M A G A Z I N E
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Contributors……………
Julia Nekessa Opoti AIM contributor
Rock it how you live!
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www.utamaduniwear.com AIM MAGAZINE 2011 APR
Contents
Cover Story
M.anifest Eva Githina
Features RezenĂŠ
Book Review
Minnesota Immigration
Blogs
Poetry
G Spot
Wangechi Ruguaru Julia Nekessa Ibe
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Susan Wahome
Wangechi Ruguaru Dr G - Gerald Montgomery
Rock it how you live! AIM MAGAZINE 2011 APR
Our AIM is to celebrate, and share our differences. We publish a monthly magazine that highlights" Africans in Motion" i.e Fellow Africans that are inspiring, driven, and successful in their various fields. For more information please contact Aim Network 612. 205.9828 aimminnesota@gmail.com www.isuu.com/aimminnesota
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride... “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” This saying is a constant and very helpful reminder that we cannot live life wishing things were different. Because no matter how hard we wish for something, it is never going to happen unless we do something about it. Wishes are goals we want to achieve and goals are never accomplished on wishing alone. For the wishes of your heart to come true, you have to get up and create a plan, do something or say something to bring the wish from dream to reality. If there is a job you wish to have or that special someone you want to be a part of your life, you just have to do something to make it happen. Do not sit on the sidelines with that ‘woe is me’ look on your face. Do not sit on your hands and expect to get something accomplished. The people of North and South Sudan, Egypt and Tunisia are recent examples of what can be accomplished when we pursue our goals. In a few short weeks, they changed the course of history because they were tired of looking at the rest of the world passing them by. They had been wishing for decades for better leaders, a better economy and a more accountable government, none of which came from wishing alone. They stood up for change and they got it.
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Wishes or goals are ways that we motivate ourselves to do and be better. But we are better by doing things that challenge our skills, our patience and that get us out of our comfort zone. Harvey Mackay, a well known motivational speaker phrased it succinctly when he said, “a dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with with a plan and a deadline.” So now it is up to you to decide whether you will live your life wishing it was different, dwelling on the “ifs” or whether you will live the life of your dreams. Cheers!
Eva
m.anifest W
e met with M.anifest on a colder-than-cold winter day in MN. He had just come back to MN late the previous evening and yet there he was braving the cold and the jet lag to meet Wangechi, Linda and I for the interview. M.anifest is a true original musically and you will think so too when you take time to talk to him or to listen to his music. He was born and raised in Accra, Ghana and maintains the best of his African roots despite living here in America for many years. For an artist so young, he is very grounded in his lyrical content. There is nothing frivolous about M.anifest. His lyrics are conscious and tell the truth of his American experience and the African and Ghanaian heritage. His independently released debut, manifestations, earned him high praise in a plethora of media outlets. It led to the album being picked up by Jakarta Records/Groove Attack and re-released by the indie label in Europe and Japan. The Minneapolis Star Tribune named Manifestations as one of the top 5 albums of 2007 across genres. In 2009 M.anifest released a full length LP, “The Birds and the Beats” for free download in support of a Non-profit, “Young Entrepreneurs Africa”, which was hailed as “an exciting piece of art that makes you feel guilty about paying nothing for it” (City Pages). We started our conversation with M.anifest by sharing some news we heard through a friend of ours. Incidentally, a friend of ours knew someone that was basing their thesis on M.anifest. We shared this tidbit with M.anifest and he replied...
I know a couple of Students who are doing their Masters thesis on me and a film maker who is shooting a documentary. As far as what I think, I view this as a back door way to my higher education, because my family always asks me when I am going to get my Masters degree and I always say never. Why did you decide to do hip hop music? Because I wanted to be cool. (We all broke out in laughter) Well hip hop is the one genre that borrows from all other forms. You can take from Ethiopian jazz, you can build your brand or style depending on where you’re from or however you want, You can be from Kenya rap in Swahili or you can be ‘Mau Mau kalamashaka’; doing your own thing. That is the most powerful thing about hip hop. It is very revolutionary and the day it becomes static is the day it is going to die.(He proceeded to speak about his grandfather, who coincidentally, he came to learn, was a poet of great talent in his own right. M.anifest had just gotten back from Ghana where he went to do a documentary about his grandfather) There is nothing new. That is one thing I have learned filming the documentary about my
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...You can be from Kenya rap in Swahili or you can be ‘Mau Mau kalamashaka’; doing your own thing. That is the most powerful thing about hip hop.
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grandfather and I. He is 89 years old. He has extensive writings aside from musical compositions. One of the discoveries we made is that he has this book of poems from the 1940’s the title of which translates to “Travelling Stories” and there is a documentary trailer where he starts by saying...”listen to my rap”. That is some Tri poetry and because of the way alliterations are placed, it sounds like rap. I also learned from my grandfather, that the executioner’s of the Ashanti, especially in Ghana, were traditionally poets. They did the most difficult poetry perhaps because they did the most difficult job. So one day he sat me down and played some of that music for me. Incredible. It is many things. It was the deepest rap ever. It is powerful because the oral tradition, that is ancient especially from Africa, is still there. Without romanticizing it, the immediate appeal to a lot of people is still there without rationalizing the e-minor or the scale. I imagine the executioners performing their poetry. Perhaps they are wielding swords or all kinds of weapons telling the stories behind it, using the words and intonations. This poetry is different - It was not written to be read; it was written to be heard. This is how powerful a force I believe [hip hop] is. To be able to carve whatever niche or brand for myself that I find interesting. My grandfather is 89 years old and he does not use a walking stick. He still does a lot of travelling, he gives lectures...and I have always known about his music. I did not know about his extensive writings however. He has a very interesting history. I also learned that he gave Maya Angelou her first job when she lived in Ghana in the 60’s. She wrote about her odyssey in Ghana in “All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes” Do you believe that people are born with that calling (to write music and poetry)? There is a calling. Whether the calling comes to you or you are born with it. I think it is a path that some more than others are meant to take. You’ll find that regardless of how many things we excel in, there is that one thing that is you; that defines you. Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? What inspired you? I was very terrified of performing what I wrote. I had to overcome that fear and still be cool. I was 14 and a group of guys and I wrote together. There were multiple expressions in anything we wrote; there was a lot of content in any one song. Originally, it was about the group process. I started writing my own songs when I was in college. It was a good time for me to not take myself seriously, but I was still engaged in the process, hanging with friends who were producers,
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listening to music, digging through records, talk about baselines... It was a learning process, understanding the science, the math and structure. It is hard to pinpoint my first song. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing a song? Nostalgia has been a big part of what I have done so far because of my life experiences. Imagination, joy and pain draws all those emotions together. We are drawn to something that makes us feel a certain way. We all recognize certain elements in a song. We all hum that certain trumpet portion or that certain chorus. I try to connect to that creative discipline which comes from inspiration. I work on plying that as a steady art. I put time and practice into it so that genuine inspiration meets imagination and skill. How do you perfect your work especially when you write by yourself and the process is very informal? It is a lot of hours of solitude and failing and trying and failing and trying and engaging with people and their different responses and listening to different styles of music from different periods. There is a lot of time and commitment involved. I remember seeing my grandfather wake up early and sleep late because he took the time to study. He has that level of dedication which most rockstars find themselves unable to master because it takes away time from their family. It is hard work, and you have to enjoy it to do it and take it to the next level. What do you do to prepare for a performance? There are good performing artists and good recording artists which I believe most people take for granted. Good performance artists will excel. In Africa you cannot succeed in music if you do not perform well on stage. In Ghana, they will clap and say “away” and kick you off the stage. Stage presence more than anything takes a lot to perfect and for me it took a lot to overcome that fear and open myself. When performing you are terrified, but you have to act cool and open yourself to possible booing. My mom, for the longest time could not understand how I was able to perform on stage because even when I was a little kid I was not that bold. The best thing for me to do to prepare for a performance is to study. You have to understand how people connect as a lyricist and vocalist you have to rehearse. If you are a drummer you have make the effort to show that intensity. When I was in Spain performing with a band I could be the lazy bum on the stage (LOL), but if it was just me and the DJ on stage, I have to take the extra effort to engage people. It is important to overcome your challenges and study/rehearse regardless of how naturally it comes to you. This is an aspect that is highly under rated. There is no short cut.
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You mentioned that when you were 14 you wrote music with a group of friends, Is that what you were trying to recreate when you formed ARM (Armed Rebel Movement)? I love working in different kinds of settings. Music for me is not just a solo thing, it is much more of a group thing. There is no one who ever really does music alone from a solo place, even though you do, you have to have a group behind you, look at Fela, he had a band and Tony Allen (Tony Allen is the Nigerian-born drummer, composer and songwriter who, along with Fela Kuti, pioneered afrobeat music, a new blend of jazz and traditional African juju and highlife, in the mid-1960s). ARM is a constant way to keep myself inspired, it is not competition. If someone is next to you doing some crazy things, you are inspired to bring your game up. You do not want to fool yourself when you work by yourself and there is no one challenging you to do better. The collaboration with ARM came about naturally. We are all Africans and we work well together. It is a good collaboration and it brings interesting things to the table. What is M.anifest? What is your real name? My name is Kwame Tsikata. It’s an Ewe name even though my mother is Ashanti. I stumbled over M.anifest by accident. As I was writing, I was trying to explain what music meant to me - this was my deep phase-LOL! So where were you when you released your album Manifestations? I was working a job I liked, fortunately for me, I was working with great people at a Non Profit. It was good. When you get here you think you will come to school and something will work out. I was studying Economics, but I was very disinterested because I knew this was not my calling. I was trying to figure out how I was going to do the things I wanted to do, while dealing with the fact that it takes money to make money especially in the beginning. It takes money to be able to get access to recording studios. Trying to book studio time and dealing with people that would not come through, all while trying to learn the industry. How did the MTV thing happen, did they contact you? They did, out of the blue. (You know Africans are in every place) So MTV does a roundtable of the hottest artists at the end of every year and Yemi, an African guy that worked on that panel, contacted me about a video since we had already submitted it. I already knew that some people in certain places were paying attention. However, people do not understand how slow these things can be. You do not go announcing that MTV is going to show my music, because it can even take another two years. You talk about how expensive producing an album is and how time consuming it is, and then you go ahead and create a second album, and release it for free. What is that? What were you thinking? What was I thinking? I released my first album Manifestations in 2007 and made a commitment to myself that my next album was going to be big, large. There was a lot of financial consideration that went into the first album and since I have a lot of music, I wanted to do a big album.
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I was also learning a lot about copyrights and a lot of musical history. Allow me to digress…I digress a lot (We broke out in laughter) There was a documentary I saw on PBS about the song, “Wimoweh” aka “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” written by Solomon Linda. He wrote this song when music was not copyrighted, when the idea of writing music was for storytelling, not ownership as it is today. Artists should not be writing music for the purpose of copyrighting it. So this inspired me to do a free album, because that was not going to rob me of all of my other ideas. I was working on Coming to America at that point and I put that project on hold to work on the “Birds and the Beats” because that allowed me to do music and do the next one, as big as I wanted. So many people downloaded the album, at one point I think we had about 10,000 downloads in a month. This allowed people to listen to my music, even when they could not afford it. If they listen to the ‘Birds and the Beats’ and they like it, they are more likely to share it with their friends and buy my other albums. This is a good thing that is free. If a hundred million people listen to your music and one million people buy it, you should be very grateful. So, let us talk about “Coming to America: Immigrant Chronicles”. Let us talk about the immigrant experience. We have seen the video and it is amazing. Yes. It was shot in Minnesota by Wale, a Nigerian friend (not Wale the musical artist) who also lives here. By the way, how did your Collaboration with Black Star happen? The producers spent some time in Ghana and had a project that involved all these hip life artists such as Samini, Wanlov and many others and they hit me up we recorded together. How was it working with Wanlov? It was interesting. We worked well together and recorded about 5 songs. The favorite which no one knows here is “Soko like the drum”. In Ghana, everyone loved it and that is great. One thing about music; it is very much about where you are. With that song, we were in Ghana and with Ghanaians so that affected the song. This was special for me because I never conquered home before I came here. So this song is special to me although it does not have much universal appeal. In what other African Countries have you performed? Other than Ghana, unfortunately none. I want to do more of that this year. You should definitely come to Kenya. Definitely. I plan on doing more of that this year. In Africa, popular music is in right now, so you try and get in where you fit in. There is a different vibe and energy going on. This year, expect to see me do more shows, especially
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in the West African countries. I have more collaboration with artists too such as Tumi from South Africa which help create those connections that will hopefully lead to more shows abroad. [P-Square] has been pushing the quality of music and videos to the next level. There were a lot of sloppy videos and sloppy performances, but they are pushing artists to bring up that quality. Yes. In Ghana there is a lot of talent and a lack of that marketing drive. Artists will do great work or collaborate with well known artists
like Beenie Man, Wyclef and many others, but no one will ever hear it because the marketing was not done right. There is a lot still to be done. How about Reggae? Oh I would do reggae before I do pop. Do you ever plan to incorporate that into your music? I do want to, but the timing and the song and who I am working with have to be right. I am actually working on a song in this album that I might be able to work that into…I find that in a performance
context music translates easily with reggae. You can express your music very well using reggae. I love it… especially Culture, Gregory Isaacs that is music you heard everywhere especially when I was growing up. Who are your top 5 favorite, African Artists? Pressure! Pressure! If you gave me 500 it would still be hard, I will try to give a good mix because I make music. It is hard for me to mention current and upcoming artists because they are still very new. I will focus on people that have had long careers. Speaking of Nostalgia again I will talk about people we all know and that we listened to growing up, such as Brenda Fassie…talk about Wale, remember that song he redid? “My Sweetie, my sugar” Everyone knows that song by Buntin “Bunny Mac” McCormack. The point is for me it is more powerful to focus on artists that came before us. I would start with… Hugh Masekela – He has two albums that he did with Hedzoleh Sounds that are fantastic. You speak of long standing careers; he has had a spectacular one and is still an amazing musician, performer and storyteller. He is still very relevant and his music is
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back to those songs that everyone knows even though Brenda Fassie had that star quality. Looking at Miriam Makeba while I was growing up and contemplating becoming a musician, I remember being wowed. To understand the depth of her music, its longevity and the different aspects of her music and watch her documentary understand her legacy. I have one song I did with another artist and in the hook I mention her and pay tribute to her. When it is done I will call it “Ode to Makeba”. What I have accomplished now I feel I owe to her. Yeah? You have one more. I am going to go for an obvious one here, Fela Kuti. Just like Bob Marley, he was notorious for his music and his politics. Let me tell you why he makes this list… There is a song he sang very well that had a proverb in Tri that translates to “It is beauty that causes a woman to hold her breasts when she is running, not because they will fall off”. That was incredible. He was from Nigeria, yet while he was in Ghana, he got to understand the culture and the language and was able to sing in Tri very well. Why aren’t other artists doing that, why can’t I come to Kenya and sing a song in Kikuyu?
limited by the fact that it is not on the radio, which it should be. Reggie Rockstone - the founder of hip-life was a rapper here in the states. He pioneered hip-life back in 1994. The story goes that he was going to Ghana to perform with his rap group and some of his friends casually mentioned that if Reggie w to Ghana, he probably would not come back. They were right, he never did. It was incredible for me at the time, because I loved hip hop and I was inspired when I heard Reggie. He was charismatic and he put himself in the music and made it his own. The things he talked about were very relevant. Almost everyone in Ghana knows his whole album from back to front. Talk about putting an album that people love. He created that bridge to hip hop and he - more than anybody else made me realize that I could do this. He talked about places and streets I know, using a language I speak and even using music I remember or recognize… and now I have worked with him. He is the guy that I looked up to and it was surreal. He has accomplished a great deal and even has songs with artists like Beenie Man. Without him, I do not think that I would be rapping. We haven’t heard any women. Hmm? (Sigh) I was thinking about that and trying to figure out who I would choose between Miriam Makeba and Brenda Fassie. I will definitely go ahead and say Miriam Makeba. It goes
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That’s a great list M.anifest. So, you have great style. How did you get to this? Did you evolve from something else? I am going to show you a picture. I was four or five years old when my parents used to live in Pittsburgh. I have a picture of my mom and I there, let us see how much my look has changed. I do not want to compete with trends, I despise that. The best way to do that is to stay where you are…but what do I know? It does not take much to not compete so, that works for me. On the other hand, I like beads -they are my bling bling. The beads are fun for me. I have a guy who will go to Mali and buy different things and when I get to Ghana, he will be like, “Yo, I have some new stuff from Mali” and he will share the story behind the different beads, which is intriguing to me. I think you do not have to look far for what sets you apart. [Africa] is the most diverse continent; it is a part of me. I will share with you that picture and you will see. My style is a throwback and an evolution at the same time. It is about something you can have on you and you feel like yeah!!! By the way I am not wearing this to go “Black Power”! It is a personal style choice. M.anifest pulled up his childhood picture on his phone Oh that is so cute! I would insist on wearing this shirt all the time. It has changed but -it has not changed. One of the things you discover is that when you wear something to fit in, it does not work. When you wear something original, you get a better response. I am not going to compete with Kanye’s million dollar budget you know! When I am in Ghana, wearing this people go, Oh I think these shirts are coming back in style. There is a lot to explore.
I want us to find African solutions to African problems. We do not have to always be chasing the Western ideal, because we will fall flat on our faces. We are chasing ideas that are not working or that cannot work in Africa. What advice would you have for someone‌? Kids don’t do drugs okay!
LOL. What advice would you give to someone trying to follow in your footsteps? Definitely do not follow in my footsteps I have made so many mistakes. However, I would say that you have to take the risk because there is something great to be achieved. It takes great commitment and hard work to make it happen. Those two are important. Financially it is [suicide] at first, but you have to make it work especially in the beginning. You have to take your imagination to another level. You have to leap and find your wings before you can learn to fly. The Journey is exciting; despite the difficulties you face along the way. The commitment is something that I cannot over emphasize; the glamour on the other hand is easy to see. You also need a lot of humility. It is important because, for men especially, you are in a position where you are admired and in the spotlight. Without humility you will not get very far. I liked it when I was working and performing with Tony Allen and Femi Kuti and other great artists, and it was all about the music, no egos, or airs. The humanness of the experience was so admirable to be around. There was a lot to learn from all of them. Without humility you will fail at some point, because you will fail to see the inspiration for the music. It is hard to stay humble, because most of the time you are working with people who are trying to take you for granted or exploit you, so it is easy to get jaded and get in the habit of showing them how good you are to avoid that.
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So I heard someone ask you in another interview, why you do not write love songs, but I do not remember what your answer was to that. So number one, I do write love songs, I just do not put all the Ws. The who, what, where, when. First of all, everyone is making a love song, so I do not have to over saturate the market. Every song I write is born out of love, and I want to write about love properly. Love is difficult, so we will see how that comes out. There is marketing and promotion of songs that people like. For example, when I released the Birds and the Beats, I noticed the Ghanaians tended to pick up on the love songs. That is cool, but the process for me is organic. If 90% of the artists are doing love songs, I am not going to go there. There’s a lot to write about and there are relationships with many things. Love is all over my music. So what causes are you passionate about, aside from your music? I want us to find African solutions to African problems. We do not have to always be chasing the Western ideal, because we will fall flat on our faces. We are chasing ideas that are not working or that cannot work in Africa. We should not pursue a democracy the likes of which George W Bush became president without winning the election. We have the same thing happening in Ivory Coast, and that is not ideal. Thanks M.anifest for a great Interview! Do you have merchandise? Check out website for merchandise
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by Julia Nekessa
English only? Not in Minnesota history
Did you know that there was a time when there were non-English speaking towns in Minnesota that had non-English schools and newspapers? Would it surprise you to learn that in 1890 election instructions in Minnesota were in nine languages? The current uproar over English-only ordinances like the one recently passed by the city of Lino Lakes largely ignores Minnesota’s (and the nation’s) immigrant history. The sponsor of the Lino Lakes ordinance said it seeks to save translation costs. Those would be unknown future costs, as the city has not had to translate any of its documents to date. And the possible future savings would be limited, as the resolution accommodates translation services in matters of “public health, public safety, the promotion of tourism, the administration of justice and the handling of emergencies.” Critics have argued that proposals declaring English the official language of cities or states are hostile to immigrants. Nativist sentiments are hardly new. Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1751, addressing the issue of German immigrants: “Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion?” Much later, President Theodore Roosevelt would express similar sentiments, “We have room for but one language in this country, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house.”
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As recently as 2006 and 2007, the US Senate has voted on amendments that emphasized on English as a symbol of patriotism. Although both amendments passed, they were part of a comprehensive immigration bill that did not become law. In an interview with the TC Daily Planet, Katherine Fennelly, an immigration specialist at the University of Minnesota, said that, despite language and cultural barriers, most immigrants attempt to learn English. That takes a while, according to Fennelly, who said that “history has shown that it is not until the second generation that children of immigrants begin to be fluent in English.” According to Fennelly, the age at which an immigrant enters a country strongly determines new language acquisition skills. “After puberty it becomes more difficult for people to acquire language skills.” Fennelly said that immigrants today learn and speak English faster than immigrants at the turn of the century did. She lamented, “It is sad that in many cases the offspring of immigrants tend to lose their parents’ language,” resulting in a loss of rich cultural heritage. Current immigration trends show that new immigrants, tend to be younger and more educated than immigrants of past generations. A report published by Fennelly through the Humphrey Institute, detailing the economic impact of immigrants in Minnesota, showed that nationally immigrants represent twentyfive per cent of physicians and forty per cent of engineers holding doctoral degrees. An immigrant’s ability to learn a new language as an adult is also affected by their education level. Fennelly cites the first wave of Somali immigrants,
School for Italian immigrants in New York, 1892
who were educated and learned English faster than more recent immigrants, who have had little or no formal education. (Before Somalia’s 1990 civil war, the languages of instruction in the country’s education institutions were English and Italian.) The Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) records show that in 1896, official election instructions were being issued in nine languages: English, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, French, Czech, Italian, and Polish. Today, the office of Minnesota’s Secretary of State makes provisions in six languages: English, Hmong, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese. Not unlike present-day immigrants, foreign-language newspapers allowed non-English speaking immigrants to keep current on local affairs and news from their home countries in the late 19th and early 20th century. The IHRC reports that there were over 100 non-English newspapers in Minnesota alone, and over 10,000 in the US. Towns like New Ulm were once German-speaking said Donna Gabaccia, the director of IHCR. According to IHRC, “fresh immigrants often lived on farms -- or in urban enclaves-- where there was little incentive to learn English.” Incidentally, New Ulm, which still has a strong German cultural influences, was named after the German town Ulm. Immigration in Minnesota Here’s a quick history on Minnesota’s immigrants courtesy of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights:
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Various Native Americans tribes settled in Minnesota as far back as 6000 B.C. In the 19th century, the Ojibway and Dakota tribes comprised the largest inhabitants. The French and French Canadians would later move in as traders. By 1850, Minnesota’s farmland had attracted settlers from New England and immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Ireland, and Germany. The 1900 census also reports several thousand African Americans living in present-day Ramsey and Hennepin counties. (http://www.demography.state. mn.us/documents/centuryo.pdf). Immigrants from the aforementioned European countries would continue to make up the foreign-born population until the 1980s when the first wave of Southeast Asians made their way to the state. The latest waves of immigrants have mainly been from Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Although the immigrant population is a lot more diverse now than it was in the 1900s, the percentage of foreign-born residents is smaller. The 1910 census found that twenty-six per cent of those counted in Minnesota were foreignborn; today, that number is only six per cent. Editors’ Note: This article was first published in the Twin Cities Daily Planet and has been republished in AIM Magazine with permission from the author. Nekessa Julia Opoti mylowercase.tumblr.com Publisher: kenyaimagine.com www.twitter.com/kenyaimagine
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Rezené I
met Rezené through her sister, not in person, but on her sisters FB wall, she had one of her videos posted.... and the big smile got me, you can feel her positive vibe through her smile. But she opened her mouth and that was it. I was sold. She has a voice on her.
Hermon Rezené, Eritrean, was born in Nairobi, Kenya. She lived in Kenya until she was 3 years old when her family moved to Canada. She has lived in Canada for the past 22 years which makes her 25 years old. Besides her beautiful voice she has a degree in Human Rights and is currently studying social work in hopes of becoming a social worker. Her hobbies include writing songs, singing, spending quality time with my family and friends and shopping for shoes. Rezené has always been an optimistic person and makes her music to uplift and encourage young people. Talk about been activist through her music. Rezené says her inspiration is drawn to powerful conscious songs, regardless of the genre because its songs like that help her stay focused on what she’d ultimately like to do, which is help change some ones world for the better. A poised, beautiful woman, Please tell us your full name and where you come from?
Hermon Rezené. I am from Eritrea by nationality, but I’m also a Canadian.
What are your fondest memories of your country?
Well I have travelled back and forth to Kenya in my youth for summer vacations, but when I was 10 I moved back to Kenya and attended school, I did grade 5 there. It was a very new experience for me because it was nothing like the Canadian
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school system. At first I absolutely hated it, but as the months went on I grew to open up to friends and the school system, I didn’t want to leave. On my way back to Canada that year I passed by Eritrea, and got to meet family members that I’d never known before, my fondest memory was meeting my grandmother on my father’s side. It was a very special moment for me in my life which I will cherish forever. What is/was the hardest adjustment to living far away from home? The hardest adjustment was getting used to the way of life in Africa, everything was gated and all the guard dogs and stray animals scared me a lot. How did your family feel about your music? My family has always supported my music and aspirations to make music. My mother and sister have supported me from the moment they realized I was serious about singing. They are wonderful and I couldn’t be pursuing this dream without their love and support. What was the hardest adjustment to making a career out of music? The hardest adjustment to making music I’d say is finding the right people to work with, I have come across a lot of people who will say they can do certain things or help me in certain ways and then they always fall short. I find it is hard to make music as a girl, because there are a lot of pressures already even though I’m still just a local artist; to look a certain way, to write a song a certain way, or sound a certain way and it frustrates me because I want to sing and write the way I feel comfortable. What inspired you to become a music artist? I’m not sure what initially inspired me, but for sure in grade 2 when I started singing in talent shows at school and singing nonstop at home, I realised I loved singing and as I got older and started writing my own songs I knew this was what I wanted to do. Are you in the music industry I’m not in the music industry …YET!
yet?
What is the main inspiration behind your music? Now that I’m older and I know who I am, I want to be a positive role model for young women. I’d like to be an artist who sings music that will hopefully uplift people, make them think and make them two step. I want to write songs that girls can relate to the experiences I write about in my music. I get inspiration to write songs, from my own
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personal experiences, from my friend’s experiences, from movies and TV shows…usually anything that triggers an emotion from me, I’ll be inspired to write. What is your most unforgettable career milestone? The greatest milestone I’ve had so far was winning first place at the Goal Idol, it was a competition and the winner was chosen by the audience’s votes. I had never won first place in a singing competition before, so this was a great moment for me. I won 15 hours of free studio time in Montreal, which allowed me to record my song, “What’s going on”. What projects are you currently working on? I’m currently working on making an EP; I haven’t decided if there will be 5 or 6 songs on there. Who are your top 5 favorite Musicians? My top five musicians are: Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill , India Arie and Musiqsoulchild…I know you said 5 but I had to add Brandy. What advice would you give to people who want to follow in your footsteps? The advice I’d give someone who wanted to pursue a dream would be to simply: DO IT! However you feel comfortable, if it makes you happy then WHY NOT go for it. Whether I become a recording artist or simply sing and record songs that only my family and friends will enjoy is okay with me, because I’m still doing what I love to do, and that’s to sing. What causes or issues are you passionate about? I’m extremely passionate with ending child abuse; I focused a lot of my human rights degree on children’s rights and currently work at an emergency group home for teenage girls. If I had the kind of influence artist have, I would do a lot of work with helping to eradicate children rights violations, specifically in Africa, but here in Canada too. Favorite quote? “ We must be the change we want to see in the world” – Gandhi Link to my website, there is a section on my website where people can leave a message for me which will directly go to my email box.
I’d like to be an artist who sings songs that will hopefully uplift people, make them think and make them two step.
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www.Rezené.ca www.youtube.com/Rezenémusic www.twitter.com/Rezenémusic
by Gerald Montgomery
(Warning: This edition of G-Spot is for Grown Folks, so I hope you can handle the truth!)
I
t’s February; the most brutal third of winter (for winter territories) the shortest month of the modern Roman calendar, Black History Month (in America), and of course – who could forget – Valentine’s Day! The holiday for lovers and probably the holiday which causes men the most anxiety; second, perhaps, only to Christmas! Why? Maybe because what makes an acceptable gift “evolves” (that’s a good word) every year of the relationship. Will chocolate and flowers do the trick? Maybe a stuffed animal this time? Or is it the dreaded year of the jewelry?
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For ladies, Valentine’s Day is a piece of cake; figuratively and sometimes literally. A woman could do something as simple as take her man out to share a slice of cake. But she would probably do it at a very expensive restaurant (ordering only a slice of cake) to increase its romantic potential. Or she could be a little more naughty than usual during sex that night; her ace in the hole! (The allure of uninhibited sex will always be a woman’s Plan B, but too often it is her Plan A for Valentine’s Day. And we men are gullible enough to fall for it every time!) Either way, it would NEVER be about the dollar value of the gift [typically] for men, thus women never lose sleep over this holiday. And although this sounds noble, I’m afraid it has more to do with sexism than humility; men either
G SPOT
The Secret to a Successful Valentine’s Day
don’t expect much from women in the way of monetary expenditures or we [men] over value sex. So ultimately Valentine’s Day is a holiday for the ladies to come up (or score a gift), ‘cause we men just don’t care as much for the actual day, generally speaking. Ladies, let’s not kid ourselves here. Regardless how wellkept a woman may or may not be year round or how romantic your fella may be day to day, you want – no you expect to see a spike in output on that day. And who can blame you? After all, the pressure to one up your girlfriends, or at least stay equal with them, is intense! What woman wants to be made to feel her man is somehow inadequate in ANY area, especially when others know about it? Oh yeah, your girlfriends are going to ask you what Joe-Joe got you for Valentine’s Day, and you certainly don’t want to have to lie to your girls, do you? If you asked a group of women what a woman wants for “V” Day you’ll get a handful of responses. From, “I just want to know I’m appreciated and that what I do for him matters.” To, “it doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just something – a card, dinner, flowers, anything – to show he cares.” Even, “shoot, I want jewelry! I’ve earned it!” But if you challenge them on the notion of wanting something material for Valentine’s Day they would all say, “It’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts!” OK, let me break this down for the fellas! “I just want to know I’m appreciated and that what I do for him matters.” This is woman-code for “my man is broke right now, so he gets a pass this year. But I want him to remember this pass and get me something really nice when he gets a job!”
– a card, dinner, flowers, anything – to show he cares.” What she really means is, “I want [real] jewelry or the most expensive accessory HE CAN AFFORD RIGHT NOW!” “Shoot, I want jewelry! I’ve earned it!” Uh, this ain’t code. It basically means, you’re in trouble! Either – you’ve been messin’ up, you’re well beyond the newlywed phase of the relationship and she’s tired of carrying you, or you got yourself a Gold-digger! Either way, you’re in trouble! Now that I’ve got that out of the way, here’s the deal about Valentine’s Day. Every woman knows her man’s potential. The key to Valentine’s Day is living up to that potential, or ideally exceeding that potential on that day. A card, candy, and a stuffed animal are only acceptable when the relationship is so new that an expensive gift would seem psychotic, or she knows you’re in no position to get much else. If you can do more than flowers, a card, and candy and that’s all you do, then there will be conflict! Your “token of affection” should match or exceed you’re perceived potential. Next thing to avoid is getting a gift of lesser value than the gift she gets you. I know Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be about monetary value, neither should Christmas for that matter. And the reason she expects your gift to equal or exceed hers is because, you guessed it, she’s banking (no pun intended) on your potential! So if you want a successful Valentine’s Day, live up to your potential. Make the sacrifice either in monetary value or uniqueness of deed. But make sure it meets her expectations if you wish to keep the peace! Iron sharpens iron, so let’s be better because of it!
“It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just something
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www.utamaduniwear.com AIM MAGAZINE 2011 APR
By Susan Wahome
that she could sell the puppies is surreal. The next story is about two siblings in Gabon who are to be sold off by a close family member, for the price of a Motor Cycle. In this story, more than all the others it is sad to see how the adults have failed the children. The close family member knew what he was doing was wrong but he did it anyway. The Third is about two best friends in Ethiopia whose relationship is torn apart as a result of their religious differences. They did not see what the adults saw. They differed with their parents and accepted the differences they had. All they saw being children was that they are/were best friends. The fourth is about one of the longest bus rides ever with a young Muslim boy in Nigeria, who is trying to get away from one end of the country that happens to be experiencing ethnic violence. The tension, the craziness and complexity of the bus ride is nail biting, personally l could not stand it and l would put the book down and stomp off in frustration. The last story, is based in Rwanda and it tells a heart wrenching tale. The genocide experience through the eyes of a young girl who is born into a mixed family where, one parent is Hutu, while the other is Tutsi truly touches a sore spot.
I
grew up on short stories. My paternal grandfather would have us sit around him and he would tell a different story each night. When l first heard about this book l did not know that it was made up of short stories. To be honest the only thing l knew about the book was that it was an Oprah’s Book Club choice and thus the buzz. I was in Barnes and Noble looking to kill time, and l picked it up, just to page through. I did not go to the back cover. Nope, l went straight to the first story. l was deep into it and the next thing l knew we had to go. I was sucked into the story to the point of not wanting to put the book down. Hard as it is to believe each story in the book really sucks you in. The stories in the book are all non fiction but they are written in such a real and raw way, and they are all based on a country in the continent of Africa. The first story is based on the life of a Street boy and his family in the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. Personally this story was not far removed. I have experienced street children and street families, but to see them in this light was something else. To be a part of their lives through the eyes of this boy, whose sister was prostituting herself so that he could attend school, to read how his mother had coaxed a pregnant dog to become a member of the family so
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The thing that l love about Say You Are One of Them is the ending to each story. None ends happily ever after. The stories do not leave the reader day dreaming and painting pictures in the sky about any of the characters, it leaves your heart broken but at the same time open to changing the world for the sake of the children. It leaves you wanting to do a better job than the adults that were in the children’s lives in the book. The Author, Father Uwem Akpan, hails from Nigeria. He grew up on stories and unlike me, his mother told him the stories. He became a fiction Writer during his Seminary days, where he would write a lot at night and it took him 8 years to write this book, in which he admits that he was afraid of not getting the different cultures in the stories right, the book’s success and of not being able to put the painful experiences on paper using his words. Courage for him, had nothing to do with it. To him all the children who actually are in it every day and present for it like in the stories, are the courageous ones. Anyone can read this book. No one is far removed from the experiences in the books. We were all children once and there is a commonality to the stories. There is a connection, and it takes commitment to start and finish the book. It can be heavy but it is a book worth reading. They are well told stories.
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NewsFlash!
L
ira had an exceptional 2010 – becoming the first South African artist to release a live music concert on Blu-ray and selling multiplatinum numbers of her live DVD. Now, early 2011, sees the multi-award winning artist return with a brand new studio album that’s nothing short of extraordinary – and a fitting calling card for Lira’s much-anticipated breakthrough onto the global music stage. Titled RETURN TO LOVE – Lira’s fourth studio album is a masterful record that draws together everything that Lira has worked for since she first embarked on her music career – at first tentatively with her 2003 debut ALL MY LOVE and, from 2006’s FEEL GOOD onwards, with mounting confidence in her singular abilities. Lira’s triumph at the 2009 South African Music Awards, where she won Album of the Year and Best Female Artist for the 2008 record, SOUL IN MIND, and subsequent multi-platinum sales of her second two records and her LIVE IN CONCERT – A CELEBRATION DVD (2009) proved she had the voice, the songs, and the performing ability to strike into the hearts of South African music fans. But one listen to RETURN TO LOVE and it’s clear that over the course of her first trio of albums, Lira was only just beginning to reveal her musical gifts. “I was very focused on defining the ‘Lira’ sound even more, with this album,” Lira says of the vision behind possibly the classiest – yet infinitely accessible – record to come out of South Africa in a long while. “I wanted to send this out into the greater musical world with a real solid, really refined sound that is unmistakably my own.” In this quest, Lira, and her producer as well as primary co-songwriter, Robin Kohl, have succeeded handsomely. If comparisons are to be made, there’s a real feel of Sade’s earlier work, in Lira’s scorching, soul-filled vocals. And yet the subtle sense of her South African
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roots that flickers throughout the material, along with Lira’s unique vocal stylings mean there is nothing copycat about RETURN TO LOVE. “It was always my feeling that I don’t want to be boxed into being a particular kind of artist,” Lira says with the quiet emphasis of someone who knows precisely what they desire. “On this album, too I didn’t want to be restrained in what sounds we included on the album so there is some funk, ragga, urban, traditional African sounds, and, of course, plenty of soul.” At 11-tracks, the album finds its lyrical footing in all the things that Lira loves - from dancing to singing, being introspective, loving others, philosophising, and stirring people’s consciousness. “I love to dance. I love to love! I’m a romantic. But I also like to be contemplative,” she says. Standout tracks are hard to pin down. Whether she’s writing about the relentless tug of heartache on ‘Call Me’, or the plaintive plea for answers in a world that’s lost its way (“Money and greed cast a shadow on the sun/Yes, I see it burning up the skies”) on ‘Abba’ or the need for individuals to take charge of their live on ‘Get Into Action’, Lira’s words have a force that few can match. Other album highlights include ‘Mali’, with its Bossa and Mbaqanga mix, as well as ‘Phakade’, which has all the hallmarks of a wedding song, along with the more somber, ‘Be My Friend’. With a lineup of live shows that will keep her calendar full throughout the coming year, significant international interest in her work, and an album that’s as good as anything released internationally, Lira’s ready to deliver yet again to her loyal fanbase – and take on the world. Interviews and Media Requests: Sony Music Entertainment Africa Tel: + 27 (0) 11 274 5000 Louise Pillay E-mail: louise.pillay@sonymusic.co.za Maria Hadjidimitriadis E-mail: maria.hadjidimitriadis@sonymusic.co.za
“My Parents’ Bedroom,” from his short story collection, Say You’re One of Them , was one of five short stories by African writers chosen as finalists for the Caine Prize for African Writing 2007. Say You’re One of Them won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region) 2009 and PEN/Beyond Margins Award 2009 and was finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. In 2007, Akpan taught at a Jesuit college in Harare, Zimbabwe. Now, he serves at Christ the King Church, Ilasamaja-Lagos, Nigeria. Say You’re One of Them is an awe-inspiring collection of stories that challenges you to look beyond the headlines and see an Africa full of both joy and despair. Please read the review of this title by our very own Kabura.
Hear No Evil
Speak No Evil
See No Evil
Uwem Akpan studied philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities and theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006.
M,anifest, began to pursue music seriously as a vocation post his college education in 2005, the Ghanaian native has already stacked up an impressive resume: including on stage collaborations with Femi Kuti, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Amadou and Miriam, Mick Jones (The clash), Tony Allen, the Noisettes and many more. Allhiphop.com profiled him (along with K’naan) as one of four African Artists “Stormin’ into the HipHop World” (2009). In 2010, he played the Festa Dos Mundos festival with Africa Express in Spain in front of a 50,000 crowd and was part of the historic PUMA world cup showcase in Paris. His Music was also featured on the official Nike and Fader Magazine 2010 World Cup Podcast. M.anifest, the architect of Manifestations and The Birds and the Beats has prodcued two beautiful albums that will be a treat for your ears.
Dj Edu’s Destination Africa (DNA) on BBC 1Xtra showcases the hottest underground sounds out of Africa, from hip hop and RnB to dancehall, garage and D&B. (DNA) also highlights Dj Edu’s extraodinary skills as a DJ. He plays some incredible mixes every sunday night. The show is available for play back for 7 days thereafter. Follow this link to take a listen http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007215q
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Blogddict
Need a break from work? Read a blog. I subscribe to many blogs, but there are a few out there that I consistently read and wish to share. My list is diverse with a variety of topics, but very reflective of me. I will highlight a blog in each issue. I reached out to the bloggers and asked them to write about themselves… so enjoy and please follow their blogs. Let’s hear from you. Which blogs do you enjoy reading? I can always add more to my reading list. Spicy Hugs Wangechi Ruguaru
My name is Edy. I’m so very, fly - oh my, it’s a little bit scary…I kid! On the real, I’m a Bond Analyst by day and Fashion blogger by night. Creator of http:// kenyorkxposed.blogspot.com/ - the blog name came from the nickname KenYork courtesy of my bestie. Why the blog? Well, I’ve had friends and family tell me that my sense of style was dope – I generally wear what feels good and works for my body type with some uniqueness and individuality. I believe confidence is the key to owning any look. So after months of getting over the “what if no one reads it”? I finally just did it! What I love most about blogging is I get to share with my readers my favorite things: fashion and journaling. Blogging is very much an outlet for me from my AM life. The blog is mainly focused on fashion with the occasional hair tips, travels, events and quotes or words of inspiration. I’m deeply grateful for the readership and welcome comments and questions. And if you haven’t checked me out yet – What the heck are you waiting for?
http://kenyorkxposed.blogspot.com/
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johnny just came Knock, knock? Knock, knock? Who is there? Your neighbor You remember me I lived down the street from you Then the locusts came The hurricane, thunder and lightening The flood Then the fire came I’m running, frantically knocking Begging the lord to let me back through heaven’s door A traveler A million footprints behind My feet are bruised Lips chapped My throat is dried But never mind the water A chair to rest my weary soul Let me put up my tent I promise we can drill the well together The ultimate multiplier For every one I take Two to replace I have been known To mind gold out of ruins Take the abandoned Elevate it to envy With five loaves and three fishes Feed a multitude with plenty Your reflection Slightly distorted maybe Thousand years apart Yet we walked the same path Followed the same star On our way to the same mountain top You and I are more alike than either care to admit We can rejoice in our vast ocean of similarities Or quarrel over superficial differences So long as we know Whichever way we choose Will be the fingerprint we leave on tomorrow Knock, knock? Are you going to open the door Or leave me out here in the cold?
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