Social media is rallying behind an alternative to Bob Geldof’s Band Aid 30, which champions advice and solidarity over scenes of desperation designed to tug at the heart and purse strings of the general public.
Africa Stop Ebola was recorded before the release of Geldof’s third rehash of the charity singleDo They Know It’s Christmas?, and includes well-known African musicians such as Tiken Jah Fakoly from Côte d’Ivoire and Malian artists Amadou and Mariam, Salif Keita and Oumou Sangare.
The #AfricaStopEbola hashtag is being used to share and discuss the alternative charity single, which has seen an increase in support since Band Aid 30 launched on Sunday.
The lyrics capture the collective sadness felt in countries most badly hit by the disease: “Africa is full of sadness, to see our families die … everyone is in danger … we must act”, attempts to tackle the broader issues around the disease and shares practical medical advice, like the verse sang by Fakoly:
The official YouTube video has been watched nearly 200 000 times and it is currently at number 78 on the iTunes download charts. BandAid 30 is at number one. All profits of the song will go to Medecins Sans Frontiers/Doctors without Borders, who are working to treat the virus in the region.
Africa Stop Ebola is a radical departure from Band Aid, whose tactic has been to scramble together the biggest pop stars in the world – from One Direction to Bono – and encourage the western public to dig deep with emotive lyrics.
Maeve Shearlaw for the Guardian Africa Network. Read the full story here.
In 2012, a spoof music video calling on Africans to donate radiators to Norway as part of a charity drive went viral on social media and made headlines across the world. The campaign, created by the Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund (SAIH) on a small budget, aimed to challenge the stereotypes people have of Africa and create a new conversation about the global south.
A few days ago, the SAIH released a second video that’s bound to draw as much attention as the first did. Who Wants To Be A Volunteer? is a provocative and hilarious take on voluntourism in Africa and the well-known stereotypes of the “white hero” and “exotic other”. It’s already received over 90 000 views since being posted on YouTube on November 7. Part of the video mimics a reality TV show: think Western aid workers competing to come ‘to Africa’ to save us all, without having a clue about the continent. Go on, watch it.
From the looks of things, it seems that Idris Elba has taken his passion and admiration for Nelson Mandela very seriously.
Moving beyond his recent role in the Justin Chadwick biopic, Elba was so inspired by the research he did as part of the preparation for his role in Long Walk to Freedom that he put together a concept album based on the music Mandela enjoyed.
Titled Mi Mandela, the experimental album was made over the course of three weeks and features 11 unique songs, some made with the help of local talent like producer Spoek Mathambo, Ndebele music legend Nothembi Mkhwebane and singing group The Mahotella Queens.
Whilst Elba, who DJs and releases music under the name ‘Driis’, is no stranger to producing songs and making mixes, he’s enlisted a wide range of artists including James Blake, Mumford & Sons, Mr Hudson and Cody ChesnuTT.
The album is due out November 24 but look out for the first single featuring Maverick Sabre a little sooner.
Dynamic Africa is a curated multimedia blog focused on all facets of African cultures, African history, and the lives and experiences of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora – past and present. Visit the blog and connect with the curator, Funke Makinwa, on Twitter.
Cassper Nyovest is nominated for five Channel O Music Video Awards. (Pic: Supplied)
Nominees for the 2014 Channel O Africa Music Video Awards were announced in Johannesburg last Thursday.
Dominating the nominations this year are South African rappers Cassper Nyovest and K.O, as well as Nigeria’s Davido with five nominations each.
Nyovest is nominated for most gifted male video, most gifted newcomer video, most gifted hip-hop video, most gifted southern video as well most gifted video of the year categories for Doc Shebeleza.
Davido represents West Africa with nominations for Aye in the categories of most gifted male video, most gifted afro pop video, most gifted west video and most gifted video of the year, while Skelewu earned him the most gifted dance video nomination.
Teargas’s Caracara starring K.O is currently one of the most popular songs played on radio and television. K.O makes his nominee début as a solo artist in the categories of most gifted male video, most gifted duo/group or featuring video, most gifted hip-hop video, most gifted southern video and most gifted video of the year.
The awards take place on Saturday November 29 at Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto.
“The quality of music videos we have seen over the past few years is testament to the way music videos are playing an increasingly important role in the promotion of African music,” says Channel O’s director Nkateko Mabaso.
“It is refreshing to see newcomers go against industry veterans in this year’s eclectic nominees list, and this proves that there is no barrier to making an impact on the music scene. The music as well as the videos produced on our African soil is of the same, if not even better, quality as that of those produced internationally and most of our nominees are no stranger to performing on global stages.”
Voting, which is free, takes place via www.channelo.tv and WeChat. Voters are allowed to vote up to 100 times on both platforms. Voting starts on Thursday at 7pm and closes on November 23 at midnight.
Full list of nominees:
Most gifted male
Cassper Nyovest – Doc Shebeleza
Davido – Aye
Riky Rick featuring Okmalumkoolkat – Amantombazane
K.O featuring Kid X – Caracara
Sarkodie – Illuminati
Most gifted female
Thembi Seete – Thuntsha Lerole
Bucie featuring Heavy K – Easy To Love
Lizha James featuring Uhuru – Quem Ti Mandou
Tiwa Savage featuring Don Jazzy – Eminado
Seyi Shay – Irawo
Most gifted newcomer
Dream Team featuring Tamarsha, AKA and Big Nuz – Tsekede
Cassper Nyovest – Doc Shebeleza
Emmy Gee featuring AB Crazy and DJ Dimplez – Rands and Nairas
Diamond – Number One
Patoranking – Girlie O (Remix)
Most gifted duo/group or featuring artist
Uhuru featuring Oskido and Professor – Y-Tjukutja
DJ Clock featuring Beatenberg – Pluto (I Remember)
R2Bees featuring Wizkid – Slow Down
K.O featuring Kid X – Caracara
KCee featuring Wizkid – Pull Over
Most gifted dance
Uhuru featuring Oskido and Professor – Y-Tjukutja
Davido – Skelewu
DJ Clock featuring Beatenberg – Pluto (I Remember)
P-Square – Personally
Busiswa featuring various artists – Ngoku
Most gifted ragga dancehall
Buffalo Souljah – Basawine
Orezi – Rihanna
Jesse Jaggz featuring Wizkid – Bad Girl
Patoranking – Girlie O (Remix)
Shatta Wale – Everybody Likes My Ting
Most gifted Afro pop
Davido – Aye
Mafikizolo featuring May D – Happiness
Diamond – Number One
Flavour – Ada Ada
Iyanya – Jombolo
Most gifted kwaito
Uhuru featuring Oskido and Professor – Y-Tjukutja
Character featuring Mono T and Oskido – Inxeba Lendoda
Big Nuz featuring Khaya Mthethwa – Incwadi Yothando
DJ Vetkuk VS Mahoota – Khaba Lenja
DJ Cndo – Yamnandi Into
Most gifted R&B
2Face featuring T-Pain – Rainbow
Jimmy Nevis featuring Kwesta – Balloon
GB Collective featuring Brian Temba and Reason – Chocolate Vanilla
Donald – Crazy But Amazing
Niyola – Toh Bad
Most gifted hip-hop
Cassper Nyovest – Doc Shebeleza
Khuli Chana featuring DA L.E.S and Magesh – Hape Le Hape 2.1
Phyno – Alobam
K.O featuring Kid X – Caracara
AKA – Congratulate
Most gifted Southern artist
DJ Clock featuring Beatenberg – Pluto (I Remember)
Cassper Nyovest – Doc Shebeleza
AKA – Congratulate
Zeus – Psych
K.O featuring Kid X – Caracara
Most gifted West artist
R2Bees featuring Wizkid – Slow Down
Davido – Aye
Burna Boy featuring D’Banj – Won Da Mo
Olamide – Turn Up
Dr Sid featuring Don Jazzy – Surulere
Most gifted East artist
Sauti Sol – Nshike
Diamond – Number One
Navio – No Holding Back
Eddy Kenzo – Sitya Loss
Elani – Kookoo
Most gifted video of the year
Emmy Gee featuring AB Crazy and DJ Dimplez – Rands and Nairas
Davido – Aye
K.O featuring Kid X – Caracara
Burna Boy – Run My Race
Tiwa Savage featuring Don Jazzy – Eminado
Dr Sid featuring Don Jazzy – Surulere
Riky Rick featuring Okmalumkoolkat – Amantombazane
Cassper Nyovest – Doc Shebeleza
Sarkodie – Illuminati
DJ Clock featuring Beatenberg – Pluto (I Remember)
AKA – Congratulate
Diamond – Number One
Rhodé Marshall is the Mail & Guardian’s arts, culture and entertainment content producer. Follow her on Twitter: @rhodemarshall
A ‘satire about being a black face in a white place’, Dear White People follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and relationships in a predominantly white college. Written, directed and produced by Justin Simien, it won the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the Sundance Film Festival.
“Seeming to draw equal measures of inspiration from Whit Stillman and Spike Lee, but with his own tart, elegant sensibility very much in control, Simien evokes familiar campus stereotypes only to smash them and rearrange the pieces,” a review in the New York Times reads.
