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Mande Kora Legends: Lalo Kebba Drammeh

Lalo Kebba Drammeh was a legendary kora player from The Gambia, widely regarded as one of the greatest Mande koramasters of the 20th century. Born, in Kiang Kwinella in the lower river region, he is regarded as the greatest Gambian kora maestro. His virtuosity and deep understanding of traditional Mande music made him a highly respected griot, preserving and passing down centuries-old oral traditions. He was instrumental in popularizing the kora beyond The Gambia, influencing many musicians across West Africa and beyond. His music was deeply rooted in the classical Mande repertoire, yet his improvisational skills and technical mastery set him apart. His ability to blend intricate melodies with profound storytelling made him a sought-after performer and mentor to many younger griots. He adapted the djembeseng, Manding polyrhythmic very involving given by the djembe drums, to the kora. He became famous for adapting to the Kora of Djembeseng (a[…]

A Literary Tour of Africa Inspired by Roots

Have you ever finished a book and thought, How did they write that? We journey into the minds of amazing authors. We explore their creative process. It’s a fascinating world. Think of it like stepping into their writing space. We see their desks, their favorite pens. We feel their energy. It’s about understanding the person behind the words. Their stories become even richer. Join me as we unlock the secrets of storytelling. Words are powerful. They can transport us to different worlds. Authors use language skillfully. They create characters, settings, and emotions. Imagination is the fuel for their creative fire. It allows them to think outside the box. They create something out of nothing. It’s like magic! They weave words into captivating stories. We get lost in their pages. This is the beauty of literature. It expands our minds. It takes us on incredible journeys. Maya Angelou found solace[…]

Summer in Africa Series: Essential Reading Collection

Our Summer in Africa series is back as we aim to highlight some of the most interesting and energizing experiences that make a great summer vacation in Africa. So as many of our customers are getting ready to rode the trolley and roam anyone, two, or more of the 54 countries in the continent, we will be exploring and uncovering some hidden gems and energizing experiences to embark on this summer. Africa offers a wealth of unforgettable summer experiences, each unique to its diverse landscapes and cultures. We create our summer reading series each year focusing on Africa and African writers — a fantastic way to explore the continent’s rich literary traditions, history, and culture. As you embark on your journeys we thought to remind you a few of the stories written by African authors. Perhaps they can give us a fresh new perspective and add exciting and interesting[…]

Shango: Orisha of Justice and Protection

Mythology is erudite for ebullient discussions, sparks critical thinking, stirs the imagination, and imbues us. Great mythologies” because of their rich characters, engaging narratives, enduring motifs, and timeless themes all seem to give us clues to the experience of life. “Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life,” explains scholar Joseph Campbell on the celebrated PBS series Joseph Campbell on The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. Campbell define myth as rather than being examples of the search for life’s meaning, that myths are the ongoing search for “the experience of life.” According to Campbell, what myths—all myths—tell us is that the meaning of life is the experience of life: “Eternity isn’t some later time, eternity isn’t a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time! It is that dimension of here and now which thinking, and time cuts out … This is it. If[…]

The Myth of Horus — The Curious Egyptian God of the Sky

We are delving into African mythology and understanding how myths have shaped African society. African mythology is a captivating and complex subject, with a rich history and a wealth of traditional stories and legends. Mythology is an erudite for ebullient discussions, sparks critical thinking, stirs the imagination, and imbues us. “Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life,” explains scholar Joseph Campbell near the beginning of the celebrated PBS series Joseph Campbell on The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. His definition of myth, rather than being that myths are examples of the search for life’s meaning, is that myths are the ongoing search for “the experience of life.” According to Campbell, what myths—all myths—tell us is that the meaning of life is the experience of life: “Eternity isn’t some later time, eternity isn’t a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time! It is that dimension[…]

The Dahomey Amazons – Women Fighters of the Kingdom of Dahomey

They are considered to be the most revered, fearless, disciplined courageous, and novelty in our modern history. So why haven’t we heard much about them? History is often told through the lens of conquerors indeed. However, that is gradually changing as we begin to little by little uncover the truth about much of African history that was intentionally made to be obscure; and the story of the Dahomey Amazons is one of many examples. After France seized what is now southern Benin in 1894, colonial officers disbanded the territory’s unique force of women warriors, the Dahomey Amazons opened new classrooms and made no mention in the curriculum of the Amazons. Even today, many in the country know little about the Amazons. They are the inspiration for the Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces unit in the Marvel film Black Panther. The Dahomey Amazons were frontline soldiers in the army of the Kingdom[…]

The deft storyteller – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The month of March is Women’s Month. A celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. In light of this, we are celebrating a few women from the African diaspora whose immense contributions although, often overlooked should live on in perpetuity. And so we continue with a woman who is fearless, a fierce warrior of Africanism, and an advocate of African history, Africa’s story, a writer and storyteller, best known for her themes of politics, culture, race, and gender. She’s also a wordsmith a gift that she has honored to the fullest and precisely the kind of woman we need today in our modern era — who is not afraid to tell it like it is. She’s truly a remarkably inspirational woman and if you are among the lucky few lucky enough to read her work then you know she’s really the voice we need especially in a society that[…]

The Saga of Mansa Musa – The Wealthiest Human being ever to have Lived

Mansa Musa or Kankan Moussa (c. 1280 – c. 1337) came to the throne as the 10th ruler of the Mali Empire one of the largest and wealthiest empires the world has ever known. Mansa is the Mandinka word for an emperor or sultan. He came into power around 1312 AD, only as a temporary substitute to his predecessor Abubakari Keita II who decided to explore and find out what was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, he never made it back. However, according to some scholars and historians, Abubakari did make it to South America. With three thousand ships, some slaves, and gold that Abubakari took with him, it is difficult to grasp that they will disappear in thin air without a trace or a single survivor. Therefore, an Arab historian al-Umari, has speculated Abubakari’s voyage as a possible instance of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact. Mansa Musa[…]

The Epic of Sundiata Keita

The griots have been telling a 700-year-old story about a sickly boy named Sundiata, who grew up to become a great warrior, defeated a brutal enemy, and united the Mandinka people under one empire – the Mali empire. One of the most successful, wealthiest, and thriving empires in Africa. This theme of the power of ancestral knowledge will continue to resonate throughout the epic of Sundiata as you read, and it is inherent to the telling of the story. For not only is the story of Sundiata important but so is the actual telling of the story important. It must not only be studied but also told since griots maintain the history of Mali within themselves. The father of Sundiata, Naré Maghann Konaté (also called Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome) was the king of the city of Niani. According to griots, a soothsayer who was also a hunter foretold[…]

Cheikh Anta Diop, the man who committed his entire life to the history & richness of African history

African history has been so mistreated in the past so much so that efforts were made deliberately to obscure it. In the 1830s the German philosopher G. H. F. Hegel remarked that Africa “is no historical part of the world; it has no movement or development to exhibit.” Such arrogance and dismissal towards an entire continent are simply myopic, to say the least. Although, one man an African will challenge this narrative and provide scientific proves that in fact, Africa is the cradle of humanity, the birthplace of humankind. And so we begin with an individual whose work lay the foundation stone to the numerous doors opening to African history. Cheikh Anta Diop, (29 December 1923 – 7 February 1986) was a historian, anthropologist, physicist, Pan-African, and politician who studied the human race’s origins and pre-colonial African culture. Diop grew up attending both traditional Islamic and French colonial schools in[…]
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