Friday, 31 August 2007

Remembering Diana 10 Years On




A Memorial Service to mark the 10th anniversary of Diana's death took place today at the Guards Chapel in London. Hosted by her two sons William and Harry, the ceremony was marked by the abcense of Camilla Parker Bowles - once described by Diana as the third person in her marriage - who, after having been included in the guest list, pulled out stating not to wish to "divert attention from the purpose of the occasion."


During the service, Harry paid this moving tribute to his mother:

"William and I can separate life into two parts. There were those years when we were blessed with the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father. And then there are the 10 years since our mother's death. When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.


She will always be remembered for her amazing public work. But behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world.We would say that wouldn't we. But we miss her. She kissed us last thing at night. Her beaming smile greeted us from school. She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day. She encouraged us when we were nervous or unsure.


She - like our father- was determined to provide us with a stable and secure childhood. To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age - as others have experienced - is indescribably shocking and sad. It was an event which changed our lives forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night.
"But what is far more important to us now, and into the future, is that we remember our mother as she would have wished to be remembered - as she was: fun-loving, generous, down-to-earth, entirely genuine.

We both think of her every day. We speak about her and laugh together at all the memories. Put simply, she made us, and so many other people, happy. May this be the way that she is remembered."


I would not add any more words to this post if it weren't to note that, included in the program of events of this 10th anniversary, William and Harry invited to London one of the landmine victims their mother met in Angola and promised to visit the country at the first opportunity to relive Diana's anti-landmine campaign.

As my own tribute, I leave here this rendition by Grover Washington Jr. of O Mio Babbino Caro, which was one of her favourite arias:






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A Memorial Service to mark the 10th anniversary of Diana's death took place today at the Guards Chapel in London. Hosted by her two sons William and Harry, the ceremony was marked by the abcense of Camilla Parker Bowles - once described by Diana as the third person in her marriage - who, after having been included in the guest list, pulled out stating not to wish to "divert attention from the purpose of the occasion."


During the service, Harry paid this moving tribute to his mother:

"William and I can separate life into two parts. There were those years when we were blessed with the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father. And then there are the 10 years since our mother's death. When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.


She will always be remembered for her amazing public work. But behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world.We would say that wouldn't we. But we miss her. She kissed us last thing at night. Her beaming smile greeted us from school. She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day. She encouraged us when we were nervous or unsure.


She - like our father- was determined to provide us with a stable and secure childhood. To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age - as others have experienced - is indescribably shocking and sad. It was an event which changed our lives forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night.
"But what is far more important to us now, and into the future, is that we remember our mother as she would have wished to be remembered - as she was: fun-loving, generous, down-to-earth, entirely genuine.

We both think of her every day. We speak about her and laugh together at all the memories. Put simply, she made us, and so many other people, happy. May this be the way that she is remembered."


I would not add any more words to this post if it weren't to note that, included in the program of events of this 10th anniversary, William and Harry invited to London one of the landmine victims their mother met in Angola and promised to visit the country at the first opportunity to relive Diana's anti-landmine campaign.

As my own tribute, I leave here this rendition by Grover Washington Jr. of O Mio Babbino Caro, which was one of her favourite arias:






Free file hosting by Ripway.com




Wednesday, 29 August 2007

MANDELA'S STATUE UNVEILED IN LONDON


Attended by large crowds and graced by a gospel choir and some pomp and circumstance, a statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled today in London, at Parliament Square, alongside those of Jan Smuts, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Abraham Lincoln.

The ceremony was introduced by Lord Attenborough, trustee of the Mandela Statue Fund and perhaps best known as director of the highly acclaimed film Cry Freedom, based on the life of Steve Biko and the experiences of the late South African anti-apartheid activist Donald Woods, who had the original idea for the statue.

On the occasion, PM Gordon Brown referred to Mandela as “the most inspiring and greatest leader of our generation” who would be “forever remembered as the man who symbolised the end of Apartheid in South Africa”, adding “from this day forward, this statue will stand here, in sight of this ancient forum of democracy to commemorate and celebrate for the ages triumph in the greatest of causes. This statue is a beacon of hope."

In his speech, Mandela recalled how, during a visit to London with the late Oliver Tambo 45 years ago, "we half-joked that we hoped one day a statue of a black person would be erected here alongside that of General Smuts" and stated: "Though this statue is of one man, it should in actual fact symbolise all those who have resisted oppression, especially in my country. The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich with the story of heroes and heroines; some of them leaders, some of them followers: all of them deserve to be remembered."

Attended by large crowds and graced by a gospel choir and some pomp and circumstance, a statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled today in London, at Parliament Square, alongside those of Jan Smuts, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Abraham Lincoln.

The ceremony was introduced by Lord Attenborough, trustee of the Mandela Statue Fund and perhaps best known as director of the highly acclaimed film Cry Freedom, based on the life of Steve Biko and the experiences of the late South African anti-apartheid activist Donald Woods, who had the original idea for the statue.

On the occasion, PM Gordon Brown referred to Mandela as “the most inspiring and greatest leader of our generation” who would be “forever remembered as the man who symbolised the end of Apartheid in South Africa”, adding “from this day forward, this statue will stand here, in sight of this ancient forum of democracy to commemorate and celebrate for the ages triumph in the greatest of causes. This statue is a beacon of hope."

In his speech, Mandela recalled how, during a visit to London with the late Oliver Tambo 45 years ago, "we half-joked that we hoped one day a statue of a black person would be erected here alongside that of General Smuts" and stated: "Though this statue is of one man, it should in actual fact symbolise all those who have resisted oppression, especially in my country. The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich with the story of heroes and heroines; some of them leaders, some of them followers: all of them deserve to be remembered."

Tuesday, 28 August 2007

"Significancias Lusosfericas" et Luanda's (G)Litterati's Top Fives



"SIGNIFICANCIAS LUSOSFERICAS"


"...Combater a pobreza?! Que mal e' que a pobreza fez a alguem para ser combatida?..." (MRM)

"...Eu e' que devia ser beneficiado pela 'accao afirmativa' porque sou parte da minoria..." (MC)

"...Compram arte africana, o que quer que isso seja..." (JEA)

"...O povo nao sabe o que e' bom..." (ACGM)




LUANDA'S (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 PET HATES

1. Substituicao das estatuas das Marias da Fonte e do Blindado pela da Rainha Nzinga (por esta alegadamente nao ter passado de uma "escravocrata" negra)

2. Transformacao do "Palacio/Casa de Escravos de D. Ana Joaquina" (que efectivamente nao passou de uma escravocrata mestica)

3. Registo da raca nos B.I.

4. Qualquer mencao a palavra "identidade"

5. "Complexos de colonizado" - o que quer que isso seja

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 MUCH LOVES

1. Portugal (?)

2. Lusofonia (?)

3. Um certo Brasil (que exclui os seus Movimentos Negros reivindicativos)

4. Uma certa Africa do Sul, em particular Cape Town (que nao inclui as suas Townships)

5. "Pretos descomplexados" - o que quer que isso seja

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 INDIFFERENCES

1. Racismo praticado nos Bancos e outras empresas instaladas em Angola

2. Todas as causas da sociedade civil que nao constem dos seus top-5 pet hates

3. Qualquer abordagem do fenomeno corrupcao que nao se limite a ridicularizacao dos "sinais exteriores de riqueza" dos seus alvos criteriosamente seleccionados

4. A Diaspora Angolana pos-independencia em geral

5. Africa e os Africanos em geral

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 INCOGNITAS

1. Qualquer abordagem socio-economica da relacao raca/classe social

2. Qualquer conceito de "identidade cultural" (incluindo a que os une a volta das mesmas causas)

3. O mundo pos-Guerra Fria

4. Comunidade Negra Norte-Americana (de facto, todas e quaisquer Comunidades Negras)

5. "Pretas complexa(da)s" - o que quer que isso seja

***

GLITTERING CONCLUSION:

Not All That Glitters Is Gold...



"SIGNIFICANCIAS LUSOSFERICAS"


"...Combater a pobreza?! Que mal e' que a pobreza fez a alguem para ser combatida?..." (MRM)

"...Eu e' que devia ser beneficiado pela 'accao afirmativa' porque sou parte da minoria..." (MC)

"...Compram arte africana, o que quer que isso seja..." (JEA)

"...O povo nao sabe o que e' bom..." (ACGM)




LUANDA'S (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 PET HATES

1. Substituicao das estatuas das Marias da Fonte e do Blindado pela da Rainha Nzinga (por esta alegadamente nao ter passado de uma "escravocrata" negra)

2. Transformacao do "Palacio/Casa de Escravos de D. Ana Joaquina" (que efectivamente nao passou de uma escravocrata mestica)

3. Registo da raca nos B.I.

4. Qualquer mencao a palavra "identidade"

5. "Complexos de colonizado" - o que quer que isso seja

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 MUCH LOVES

1. Portugal (?)

2. Lusofonia (?)

3. Um certo Brasil (que exclui os seus Movimentos Negros reivindicativos)

4. Uma certa Africa do Sul, em particular Cape Town (que nao inclui as suas Townships)

5. "Pretos descomplexados" - o que quer que isso seja

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 INDIFFERENCES

1. Racismo praticado nos Bancos e outras empresas instaladas em Angola

2. Todas as causas da sociedade civil que nao constem dos seus top-5 pet hates

3. Qualquer abordagem do fenomeno corrupcao que nao se limite a ridicularizacao dos "sinais exteriores de riqueza" dos seus alvos criteriosamente seleccionados

4. A Diaspora Angolana pos-independencia em geral

5. Africa e os Africanos em geral

***

SAME (G)LITTERATI TOP-5 INCOGNITAS

1. Qualquer abordagem socio-economica da relacao raca/classe social

2. Qualquer conceito de "identidade cultural" (incluindo a que os une a volta das mesmas causas)

3. O mundo pos-Guerra Fria

4. Comunidade Negra Norte-Americana (de facto, todas e quaisquer Comunidades Negras)

5. "Pretas complexa(da)s" - o que quer que isso seja

***

GLITTERING CONCLUSION:

Not All That Glitters Is Gold...

Sunday, 26 August 2007

FUNGE DE DOMINGO (RECIDIVUS)*


FUFU (FUNGE in Angola)

Fufu (Foo-foo, Foufou, Foutou, fu fu) is to Western and Central Africa cooking what mashed potatoes are to traditional European-American cooking. There are Fufu-like staples all over Sub-Saharan Africa: i.e., Eastern Africa's Ugali and Southern Africa's Sadza (which are usually made from ground corn (maize), though West Africans use maize to make Banku and Kenkey, and sometimes use maize to make Fufu. Fufu is a starchy accompaniment for stews or other dishes with sauce. To eat fufu: use your right hand to tear off a bite-sized piece of the fufu, shape it into a ball, make an indentation in it, and use it to scoop up the soup or stew or sauce, or whatever you're eating.

(For more details see the Congo Cookbook)

...

For some food for thought see the attached article, taken from the interesting blog "Cultural Vulturism".

...

Sobre “vulturismo cultural”, ver ainda, no contexto Indio-Americano, sinopse de uma Conferencia (“Meeting of Indian Professors Takes Up Issues of ‘Ethnic Fraud’, Sovereignty and Research Needs”), onde se pode ler o seguinte: “Cultural vulturism has increased in recent years in spite of the efforts of Indian intellectual criticisms. More needs to be done.” NESTA pagina. (... De notar que os tais Professores Indios devem ser uma "kambada de ignorantes, racistas, complexados e constrangidos"... para dizer o minimo!)

...

Ja' agora, ver tambem ESTA DISCUSSAO (... De notar que o autor do argumento aqui reproduzido nao deve passar de um "invejoso, rancoroso, frustrado e muito de mal com a vida e com o mundo, enfim, um petit-rien"... para nao dizer mais!)

...

[Neste "Dia da Terra" tentemos olhar para a nossa bola de funge como uma representacao do planeta em que vivemos e dessa terra sem a qual nao poderemos continuar a plantar e a colher o milho, a mandioca ou o yam com que milhoes de nos nos alimentamos e mantemos vivos ha' milenios... com que milhoes de filhos desta terra reproduziram as suas energias para a construcao de um 'Novo Mundo' dentro e fora de Afrika.

Vamos Reunir... Vamos encontrar a Harmonia...
Vamos falar da Terra... Vamos esquecer a Guerra!]

...





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Reunir (Funge de Domingo) - Teta Lando


*(First published 22/04/07)

FUFU (FUNGE in Angola)

Fufu (Foo-foo, Foufou, Foutou, fu fu) is to Western and Central Africa cooking what mashed potatoes are to traditional European-American cooking. There are Fufu-like staples all over Sub-Saharan Africa: i.e., Eastern Africa's Ugali and Southern Africa's Sadza (which are usually made from ground corn (maize), though West Africans use maize to make Banku and Kenkey, and sometimes use maize to make Fufu. Fufu is a starchy accompaniment for stews or other dishes with sauce. To eat fufu: use your right hand to tear off a bite-sized piece of the fufu, shape it into a ball, make an indentation in it, and use it to scoop up the soup or stew or sauce, or whatever you're eating.

(For more details see the Congo Cookbook)

...

For some food for thought see the attached article, taken from the interesting blog "Cultural Vulturism".

...

Sobre “vulturismo cultural”, ver ainda, no contexto Indio-Americano, sinopse de uma Conferencia (“Meeting of Indian Professors Takes Up Issues of ‘Ethnic Fraud’, Sovereignty and Research Needs”), onde se pode ler o seguinte: “Cultural vulturism has increased in recent years in spite of the efforts of Indian intellectual criticisms. More needs to be done.” NESTA pagina. (... De notar que os tais Professores Indios devem ser uma "kambada de ignorantes, racistas, complexados e constrangidos"... para dizer o minimo!)

...

Ja' agora, ver tambem ESTA DISCUSSAO (... De notar que o autor do argumento aqui reproduzido nao deve passar de um "invejoso, rancoroso, frustrado e muito de mal com a vida e com o mundo, enfim, um petit-rien"... para nao dizer mais!)

...

[Neste "Dia da Terra" tentemos olhar para a nossa bola de funge como uma representacao do planeta em que vivemos e dessa terra sem a qual nao poderemos continuar a plantar e a colher o milho, a mandioca ou o yam com que milhoes de nos nos alimentamos e mantemos vivos ha' milenios... com que milhoes de filhos desta terra reproduziram as suas energias para a construcao de um 'Novo Mundo' dentro e fora de Afrika.

Vamos Reunir... Vamos encontrar a Harmonia...
Vamos falar da Terra... Vamos esquecer a Guerra!]

...





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Reunir (Funge de Domingo) - Teta Lando


*(First published 22/04/07)

Thursday, 23 August 2007

ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE: 200 YEARS ON (RECIDIVUS)*





Ja’ aqui afirmei, uma ou duas vezes, que tenho para mim que a sociedade Britanica contemporanea e’, do ponto de vista racial, a mais amadurecida, descomplexada, politicamente sofisticada, harmoniosa e saudavel do mundo ocidental. Tenho perfeita consciencia dos “votos contra” tal afirmacao que se terao levantado e continuarao a levantar… Mas o facto e’ que, 'malgre tout', mais uma vez essa realidade se desenrola, e em abundancia, aos olhos de todos quantos a puderem ver por estes dias.





O Reino Unido esta’ em plena comemoracao dos 200 anos sobre a passagem, no Parlamento de Westminster, do Acto de Abolicao da Escravatura, aqui referido como o “Abolition of the Slave Trade Act Bicentenary”, assinalado oficialmente ontem. ‘A conta disso, temos sido servidos nos ultimos dias e continuaremos a se-lo ao longo do resto do ano, por um verdadeiro “banquete” de programas, actividades e debates a volta das questoes da escravatura, do racismo e das relacoes inter-raciais, passadas, presentes e futuras, tanto neste pais, como globalmente. E todos que nele participam, ou apenas observam, parecem estar determinados a comer de tudo um pouco, sem deixarem nenhuma migalha do “buffet” ser varrida para debaixo do tapete… Perante tanta abundancia e variedade e’-me literalmente impossivel dar aqui conta de tudo quanto se tem passado, mas aqui fica o registo, necessariamente breve, de alguns dos eventos que teem marcado esta efemeride.

"The body of Christ is not just a body that exists at any one time, it exists across history and we therefore share the shame and the sinfulness of our predecessors and part of what we can do, with them and for them in the body of Christ, is prayer for acknowledgement of the failure that is part of us not just of some distant 'them'." Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Church of England

I. Procissao da Igreja Anglicana em demonstracao do seu arrependimento pelo seu papel no e beneficio do esclavagismo, ou o “Walk of Witness”: Dirigida pelos Arcebispos de York e Canterbury, acompanhada pelos seus parceiros ecumenicos e presidida no seu acto central por uma das suas figuras centrais, por sinal uma mulher negra, esta procissao congregou varias caminhadas, incluindo a “Marcha dos Abolicionistas” iniciada na cidade de Hull e composta por caminhantes usando cangas, correntes e t-shirts ostentando a frase "So Sorry", que comecaram desde o inicio do ano em varias partes do pais e culminaram anteontem em Londres. Durante o acto central, em Kennington, municipio de Lambeth, os participantes foram convidados a assinar uma ‘Declaracao Internacional Contra a Escravatura’ apelando por medidas para uma melhor compreensao do comercio transatlantico de escravos, para a compensacao dos seus legados historicos e para o fim de todas as formas de escravatura moderna. O acto foi tambem marcado pela leitura de textos de escritores negros e ‘freedom-fighters’, incluindo Nelson Mandela e Martin Luther King e pela entoacao do Hino “Amazing Grace”.

"We were directly responsible for what happened. In the sense of inheriting our history, we can say we owned slaves, we branded slaves, that is why I believe we must actually recognise our history and offer an apology." Rev Blessant, Church of England

II. Filmes "Amazing Grace" e “The Walk”: sobre a trajectoria de vida de William Wilberforce que, segundo a versao oficial, tera’ levado a passagem, ao final dos debates de que ele foi o principal protagonista, do “Abolition of Slave Trade Act” no Parlamento Britanico.

Nos debates em varias series televisivas e revistas culturais, estes filmes e o papel de Wilberforce teem sido sistematicamente questionados a luz, nao so’ da veracidade e integridade da sua historia oficial, mas tambem e sobretudo do papel, por muitos considerado mais relevante e crucial, do ex-escravo Olaudah Equiano, de origem Nigeriana, que com o seu livro, tornado best-seller na epoca, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African (1789)”, tera’ tido uma influencia mais determinante na abolicao da escravatura. (Leia mais sobre esta questao AQUI)

III. Documentario “Rough Crossings” pelo bastante mediatico, mas nem por isso menos conceituado, embora de rigor cientifico algo questionavel, historiador Simon Schama, baseado no seu livro com o mesmo titulo (BBC 2): retraca a historia da fundacao da Serra Leoa por ex-escravos que fugiram das plantacoes e se juntaram aos Britanicos na Guerra de Independencia Americana.

IV. Serie “Racism: A History” (BBC 4): uma verdadeira “gourmet meal”, congregando a mesa de discussao os mais internacionalmente prestigiados e conceituados estudiosos do racismo, de varias nacionalidades, racas e etnias. Alguns dos temas abordados: o papel dos Reinos Africanos no trafico de escravos; o papel do esclavagismo na evolucao e prosperidade da Gra-Bretanha; a Revolucao Haitiana, com a historica vitoria dos seus escravos das plantacoes sobre o jugo esclavagista; a historia do racismo na Religiao e ao longo da evolucao das varias disciplinas cientificas, desde a Geografia, a Biologia e a Filosofia, passando pela Antropologia, a Etnologia e a Psicologia e culminando na Historia; as varias formas de organizacao social do racismo em diferentes contextos geograficos, historicos e economicos, da Africa a Europa e da America do Norte ao Brasil e de como o racismo se torna mais intenso quanto mais baixo o nivel economico, cultural e educacional das pessoas pertencentes as racas julgadas "superiores", grupos sociais e nacoes; “The Colour of Money” (segundo episodio da serie), examinando a forma como o dinheiro afecta a vida das pessoas e ate’ que ponto o racismo e’ um produto da "globalizacao economica" do sec. XVII e as representacoes estereotipadas dos negros ao longo da Historia.

V. Serie “O Seculo XVIII Negro” (BBC 4): Como sobremesa, uma exploracao da experiencia da populacao negra Britanica no seculo 18, usando arte do periodo, incluindo obras por Gainsborough e Hogarth.


(Pictures: BBC and Anglican Church online)

*First published 26/03/07







Ja’ aqui afirmei, uma ou duas vezes, que tenho para mim que a sociedade Britanica contemporanea e’, do ponto de vista racial, a mais amadurecida, descomplexada, politicamente sofisticada, harmoniosa e saudavel do mundo ocidental. Tenho perfeita consciencia dos “votos contra” tal afirmacao que se terao levantado e continuarao a levantar… Mas o facto e’ que, 'malgre tout', mais uma vez essa realidade se desenrola, e em abundancia, aos olhos de todos quantos a puderem ver por estes dias.





O Reino Unido esta’ em plena comemoracao dos 200 anos sobre a passagem, no Parlamento de Westminster, do Acto de Abolicao da Escravatura, aqui referido como o “Abolition of the Slave Trade Act Bicentenary”, assinalado oficialmente ontem. ‘A conta disso, temos sido servidos nos ultimos dias e continuaremos a se-lo ao longo do resto do ano, por um verdadeiro “banquete” de programas, actividades e debates a volta das questoes da escravatura, do racismo e das relacoes inter-raciais, passadas, presentes e futuras, tanto neste pais, como globalmente. E todos que nele participam, ou apenas observam, parecem estar determinados a comer de tudo um pouco, sem deixarem nenhuma migalha do “buffet” ser varrida para debaixo do tapete… Perante tanta abundancia e variedade e’-me literalmente impossivel dar aqui conta de tudo quanto se tem passado, mas aqui fica o registo, necessariamente breve, de alguns dos eventos que teem marcado esta efemeride.

"The body of Christ is not just a body that exists at any one time, it exists across history and we therefore share the shame and the sinfulness of our predecessors and part of what we can do, with them and for them in the body of Christ, is prayer for acknowledgement of the failure that is part of us not just of some distant 'them'." Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Church of England

I. Procissao da Igreja Anglicana em demonstracao do seu arrependimento pelo seu papel no e beneficio do esclavagismo, ou o “Walk of Witness”: Dirigida pelos Arcebispos de York e Canterbury, acompanhada pelos seus parceiros ecumenicos e presidida no seu acto central por uma das suas figuras centrais, por sinal uma mulher negra, esta procissao congregou varias caminhadas, incluindo a “Marcha dos Abolicionistas” iniciada na cidade de Hull e composta por caminhantes usando cangas, correntes e t-shirts ostentando a frase "So Sorry", que comecaram desde o inicio do ano em varias partes do pais e culminaram anteontem em Londres. Durante o acto central, em Kennington, municipio de Lambeth, os participantes foram convidados a assinar uma ‘Declaracao Internacional Contra a Escravatura’ apelando por medidas para uma melhor compreensao do comercio transatlantico de escravos, para a compensacao dos seus legados historicos e para o fim de todas as formas de escravatura moderna. O acto foi tambem marcado pela leitura de textos de escritores negros e ‘freedom-fighters’, incluindo Nelson Mandela e Martin Luther King e pela entoacao do Hino “Amazing Grace”.

"We were directly responsible for what happened. In the sense of inheriting our history, we can say we owned slaves, we branded slaves, that is why I believe we must actually recognise our history and offer an apology." Rev Blessant, Church of England

II. Filmes "Amazing Grace" e “The Walk”: sobre a trajectoria de vida de William Wilberforce que, segundo a versao oficial, tera’ levado a passagem, ao final dos debates de que ele foi o principal protagonista, do “Abolition of Slave Trade Act” no Parlamento Britanico.

Nos debates em varias series televisivas e revistas culturais, estes filmes e o papel de Wilberforce teem sido sistematicamente questionados a luz, nao so’ da veracidade e integridade da sua historia oficial, mas tambem e sobretudo do papel, por muitos considerado mais relevante e crucial, do ex-escravo Olaudah Equiano, de origem Nigeriana, que com o seu livro, tornado best-seller na epoca, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African (1789)”, tera’ tido uma influencia mais determinante na abolicao da escravatura. (Leia mais sobre esta questao AQUI)

III. Documentario “Rough Crossings” pelo bastante mediatico, mas nem por isso menos conceituado, embora de rigor cientifico algo questionavel, historiador Simon Schama, baseado no seu livro com o mesmo titulo (BBC 2): retraca a historia da fundacao da Serra Leoa por ex-escravos que fugiram das plantacoes e se juntaram aos Britanicos na Guerra de Independencia Americana.

IV. Serie “Racism: A History” (BBC 4): uma verdadeira “gourmet meal”, congregando a mesa de discussao os mais internacionalmente prestigiados e conceituados estudiosos do racismo, de varias nacionalidades, racas e etnias. Alguns dos temas abordados: o papel dos Reinos Africanos no trafico de escravos; o papel do esclavagismo na evolucao e prosperidade da Gra-Bretanha; a Revolucao Haitiana, com a historica vitoria dos seus escravos das plantacoes sobre o jugo esclavagista; a historia do racismo na Religiao e ao longo da evolucao das varias disciplinas cientificas, desde a Geografia, a Biologia e a Filosofia, passando pela Antropologia, a Etnologia e a Psicologia e culminando na Historia; as varias formas de organizacao social do racismo em diferentes contextos geograficos, historicos e economicos, da Africa a Europa e da America do Norte ao Brasil e de como o racismo se torna mais intenso quanto mais baixo o nivel economico, cultural e educacional das pessoas pertencentes as racas julgadas "superiores", grupos sociais e nacoes; “The Colour of Money” (segundo episodio da serie), examinando a forma como o dinheiro afecta a vida das pessoas e ate’ que ponto o racismo e’ um produto da "globalizacao economica" do sec. XVII e as representacoes estereotipadas dos negros ao longo da Historia.

V. Serie “O Seculo XVIII Negro” (BBC 4): Como sobremesa, uma exploracao da experiencia da populacao negra Britanica no seculo 18, usando arte do periodo, incluindo obras por Gainsborough e Hogarth.


(Pictures: BBC and Anglican Church online)

*First published 26/03/07



Wednesday, 15 August 2007

DANCE?

A few years ago, when I was at my last go (so far…) at “structured” or “conventional” dance, a colleague brought to my attention the book “To Dance is Human: A Theory of Nonverbal Communication”*, by Judith Lynne Hanna, which I then bought. Today I feel particularly like transcribing here a chapter from it entitled “Dance?”, highlighting upfront the following excerpts:

There is obviously a need to define or, using Abraham Kaplan’s phrase, to “specify the meaning of” a behavior before exploring its complexities. For the anthropologist who strives to identify, describe and explain phenomena within a cross-cultural perspective, it is essential to adopt a definition which both indicates the sets of features which are referents for a concept and, also, remains flexible about empirical issues.

Of course, our choice of conceptual apparatus, our working distinctions, need constant refinement, and we must be alert to indications that something may be escaping us because our approach has blind spots. A decade ago I began (as observer, participant, and/or field researcher) to examine dance forms ranging from classical theater ballet to popular dance in the West to Latin American, Caribbean, and African social and ritual forms; later I examined a variety of dance forms from other parts of the world. I wondered if these were common characteristics in the kinds of phenomena different people call dance (or what westerners would generally categorize as dance – as a westerner I am obviously influenced by my culture). Examining dance cross-culturally to formulate hypothesis, to establish the range of variation of dance phenomena and their concepts of culture or social organization, I was forced to develop an overarching analytic definition.

Such a definition should, I thought, transcend the participants’ concepts of dance, which undoubtedly, include some criteria that other groups exclude and debar, some they encompass. Further, the definition should include behavior which the appearance of what is generally considered dance, even though, for the participants concerned, it is not dance because they have no such concept. I have observed or read about a number of groups who seemingly have quite different ways of conceptualizing what I think of as dance.

Many societies have multiple words for different dances without having a single generic term. (…) For the Ubakala of Nigeria, drum accompaniment is a necessary part of dance and, thus, the word denoting dance also denotes a drum and a play. Elsewhere in Africa, for example among the Akan, Efik, Azande, and Kanba, dance involves vocal and instrumental music, including the drum. On the other hand, many African groups, such as the Zulu, Matabele, Shi, Ngoni, Tutkana, and Wanyaturu, do not use drums and some even denigrate users of drums. Among the Tiv of Nigeria, the word dance also encompasses activities we exclude from the performing arts: games and gambling.


The following conceptualization of dance is a researcher’s abstraction (an etic concept) partially generated from analyzing native (emic) definitions. This working definition was reached through empirical observation, a survey of literature relevant to dance, consideration of dance movement elements and the human body (the instrument of dance) in motion, and through adhering to a holistic approach. Holism does not mean an attempt to know everything, but it assumes that dance is essentially meaningful in its sociocultural context. It implies functional relations within a system but does not assume total interrelatedness nor relationships of equal importance.


***
*To which I would just add: indeed, to dance is only human – it doesn’t need to be transformed into “rocket science”!
Ou, para colocar a questao de forma mais amena para certas cabeças duras e incultas em terras onde quem tem meio olho e’ rei e quem tenha lido, decorado ou copiado meia duzia de livros se auto-intitula “doutor cientista” e/ou "especialista", ou ainda quem tenha feito uma “visita oficial” guiada de meia hora, com guarda-costas, a uma das verdadeiras fontes de Cultura (… que Dançam desde que a humanidade existe e cujos conceitos precedem de milenios quaisquer “contemporaneas teorias da dança” - para hoje serem apedrejadas com calhaus abusivos e atrevidos tipo "o povo nao sabe o que e' bom"…), se considera “pesquisador”, “antropologo”, “etnologo”, “pensologo”, ou… “dançologo”: Dançar e’ humano, nao tem que ser transformado em “ciencia da pedrada” (e como a autora deste livro o demonstra bem... com a simplicidade e humildade de uma verdadeira autoridade na materia)! Em suma: deixem-se de exclusivismos, elitismos, racismos, vulturismos, imperialismos ocidentais, neo-colonialismos, imposicoes, reducionismos e limitacoes fascistoides, novo-riquismos culturais e pseudo-academismos arrogantes (wa xtranhala!) e dancem so'… se souberem e se puderem! E, acima de tudo, deixem os outros (os verdadeiros "criativos") dançar em paz!

{Please click on the pictures to access sources}


A few years ago, when I was at my last go (so far…) at “structured” or “conventional” dance, a colleague brought to my attention the book “To Dance is Human: A Theory of Nonverbal Communication”*, by Judith Lynne Hanna, which I then bought. Today I feel particularly like transcribing here a chapter from it entitled “Dance?”, highlighting upfront the following excerpts:

There is obviously a need to define or, using Abraham Kaplan’s phrase, to “specify the meaning of” a behavior before exploring its complexities. For the anthropologist who strives to identify, describe and explain phenomena within a cross-cultural perspective, it is essential to adopt a definition which both indicates the sets of features which are referents for a concept and, also, remains flexible about empirical issues.

Of course, our choice of conceptual apparatus, our working distinctions, need constant refinement, and we must be alert to indications that something may be escaping us because our approach has blind spots. A decade ago I began (as observer, participant, and/or field researcher) to examine dance forms ranging from classical theater ballet to popular dance in the West to Latin American, Caribbean, and African social and ritual forms; later I examined a variety of dance forms from other parts of the world. I wondered if these were common characteristics in the kinds of phenomena different people call dance (or what westerners would generally categorize as dance – as a westerner I am obviously influenced by my culture). Examining dance cross-culturally to formulate hypothesis, to establish the range of variation of dance phenomena and their concepts of culture or social organization, I was forced to develop an overarching analytic definition.

Such a definition should, I thought, transcend the participants’ concepts of dance, which undoubtedly, include some criteria that other groups exclude and debar, some they encompass. Further, the definition should include behavior which the appearance of what is generally considered dance, even though, for the participants concerned, it is not dance because they have no such concept. I have observed or read about a number of groups who seemingly have quite different ways of conceptualizing what I think of as dance.

Many societies have multiple words for different dances without having a single generic term. (…) For the Ubakala of Nigeria, drum accompaniment is a necessary part of dance and, thus, the word denoting dance also denotes a drum and a play. Elsewhere in Africa, for example among the Akan, Efik, Azande, and Kanba, dance involves vocal and instrumental music, including the drum. On the other hand, many African groups, such as the Zulu, Matabele, Shi, Ngoni, Tutkana, and Wanyaturu, do not use drums and some even denigrate users of drums. Among the Tiv of Nigeria, the word dance also encompasses activities we exclude from the performing arts: games and gambling.


The following conceptualization of dance is a researcher’s abstraction (an etic concept) partially generated from analyzing native (emic) definitions. This working definition was reached through empirical observation, a survey of literature relevant to dance, consideration of dance movement elements and the human body (the instrument of dance) in motion, and through adhering to a holistic approach. Holism does not mean an attempt to know everything, but it assumes that dance is essentially meaningful in its sociocultural context. It implies functional relations within a system but does not assume total interrelatedness nor relationships of equal importance.


***
*To which I would just add: indeed, to dance is only human – it doesn’t need to be transformed into “rocket science”!
Ou, para colocar a questao de forma mais amena para certas cabeças duras e incultas em terras onde quem tem meio olho e’ rei e quem tenha lido, decorado ou copiado meia duzia de livros se auto-intitula “doutor cientista” e/ou "especialista", ou ainda quem tenha feito uma “visita oficial” guiada de meia hora, com guarda-costas, a uma das verdadeiras fontes de Cultura (… que Dançam desde que a humanidade existe e cujos conceitos precedem de milenios quaisquer “contemporaneas teorias da dança” - para hoje serem apedrejadas com calhaus abusivos e atrevidos tipo "o povo nao sabe o que e' bom"…), se considera “pesquisador”, “antropologo”, “etnologo”, “pensologo”, ou… “dançologo”: Dançar e’ humano, nao tem que ser transformado em “ciencia da pedrada” (e como a autora deste livro o demonstra bem... com a simplicidade e humildade de uma verdadeira autoridade na materia)! Em suma: deixem-se de exclusivismos, elitismos, racismos, vulturismos, imperialismos ocidentais, neo-colonialismos, imposicoes, reducionismos e limitacoes fascistoides, novo-riquismos culturais e pseudo-academismos arrogantes (wa xtranhala!) e dancem so'… se souberem e se puderem! E, acima de tudo, deixem os outros (os verdadeiros "criativos") dançar em paz!

{Please click on the pictures to access sources}


Sunday, 12 August 2007

SUNDAY SMILE



{Para o Denudado}
Looks creasy, looks browny… but it’s actually a plain, simple, golden... smile.
{It's a card offered to me, some 10 years ago, by my best work colleague ever, Sue Towns. I always keep and look at it with a smile.}





{Para o Denudado}
Looks creasy, looks browny… but it’s actually a plain, simple, golden... smile.
{It's a card offered to me, some 10 years ago, by my best work colleague ever, Sue Towns. I always keep and look at it with a smile.}



FORTHCOMING PUBLICATION: "NO EASY VICTORIES"

FOR THE FIRST TIME, A PANORAMIC VIEW OF U.S. ACTIVISM ON AFRICA FROM 1950 TO 2000

We were part of a worldwide movement that continues today to redress the economic and social injustices that kill body, mind, and spirit. No Easy Victories makes clear that our lives and fortunes around the globe are indeed linked. - Nelson Mandela


"Hundreds of thousands of Americans mobilized to oppose apartheid in the 1980s. That successful movement built on decades of behind-the-scenes links between African liberation movements and American activists, both black and white.

No Easy Victories draws on the voices of activists of several generations to explore this largely untold history. While U.S.-based groups and individuals contributed to African liberation, African struggles also inspired U.S. activism, including the civil rights and black power movements.


Today Africa and the world face global injustices as deadly as apartheid. Understanding this history of solidarity is essential for finding new paths to a future of equal human rights for all."

More details here.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, A PANORAMIC VIEW OF U.S. ACTIVISM ON AFRICA FROM 1950 TO 2000

We were part of a worldwide movement that continues today to redress the economic and social injustices that kill body, mind, and spirit. No Easy Victories makes clear that our lives and fortunes around the globe are indeed linked. - Nelson Mandela


"Hundreds of thousands of Americans mobilized to oppose apartheid in the 1980s. That successful movement built on decades of behind-the-scenes links between African liberation movements and American activists, both black and white.

No Easy Victories draws on the voices of activists of several generations to explore this largely untold history. While U.S.-based groups and individuals contributed to African liberation, African struggles also inspired U.S. activism, including the civil rights and black power movements.


Today Africa and the world face global injustices as deadly as apartheid. Understanding this history of solidarity is essential for finding new paths to a future of equal human rights for all."

More details here.

Friday, 10 August 2007

REVISITING SOUTH AFRICA (IV): "HOW'S THINGS"?

While at the Lanzerac,* I came across a report entitled “Black Advancement: Hype Outstrips Reality”, authored by Lawrence Schlemmer and published by the Helen Suzman Foundation.
It is a well-balanced analysis, based on detailed statistics, of the process of social change in South Africa since the first democratic elections in the country in 1994. Some of its main findings may help explain the upsurge of strikes and demonstrations in the country, particularly by public sector workers, earlier this year. Here's a summary:

***
In the period from 1993 to 2002, Africans increased their share of the top 10 per cent of household income dramatically, from under 10 per cent just before 1994 to 23 per cent in the second half of 2002. Coloured people also increased their share slightly, whereas the white share fell sharply from nearly 80 per cent to some 63 per cent. Indians retained their share. Very significantly, however, the rate of change slowed dramatically after 2002. Coloured people continued to advance but the shares of all other groups remained static, and may even have fallen very slightly among Africans. This stalling of progress has occurred at the very time that talk of black economic empowerment and employment equity has been intensifying. Why is this?

The affirmative action bonanza has passed. Between 2002 and 2004 the effects of inflation are fairly slight, and roughly equal for all race categories. A very tiny super elite of empowerment beneficiaries may well be expanding massively but this is confined to a few dozen individuals and does not affect the basic patterns. The most meaningful trends and shifts are:

 A slight but significant decline in African poverty is occurring, due largely to the expansion of social grants.


 There is a modest but significant expansion of the numbers of Africans in the “not so poor” category of R1 400 to R4 000 per month.

 Abject or severe poverty among coloured people is roughly half of what it is among Africans.

 Abject or severe poverty affects less than 10 per cent of Indians and less than 5 per cent of whites.

 The “lower middle class” among Africans (R4 000 — R12 000 per month) has not expanded over the two years.

 A barely discernable expansion of the more wealthy categories among Africans has occurred.

 The expansion of the categories of relative wealth of R12 000 and more per month has been more rapid among coloured people, Indians and even among whites than it has been among Africans.

These results tell us that most of the stereotypes and loose impressions about a burgeoning new middle class floating around in popular debate are generally gross exaggerations. The reality is rather bad news for those who are committed to rapid or quick fix transformation. The really good news is that deep poverty is not increasing as many people fear. The extension of social grants has indeed stopped the socio-economic rot at the lower levels of livelihoods. However, the ongoing celebration of “empowerment” and with it, quick and easy wealth, may have serious implications. Revolutions of rising expectations have the potential to tear societies apart. The recent concern expressed in government about elite empowerment comes not a moment too soon. But government itself has to think about the contradictions within its own policies.

What does all this tell us about racial inequality? The evidence shows that whites and to a lesser extent Indians still enjoy considerable socio-economic advantage. They are both dominantly middle class communities. At the same time, however, there are very large economic overlaps between the races today, indicating very widely shared circumstances. The middle and upper middle classes are still largely white but no longer overwhelmingly so. Approximately 1,4 million people in what we may call the “middle-middle” class, some 62 to 63 per cent are white. This means that almost four out of ten South Africans in the “solid” middle class are no longer white. Whites have a greater relative advantage in what one might call the “upper middle” class in which they account for nearly three-quarters of the class composition.

*(… and how I missed then the times, years back, when I would go on my own “fact-finding missions” all over Jo’burg… when I took these pictures in Soweto…)

While at the Lanzerac,* I came across a report entitled “Black Advancement: Hype Outstrips Reality”, authored by Lawrence Schlemmer and published by the Helen Suzman Foundation.
It is a well-balanced analysis, based on detailed statistics, of the process of social change in South Africa since the first democratic elections in the country in 1994. Some of its main findings may help explain the upsurge of strikes and demonstrations in the country, particularly by public sector workers, earlier this year. Here's a summary:

***
In the period from 1993 to 2002, Africans increased their share of the top 10 per cent of household income dramatically, from under 10 per cent just before 1994 to 23 per cent in the second half of 2002. Coloured people also increased their share slightly, whereas the white share fell sharply from nearly 80 per cent to some 63 per cent. Indians retained their share. Very significantly, however, the rate of change slowed dramatically after 2002. Coloured people continued to advance but the shares of all other groups remained static, and may even have fallen very slightly among Africans. This stalling of progress has occurred at the very time that talk of black economic empowerment and employment equity has been intensifying. Why is this?

The affirmative action bonanza has passed. Between 2002 and 2004 the effects of inflation are fairly slight, and roughly equal for all race categories. A very tiny super elite of empowerment beneficiaries may well be expanding massively but this is confined to a few dozen individuals and does not affect the basic patterns. The most meaningful trends and shifts are:

 A slight but significant decline in African poverty is occurring, due largely to the expansion of social grants.


 There is a modest but significant expansion of the numbers of Africans in the “not so poor” category of R1 400 to R4 000 per month.

 Abject or severe poverty among coloured people is roughly half of what it is among Africans.

 Abject or severe poverty affects less than 10 per cent of Indians and less than 5 per cent of whites.

 The “lower middle class” among Africans (R4 000 — R12 000 per month) has not expanded over the two years.

 A barely discernable expansion of the more wealthy categories among Africans has occurred.

 The expansion of the categories of relative wealth of R12 000 and more per month has been more rapid among coloured people, Indians and even among whites than it has been among Africans.

These results tell us that most of the stereotypes and loose impressions about a burgeoning new middle class floating around in popular debate are generally gross exaggerations. The reality is rather bad news for those who are committed to rapid or quick fix transformation. The really good news is that deep poverty is not increasing as many people fear. The extension of social grants has indeed stopped the socio-economic rot at the lower levels of livelihoods. However, the ongoing celebration of “empowerment” and with it, quick and easy wealth, may have serious implications. Revolutions of rising expectations have the potential to tear societies apart. The recent concern expressed in government about elite empowerment comes not a moment too soon. But government itself has to think about the contradictions within its own policies.

What does all this tell us about racial inequality? The evidence shows that whites and to a lesser extent Indians still enjoy considerable socio-economic advantage. They are both dominantly middle class communities. At the same time, however, there are very large economic overlaps between the races today, indicating very widely shared circumstances. The middle and upper middle classes are still largely white but no longer overwhelmingly so. Approximately 1,4 million people in what we may call the “middle-middle” class, some 62 to 63 per cent are white. This means that almost four out of ten South Africans in the “solid” middle class are no longer white. Whites have a greater relative advantage in what one might call the “upper middle” class in which they account for nearly three-quarters of the class composition.

*(… and how I missed then the times, years back, when I would go on my own “fact-finding missions” all over Jo’burg… when I took these pictures in Soweto…)

Tuesday, 7 August 2007

ANGOLA: “DANCING DESPITE THE STREETS”



KILANDUKILU'S LIFE-AFFIRMING DANCE IN ANGOLA*

A smoky haze envelops the sprawling outskirts of the Angolan capital of Luanda as dusk turns to dark. Dust blows as piles of rubbish burn, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air. In the distance, small children run in and out of the alleyways of this shanty-town, as others stroll the streets irreverently. Vendors sell trinkets, slippers and foodstuffs. Car horns echo as large trucks stir up the grimy streets.

In this unlikely setting, high above a rectangular concrete building overlooking the suburbs of Luanda, the crisp pulsating sounds of a single marimba, a precursor to the xylophone, are heard as two young musicians play the hypnotic rhythm. A marimba beats and pulsates quicker and quicker as almost thirty dancers suddenly appear on the concrete floor with delineated geometric movements, following slow and defined rhythmic steps. A small generator hums in the foreground, lighting the space as a fire burns in another corner of the dance floor.


The group suddenly and simultaneously breaks into sensuous gyrations of the behind as whistles and traditional drums - the tumba - begin to beat frantically. The dancers then develop into what seems like a trance-like state as they intermittently thrust their pelvis backward then forward in almost impossible, crisp, sensual motions. It is like being thrust into a poignant celebration of life so intense and immediate that it almost defies the senses.

This is the Kilandukilu Traditional Ballet troupe, practicing the Dance of the Wood Carriers, just days before the company set off to perform at an African festival in far-off Japan. Kilandukilu - which means 'enjoyment' in the indigenous Kimbundu language - is a life-affirming phenomenon in a space that is devoid of many of the basic amenities of modern life. The group's powerful chants could be heard throughout the hamlet.

The Dance of the Wood Carriers was choreographed by the company's group based in Uige, a northern province of Angola. The group suddenly breaks into a chant, sung in Kimbundu - a language little spoken today by Angolans - in a joyous celebration of the harvest of wood, which locals balance on their heads as they return daily to their clay, thatched roof houses.

Kilandukilu was founded by a group of friends in the Maculusso municipality of Luanda twenty-one years ago, bridging traditional Angolan beats with break-dance, pop and even funk. "These are works basically about our history, they are stories about daily life," says dancer Ton Da Costa Mangani or 'Ton' as he is known, who has been dancing and now choreographing with Kilandukilu for over nine years. "It could be life as a waiter, stories about the moment of creation, about prostitution, washing cars or selling trinkets in the streets."

Like many in Angola, Ton spent much of his life fleeing war and conflict. Originally born in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, he fled war only to find more of the same - and yet he was able to find refuge in dance. "I am a dancer, and I am not afraid of any kind of dance, no matter how complex," he says earnestly.

Dance and musical culture in Angola is ingrained in the country's history, and with slavery was exported to North and South America. The sensuous semba of Angola - where partners touch by thrusting their navels forward, became the samba of Brazil, as slaves of the seventeenth century transposed this part of their cultural heritage in the 'new world'. Another dance is the kizomba, which is a slow dance for partners, while kuduro is a fast beat which mixes the contemporary kizomba and techno.

Kilandukilu, closer to a traditional African aesthetic, is not restricted geographically either. The company consists of forty-five dancers in the Angolan capital of Luanda, twenty in the northern province of Uige, and a third group of twenty dancers who are based in Lisbon, Portugal. As a group, the company has performed far and wide, including in South Africa, India, Germany, Sweden, even in North Korea, and most recently at festivals in Morocco and Japan.


Here, Angola dances in a frenzy despite the country having very little to celebrate in the past few decades. Angola's independence was a hard-earned and bitter struggle. It began when the country freed itself from the colonial rule of the Portuguese in 1975 after a rebellion that lasted over a decade. The freedom gained was short-lived, however, as the country soon plunged into a bloody civil war that would last almost three decades. Following a fragile peace brokered in 2002, Angola is now re-awakening - developing cultural institutions, writing its history. And dancing.

*Extracted from an article by Andrew Princz (text) and Jura Nanuk (photos)

Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved




KILANDUKILU'S LIFE-AFFIRMING DANCE IN ANGOLA*

A smoky haze envelops the sprawling outskirts of the Angolan capital of Luanda as dusk turns to dark. Dust blows as piles of rubbish burn, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air. In the distance, small children run in and out of the alleyways of this shanty-town, as others stroll the streets irreverently. Vendors sell trinkets, slippers and foodstuffs. Car horns echo as large trucks stir up the grimy streets.

In this unlikely setting, high above a rectangular concrete building overlooking the suburbs of Luanda, the crisp pulsating sounds of a single marimba, a precursor to the xylophone, are heard as two young musicians play the hypnotic rhythm. A marimba beats and pulsates quicker and quicker as almost thirty dancers suddenly appear on the concrete floor with delineated geometric movements, following slow and defined rhythmic steps. A small generator hums in the foreground, lighting the space as a fire burns in another corner of the dance floor.


The group suddenly and simultaneously breaks into sensuous gyrations of the behind as whistles and traditional drums - the tumba - begin to beat frantically. The dancers then develop into what seems like a trance-like state as they intermittently thrust their pelvis backward then forward in almost impossible, crisp, sensual motions. It is like being thrust into a poignant celebration of life so intense and immediate that it almost defies the senses.

This is the Kilandukilu Traditional Ballet troupe, practicing the Dance of the Wood Carriers, just days before the company set off to perform at an African festival in far-off Japan. Kilandukilu - which means 'enjoyment' in the indigenous Kimbundu language - is a life-affirming phenomenon in a space that is devoid of many of the basic amenities of modern life. The group's powerful chants could be heard throughout the hamlet.

The Dance of the Wood Carriers was choreographed by the company's group based in Uige, a northern province of Angola. The group suddenly breaks into a chant, sung in Kimbundu - a language little spoken today by Angolans - in a joyous celebration of the harvest of wood, which locals balance on their heads as they return daily to their clay, thatched roof houses.

Kilandukilu was founded by a group of friends in the Maculusso municipality of Luanda twenty-one years ago, bridging traditional Angolan beats with break-dance, pop and even funk. "These are works basically about our history, they are stories about daily life," says dancer Ton Da Costa Mangani or 'Ton' as he is known, who has been dancing and now choreographing with Kilandukilu for over nine years. "It could be life as a waiter, stories about the moment of creation, about prostitution, washing cars or selling trinkets in the streets."

Like many in Angola, Ton spent much of his life fleeing war and conflict. Originally born in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, he fled war only to find more of the same - and yet he was able to find refuge in dance. "I am a dancer, and I am not afraid of any kind of dance, no matter how complex," he says earnestly.

Dance and musical culture in Angola is ingrained in the country's history, and with slavery was exported to North and South America. The sensuous semba of Angola - where partners touch by thrusting their navels forward, became the samba of Brazil, as slaves of the seventeenth century transposed this part of their cultural heritage in the 'new world'. Another dance is the kizomba, which is a slow dance for partners, while kuduro is a fast beat which mixes the contemporary kizomba and techno.

Kilandukilu, closer to a traditional African aesthetic, is not restricted geographically either. The company consists of forty-five dancers in the Angolan capital of Luanda, twenty in the northern province of Uige, and a third group of twenty dancers who are based in Lisbon, Portugal. As a group, the company has performed far and wide, including in South Africa, India, Germany, Sweden, even in North Korea, and most recently at festivals in Morocco and Japan.


Here, Angola dances in a frenzy despite the country having very little to celebrate in the past few decades. Angola's independence was a hard-earned and bitter struggle. It began when the country freed itself from the colonial rule of the Portuguese in 1975 after a rebellion that lasted over a decade. The freedom gained was short-lived, however, as the country soon plunged into a bloody civil war that would last almost three decades. Following a fragile peace brokered in 2002, Angola is now re-awakening - developing cultural institutions, writing its history. And dancing.

*Extracted from an article by Andrew Princz (text) and Jura Nanuk (photos)

Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved


Sunday, 5 August 2007

SUNDAY SUN


Skies less stormy
Rivers calming down
Watery lanes less watery
Floods drying down

Here comes the Sun…

Skies less stormy
Rivers calming down
Watery lanes less watery
Floods drying down

Here comes the Sun…

Saturday, 4 August 2007

HOLDEN ROBERTO (R.I.P.)

Holden Roberto, the last surviving founding father of the liberation struggle against Portuguese colonial rule in Angola, has passed away this Thursday of cardiac failure at his home in Luanda, aged 84.

Never far away from political controversy during his life, it is fair to say that he eventually generated from most national quarters the respect owed to an African Elder of his stature.

May his soul rest in peace.

(Biography)

Holden Roberto, the last surviving founding father of the liberation struggle against Portuguese colonial rule in Angola, has passed away this Thursday of cardiac failure at his home in Luanda, aged 84.

Never far away from political controversy during his life, it is fair to say that he eventually generated from most national quarters the respect owed to an African Elder of his stature.

May his soul rest in peace.

(Biography)

Friday, 3 August 2007

WHAT IS RACISM?



Racism is the single most critical barrier to building effective coalitions for social change. Racism has been consciously and systematically erected, and it can be undone only if people understand what it is, where it comes from, how it functions, and why it is perpetuated.

[The People’s Institute]



Amidst my own, recurrent, dealings with it in this blog (in both theoretical and practical terms), a number of recent episodes conjuring up the ‘R’ word in the blogsphere prompted me to raise this question here and now. Starting from the, by all accounts, most startling:

1. A couple of days ago, blogger Kym Platt issues a post about a video game entitled “Resident Evil”, now in its fifth series, intending to denounce “the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults”, in both her own blog, “Ask This Black Woman”, and “Black Looks”. This prompted the most appalling chorus of abuse thrown at her and what I suspect is an absolute record number of comments on one single post in the shortest time span around the blogosphere – and there’s no doubt they’d been much more if comments hadn’t been disabled in the blogs where the “insulting” post originally appeared…

To be fair, being a total ignoramus myself as far as video games are concerned, I can see a point in some of the arguments put forward by commentators who claim that, in previous series of “Resident Evil”, the said “white man in military clothing” had dispensed the same treatment to “zombies” of all races and nationalities and that Kym “hadn’t properly done her research.” Yet, I still fail to understand the amount and viciousness of racial and sexist abuse the absolute majority of them has chosen to throw at her.


2. Curiously enough, the same blogger who is now being so overwhelmingly attacked for allegedly “mindlessly using the race card”, had written this just a couple of days before: “This is not a matter of race or racial injustice. I, a person of African descent, cannot stand with those Black supporters of Vick and claim that this is unfair treatment based on the color of Vick’s skin. It’s a shame that many in the Black community are unable to look beyond their own history of racial injustice to see and understand that dogfighting is a tragic and inhumane activity that causes unbelievable pain and suffering and even death of innocent animals all for the amusement and financial profit of humans.” This statement related to another controversial issue involving, rightly or wrongly, the ‘R’ word in the US (see two different points of view on this story here and here).


Then, there were the good news:

3. About a couple of weeks ago, blogger “African American Political Pundit” wrote this to Unicef: “I am concerned about the "racial overtones" of the recent campaign of placing white children in black face. As a long time UNICEF supporter, I'm concerned that UNICEF and it's German National Committee for UNICEF are involved in racial hatred with this Ad campaign.” To which UNICEF responded: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We agree -- these advertisements are not appropriate and run against UNICEF's mission. They have been dropped from the UNICEF German National Committee's website and there are no plans to use them in the future. We apologize for any offence caused.”


4. More recently, blogger Behailu Damte wrote that “Intel should apologize for the racist & stereotypical Ad” portraying, as he described it, “Six black men crouching and bowing down for a white guy. A racist portrayal of one race being worth less than another. A stereotypical imagery showing the black men being good only for their muscles & manual labor (and apparently more than ready to provide their services.) Where is Intel’s sense of responsibility and sensitivity?”, to which he got this answer from the Head of Advertising at Intel: “First of all, I was responsible for the ad and apologize that our ad upset you and many others. This was absolutely not our intention. Not to make excuses, but we did pull the ad back in June as soon as we realized that our approach was wrong. Unfortunately, it was run again by mistake. We are committed to preventing any similar issues in the future and I am personally taking responsibility for driving improvements necessary to avoid this type of mistake.” This statement was backed-up by a formal public apology from Intel’s Director of Global Marketing.

Did I call these the “good news”? Just follow-up the comments in the Intel blog to see how some, among black and white, object to the sort of apologies offered by Unicef and Intel…



So, I ask: isn’t it high time we people of all “races” revise and rethink our concepts of racism?!

I would suggest the attached set of definitions as a possible starting point for that exercise.




Racism is the single most critical barrier to building effective coalitions for social change. Racism has been consciously and systematically erected, and it can be undone only if people understand what it is, where it comes from, how it functions, and why it is perpetuated.

[The People’s Institute]



Amidst my own, recurrent, dealings with it in this blog (in both theoretical and practical terms), a number of recent episodes conjuring up the ‘R’ word in the blogsphere prompted me to raise this question here and now. Starting from the, by all accounts, most startling:

1. A couple of days ago, blogger Kym Platt issues a post about a video game entitled “Resident Evil”, now in its fifth series, intending to denounce “the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults”, in both her own blog, “Ask This Black Woman”, and “Black Looks”. This prompted the most appalling chorus of abuse thrown at her and what I suspect is an absolute record number of comments on one single post in the shortest time span around the blogosphere – and there’s no doubt they’d been much more if comments hadn’t been disabled in the blogs where the “insulting” post originally appeared…

To be fair, being a total ignoramus myself as far as video games are concerned, I can see a point in some of the arguments put forward by commentators who claim that, in previous series of “Resident Evil”, the said “white man in military clothing” had dispensed the same treatment to “zombies” of all races and nationalities and that Kym “hadn’t properly done her research.” Yet, I still fail to understand the amount and viciousness of racial and sexist abuse the absolute majority of them has chosen to throw at her.


2. Curiously enough, the same blogger who is now being so overwhelmingly attacked for allegedly “mindlessly using the race card”, had written this just a couple of days before: “This is not a matter of race or racial injustice. I, a person of African descent, cannot stand with those Black supporters of Vick and claim that this is unfair treatment based on the color of Vick’s skin. It’s a shame that many in the Black community are unable to look beyond their own history of racial injustice to see and understand that dogfighting is a tragic and inhumane activity that causes unbelievable pain and suffering and even death of innocent animals all for the amusement and financial profit of humans.” This statement related to another controversial issue involving, rightly or wrongly, the ‘R’ word in the US (see two different points of view on this story here and here).


Then, there were the good news:

3. About a couple of weeks ago, blogger “African American Political Pundit” wrote this to Unicef: “I am concerned about the "racial overtones" of the recent campaign of placing white children in black face. As a long time UNICEF supporter, I'm concerned that UNICEF and it's German National Committee for UNICEF are involved in racial hatred with this Ad campaign.” To which UNICEF responded: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We agree -- these advertisements are not appropriate and run against UNICEF's mission. They have been dropped from the UNICEF German National Committee's website and there are no plans to use them in the future. We apologize for any offence caused.”


4. More recently, blogger Behailu Damte wrote that “Intel should apologize for the racist & stereotypical Ad” portraying, as he described it, “Six black men crouching and bowing down for a white guy. A racist portrayal of one race being worth less than another. A stereotypical imagery showing the black men being good only for their muscles & manual labor (and apparently more than ready to provide their services.) Where is Intel’s sense of responsibility and sensitivity?”, to which he got this answer from the Head of Advertising at Intel: “First of all, I was responsible for the ad and apologize that our ad upset you and many others. This was absolutely not our intention. Not to make excuses, but we did pull the ad back in June as soon as we realized that our approach was wrong. Unfortunately, it was run again by mistake. We are committed to preventing any similar issues in the future and I am personally taking responsibility for driving improvements necessary to avoid this type of mistake.” This statement was backed-up by a formal public apology from Intel’s Director of Global Marketing.

Did I call these the “good news”? Just follow-up the comments in the Intel blog to see how some, among black and white, object to the sort of apologies offered by Unicef and Intel…



So, I ask: isn’t it high time we people of all “races” revise and rethink our concepts of racism?!

I would suggest the attached set of definitions as a possible starting point for that exercise.


Wednesday, 1 August 2007

MINI GLOSSÁRIO DE MWANGOLÉ


Avilo/a: amigo/a...;
Banda: zona, região, terra, país;
Candongueiro/táxi/Ndongo: vam, táxi popular...;
Cupapata/sayovo: motoqueiro (termo muito usado no sul de Angola);
Desbunda: diversão (ir p/ discoteca, pub, festa...);
Esfrega: dificuldade, raspanete, kunga, trabalho duro...;
Fezada: oportunidade, sorte, dar algo (normalmente dinheiro) ...
Grego: bandido, delinquente ...
Jajão: ameaça, simulação,...;
Kinguila: cambista de rua/informal de moeda externa/interna;
Mboa: dama, moça, mulher, rapariga...;
Pato: penetra de festa...;
Salo: trabalho;
Trumunu: grande jogo de futebol;
Uí: individuo, rapaz...;
Vacilar/maiar: fraquejar, temer...; Xaxeiro: falador;
Zongola: fofoqueira/o.

(Glossário completo aqui)

Avilo/a: amigo/a...;
Banda: zona, região, terra, país;
Candongueiro/táxi/Ndongo: vam, táxi popular...;
Cupapata/sayovo: motoqueiro (termo muito usado no sul de Angola);
Desbunda: diversão (ir p/ discoteca, pub, festa...);
Esfrega: dificuldade, raspanete, kunga, trabalho duro...;
Fezada: oportunidade, sorte, dar algo (normalmente dinheiro) ...
Grego: bandido, delinquente ...
Jajão: ameaça, simulação,...;
Kinguila: cambista de rua/informal de moeda externa/interna;
Mboa: dama, moça, mulher, rapariga...;
Pato: penetra de festa...;
Salo: trabalho;
Trumunu: grande jogo de futebol;
Uí: individuo, rapaz...;
Vacilar/maiar: fraquejar, temer...; Xaxeiro: falador;
Zongola: fofoqueira/o.

(Glossário completo aqui)