Afrikan Mbiu issue 01

ISSUE No.01 / JUNE-JULY 2014

NOT FOR SALE

AFRIKANMBIU

BY AFRIKA FOR AFRIKA

FAFA 2014 East African Fashion Week 2014 Pale Pink Dan Chizi

The Crown Prince of Benga

@AfrikanMbiu /AfrikanMbiu

FROM THE EDITOR Recently I turned on the TV and saw a music video of Nico & Vinz hit song “Am I wrong”. The song is a lovely relaxed song with a good message behind it. But what caught my eye was the setting of the video and after a bit of research (Thank God for Wikipedia). I found out that the duo is from Norway and the video was shot in Botswana. Beautiful, Beautiful Africa. The Norwegian duo came all the way to shoot the video in Africa and through it they showed the whole world how beautiful Africa is.

My dream is to have one united Africa, whose brand as a continent is strong and positive. Proof that there is much more to Africa than the negativity we see or associate with Africa. The Norwegian duo in the song asks “Now am I wrong? For trying to reach the things I can’t see? “.

I am trying to reach the things I can’t see yet. A positive outlook to Africa.

A strong positive brand that is Africa.

The song goes on “…That’s just I how feel, that’s just how I feel, that’s just how I feel…”

Indeed that’s just how I feel. photography by victor peace make up by phoina dress by w&n

- Jullianne

03 SAUTI YAKO

(Swahili: OPINIONS) 04 ÉVÉNEMENTS

(French: EVENTS) 08 MKPURU OBI NRI

(Igbo: SOUL FOOD)

10 MODE

(Afrikaans: FASHION) 14 MADODA

(Zulu: GENTLEMEN) 15 IBERE IJOMITORO

(Yoruba: INTERVIEW)

18 VIAJAR E COMER FORA

(Portuguese: TRAVEL & EAT OUT)

20 HEKAYA

(Swahili: Short Story)

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Sauti Yako Opinions

Skin lightening Creams The New Craze

by Funi Hannigan Photo © Cedi

F

or as long as humanity was in existence, a variety of beauty skin care tips have been carried through the ages.

In the continent Africa, the ancient Egyptians still fascinate us till today, with the amount of knowledge they had on some of the best makeup regimes. What’s even more fascinating is that even for the afterlife, archeologists found small clay pots of make up in the most humble of tombs. Some of their beautification rituals helped repel insects and ward off their skin from the suns’ rays. One of the most distinctive look among the Egyptians was the eye paint, the dark lines around the eyes helped protect them from the sun. It is very similar to why today’s football players smudge black paint under their eyes during play.

Fragrances were so readily available in ancient Egypt. Artisans would distill these with oils and fats to extract the scent, after some time they would have lamps of scented creams. They would then wear these in the shape of a cone on top of their heads and as the day progressed, the cream would start to melt and run down their head and neck, scenting the hair and body.

As we move into the 21st century a lot of things have changed whereas others have remained the same. The use of bleaching creams has greatly grown over the last twenty years with a boom in their use

mostly occurring in West African countries.

As the images of perfectly done models and celebrities gracing our tabloids everyday continue to increase, so too does our yearning for perfection and the need to be flawless. This has caused a huge boom in the need for sun tan booths, skin lightening creams and heavy use of makeup across the globe. Here in Africa, a few of our movie stars and singers have confessed to making a few changes in their skin tone and their beauty regimes. They have confessed to using bleaching creams.

With the growing increase in the use of skin lightening products, it is important to know what they contain and the effects of what we are putting on our skin. Some of the ingredients found in skin lightening creams include, hydroquinone, this inhibits the production of melanin. The pigment that dictates skin color. The European Union banned it from cosmetics in 2001 due to fears of it being a cancer causing agent, but it still continues to show up in various creams in developing countries. Arbutin is found in the leaves of bearberry and cranberry amongst others. It also inhibits melanin production but is thought of as being a safer bleaching agent in comparison to its alternatives. Kojic acid is one of the by-products in the fermentation process of malting rice, used in the production of sake, a Japanese rice wine. Some controversial research has shown that it may have carcinogenic properties in large doses

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however others have shown that it isn’t carcinogenic but may cause allergic contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction caused by contact with a substance.

With a few of our very own celebrities being cast as role models for black girls around Africa, the likes of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Lupita Nyong’o.They continue to inspire and represent what this continent truly is, one with a majority of dark toned girls and that is excellent for Africa.

There is nothing wrong however with being light skinned or wanting to be light skinned, what I completely dislike though is major companies exploiting people’s insecurities without providing the necessary information on their products to get mass market sales, a buyer should purchase a product knowing its full cost but that’s just my take.

Événements Events

VALON EAST AFRICA FASHION WEEK- 2014 (FOR HUNGER) WHERE: BOMA HOTEL WHEN: 10TH MAY

Photography © Radek Photography

EAFW is the regional’s widest platform that great designers from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda showcase their talent and latest designs.

It is an annual themed event, where some of the proceeds go to charity.

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Événements Events

MILLE COLLINES BORN TO SUCCEED CAMPAIGN LAUNCH WHERE: VILLAGE MARKET WHEN: 23RD MAY, 2014

Fashion brand Mille Collines in partnership with MARTINI celebrate a major milestone, the launch of the Mille Collines flagship menswear store and ad campaign; Born To Succeed.

The campaign, designed in collaboration with Africa fashion consultant, Diana Opoti, will celebrate the success of a new generation of the successful African gentlemen while introducing the brand’s new range of apparel for the business professional.

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Événements Events

Festival for Fashion and Arts (FAFA) 2014 (FOR PEACE) WHERE: THE OVAL WHEN: 31ST MAY

Photography © Purple Vase Photography Festival for Fashion and Arts, organises ‘Fashion for Peace’ which is focused on bringing together established and emerging African fashion designers from across the continent.

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Mkpuru Obi Nri Soul Food

LET’S BE CHILDREN AGAIN

by Clement Obonyo Photo © Cedi In African traditional times, people never used to question anything they never questioned their beliefs, their rulers, their old wise wazee (Swahili for old people) commonly known as baraza la wazee (group of old people). They had the mindset of blind obedience. Whatever the baraza said, was the law.

However from another perspective we can all agree that one aspect most people know about children is their inquisitive nature. They will ask anything at anytime oblivious to what people around them think. Their philosophical approach of questioning everything and disturbing the peace brings joy to some and others frustration due to their inadequate knowledge to answer the questions. Children ask an array of questions from “Where do babies come from?” to “Why does Aunt Helen wear spectacles?”

A 13 years old boy Richard Turere asked the question how can we stop lions from eating livestock. Just using the fact that he knew lions don’t like light he asked why can’t he make an instrument that solves the problem.

This led him to being noticed and ended up giving a talk in TED. However, as people grow older the society and status quo suppresses our curiosity. It does this by hammering into our heads and saturating our minds with material that does not necessarily help in finding our true selves.

Moreover, to make matters worse if you ask questions the answers are discouraging and never fully quenching the thirst of the questions. Therefore it is the fear of the unknown that guides and keeps us in boxes which allow only narrow-minded perceptions, the size of keyholes. Sadly it is this perspective that is adamantly defended. It is thought to be the full picture when in reality it is just a pinch of the whole reality.

It is paramount we bring our curiosity back.

Ask. Ask. Even the most obvious questions that are taken for granted can lead to a huge revolution in your life and a shift in your life’s purpose. Some of the great minds such as Napoleon and Carl Marx agreed to never -9-

be content and to always be hungry for knowledge no matter the age. They started with basic questions and built their knowledge from there.

It starts with one question a day. Ask and see.

No doubt you will be shocked that within a week you have grown so much. Let’s be full of questions like children.

Curiosity has led to many inventions by the mere fact of asking.

Graham Bell asked why can’t there be a better way of communicating with people and he came up with the telephone.

It’s time for Africa to be inquisitive and start asking questions .

If you see something that can be done a different way then ask why can it not be done that way.

Don’t be left behind,start asking.

Mode Fashion

Sarakaray Sarakaray is a Kenyan based luxury clothing /fashion brand that is bold, exquisite, out of the box and high end. She blends bold, extravagant prints with subtle hues; and transforms them into sexy, feminine and chic attire.

print short suit - sarakaray shoes - sassy feet modelled by annah mburu make up by phoina modelled by annah mburu photography by victor peace

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print jump suit - sarakaray shoes - sassy feet modelled by annah mburu make up by phoina photography by victor peace

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white lace dress - sarakaray shoes - sassy feet modelled by annah mburu make up by phoina photography by victor peace

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white cutout dress with zebra print - sarakaray shoes - sassy feet modelled by annah mburu make up by phoina photography by victor peace

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Madoda

5 Ways to let him know that you are interested

Gentlemen

Article by Daniel Kalya twitter: @danielkalya Photo © Lesan Erick instagram: @mboss_weh_tis_vaimbah

B

eing in a relationship is something that we all desire, for some strange reason. I am not sure whether it is because we grew up seeing our parents, they were always two. Like they had to be two of them for us to come into existence.

My guess is that it is something inborn.

Coitus must have input some DNA in us to crave company and companionship of the opposite sex.Now, here is where it gets interesting, ladies have this thing where, apparently, if they have feelings for a guy or have a crush on a guy, they are not allowed to tell him, which as a guy, I find absolutely ridiculous. As in, why? Why would you do that, in addition to the grueling 8-4-4 that we have to go through we also have to go through an untrained course in women reading and understanding, which, in my view, should be a calling in itself.All the guys who are good in these things should call a worldwide conference and tell the rest of us what we should do. If you can summarize it in two pages we will be grateful, and oh, if you can add pictures then that will be a blast. Lots of them by the way.

Anyway, so our dear friends from the opposite sex apparently had a conference, most probably when we men were busy playing fifa, or something manly, like watching supersport and they decided that

they would be operating with signs, like I don’t know, touching the guy while talking, fiddling with their hair, laughing at his jokes and some crazy ideas that apparently should let us guys know that you are interested in us. Well, let me save you the trouble. Here is where you should really really concentrate because it is important. I shall give you five steps, which when followed keenly, and to the letter, will surely let the guy know that you are interested in him.

1.

This is the most important step. Here goes, TELL HIM. No, do not do the hair flip, just tell him. He will know, and here is the good thing, he wont have to read any of your body language.

2.

Okay, maybe that is a little hard. What if he is not interested? What if he doesn’t like you back? Well, there is only one way to know the answer. TELL HIM! If he likes you he will tell you that he likes you back. If he doesn’t, don’t be sad, you will have saved yourself from months, probably years of fantasizing that would lead you nowhere. It is as hard as you think my dear, you just have to grow some…. Oh wait, I am talking to ladies. Never mind.

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3.

I now get why ladies tend to be vague, using signs and all, to protect your feelings. It may seem a good idea to be brushing your hair as you talk, occasionally glancing towards where he is but let me be honest, we are not that patient, or keen, we will move on to the next one , if you are really interested TELL HIM.

4.

But no chic ever tells the dude that he is interested! Girl, who told you that you have to be like everyone else? Stand out dear. Do not play it by the book, TELL HIM that you are interested. Be different. It will work wonders. Trust me on this.

5.

By now you should have known the steps. Just TELL HIM. Let us save the hustle. Save me the hustle of gambling. If you are interested, tell me, if not tell me as well so that I can find my spot on the friendzone like every other miserable dude out there.

Don’t worry. It is not that bad. It is actually quite easy. Take a deep breath, walk over to him, say hi then say “I like you. I really really like you.” Thank me later. It’s a pleasure.

Onderhood

Interview

D

an Chizi is a 29 year old architect turned benga musician. He has been labeled as the crown prince of benga in East Africa. Aceda was the recipient of two Kisima Awards garnered in 2008 for Best Male Afro Fusion artiste as well as Songwriter of the year. He describes benga as a song that has sweet melodies, rhythm, and one that relays a story. He was born in Kisumu in Western Kenya. He is the first born of a family of four.

THE CROWN PRINCE OF

BENGA

by Jullianne Obonyo

I met up with Dan ‘chizi’ Aceda at Java restaurant in Upper hill .He was a bit late, which he apologized profusely for. He sits down and orders some food before we begin .I started with asking him how there is not a lot of information about him on the internet, he laughs it off saying “I like my privacy.”I continue and ask him if he is married, as I have heard some rumors, he refuses to comment. He then explains “Love should be for two people and not the whole world, the two should agree on what works for them and not follow the norm or be pressured to do things”

The Prince declares that...

“Love should be for two people and not the whole world, the two should agree on what works for them and not follow the norm or be pressured to do things”.

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where he was involved in many competitions and won some. He then became a dance teacher, and also danced for Wahu. He stopped dancing as singing took priority in his life and it paid more than He describes his father as his biggest supporter as he says growing up dancing. his father was his greatest influence as he would sit them down every His first single to receive airplay was ‘Sanasana’ which was played in Saturday and sing to them, while playing an instrument. ”My father Capital FM (one of Kenya’s FM radio stations) in 2005. Since then he had huge crates of Cds and a bunch of cassettes; he liked rhumba, has released three albums, ‘Suluwe’ (2005), it means star in dholuo zilizopendwa and reggae.” He then jokes “In another life my dad He describes himself as a work in progress. He says he always aims to be a better man than yesterday.

would be a DJ; too bad he is a doctor.”

He lived in Kisumu till he was 6 years old then moved to Nairobi. He grew up those sides of Mbagathi as his father was a doctor at Kenyatta National Hospital.

He has been singing since the age of 7. He joined the church choir at 12 years old, St. Lukes Church, where he was a worship leader for 10

(language used in Kenyan by one of the local tribes) . ‘Benganology’ was released in 2010 features his hit song ‘Saida’. His latest album is titled ‘Made in Kenya’, which is his favourite he says, “It is my favourite as I controlled it from the beginning to the end and I was more honest with my songs.” His favourite song is ‘An e yo’ which means I am on my way in dholuo

The inspiration for all his songs is to develop the Kenyan sound, to recreate old songs, to be honest and talk about everyday life stories.

years.

He started singing professionally when he was 15 years old. His first single was a rap song called ‘Pamoja’ it is a Swahili word meaning

together. He kept at it for three more years then quit.” I was a terrible rapper” he says as he laughs at himself.

After his rap career failed, he began dancing, he started from church,

The inspiration for all his songs is to develop the Kenyan sound, to recreate old songs, to be honest and talk about everyday life stories. He advises people to write music for their people i.e. ‘Gangnam Style’ by Psy was written for South Koreans.

He has collaborated with many Kenyan artists in his years in the music industry such as Eric Wainaina, Wyre, Neema Ntalel, Sanaipei

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Tande and Kanjii Mbugua. His favourite collaboration is Sanaipei Tande and Rabbit. He describes Sanaipei as “wonderful and gracious.”

The highlight of his career is when he performed in Venezuela in 2013.” I have had many wonderful moments in my career so far, I don’t know which one stands out, either my tour to United States of America or performing in Venezuela.”

He describes Kenyan music as benga as it involves the same chord and keys the only difference is the sound. He says this while singing DNA’s song ‘Kamua Leo’ while playing an imaginary piano.

His view on Kenyan music is that, musicians should craft their own sound, “I loved Nonini’s idea of calling his music Genge.”

He insists that one should create something that someone else can learn from and make it better i.e. Nonini with Genge and E-sir he introduced hip hop in Swahili language (still being downloaded until now) one should sell their music to their country first then move outside e.g. Diamond in Tanzania. He advises people to push back the western influence.

When asked his favourite musician, he quickly says Bosco Mulwa and Kidis, from Grandpa Records, one of the best record labels in Nairobi. So it’s not a shock that his favourite label is Grandpa records.”I would like to work with them one day” he says.

His take on African music is that we should play more African music and stop aping the West, we should stick to our roots, he then starts to sing D’banj’s song ‘Oliver Twist’ while nodding his head .

He recently opened a new studio and has signed three artists, one named Charles. He is now venturing into production. He is working on TV shows and advertisements. He is a program manager at Vecna Cares, which is based in Boston.

He advises artists to learn from other peoples’ failures, to be consistent and spend less time on relevance.”I have sold more albums than YouTube views.”

His favourite songs at the moment are ‘Superman’

by Tarrus riley, ‘Dushelele’ by Ali Kiba, ‘Number 1’ by Diamond and ‘Nakupenda’ pia by Wyre feat Alaine.

He ends the interview by saying “There is opportunity for growth for African music.”

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Viajar e Comer Fora Travel & Eat Out

Collingham Gardens

by Khadija Abdul

I

had the priviledge of visiting Collingham Gardens Residence and Club. It was courtesy of an invite from a good friend of mine to spend the afternoon for the purpose of reviewing the hospitality and ambience of the place. I’m glad I tagged along because it was a truly unforgettable experience. The guide from the front office was very helpful in our tour,he knew everything about anything there was to see at this beautiful Residence and Club.Located along Masai West Road,Karen.Collingham Gardens is a serene environment that has done well in keeping up with the ‘going green’ policy.The lawns and gardens are perfectly trimmed and there’s an aura of freshness as you take a walk in the compound.

Our tour took us to every part of the hotel and if it’s value for your money you’re looking for you’ll find it at this place. There are five villas,each bearing a botanical name,such as Cape Mahogany and Cape Lancewood.That is another testament of the ‘going green’ policy. The villas comprise of a lounge,a balcony with a beautiful view, two deluxe rooms with a shared balcony and a well-stocked fridge.

They also have a luxury suite and a standard room. These villas are suitable for evening parties and baby showers.

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The luxury suites are fitted with walk-in closets, a mini bar and jacuzzi tubs for two. They also come with a television and a personal balcony with an exclusive view of Karen. The standard rooms are ideal for guests staying over for business purposes. They are well-furnished and with everything a business traveller would like to have around. The deluxe rooms are all about comfort, they are spacious and the bed itself is Queen Size. These deluxe rooms also have a residents lounge. For all the rooms there are safes for guests to put their valuables in.

For those looking to have meetings there are conference facilities too. You will have either of the three conference facilities available to choose from, depending on the number of people. There’s one with a space area for eight people, another for 15 and one for more than 20 people. The cost for the conference facilities is Ksh.4,800 per person. This will cater for early morning, midmorning and afternoon tea/coffee, lunch plus the mineral water, mints, writing pad and pens. The facilities contain a 42 inch flat-screen TV, a projector and a microphone. There’s also a steady access of the internet in the conference facilities.

Collingham Gardens also offers a honeymoon package to die for. For Ksh 60,000 you get accommodation on full board and a couples massage. Three gazebos will be at your disposal. The area itself is most ideal for a photo shoot.The package comes with a free-pack of drinks and snacks for a bridal party of 20.

The hotel looks to cater for everyone’s needs and there’s a family setting for this purpose. From a live band to bouncing castles and face painting for the kids. There are also ammenities suitable for the perfect girl’s day out, a sauna and a salon.A massage parlour is also available with professional masseuses. A state of the art gym is also one of the things on offer in this elegant hotel.

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Hekaya Short Story

Pale Pink

by Jude Mutuma Photo © Lesan Erick instagram: @mboss_weh_tis_vaimbah

T

here’s something wrong with this scene. A square room, the floor patched with puddles of water here and there. At the corner stands a girl. Barely 6 years old, you estimate. She seems aloof, distant, withdrawn, as if looking beyond the cracked concrete wall, into nothingness. She seems very familiar. Too familiar. You want to call out her name. But you can’t remember it. A repetitive noise keeps coming from the ceiling.

Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap. As if some ghost lurking on the other side, looking for a way into your world. You’ve heard Tanzanian stories about ghosts that lurk in the night. Spirits of dead ancestors, wishing malice upon the living.

There’s a paleness about this girl. A shade of shocking pale white, bordering on pink. And the way she just stares at the wall, refusing to blink. Maybe she’s the ghost. Something somewhere at the recesses of your mind tells you her name is Nduta. So you call out to her, and she turns to face you. No, her name can’t be Nduta. Nduta is your daughter’s name. Your beautiful little girl. There’s a scary emptiness in her eyes. You realize she’s started crying. You want to ask her what’s wrong, but you already know the answer. Everything. An involuntary

tear escapes your eye. Everything’s wrong. other people’s words. She was your daughter.

You know she’s not real. It’s been like this for years. You see her face in all places and spaces. You see her face in the small girl in green uniform holding her mother’s hand on a rainy Friday afternoon. You see her face in the mirror when you’re washing your face in the morning. Each time you see her, you shed a tear. Each time you see her you mumble inwardly, a silent prayer to whoever people pray to. You wish you had one last moment with her. One last Sunday afternoon to watch her play quietly in her room. One last Monday morning to pack lunch into her bag as you prepare her for school. But you’ll never have one last moment. Bygones.

It’s been five years since you last saw her face. That pale pinkish face with the cheeky grin. Ever since you had given birth to her, people would talk behind your back about her.

The way she was pink when everyone else was black. They called her an abomination, a mistake, one of nature’s pitfalls. Your husband left you when you bore her, called you a cursed woman. But you loved her. With a passion. You loved her to death. You loved that pale skin and the yellow hair. And you refused to listen to

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It’s been five years since you saw her face. That fateful Tuesday afternoon when you went to pick her from school. She was nowhere to be seen. You searched frantically, asked desperately. Nothing. You couldn’t find her anywhere. You ran to Mwanza Central Police station. Filed a missing persons report. They promised you they’d do their best. You went home that evening hoping you’d find her there.

You didn’t. You cried like a child. You cried till your eyes hurt. When you couldn’t cry any more, you screamed till you lost your voice.

Five years since you saw her face. She was barely six years old. You keep hoping, hanging on to threads, that you will see her again. But you know she’s gone. Tanganyika is no place for a six-year-old with pink skin. You’ve heard the stories, how their organs can cure any type of illness. How they’re worth millions in market value. It’s a booming business, you hear. You don’t want to imagine that’s what happened to your daughter. You keep hoping that’s not what happened to your daughter.

There’s something wrong with this scene.