Author: Ewang Johnson
In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with Franco-Togolese singer Laura Prince. She’s just released her second album “Adjoko”, a voyage between memory, identity and authenticity. “Adjoko” is Laura’s Togolese name, and symbolises her quest to reconnect with her African roots. She produced the record between France, Togo and Ouidah in Benin, a port town famous for its dark role in the slave trade. She also references her West African links to slavery through her name Laura Prince. It’s an homage to author Mary Prince, the first Black woman to publish a book about her…
AlamyAlmost 55 years ago, Michael Eavis hosted the first of his legendary music festivals. In 1970, the BBC visited his Somerset dairy farm to find out what made it unique.”I think this is the quickest way of clearing my overdraft,” said Michael Eavis on 18 September 1970 when he was asked on the BBC why he had booked glam rocker Marc Bolan to perform in his field. The dairy farmer was being interviewed on his Somerset farm, as he sat on a newly-made makeshift wooden toilet, the day before the opening of what would go on to become one of…
Vincencia Adusei, founder of VASE Ghana Estates, is helping Ghana’s diaspora build wealth and deepen cultural roots through real estate and immersive travel. Her flagship project, Dichemso Vista—a 60-unit luxury condo complex near Kumasi’s new airport—offers secure investment opportunities for those abroad. Diaspora Ghanaians who make a purchase will not only grow their portfolio but also contribute to Kumasi’s economic development, particularly through job creation. Complementing this is a 14-day cultural tour across Ghana from December 22, 2025, offering a blend of heritage experiences and real estate insight. From Accra to Cape Coast, the tour offers participants a chance to explore history,…
Courtesy of Svenskt Tenn archiveScandinavian interior style is not all about pared-back, minimalist living and functional, identikit furniture. Here’s why the century-old Svenskt Tenn idea of abundance, exuberance and “luxe cosiness” are still popular today.The stereotypical image of Swedish design is of pale wood, neutral, tasteful tones and pared-down, minimalist forms. The origins of this partly lie in Sweden’s espousal of functionalism (funkis in Swedish) in the early 20th Century. The Stockholm Exhibition of 1930, which attracted four million visitors, put contemporary Swedish design on the map, and soon there was a new clean-lined style of design (catchily dubbed “Scandi”…
CRDB Bank, the largest private universal bank in Tanzania, has partnered with BPC, a global leader in payment solutions, to migrate its acquiring and issuing systems to a BPC’s next-generation SmartVista platform. The strategic move enabledCRDB Bank to expand its operations across Tanzania, Burundi, and DR Congo, in line with its commitment to delivering secure and innovative banking experiences to its customers. CRDB Bank sought a modern scalable multi-institutional technological platform with the capacity for instant innovative card product launches, advanced integrational capabilities andaffordable total cost of ownership. Migrating to SmartVista platform enabled CRDB Bank to consolidate its entire multi-country ecosystem under one microservices architecture, boosting operational efficiency while fully aligning with the national regulations and the international scheme certifications. BPC migrated issuing and acquiring functionality of CRDB Bank, its subsidiaries in Burundi and DR Congo, and affiliates such as Amana, Vision Fund, and KCBL(now part of bank…
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay BakerBloomsbury, Knopf, Penguin Random HouseFrom multigenerational family sagas to speculative dystopias – the very best fiction of the year so far.Knopf, PantheonDream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieMore than 10 years have passed since Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s acclaimed Americanah, so the arrival of her new novel is a big literary moment. Dream Count is built around interconnecting storylines and the friendship of three Nigerian women whose lives have not worked out as they had envisioned. Recounting the characters’ hopes and struggles, the novel interweaves childhood and early-adult memories with the women’s current lives. It is “worth the…
By Maxwell Okello In today’s world, creative industries such as music, film, and sports are no longer merely side hustles; they have become driving forces of modern economies. The creative economy is reshaping how nations grow, how cultures connect, and how young people find their voice and livelihood. For Kenya, the same principle applies. According to the ACP-EU Culture Programme, the country’s creative sector is not only vibrant but surging ahead, growing 60% faster than other industries nationally. Today, the creative economy has become a central pillar in fostering entrepreneurship and advancing Kenya’s broader economic development agenda. With the right…
It’s France’s biggest music festival, drawing up to 300,000 people to the little town of Clisson every year. We check in with music critic Marjorie Hache who brings us the latest from Hellfest, with headliners Judas Priest, Korn, Linkin Park and British rockers Muse debuting their new single at this year’s festival. We also get a glimpse of a new exhibition at La Défense showcasing the huge diversity of street art from around the world, and learn how the V&A museum in London has taken a radical new approach to their collections. Source link
AlamyTwenty years ago, Ang Lee’s drama about the love between two male sheep herders was finally released after a long struggle to get it made. It was a watershed moment for gay representation that balanced playing by Hollywood’s rules and changing them.When it was released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain entered the collective consciousness in a way that is vanishingly rare for a film with queer subject matter. Even non-cinephiles would have been aware of the “gay cowboy movie”, as it was often described in the press, and the subsequent controversy when it lost the Academy Award for best picture to…
With over 1 gigawatt of solar equipment supplied in South Africa in the past year, Trinasolar returns to the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) reaffirming its position as a long-term partner in Africa’s clean energy journey. At this year’s event in Cape Town, the company is spotlighting its next-generation solar and battery storage solutions, designed to withstand extreme weather, harsh environmental conditions, and evolving grid demands across the continent. “As the energy crisis and climate volatility continue to impact South Africa and the broader African region, Trinasolar is focused on delivering real solutions that enable long-term energy security,” said Vincent Wu,…