LIfestyle, Arts & Culture: Creativity in Colour

From animals to animation, quilted art to quinoa substitutes, the theme of African storytelling to kiddies and kindred spirits runs through this edition of our Lifestyle Arts & Culture blog. Woezor![1].

Little people, big thinkers

It truly takes a village to raise a child. Parents have had to get creative in finding ways to keep little people occupied without slacking on arithmetic during what has been the longest of summer breaks. This has been the reality for Kenyan mother-turned-educator and entrepreneur, Wambui, who has curated classes via Zoom for children of various ages, four days a week. A faith- based curriculum, Wambui’s methodology is “child centred” as she recognises that “not all children are at the same level”. She provides 15 mins of instruction time in 2 bursts, enabling the child to do activities themselves in between.  For parents who still believe in face to face (or elbow to elbow) contact, then one on one or small-group drama and performing arts classes, like those being set upby Royal Academy of Dramatic Art-trained Kwaku Boateng Ankomah in Accra, could be the way to go. A true creative, Kwaku shares how he is passionate about “using drama and the performing arts as a developmental tool to get children more confident in social interaction and performance skills...using multi-disciplinary platforms such as puppetry”. Down the line, Kwaku dreams of breathing life into indigenous content with a strong moral and cultural anchor through animation.

Learning the Lingo

“Do not try to fight a lion if you are not one yourself[2]”, comes to mind when trying to wrestle the allure of yet another cartoon from my wilful 3-year old- it is a losing battle. Being online is no longer a nice-to have; it is a must and indeed, the fact that a number of stores in Accra sold out of MTN’s high-speed Turbonet internet boxes at points during lockdown, is a testament to that. While the continent is still on a journey towards digitisation – by 2025, it is estimated that 72% of mobile phone subscriptions will be for internet usage[3]- companies like the African Animation Network, are moving apace. AAN is a social enterprise whose “primary objective is to empower African animation creators and producers”, by building capacity, providing market access and finance. Telling our own stories and relaying them to Generation Alpha is a powerful and necessary legacy for the transfer of cultural identity, a truism that South African agency Triggerfish, understands well. The continent’s child population is set to reach 1 billion by 2055[4]and films like Khumba and Adventures in Zambia, with their full-bodied characters, are playing a key role in providing quality, African-inspired content to a global audience. Tinga Tinga, another cartoon series conceived of by British producer Claudia Lloyd from her travels across East Africa, is about Africa’s animal kingdom.  The catchy jingle was the creation of Eric Wainana and Aaron Rimbui and the velvety animal characters were inspired by the eponymous Tinga-tinga artform from Tanzania.

Narrative Anew

Vibrant colour is the distinctive signature of Bisa Butler’s quilted portraitures, which she describes as "a representation, a celebration and an affirmation of Black life[5]”.  Born to a Ghanaian father and an African-American mother, Butler weaves heritage, family history and dignity into her creations, by bringing to life vintage photos of often unnamed people of African descent: “If my subject is barefoot because they live in poverty, I look up the shoes of their time and give them a nice pair[6]”. Storytelling is a theme which runs through the veins of A Tribe Called Progress, whose mantra, “connect-unite-transform”, is evidenced through their online masterclass series on African History and celebrating black success. For Michael Amaning, founder of ATCP,  “#BLM has raised a conversation about race around the world” and while ATCP has been committed to sharing knowledge about African successes for close to three years, the present times afford an opportunity to spread the knowledge even wider. ATCP is committed to “disarming prejudice with education, which is he most important thing you have. We’retrying to drive educational equity”.

It is with a heavy heart that we extend our condolences to the family of a contemporary ambassador for youthful Black talent, Chadwick Boseman, who lost his battle with cancer this weekend. Playing the protagonist in Black Panther, among the top 10 highest grossing films of all time, Boseman was described by Barack Obama as “blessed”. The former US president continued: “To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain - what a use of his years[7]”.

Tummy Tales

Fonio is, for the foodies who are in the know, an exceptionally nutritious grain produced in West Africa, known locally as acha or acca, and which looks set to take the crown from the quinoa, thequeen of organic cooking. Gluten free and high in nutrients, fonio has been grown in West Africa for millennia and can be eaten as a rice or couscous substitute. Aduna is a company that is flying the flag for fonio as well as other superfoods, namely baobab, whose health benefits are numerous, not to mention the impact that patronising it can have on small-scale farmers.

Knowing more about the narrative behind the nourishment prompted a closer look at Gold Coast Roasters, an elegantly-packaged coffee brand which we picked up from Shoprite in Accra last week. From the packaging to the flavoursome scent and taste, this coffee feels indulgent. Little wonder for a brand which sources its coffee from the Volta Mountains where “coffee beans undertake a pure spiritual journey from soil to mug”. Another coffee brand that is celebrating smallholder farmers is Kawa Moka, led by social entrepreneur Emi-Beth Quantson, whose coffee is sourced from female outgrowers and sold by female baristas in her café in Accra. Covid has provided a rare opportunity for the company to expand into processing, exemplifying a growing trend by social entrepreneurs to pivot in new ways, as a result of the current climate. 

 We are always keen to share and learn more about the sights, sounds and textures of the continent. If you’re interested in knowing more or would like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at questions@songhaiadvisory.com. We would love to hear from you!

[1]“Welcome” in Ewe, the dominant language of the Volta and Oti Regions of Ghana.

[2]African proverb

[3]https://www.commsmea.com/business/opinion/22345-africa-in-motion-accelerating-africas-digital-future

[4]https://data.unicef.org/resources/children-in-africa-child-survival-brochure/

[5]https://www.okayafrica.com/bisa-butler-summons-black-history-in-her-quilted-arts-to-motivate-the-fight-for-black-lives/?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2

[6]Ibid.

[7]https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53934118