to them.

At the center of Radiance of Tomorrow are Benjamin and Bockarie, two longtime friends who return to their hometown, Imperi, that is left in ruins after the civil war. Despite uncertain times, Benjamin and Bockarie try to forge a new community by taking up their former posts as teachers, but they’re plagued by one obstacle after the other as more villagers return to Imperi: a scarcity of food; a rash of serious crimes (including murders, theft, rape); and the depredations of a foreign mining company intent on sullying the town’s water supply and blocking its paths with electric wires. Still, armed with an improbable sense of hope, Benjamin and Bockarie work against the odds to preserve, and in some cases restore, what means the most to them.

Radiance of Tomorrow is a moving novel that will leave you thinking critically about postwar life in those regions of Africa still reeling from conflict.

Preserving Ghana’s Cultural Heritage One Theatre At A Time

2014-01-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mia Leheluka )) A brilliant award-winning Ghanaian filmmaker with a small cult following, Akosua Adoma Owusu has made the world her stage with films like me broni ba and Kwaku Ananse. But taking on the role of reviving Accra, Ghana’s dilapidated REX Cinema, may be her greatest accomplishment to date as it symbolizes her indelible mark in the resurgence of Ghana’s creative community. The REX Cinema was built by Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who had a vision of creating a Ghanaian cinema industry that could be shared with the world. With time, however, the theatre—like many others in Accra—stopped being used as a theater in part due to increasing (bootleg) DVD sales that decreased the cost of movie watching and brought movies to the comfort of the home.

For MIMI Mama's: Akissi: Feline Invasion

2013-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mia Leheluka )) Following the the critical acclaim and success of Aya de Yopougon, Marguerite Abouet (Ivory Coast) is now dedicating all of her time to writing. (Even more impressive, she is also the director of a charity that she created to help children in Africa get better access to books.) Earlier this summer, Abouet teamed up with long-time collaborator, illustrator Mathieu Sapin (France), to release another beautifully illustrated graphic novel—Akissi: Feline Invasion—a series of vignettes aimed at a younger audience.

The children’s book follows Akissi, “a true adventurer, full of silliness and fun,” her brother Fofana and her friends as they get into trouble for their neighborhood exploits. In the vignette “Good Mums,” for example, Akissi borrows a neighbor’s baby and tenderly feeds it a stew concocted from discarded scraps found in the market. According to the publisher, readers can expect this and other vignettes where: “the neighborhood cats are pursuing [Akissi] to steal her fish, her little monkey Boubou almost ends up in a frying pan, and she’s nothing but a pest to her older brother Fofana, but ... nothing will scare her for long!”

I thoroughly enjoyed the Aya de Yopougon series, and am looking forward to sharing this one with my younger nieces.
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Celestina Releases Boomtion

2013-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) From boarding school in Nigeria, Africa to grinding in Hollywood, California, as a recording artist and songwriter, Celestina brings a unique merge of an exotic African flair and pop/electronic sounds. Celestina is now on the scene with a slamming buzz record, “BOOMTION.” Watch the video for Boomtion on Celestina’s YouTube channel, TheCelestinaChannel, and if you like what you hear, the single is available on iTunes and other digital stores.

Paul Sika To Present His Work At 1:54, The First Contemporary African Art Fair In London

2013-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) Paul Sika, who MIMI has called a “Visual Visionary,” will be exhibiting his photographic work in London at 1:54, at what will be an occasion of many firsts. 1:54 is the first contemporary African Art Fair. It will also be the first time that Paul exhibits his work in London. Paul says about the occasion, “This holds a special meaning for me as London is the city where the will to become an artist rose.”

The highly anticipated fair will be held at Somerset House from the 16th to the 20th of October. Paul's work will be featured by Galerie Cécile Fakhoury in Room G8, starting on October 17th. For more information about the art fair, visit 1-54.com.

We Need New Names

2013-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) NoViolet Bulawayo’s compelling debut semibiographical novel, We Need New Names, is the story of protagonist Darling, who we meet as a 10-year old child in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Darling’s mother is impoverished and left with nothing more than her faith in God and a tin shack from which to raise her daughter. Darling’s father is absent (he went to South Africa looking for work), and he returns home only because he has become devastatingly sick with AIDS. And so with the help on an aunt living in America, Darling leaves behind everything that makes her who she is, “because it is no longer possible to stay.” As a teenager in America, Darling acquires an American accent and quickly adopts the habits of her school friends—listening to Rihanna, wasting afternoons at the mall, and even watching pornography online. Still, Darling is not quite at home in America yet she struggles to remain connected to her now fragile Zimbabwean roots, and this tension is palpable when she talks to her childhood friends, one of whom says what everyone, including Darling, is thinking: “Darling, my dear, you left the house burning and you have the guts to tell me, in that stupid accent that you were not even born with, that doesn’t even suit you, that this [Zimbabwe] is your country?”

Without a doubt, the strongest part of We Need New Names is the first half, when Darling is in Zimbabwe, narrating as a child with no political agenda or self-conscious hang-ups. Once Darling gets to the United States, the narrative weakens and at times is somewhat less interesting, if only for its familiarity (here, Chimanda Ngozi Adiche's Americanah shines). The novel, however, remains powerful, poetic and moving, and one cannot help but remain connected to the poignant story of Darling’s life. It's easy to connect to Darling's point of view, and her story of displacement both in Zimbabwe and America.
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Americanah: “Various Observations About American Blacks ... By A Non-American Black” And So Much More

2013-09-09T18:09:00.003-07:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) The immensely talented award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest novel Americanah is as much a love story about two star-crossed lovers as it is a blunt and unflinching exploration into class, race, and national identity. As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love at a time when Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are leaving the country if they can. Ifemelu—beautiful, self-assured—departs for America to study. Obinze—the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor—had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a compromising, undocumented life in Britain. Years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America called “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black.” But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reconnect, the two are forced to reconcile their new selves with their past that seemed destined for marriage.

As the novel nears end, Americanah comes dangerously close to crossing the line into an overly dramatic story—much like the stuff of Nollywood films—but Americanah more than makes up for this shortcoming with its fearless, intimate and blunt interrogations of hefty subjects like race, class, social manners, and even black women’s hair secrets.

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Book Review: Ghana Must Go

2013-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) Author Taiye
Selasi takes on an ambitious goal in her debut novel, Ghana Must Go: to tell a cohesive story about a fractured Ghanaian family from the various (and often different) perspectives of each family member. The novel opens with the patriarch, Kweku Sai, slowly dying in his beloved garden in Ghana. The reader quickly learns that many years ago—in a time that seems like a lifetime ago—Kweku was a successful surgeon in the United States with a picture perfect nuclear family—a wife, a first-born son, fraternal twins, and a last born daughter. But that idyllic life soon comes to an end, when his career is jeopardized and Kweku makes the choice to spare his family from his professional and financial adversity by leaving them. What follows are years of intricately weaved events, pulled from each of the Sai’s lives, that tell the stories of their well-intentioned strides to not only survive, but excel as model immigrants, despite having the fabric of their family unraveled by their absent father.

In telling the complex life stories of each of the Sais, the novel occasionally gets bogged down in detailed prose about issues not central to the plot, which can be distracting. And, as often happens when an author tries to tell the perspectives of various characters, there are times when the novel does not reveal enough about the Sais to fully understand each of their motivations. Notwithstanding these quibbles, the fact of the matter is Ghana Must Go has received heaps of praise from critics and readers alike, and I’d be hard pressed to say that it’s not well deserved. The novel is a richly textured and beautifully layered exploration into the indelible complexities faced by modern African families with ties to the Diaspora and the Continent.

Sneak Peak At The Next Issue Of MIMI

2013-02-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) We're busy gearing up for the release of the next issue of MIMI, which will feature the "tribal chic with a Brazilian flavor" fashion line, Ashanti Brazil created by designer Annabel Kwateng. Here's a sneak peak at what we have in store ...

From The Archives: VLISCO's Funky Grooves Collection

2013-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) VLISCO's Funky Grooves collection may have been released last spring, we can't get enough of the collection that was "inspired by global urban culture and couture craftsmanship." The Funky Grooves collection is a melting pot of ideas, using new colours to update Vlisco’s heritage designs, and classic Vlisco techniques. Raw, geometric lines, traditional wrap shapes, bold metallic studs and edgy industrial hues come together to create a modern vibe. See more below.

Cesaria Evora's Final Songs: Mãe Carinhosa

2013-02-04T08:39:00.001-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) When the unparalleled Cesaria Evora passed away on December 17, 2011, no one initially thought of turning the treasure trove of her unreleased songs into an album. However, the strength and feeling expressed in tributes to the singer (an audience of six thousand at a special event at the Rio Loco festival in Toulouse and three sellout dates at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris) showed just how loyal her fans were, and not to mention, how missed she was.

Mãe Carinhosa, set for release on March 15, reflects the "barefoot diva's" character: strong, poignant, dense, rich, eclectic and loyal. When not touring intensively, she was recording. Without meaning to, Evora collected a small store of unreleased tracks from her work in the studio. With many of the tracks nearly complete, it was more a matter of finding a unified, harmonious whole from pieces sometimes recorded decades apart.

With exquisite instrumentation behind her, Evora’s voice on Mãe Carinhosa sounds as fresh and melancholy, as sweet and heartfelt as ever. With songs by Evora’s favorite songwriters and with cameo appearances by musicians like Manu Dibango (who plays marimba on “Esperança”), Mãe Carinhosa draws on Evora’s love for mornas (the lush “Dor di Sodade”) and rollicking coladeras (“Tchon da Franca”), for wry lyrics (the almost goofy but instructive culinary mix up in “Cmê Catchôrr”) and deep emotion (the touching “Mãe Carinhosa”). The result captures Evora’s many facets, from the earthy and ribald to the sorrowful yet passionate.
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Watch Nollywood Movies On American Cable Networks Starting February 1st

2013-01-28T08:30:00.002-08:00

(( Press Release )) A welcomed innovation in the entertainment industry is here, as Nollywood movies will now be available on major cable television networks in the U.S. courtesy of Brandcast Media, Inc. Nollywood, the leader in the African movie industry, is currently the third-largest producer of feature films in the world, ranking only behind Hollywood in the United States and India's Bollywood as number two. Viewers of Time Warner, Cox, partners and affiliate cable television networks will now be able to watch Nollywood movies On-Demand starting February 1st, 2013. This will be a boon to millions of cable subscribers of various cultural orientations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

With the addition of Nollywood movies to Cable TV content, Brandcast Media, Inc. aims to generate crossover appeal through the exposure of this unique content to over 40 million North American homes. The movies are carefully selected high quality titles that will end the usual buyer's remorse viewers experience with some Nollywood movies they purchase without preview. There will be no endless parts, just one complete uninterrupted movie viewing experience. With Cable, Nollywood fans that usually watch the movies online will have no concerns about Internet speed or buffering, just when the viewer is being captivated by the movie. About 80% of the movies to be shown on ‘Nollywood Hits’ have never been seen.

Some of the high quality productions to be featured on Nollywood Hits On Demand include ‘Somewhere in Africa’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘Unwanted Guest’, ‘Married But Living Single,’ etc., and will feature notable actors in the Nollywood Industry such as Genevieve Nnaji, Van Vicker, Funke Akindele, Majid Michel, Joke Silva, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, Yvonne Nelson, and so many more.
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We Love ... Alek Wek For Benetton

2013-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Nani Hapa )) Proving that she's as fabulous today as she was when she first started her career in 1995, Sudanese model Alek Wek is flawless in Benetton's SS 13 campaign to support the UNHATE Foundation. The UNHATE Foundation, which is founded by the Benetton Group, seeks to contribute to the creation of a new culture against hate, building on Benetton’s underpinning values.

From The Fashion Files: Sindiso Khumalo

2013-01-25T08:36:00.001-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) Sindiso Khumalo is a South African designer based in both London and Johannesburg. She studied Architecture at University of Cape Town before moving to London to work for award winning architect David Adjaye. Following that she went on to study an MA Textiles at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, graduating with distinction for her final project. In October 2012 she was shortlisted for the Elle Magazine Rising Star Competition and showcased her debut SS13 collection at the Awards. Describing her aesthetic as "Afro Bauhaus gone Pop", she brings a heightened sense of colour and a collision of geometric prints to her luxury womenswear brand.

Simply Kayo’s Top 13 Wedding Trends for 2013

2013-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Fikayo Giwa )) I am the Founder and Principal Planner and Designer for Simply Kayo. Let me tell you a bit about Simply Kayo: we are a boutique special events company based in London. We create quality celebrations that are masterpieces. We do this predominantly for the customer that is similar to us in that they are a product of the Western culture, but also with an ingrained sense of their ethnic heritage. We specialize in planning and designing high quality celebrations such as weddings and birthdays for discerning clients both in the UK and internationally. Based on my experience, here are my 13 wedding trend predictions for 2013:

Pop of colour in accessories—shoes, belts.
1920s, retro/vintage inspired weddings—think romantic, headpieces, beaded gowns, pearls, gold.
Prints and patterns—damask is already a hit, we’ll see more stripes and florals in décor, cakes, bridesmaids dresses, stationery.
High or top bun—works well with headpieces.
Straying away from white wedding dresses.
Following on from the peplum trend of 2012, we’ll see more peplum bridesmaids dresses.
Mint green—in the décor, bridesmaids dress, stationery, details.
Champagne—team with different colours to achieve the look/ambience you want—great for winter or summer nuptials.

A Modern-Day African Cinderella Story

2013-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) The debut novel from author Faiza Duale—"An Impossible Love"—is an epic modern-day African Cinderella story. Having lost her entire family in Somalia, Yasmin Hirsi was forced to live as a poor relation/servant with her horrid aunt and her aunt's two equally horrid daughters in Nairobi. When Yasmin was ten, her aunt kicked her out of the house, but luck finally found her in the guise of Nur Adam, the wealthy aging father of Ali Adam, her childhood crush. And with that premise Faize is not afraid to dive straight into the literary deep end, tapping into rich themes like love and social expectations from a uniquely African perspective.

As a woman, Yasmin could never show her love for Ali, given that it was doomed by her past and their class differences. When Ali returns from his studies abroad, Ali discovers nothing is quite the same, certainly not the sensuous beauty who he believes had preyed on his father's kindness. Believing that Yasmin had tricked and wormed her way into his father's affection under false pretenses, he could never forgive her and would make sure she never took advantage of his father again. But when he closes his eyes, why does she haunt his dreams?

And so sets the stage for a story that proves that the classic story of Cinderella that is an authentic reflection of Africa and influenced by Faiza's own travels—Faiza was born in Somalia, lived in Kenya, and moved to the U.S. with her family as a teenager.
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Lira Is "Nappy And Happy"

2013-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) We all know Lira for her signature teeny weeny afro, but as it turns out, getting to her signature look was a hairspirational journey, which she shared on her blog, Miss Lira: "Sometimes I get asked if I'm 'finally' going to wear a weave now that I'm launching my career in North America. Clearly its not necessary. On the real though, keeping my hair natural has been the best thing for me and my hair. Although I have never worn a weave, I did keep my hair relaxed and braided for about 10 years.

While I was in College, I made extra cash by running a hair salon from my room at the student village. My own hair had to be on point so I always had it relaxed, styled and sometimes I put highlights on it. I kept a Halle Berry type of boy cut for about 6 years. It got to a point where my skull was lifeless and my hair became like plastic. It became thin and weak. So I kept it hidden by braiding it. I kept this up for another 4 years. In 2006 when I finally decided to reveal my real hair, I found that it was badly affected by the years of braiding. My hair line had reseeded and my hair was dry and brittle but there was just enough 'growth' to start anew.

Yes, Another Mandela Movie

2013-01-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mimi Tsiane )) And I am waiting in anticipation. The chocolate goodness and British Ghanaian actor Idris Elba will portray former South African president Nelson Mandela in the movie “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” Slated for release this year, the film boasts South African actress Terry Pheto, as Evelyn (Mandela’s first wife) and British actress Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela. I have thoughts about this movie—good thoughts—and several questions, including: will you see “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”?

Soulful Sunday: Zaki Ibrahim "Go Widdit"

2013-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) Watch our #SoulfulSunday selection below.... Zaki Ibrahim's "GoWiddit" video featuring Vintage Cru from the album Every Opposite.
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HAIRspiration For The New Year

2013-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) If you're looking for a little hair-spiration this new year, take a look at our Adorn board on our Pinterest page, where we've collected some of our favorite hairstyles from African celebrities that we have interviewed over the years. And while you're there, also take a look at our MIMI-istas and Runway Africa boards for some real life muses and haute fashion ideas.

Afronauts: A Tale Of Mars, 10 Cats And A Girl Named Matha

2013-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mimi Tsiane )) According to BBC, “Afronauts” by Spanish photographer Cristina De Middel is a fictional photo essay inspired by the true story of Zambian grade school science teacher Edward Makuka Nkoloso. Nkoloso started an unofficial amateur space program in his Zambia in 1964, during the height of the Space Race. The plan was to launch a rocket that would send twelve astronauts and ten cats to Mars. Unfortunately due to lack of grants, funding and the pregnancy of 17-year-old Matha Mwambwa, who was to ride on the mission, derailed efforts of the program. Nkoloso hoped to beat the United States and Soviet Union's respective space programs at the height of the Space Race. As of 2012, United States or Soviet Union has not accomplished a manned mission to Mars. But Cristina's “Afronauts” has been nominated for the 2013 Deutsche Borse photography prize.

Say No To All Resolutions, But One

2013-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mimi Tsiane )) For the New Year I am avoiding people with a long list of resolutions as many of them involve some type of deprivation. Quit eating, quit gossiping, quit social media, quit shopping. So when I go out with you I have to sip on water, sniff chicken, talk about the weather and I can’t even get dessert, I am not surrounded by an equally deprived angry mob! Last year, my best friend for life (I think she qualifies for the abbreviation BFFL) made a resolution to “live in the moment.” She was confident, ate healthy, shopped at flea markets and even shared her dessert! Lesson learned—don’t deprive yourself, work towards a healthier and happier you. And my resolution for 2013: to simply have hope.

. . .

If you're looking to find inspiration within for the New Year, take a look at these articles from the magazine's archives: Resolve To Find Your Gold, The Right Fit, Creating Your Own Happily Ever After, Everyone Can Go Into Business, and My Favorite Regrets. Find further inspiration from trailblazing African women, in the magazine's profiles of: actress Stephanie Okereke in Stephanie Okereke In Charge, leader Florence Mumba in Profiles In Leadership: Judge Florence Mumba, activist Thandi Haruperi in Positively Woman: Thandi Haruperi and superwoman Iman in Iman: The Beauty Of Color. And finally, get inspired by these real life MIMI-istas who realized their dreams: How Sweet It Is: Lolita's Cupcakes, Ijorere: You're Invited, and Folake Taylor: The Only Way Is Up.

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Fatima Siad For Wildfox Couture SS 2013

2013-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Staff Writer )) Somali-Ethiopian model Fatima Siad (who placed third on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10 and has since seen her fashion career take off) is the face of Wildfox Couture's Spring Summer 2013 Look Book along with models Olivia Greenfield and Tanya Katysheva). To see more of Fatima in the Wildfox Couture's Spring Summer 2013 Look Book, which is inspired by 1995's hit movie Clueless, visit Wildfox Couture's Blog.
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Welcome to 2013!

2013-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

(( Written By: Mimi Tsiane )) So, the world did not end. Somewhere in the world, theorists, scientists and all the smart people are full of shame and I am cackling in delight. If you went on a drinking/eating binge, quit your job, checked people, and hoarded water from Walmart, it is time to make amends. According to the much smarter people at Nasa, “The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012—hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.”

Uhm, Nibiru, really?