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talvez fosse util e interessante
postar aqui o artigo em Anexo...
talvez fosse util e interessante
postar aqui o artigo em Anexo...
Dentre as suas vitórias consta ainda uma exposição de obras de artes plásticas, de criadoras nacionais e estrangeiras, patente na galeria Celamar, em Luanda, em alusão ao mês de Março, dedicado a mulher e enquadrado no projecto "Arte Mulher". Segundo Marcela Costa o projecto caminha na sua 4ª edição e tem como objectivo unir todas criadoras culturais, num projecto que engloba a pintura e a moda. Das obras realçam-se fotografias tiradas com máquinas feitas a base de latas de leite. As obras falam do quotidiano, de cultura e da problemática ambiental. Dentre os participantes contam-se angolanos, sul-africanos, venezuelanos, noruegueses, britânicos e suecos.
Apesar da ampla participação, Marcela Costa lamenta o facto de não contar com obras de países africanos de expressão portuguesa. "Tratando-se de um evento realizado em África, devia ser dominado por africanos", disse. Ainda assim, a mentora da exposição garante que os seus esforços visam enaltecer o talento feminino, levando em conta trabalhos de artistas consagradas na arte do belo, da poesia e da moda. As jovens e adolescentes da Associação de Apoio à Criança Abandonada (AACA) participam igualmente mostrando a sua criatividade no concernente a dança, batuque e canto, referiu.
(Fonte: Jornal Angolense)
Dentre as suas vitórias consta ainda uma exposição de obras de artes plásticas, de criadoras nacionais e estrangeiras, patente na galeria Celamar, em Luanda, em alusão ao mês de Março, dedicado a mulher e enquadrado no projecto "Arte Mulher". Segundo Marcela Costa o projecto caminha na sua 4ª edição e tem como objectivo unir todas criadoras culturais, num projecto que engloba a pintura e a moda. Das obras realçam-se fotografias tiradas com máquinas feitas a base de latas de leite. As obras falam do quotidiano, de cultura e da problemática ambiental. Dentre os participantes contam-se angolanos, sul-africanos, venezuelanos, noruegueses, britânicos e suecos.
Apesar da ampla participação, Marcela Costa lamenta o facto de não contar com obras de países africanos de expressão portuguesa. "Tratando-se de um evento realizado em África, devia ser dominado por africanos", disse. Ainda assim, a mentora da exposição garante que os seus esforços visam enaltecer o talento feminino, levando em conta trabalhos de artistas consagradas na arte do belo, da poesia e da moda. As jovens e adolescentes da Associação de Apoio à Criança Abandonada (AACA) participam igualmente mostrando a sua criatividade no concernente a dança, batuque e canto, referiu.
(Fonte: Jornal Angolense)
N.B.: I decided to bring back this post to the front page because it just received a most welcome and thought-provoking comment by Connie Hilliard - Professor of African History at the University of North Texas, USA.
N.B.: I decided to bring back this post to the front page because it just received a most welcome and thought-provoking comment by Connie Hilliard - Professor of African History at the University of North Texas, USA.
As Angolans embark upon a new era of optimism, a precious part of their heritage communicating timeless realities is set for a revival
Flicking through the pages of a new book on Angola’s traditional sand drawings, the
uninitiated would never believe they were viewing an artform dating back more than 300 years. Stylish and clean cut, these mono-linear designs would surely grace the walls of any modern-day gallery or art-lover’s plush apartment. Simplistic yet stunning, they catch the eye and capture the imagination. These sand drawings, revealed in the recently published Sona - Desenhos na Areia (drawings in the sand), have gripped the artistic community and captivated those who appreciate their
straightforward charm. But perhaps more importantly, they are a key to unlocking a rich segment of Angola’s history at a time when the country is re-establishing its own identity, 30 years after its independence from Portugal.
The Mukanda ritual, according to Mr Mwa-Mudiandu, remains very strong and encompasses much more than abstract ideas about circumcision and fertility. “Today, the young men go to the Mukanda school to learn about life,” says Mr Mwa-Mudiandu. “In an oral way – not written – they are taught how to dance, how to behave, how to live. The school is designed to unite youth, creating a good harmony and understanding between them, and allowing them to profit from good sources of information and education.” It is during this rigorous Mukanda schooling that the boys pick up the basics of the Sona, but the true sand drawings experts, known as the Akwa kuta sona, are members of highly-esteemed elite, practising the knowledge handed down by their fathers and grandfathers before them.
The Akwa kuta sona smooth out the ground and relay the stories – be that in response to a question, an answer to a problem, a lesson, or purely for entertainment –as they slowly draw the line. “Then, when the story is finished, it is swept away as a way to protect knowledge and maintain the monopoly of the Sona tradition,” Mrs Skogen explains. However, this mystique threatens the very existence of the Sona. “It’s a great pity that most people, even the Chokwe, don’t know too much about this great art because it was passed down mainly by memory. The sand drawing experts were part of a social elite, so a select few who practised the knowledge handed it down through generations,” she says. Yet it seems the Sona sand drawings are set for a new lease of life. Thanks in part to the book, which reproduces some 60 drawings from around 350 which are known to exist, the tradition has sparked great excitement among the country’s artists and culture-lovers, many of whom were previously unaware of this fascinating
part of their history.
“I had never before heard the word Sona, but when I saw the images I realised that I had to go deeper into African art,” says artist Capitao da Silva, known as Hypo. Barely concealing his excitement, Hypo is enjoying the new inspiration unleashed by the Sona rediscovery. “These sand drawings are the people’s culture. They speak about the reality of life in Angola. They are not created or imagined. No one is dreaming this up,” he says. “The Sona is the real life of the Chokwe people.” Hypo was one of more than 120 artists who participated in a recent Norsk Hydro sponsored competition to create works of art – paintings, sculpture, collages or photographs – using the Chokwe culture as stimulation. His painting, symbolising virginity and its loss, was one of 13 images which will be part of a calendar for 2006. “Each artist gets inspiration in his own way, but all artists agree that reality is very important. There are no lies here; no-one is imagining this culture. It is very real,” he says. “This book is very precious,” he adds, hugging it to his chest, “because it is the renovation of a culture, and a populace without culture is dead.”
Mwana Pwo e Mpovo by Hypo (Capitao da Silva) is, in fact, two pictures displayed together which charmed the judges in the recent Norsk Hydro competition to find 13 images for a 2006 calendar based on the Chokwe Sona culture. The art draws on the Chokwe values of purity and chastity with the first yellow swirl depicting a virgin. She is pure, as represented by the white dots and the yellow. But by the second image, the picture is bloodied with red
and the dots are black. “I have created here my own version of a woman, not exactly the way in which the Chokwe represent women, but a new way through my own expression,” Hypo explains. “The painting is mono-linear like the
Sona and, also like the Sona, there is an important message behind it,” he says. “I created it myself, it is my own, but the inspiration comes from the Sona. If young girls are confused, this can be used as a message, advising them to hold on to their virginity. In Chokwe culture, there is a lot of respect for virgins and it is a tremendous honour to marry a virgin,” Hypo explains.
Back at the museum, Mr Kwononoka is glad to hear that this tradition looks set to live on. Though a Luanda resident for more than 25 years, he is of Chokwe origin and can speak, read and write in his mother language. “But I can’t do the drawings,” he sighs. “The fact that these rich and varied stories are not permanent adds to their mystery, but for me personally it is important that this form of our culture continues,” he says. “This form of education and communication must not die.”
SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Other Sources of Information on Sona:
As Angolans embark upon a new era of optimism, a precious part of their heritage communicating timeless realities is set for a revival
Flicking through the pages of a new book on Angola’s traditional sand drawings, the
uninitiated would never believe they were viewing an artform dating back more than 300 years. Stylish and clean cut, these mono-linear designs would surely grace the walls of any modern-day gallery or art-lover’s plush apartment. Simplistic yet stunning, they catch the eye and capture the imagination. These sand drawings, revealed in the recently published Sona - Desenhos na Areia (drawings in the sand), have gripped the artistic community and captivated those who appreciate their
straightforward charm. But perhaps more importantly, they are a key to unlocking a rich segment of Angola’s history at a time when the country is re-establishing its own identity, 30 years after its independence from Portugal.
The Mukanda ritual, according to Mr Mwa-Mudiandu, remains very strong and encompasses much more than abstract ideas about circumcision and fertility. “Today, the young men go to the Mukanda school to learn about life,” says Mr Mwa-Mudiandu. “In an oral way – not written – they are taught how to dance, how to behave, how to live. The school is designed to unite youth, creating a good harmony and understanding between them, and allowing them to profit from good sources of information and education.” It is during this rigorous Mukanda schooling that the boys pick up the basics of the Sona, but the true sand drawings experts, known as the Akwa kuta sona, are members of highly-esteemed elite, practising the knowledge handed down by their fathers and grandfathers before them.
The Akwa kuta sona smooth out the ground and relay the stories – be that in response to a question, an answer to a problem, a lesson, or purely for entertainment –as they slowly draw the line. “Then, when the story is finished, it is swept away as a way to protect knowledge and maintain the monopoly of the Sona tradition,” Mrs Skogen explains. However, this mystique threatens the very existence of the Sona. “It’s a great pity that most people, even the Chokwe, don’t know too much about this great art because it was passed down mainly by memory. The sand drawing experts were part of a social elite, so a select few who practised the knowledge handed it down through generations,” she says. Yet it seems the Sona sand drawings are set for a new lease of life. Thanks in part to the book, which reproduces some 60 drawings from around 350 which are known to exist, the tradition has sparked great excitement among the country’s artists and culture-lovers, many of whom were previously unaware of this fascinating
part of their history.
“I had never before heard the word Sona, but when I saw the images I realised that I had to go deeper into African art,” says artist Capitao da Silva, known as Hypo. Barely concealing his excitement, Hypo is enjoying the new inspiration unleashed by the Sona rediscovery. “These sand drawings are the people’s culture. They speak about the reality of life in Angola. They are not created or imagined. No one is dreaming this up,” he says. “The Sona is the real life of the Chokwe people.” Hypo was one of more than 120 artists who participated in a recent Norsk Hydro sponsored competition to create works of art – paintings, sculpture, collages or photographs – using the Chokwe culture as stimulation. His painting, symbolising virginity and its loss, was one of 13 images which will be part of a calendar for 2006. “Each artist gets inspiration in his own way, but all artists agree that reality is very important. There are no lies here; no-one is imagining this culture. It is very real,” he says. “This book is very precious,” he adds, hugging it to his chest, “because it is the renovation of a culture, and a populace without culture is dead.”
Mwana Pwo e Mpovo by Hypo (Capitao da Silva) is, in fact, two pictures displayed together which charmed the judges in the recent Norsk Hydro competition to find 13 images for a 2006 calendar based on the Chokwe Sona culture. The art draws on the Chokwe values of purity and chastity with the first yellow swirl depicting a virgin. She is pure, as represented by the white dots and the yellow. But by the second image, the picture is bloodied with red
and the dots are black. “I have created here my own version of a woman, not exactly the way in which the Chokwe represent women, but a new way through my own expression,” Hypo explains. “The painting is mono-linear like the
Sona and, also like the Sona, there is an important message behind it,” he says. “I created it myself, it is my own, but the inspiration comes from the Sona. If young girls are confused, this can be used as a message, advising them to hold on to their virginity. In Chokwe culture, there is a lot of respect for virgins and it is a tremendous honour to marry a virgin,” Hypo explains.
Back at the museum, Mr Kwononoka is glad to hear that this tradition looks set to live on. Though a Luanda resident for more than 25 years, he is of Chokwe origin and can speak, read and write in his mother language. “But I can’t do the drawings,” he sighs. “The fact that these rich and varied stories are not permanent adds to their mystery, but for me personally it is important that this form of our culture continues,” he says. “This form of education and communication must not die.”
SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Other Sources of Information on Sona:
"Not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honour here today, my very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today," he said at a service at Brown A.M.E. church attended by major figures from the civil rights era. "So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants," said Obama, as an overflow crowd listened outside.
Clinton earned a similarly enthusiastic reception at the First Baptist Church nearby, where she delivered one of the more rousing speeches of her career. Recalling the courage of those who marched in Selma in 1965 for voting rights, Clinton said that America still faced injustice and that "we have a march to finish". "How can we rest while poverty and inequality continue to rise? How can we sleep while 46 million of our fellow Americans do not have health insurance?" she said. "How can we shrug our shoulders and say this is not about me when too many of our children are ill-prepared in school for college and unable to afford it if they wish to attend?"
With the battle for African-American support heating up, a new poll showed Clinton's lead over Obama among Democratic voters slipping and Obama surging ahead of the former first lady among blacks for the first time. The ABC/Washington Post poll released on Friday showed that Clinton's once-commanding lead had narrowed to 36 percent support against 24 percent for Obama. And the poll had Obama now leading among African-Americans, 44 percent to 33 percent. Obama, who hopes to become the nation's first black president, poses a serious challenge to Clinton's front-runner status and Alabama is one of several states with large black populations that could shape the Democrats' nomination race.
Clinton chose to travel to Alabama after Obama's plans were announced, US media reported, apparently unwilling to cede ground to the Illinois senator at an event full of symbolism. To aid her cause, Clinton enlisted the last-minute help of her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who was so popular among African-Americans during his tenure at the White House that he was dubbed affectionately as the "first black president". Initially, Hillary Clinton intended to accept an award on behalf of her husband but later the ex-president changed his plans and announced he would travel to Selma to be inducted into the Voting Rights Hall of Fame. The move fed speculation in US media that the New York senator felt threatened by Obama's candidacy and was anxiously turning to her husband for political assistance.
Sunday is the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday", when state troops and police in 1965 brutally beat hundreds of demonstrators marching for voting rights for disenfranchised blacks. Nationally broadcast television footage of mounted troops attacking the peaceful demonstrators with clubs and tear gas at Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge helped rally support for the civil rights cause. Later that year, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act to ensure blacks were no longer prevented from voting.
MEANWHILE...
The maternal ancestors of Barack Obama, the Democrat who hopes to become America’s first black president, once owned slaves, genealogists have revealed. As the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, the background of Obama, who went to a school in Indonesia, was already considered exotic. According to the genealogists, George Washington Overall, Obama’s great-great-great-great grandfather, owned two slaves, a 15-year-old girl and 25-year-old man, who were listed in the 1850 Kentucky census. Another maternal ancestor owned two older slaves.
In his autobiography, Dreams from My Father, Obama referred to family rumours that his relatives had links to both sides during the civil war, but he did not know he had slaveholding ancestors. Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Illinois senator, said it showed his relatives were “representative of America”. “It is a true measure of progress that the descendant of a slave owner would come to marry a student from Kenya and produce a son who would grow up to be a candidate for president of the United States,” Burton said.
Obama’s relationship with the black community got off to a rocky start when he launched his campaign for president amid grumbling that he was not “black enough”. Debra Dickerson, a writer, commented recently that, “Blacks’, in our political and social reality, mean those descended from West African slaves,” and said Obama had acquired the “benefits of black progress” without having borne any of the burden. But, as Obama has pointed out, “If you look African-American in this society, you’re treated as an African-American.”
(Sources: Independent Online, Times Online & Parkdale Pictures)
SEE 'Take 1' HERE
"Not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honour here today, my very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today," he said at a service at Brown A.M.E. church attended by major figures from the civil rights era. "So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants," said Obama, as an overflow crowd listened outside.
Clinton earned a similarly enthusiastic reception at the First Baptist Church nearby, where she delivered one of the more rousing speeches of her career. Recalling the courage of those who marched in Selma in 1965 for voting rights, Clinton said that America still faced injustice and that "we have a march to finish". "How can we rest while poverty and inequality continue to rise? How can we sleep while 46 million of our fellow Americans do not have health insurance?" she said. "How can we shrug our shoulders and say this is not about me when too many of our children are ill-prepared in school for college and unable to afford it if they wish to attend?"
With the battle for African-American support heating up, a new poll showed Clinton's lead over Obama among Democratic voters slipping and Obama surging ahead of the former first lady among blacks for the first time. The ABC/Washington Post poll released on Friday showed that Clinton's once-commanding lead had narrowed to 36 percent support against 24 percent for Obama. And the poll had Obama now leading among African-Americans, 44 percent to 33 percent. Obama, who hopes to become the nation's first black president, poses a serious challenge to Clinton's front-runner status and Alabama is one of several states with large black populations that could shape the Democrats' nomination race.
Clinton chose to travel to Alabama after Obama's plans were announced, US media reported, apparently unwilling to cede ground to the Illinois senator at an event full of symbolism. To aid her cause, Clinton enlisted the last-minute help of her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who was so popular among African-Americans during his tenure at the White House that he was dubbed affectionately as the "first black president". Initially, Hillary Clinton intended to accept an award on behalf of her husband but later the ex-president changed his plans and announced he would travel to Selma to be inducted into the Voting Rights Hall of Fame. The move fed speculation in US media that the New York senator felt threatened by Obama's candidacy and was anxiously turning to her husband for political assistance.
Sunday is the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday", when state troops and police in 1965 brutally beat hundreds of demonstrators marching for voting rights for disenfranchised blacks. Nationally broadcast television footage of mounted troops attacking the peaceful demonstrators with clubs and tear gas at Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge helped rally support for the civil rights cause. Later that year, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act to ensure blacks were no longer prevented from voting.
MEANWHILE...
The maternal ancestors of Barack Obama, the Democrat who hopes to become America’s first black president, once owned slaves, genealogists have revealed. As the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, the background of Obama, who went to a school in Indonesia, was already considered exotic. According to the genealogists, George Washington Overall, Obama’s great-great-great-great grandfather, owned two slaves, a 15-year-old girl and 25-year-old man, who were listed in the 1850 Kentucky census. Another maternal ancestor owned two older slaves.
In his autobiography, Dreams from My Father, Obama referred to family rumours that his relatives had links to both sides during the civil war, but he did not know he had slaveholding ancestors. Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Illinois senator, said it showed his relatives were “representative of America”. “It is a true measure of progress that the descendant of a slave owner would come to marry a student from Kenya and produce a son who would grow up to be a candidate for president of the United States,” Burton said.
Obama’s relationship with the black community got off to a rocky start when he launched his campaign for president amid grumbling that he was not “black enough”. Debra Dickerson, a writer, commented recently that, “Blacks’, in our political and social reality, mean those descended from West African slaves,” and said Obama had acquired the “benefits of black progress” without having borne any of the burden. But, as Obama has pointed out, “If you look African-American in this society, you’re treated as an African-American.”
(Sources: Independent Online, Times Online & Parkdale Pictures)
SEE 'Take 1' HERE