Lifestyle, Arts & Culture: April 2020

We hope you’ve had a restful Easter break and that in spite of this unprecedented era of a global lockdown due to Covid-19, you’re managing to keep hope alive. We love this Zulu proverb which says that “when a home is burnt down, the rebuilt home is more beautiful”. It’s particularly apt for this month’s LAC as we’ve drawn upon what family and friends of Songhai have shared about how they’re building a place that’s certain and sure in defiance of all that’s insecure. Simply put, “better days soon go come”. 

 Eat well, stay strong

As we’re all trying to figure out what domestic bliss actually means, some of us are finding that the kitchen is a welcome haven from crowd control of the little peopleor the bathroom scrub. 

In Kenya, breakfast at Marie’s is made scrumptious with her homemade jam. She finely chops papaya, pineapple, orange rind and kiwi, which are popped into a saucepan and stirred through, with the juice of three oranges and two lemons. She says, “the lemons are particularly important here because they add in pectin naturally which is what makes jam, jammy...”. Then she adds the pulp of three passion fruits which are in season and which “add a nice acidic touch”. She then pours in 1.5 cups of sugar before cooking on a low heat for approximately 1.5 hrs. On her recommendation, your porridge will never be the same J

A new-found appreciation for generational knowledge definitely seems to be a theme running through our kitchens as we delve into the archives for our mothers’ recipes. In Ghana, Patience has been enjoying boiled, unripe plantain (or “ampesi” in Twi) with cocoyam leaf stew and Kissy has been practicing her mother’s okra stew which is rich in Vitamin C and K. “Mum’s recipe goes something like this: ‘fry chopped ginger and salt-fish before adding in chopped onions, scotch bonnet pepper, freshly- chopped tomatoes and garlic. Separately, steam chopped okra and garden eggs with a pinch of salt, before adding to the stew with smoked mackerel (or fish of your choice)’”. Serve with boiled rice or banku and prepare to take a siesta right after eating!

In Lesotho, Libhela has gone back to her roots as she enjoys her favourite mother’s recipe called “Papa”. It’s a traditional Basotho corn dish which is soft and fluffy when on the heat but solidifies when it cools. Best served with with chicken livers and vegetables, she advises.

Wahito’s mother’s pumpkin soup recipe is a Kenyan take on a Fijian recipe and is definitely the sort of soul-food some of us have been craving. What’s even more alluring is the fact that most of the ingredients come from her beautiful Nairobi garden (where stunning peacocks walk about with such abandon, I kid you not!). I’ll have to go back for more lessons but it involves scooping out the seeds, pouring in coconut milk, adding chopped herbs (rosemary and parsley), garlic and onions and slow roasting fish fillets (like hake or cod) inside the pumpkin in the oven on a low heat for a couple of hours. A real ‘Sunday roast’.

All these goodies can be washed down with various fruit blends. Patience has been trying her hand at pineapple peels (rich in Vitamin C and an antioxidant) and spices “to boost the immune system”. Another firm Songhai favourite is a mango, banana and coconut blend, with a couple of strawberries for good measure (and anthocyanin!).

“The best time to plant a cocoa tree was 5 years ago. The second-best time is now”.

Nana Adu likes this quotation and never has it been truer as we scramble to get our gardens in shape! Planting pineapple crowns with the little people is a fun thing to do and Lola Plants a Garden is on our bucket list. Online shopping for coconut, cashew and African birds-eye seedlings among others seems like a great idea- no doubt going for the ‘certified’ seedlings would be advisable. Get digging!

The Home-School, Home-Office Balance

If ever there’s been a time to be creative, it’s now, and if ever there’s something to be creative with, it’s time.  24 hours can be sliced and diced in ways never thought possible and with technology at our fingertips, how can we keep the balance? Ghanaian author and corporate trainer, Samuel Agyeman-Prempeh, shares his thoughts about agile working while British-born Zimbabwean graphic designer and author, Tapiwa Matsinde, gets practical as she encourages readers to exercise the power of saying no and making a demarcation- both physically and mentally- between home and work.

But when the young ones are part of the equation, there have to be other ways of carving out pockets of time and space (yes, schools were definitely invented for the parents!) so we’re delighted to be learning about online story-time sessions with Aunty Vina as she reads  stories like Effie and Mama at the Market by L'Amour Ansah and other children's books.

Finding Your Secret Place

There’s nothing quite like a party for one, and we’re kept youthful while dancing to afrobeat by young twenty-something talents on the continent. South African DJ Master KG keeps us breaking a sweat with afrobeat-gospel anthem, Jerusalema while Nutifafa’s choice of Pilolo by Ghanaian rappers Strongman and Kelvyn Boy is on repeat. Adedayo has Why Now by Tanzanian duo Navy Kenzo on his playlist because “love songs resonate no matter the crisis”. And while we’re on the subject of love, the 7-person string orchestra by the Kanneh-Mason family is a fantastic celebration and reminder of what can be achieved under one roof – their rendition of Ave Maria at the Bath Festival has us transfixed.

Having some ‘me time’ for Adedayo means finding time to watch Men in the Arena, a film about two Somalian footballers escaping civil war and following their dreams, while Patience is currently reading Nervous Conditions by acclaimed Zimbabwean author, Tsitsi Dangarembga.

Love Thyself

African hair has never been so liberated as women of colour experiment more with headwraps and natural treatments in full celebration of our authenticity. Nanaks is keen to try out the silicon free conditioner Afrocenchix Swirl which is soul-food for afro hair in a tube, containing aloe vera, coconut oil and avocado oil. 

Taking care of oneself also means plenty of sleep and exercise. Nutifafa started a daily workout routine which involves a mix of jumping jacks and squats while Frema suggests getting dressed up to do the chores! Kent-based Cameroonian health fitness expert, Nadine Tchaho, is transitioning her body combat fitness classes online (stay tuned) and Lana, of P4Pilates, also founder of Theia Coffee House is offering Pilates classes online. 

 We’ll press pause for now but stay blessed and stay connected! We’d love to hear from you, so please do reach us at questions@songhaiadvisory.com