African Australian NEWS MAGAZINE. ISSUE NINE // MAY 2016
YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED
BREAKING BARRIERS.
Inside this issue Sudanese family still waiting for answers one year after death of loved one Holiday nightmare in Kenya Fashion Culture: Rumbek women Maga G: Determined to succeed
$5.00 AUD ISSN 2203-0972
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Contributors FLORA CHOL Flora is a Humanitarian Advocate of South Sudanese origin studying International Development at Adelaide University.
ANDREW LODIONG Andrew is a graduate journalist from the University of South Australia with a passion for writing and a sport enthusiast.
MUJAHID AHMED Originally from Sudan, Mujahid Ahmed is a trauma psychologist and humanitarian specialist. He has lived in Australia since 2001. He began pursuing a career in stand-up comedy in 2005 and has travelled around the world.
DEE MBUGUA Originally from Kenya, Dee is an aspiring writer with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Media
Inside this issue
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Breaking Barriers
Yassmin Abdel-Magied - Sudanese-born engineer and trailblazer for the African Australian community
4/ Waiting for answers
Sudanese family still waiting for answers after the death of a loved one.
6/ Holiday Nightmare
African-Australian John Kuot was shot in the head during holidays in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Rumbek women
Exploring the cultural fashion of the Rumbek women of South Sudan.
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Determined to succeed
Local hip hop artist Maga G and his hustle to succeed in the music business.
Studies from the University of Adelaide.
STEVE BARLIEA Steve came to Australia in 2010 from Liberia and is currently completing his honours in Health Sciences
Credits ARTICLES
with Multipurpose Media Inc.
Sidique Bah, Ma-Musu Nyande, Flora Chol, Andrew Lodiong, Dee Mbugua, Mujahid Ahmed, Katinda Ndola, Steve Barliea, Genevieve Banks
KATINDA NDOLA
EDITORS Sidique Bah
at the University of Adelaide. He is also a volunteer
Originally from Kenya, Katinda is a Melbourne based Author / Speaker / Confidence, Relationship & Business Coach.
MANAL YOUNUS Manal is a Spoken Word Poet and activist of Eritrean origin who is currently completing her
PHOTOGRAPHY Sidique Bah, Simon Hewson, Johanna Mbere, Leon Green DESIGN inadifs Productions PRINTING Replica Press
Cover
Yassmin Abdel-Magied PHOTO: Simon Hewson
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe online at: www.saltmagazine.org
International Relations Degree at UniSA. DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or its servants or agents. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
AF RICA N AUS T RA LI A N N EW S MAG A Z I N E
Copyright Š 2016 Inadifs Productions. ISSN 2203-0972. All rights reserved.
Sidique Bah
From the Editor’s desk
Welcome to the ninth edition of Salt Magazine. As our community grows, so do the challenges we have to overcome. There is so much happening within our communities ranging from the positive stories we cover to the confronting problems we face settling in Australia as people of African origin.
John’s story aired on Channel Seven’s Today Tonight
The Australian Citizenship website clearly states that,
left him partially paralysed at the time is worrisome for
citizenship is a privilege that offers valuable rewards for you and your family. During your Citizenship Ceremony you make a pledge to be obedient, loyal and respectful to the Australian law. In return, you are entitled to a great range of advantages that the Australian citizenship has to offer - one of them is receiving help from an Australian official while
current affairs program contrast John’s (lack of) treatment with the excellent assistance accorded to the 60 minutes crew during the abduction debacle in Lebanon. So John’s story was used to score a point against another media rival and if not for the incident in Lebanon his story may have never made it on Australian television. The deafening silence over John’s tragic incident which African Australians and their future generations. If John were a white Australian shot in a brutal botched robbery and left in a life-threatening condition overseas, the media would have been all over it., The Prime Minister or at the very least the Foreign Minister, would have made an announcement expressing support for John
overseas.
and his family.
Unfortunately it seems not all these rules apply for all
Salt Magazine believes that there is a need for a
people.
dialogue around this issue. Community leaders from the
In this edition we spoke with John Kuot, a young
Government to ensure that this anomaly in the system is
African Australian Westpac employee shot in the head by a Kenyan police officer while on holiday in Nairobi, during a botched robbery attempt in December 2015.
African community should engage with the Australian rectified. The media should also treat us as Australians and accord us a fair go in the news cycle when the need arises so that we can progress as a sophisticated
You would be right to assume the Australian
multicultural country.
Government would support and protect John but he
We will continue to pursue this issue and other related
was left to fend for himself and foot his own substantial bills despite being an innocent victim. This shows that paying your taxes, taking a citizenship test and becoming a citizen on paper does not guarantee
challenges we face as African Australians in the workplace, immigration, health and our social wellbeing. That’s the very important role of Salt Magazine.
your welfare while overseas as an African Australian.
Thank you and hope you enjoy reading this issue.
The incident brings to mind a phrase “the butterfly
Sidique
thinks himself a bird” from the Nigerian playwright Ola Rotimi’s play ‘The Gods are not to blame’.
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YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED
BREAKING BARRIERS.
Trailblazer for the African Australian community, Sudanese-born engineer Yassmin Abdel-Magied explains how she navigated her way through existing employment barriers and scored her dream job. The chair of Youth Without Borders, author and motorsport fan flies to work in a helicopter...
She decided that engineering was also the perfect
Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s love for fast cars and a desire
do.”
to give back to her community steered her into the
Yassmin currently works offshore in the ocean: “I spent
engineering sector. “I wanted to be the first female, black, Muslim Formula
platform for a meaningful contribution to her community. "I wanted to help give back to the community in Africa and my community here in Australia, and I thought one way I could do that was through engineering, because the solutions need to be designed, you need to design solutions and build solutions, and that’s what engineers
a couple of years working on small land rigs around Australia, but now I help design wells and supervise
one driver, but that wasn’t quite going to happen so
offshore platforms which is pretty cool” she said.
I ended up doing engineering so that I could at least
Based on her experience Yassmin strongly believes that
design and understand the car,” Yassmin says.
developing relationships with people is the way to break barriers and source out opportunities.
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“My advice would be to never underestimate your potential to make an impact, don’t think that you are too small of a person, believe in your ability to make things happen." YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED
“For my first job, I met an individual at a networking
Yassmin says it’s tough for Muslim African girls when it
event and I was chatting to them about all the
comes to relationships.
different things I’m interested in, and so we developed a relationship, a positive relationship before I said anything about a job.” Yassmin said her job can be very exhausting at times as things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes she is the only girl working amongst 100 – 150 men. “It’s quite a challenge, there’s always something new, and I like the adventure, for me it’s always about the adventure.” Yassmin went to a Muslim primary school in Brisbane and then a Christian high school where she was the first girl to wear the hijab. “The challenge is how
“Either way we’re stuck in the middle… if you end up with some white guy you have to explain all of the culture and the religion and it’s always going to be difficult,” she said. “If you end up with an African Muslim, there’s going to be very strong expectations of what a woman should do in the house, the roles and the responsibilities, and so there are very different expectations. “I think it’s a generational shift that we haven’t quite figured out how to deal with yet.”
you navigate kind of explaining that I’m African, I’m
Yassmin recently released a book ‘Yassmin’s Story’ and
Muslim, but I’m also Australian.”
she is currently engaged in a documentary, and also
For Yassmin, the hijab is a tool she uses to interact
working on some motorsport podcasting.
with the world around her, but sometimes people don’t
Yassmin's parting comments for our readers is that "we
respond well to it. “I’ve had the various occasional
should be proud of the fact that we have African in us,
racist comments, but I don’t let it bother me because I
whether its fresh African, or whether its African for a
think the people who are like that are often responding
generation or two ago, its something to be really proud
out of ignorance and honestly, I don’t want to give them
of and we should never let ourselves be victims, we
the power to make me feel bad.”
should be the powerful strong people that we are."
Another concern for the African Australian community
More information about Yassmin can be found on her
is the growing number of youth in jail cells across the
website www.yassminam.com
country. As the Founder and Chairperson of Brisbanebased Youth Without Borders organization, Yassmin says there are reasons people go down this path and they need support rather than being criminalized.
It was a pleasure talking to her and we wish her all the best in her endeavours. If you or someone you know is doing great things in
“Of course people have to accept the consequences of
African Australian community send
their actions but it’s also important that we listen to
us their contact details to
young people and try to support them and find the
hello@saltmagazine.org and we’ll
reasons why they are doing what they are doing.”
get in touch with them to share their success stories with our readers.
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Sudanese family still waiting for Life was full of hope for the Ohide family when they moved to South Australia from Sudan in 1988. Jackie Ohide was just 1 year old when they set up home and she grew up to become the proud mother of two young boys. She died in early 2015 and her partner is charged with her murder. Her siblings John and Sunday Ohide explain the devastating impact of her alleged murder and how the family is rallying around the children.
Hackham West home. Her partner Toby Awatere
Domestic violence is an ongoing problem and when
rang me in the morning saying the police were looking
cases are overlooked or simply not even recognised,
was arrested 12 hours later and charged with murder. Awatere has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but indicated late last year that he would plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Jackie’s devastated family is still searching for answers as to how and why they lost their beloved daughter and sister. Older sister Sunday said a strange telephone call had alerted her that something was wrong. “My sister was using my friend’s car and her nephew for his Aunty and had asked about my sister and the car
there can be tragic and deadly results.
she was driving,” she said.
One of those tragedies shocked South Australia’s
“I thought that sounded a bit strange so I rang him back
African community to the core in early 2015.
for the contact number for the police. When I rang
Twenty-seven-year-old Jackie Ohide was found dead in the front passenger seat of a car in the driveway of her
them they said ‘somebody will be with you in half an hour.’ “I felt something is not right. They came and said you know we found your sister in the car with the kids…. she is dead. Media reports state Jackie’s two sons found her body inside the car in the driveway. “I think the police should be a bit more sensitive, I know it’s their job, they do it all the time so after a certain time you know you get disaffected, I understand but at the same time it was really hard,” Sunday said. John was chatting with two friends at his Melbourne home when the phone rang: “I was shocked and confused, it’s almost like you don’t have any feelings, all your feelings are taken out of your body … you don’t feel like you are alive.” Neither Sunday nor John saw any warning signs of trouble or violence prior to Jackie’s death.
Illustration of Jackie Ohide, by Lucy Fahey for ABC News
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answers after death of loved one “I was actually seeing them quite a bit; they were
“When I’m with the children I feel a bit more happy
actually planning to move to Victoria and live in the
because I’m just trying to be a father to them you know,
next suburb from me so ...that’s why it’s very difficult
just teach them,” John said. “It actually puts me in a
for me to understand, a few months prior to the
good place when I’m playing with them. But when I’m
incident they were staying with me in Victoria and
alone and not feeling well it’s really difficult seeing
there were no issues.”
photos of her. It’s very difficult, all this.”
Sunday said she knew Jackie’s partner for three years
Sunday has four children of her own and has extended
before they got together and there was “absolutely no
her family to include the two boys.
sign of anything.”
“You can’t grieve as you want to with children because
“They went and saw mom on Saturday night like a few
they can’t just sit there and watch you cry and carry
hours before she died. There couldn’t be anything I
on; that’s not right so we have to move on. I’m sure my
would have done differently because unless she had said
sister will be happy that her kids are happy.
something or did something differently there is nothing I can possibly do.”
Family support services
John gave up his job in Melbourne and moved back to
If you or someone you know needs help, contact:
Adelaide to help raise Jackie’s children. “It’s a broken family now, so everybody has to try to support them in a way which allows the children to
1800 Respect national helpline: 1800 737 732 Women’s Crisis Line: 1800 811 811
progress in their lives – as if both their parents are still
Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
here for them.”
Lifeline (24 hour crisis line): 13 11 14
Coping with the tragedy isn’t easy.
Toby Awatere pleads not guilty to the murder of his partner and mother-of-two Jackie Ohide The Advertiser, 18 September 2015
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Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
Loss of 'beautiful soul' as partner charged with murder
The Advertiser, 16 March 2015
der Vigil held for Hackham West mur victim Jackie O’Hide to raise awareness of domestic violence The Advertiser, 19 March 2015
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HOLIDAY NIGHTMARE IN NAIROBI KENYA PHOTO: Matt Rhodes
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John Kuot went to South Sudan to celebrate Christmas with family and friends and all was well… until his fateful decision to spend New Year in Nairobi. John was held at gunpoint by thieves, his car was hijacked - and then he was shot in the head by police. John’s cousin picked him up from Nairobi airport and arrived at the motel entrance and began chatting to the security guard when “all hell broke loose.”
The robbers drove for 10 minutes before jumping out of the car and bolting. John drifted in and out of consciousness as his cousin tried to find help when some police officers came to his aid. The bullet was lodged in John’s brain and the police officer rushed him to hospital where a neurosurgeon saved his life. Two months later, he was cleared to return to Australia but not before having to raise $30,000 to pay for his medical expenses.
A man with a gun emerged out of the darkness and tried to pistol whip one of the security guards. The guards bolted, leaving John and his cousin at the mercy of the gun-wielding assailant and his accomplice who took over the driver’s seat and ordered John and his cousin to sit in the back with the gun man. “The guy with the gun requested 100,000 Kenyan shillings, which is equivalent to $US1000 but we told him we couldn’t afford that because we’re young and students as well,” John said. “We negotiated for quite a while, obviously due to the hostile environment and situation we manage to negotiate down to $US600. I had $300 on me, so they took that … but they still wanted the $600 sent to them. “I called a cousin of mine and told her about the
Still on crutches since his return in February, John said
situation asking her to help me out with the money
he is lucky to be alive: “The bullet hit the right side of
and we advised her not to get the police involved at this
my brain and caused a paralysis to the left side of my
stage. They drove us around for over an hour before my
body but with time and physiotherapy I hope to make
cousin managed to send the money through.”
progress.”
“I’m lucky to be alive!” They went to an ATM where his cousin withdrew money when a police officer doing his neighbourhood rounds spotted the parked car and flashed his headlights. “All of a sudden, the robbers panicked and sped off, and the police officer pointed his gun at the fleeing car, spraying it with bullets. The driver wasn’t hit… I was
He is very critical of the Australian Government which he said “did literally nothing” and the Kenyan police never contacted him about the incident. John’s story aired on Today Tonight on April 18th – www.todaytonightadelaide.com.au/stories/shot-man “I’m a normal tax-paying citizen and Australia did not even reach out to me and my family; we were left stranded and had to do everything ourselves,” he said.
the one hit on the head on the front seat and my cousin
John’s advice for fellow African Australians going on
was hit in the arm and leg.”
holidays to Africa is always have travel insurance and take extra precautions such as never carrying a lot of cash.
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Swift delivery and removals by Manal Younus
‘It was the dictionary meaning that I fell in love with,' said 23 year old Daniel Mubake when asked about the inspiration for the name of his company.
Give the kids opportunities because it can be hard for
‘I understand it to mean working fast but at a
to connect with community, ’ said financial manager
controlled pace. This is how I like to work. We don’t have time to waste as young people, as Africans’
them to get into the workforce. It’s not a charity but it’s an opportunity,‘ said Daniel. ‘We grew up in countries where you have to support each other and I think that just comes with it. You have Brian Nijimbere.
We also hope to give the community something they can be a part of. Give the kids opportunities because it can be hard for them to get into the workforce. At age 21, while studying Mining Management, the
There have been many challenges and unexpected
motivated University student began building what is
setbacks but the team believes that perseverance is a
now a dedicated team that makes up Swift Delivery and
must.
Removals.
‘We have to look at the bigger picture and understand
Swift is an Adelaide based company that provides
that sacrifices today will pay off,‘ said Tresor, the
furniture relocation services. The team delivers
company’s Marketing Manager.
furniture both locally and interstate with their main focus centering on maximum quality customer care at an affordable cost. ‘We measure the quality of our service depending on the response of customers, this is feedback based on punctuality or friendliness, it varies with each customer.' ‘We talk to them and try to find out what they perceive as good quality of service and try to make that happen.’
According to Daniel, the greatest challenge has been building a committed team and gaining support. ‘For me the hardest thing is selling the vision. Very few people can see something like this and see the potential in it.’ Upon celebrating Swift’s two year anniversary, the team can look back on their interstate endeavors, their presence at sponsored events such as the Miss Africa
The company is about much more than just relocating
South Australia pageant and the Unmasked African
furniture, the members of Swift’s team have a common
Festival. However, perhaps one of the most treasured
desire to ensure that the company is one that works to
moments was the company’s first customer in January
both invest in and inspire a community.
2014.
‘We love to support our community which is why we
‘I’ll never forget that client, they were great clients, they
want to sponsor community events. We also hope to
gave us a gift.’ Daniel said.
give the community something they can be a part of.
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‘It was romantic. I’ve still got the gift.’
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RUMBEK WOMEN 10/
A F RICA N AU S TR A L I A N N EW S MAG A Z I NE
PHOTOS: By Michelle Neale 'Commes des Michelle'. Special thanks to the Rumbek women who participated in our photoshoot: Mary John Akec, Rebecca Akur Adut, Agum Manyoun Madem, Adut Gur, Ayen Madit, Amer Majak, Sara Banok and Flora Chol.
FASHION CULTURE
By Flora Chol
Rumbek Women For the Agaar women of Rumbek (Lakes state, South Sudan) cultural attire plays a pivotal role in many social, reciprocal and traditional customs.
from boiled butter in order to give the skin a glistening,
For many generations the Agaar woman’s traditional
ward of insects. Both Men and women wear vibrant
attire has been sustained as an infinite testament to the
beads, bangles and other decorative jewelry around
Agaar people’s rich heritage as well as the magnanimous
the neck, waist, wrist and ankles daily and on special
diversity within the Dinka tribes of the South Sudan.
occasions.
Conjunctively, the Dinka tradition of oral literature tracks the evolution of the Agaar woman’s traditional attire from the original goatskin skirts and decorative jewelry worn by women of the older generations to the modern day designs used to recreate the original tapered-end goatskin skirt.
silk smooth texture. On many occasions, for example if the family is residing in the cattle camps (Wut) baked dung ash is worn on the body as a natural repellent to
Height is also observed as an important symbol of beauty in the Agaar culture. During the early generation’s young girls walked naked, sometimes a bright fabric maybe strapped over one shoulder, while Married women wore skirts. Going in this manner was observed as an emphasis of height, grace and elegance.
Over the years I have heard countless nostalgic
Another notable beauty ritual practiced by the Agaar
retellings from many influential Agaar women, in
tribe and many other Dinka tribes is the cutting of
particular my mother and grandmother. These tales
decorative designs onto the body (primarily on the
have described beauty and self-presentation in the
face, arms and lower stomach). The Agaar people also
Agaar culture as a complex and somewhat abstract
remove some teeth from the bottom row as a beauty
concept, which is shaped by many influences. I learned
symbol. Also, the urine from a cow hair is dyed to
that these influences range from how one carries
a deep maroon color and decorated with beads and
themselves, the intricate details of one’s attire, and
feathers.
ones interactions with their surroundings, the internal and external qualities which shape the individual and most importantly the individual’s skills and ability to execute everyday duties in a methodically obedient and honorable manner.
Despite the transformations which the Agaar woman’s traditional attire has endured over the past generations and many of the mentioned beauty rituals may not be practiced by the Dinka communities in Diaspora, it is of great comfort to witness small pockets of resistance
From these teachings I have learned that for my people
moving against the gradient of change. The Agaar
beauty is not just a one sided sphere but a well rounded
women of Adelaide who took part in this project to
figure which consists of the individual, extended kin
showcase cultural attire, for example are a distinguished
and other relations as well as a wide variety of cultural
example of how vibrant, machine crafted gowns can be
and traditional beliefs systems. So basically wearing the
used to mimic the trail of a culture ‘removed’ from its
Agaar woman’s traditional attire is a representation of
original setting and placed in an awkward disposition.
these conceptions of beauty.
A culture which continues to thrive.
Personal grooming and decorative accessories are highly valued thought-out many fields of the Agaar culture. Both Men and women rub their bodies with oil made
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Want to showcase your communities cultural attire? Send us an email to hello@saltmagazine.org
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DETERMINED TO SUCCEED - HUSTLING HARD TO MAKE IT -
Nowadays artists don’t have to wait to be signed up to launch their careers.
Mag said he actually got in to the music business during
They can take control and easily share their music or
and underage parties.
stream their videos online. And this has led to the birth of a new generation of African Australian rappers doing just that and making their mark on the music scene. SALT Magazine caught up with Sierra Leone born Australian African rapper and musician Mag Samoura - AKA Maga G - about his music and his recent album “Journey” in a home studio run by budding artist Marc Mandica AKA TradeMarc.
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high school when he was given the option to do a 2000 word essay or write and rap a song on binge drinking
Difficult decision? “I didn’t want to do 2000 words so I wrote the song, it was really good and friends were like ‘hey man your voice was really good’ and then I just started writing.” Mag says his music is all about his life experiences: “ I call it my life story because everything I’m talking about in my music is about my life and other people do relate to it. I’m not going to school to study… I’m
studying by actually putting in the work through my
Mag said his main aim is to be a role model for other
experiences.”
young people to know that anything is possible. “I want
Mag said the sound of the beat is his source of
people to start believing in themselves “
inspiration. “When I do my music everything is
Talking about his recent album Mag said the album is
controlled by how the instrument sounds like, so for
about at his transitioning from Africa to Australia. “It’s
me it’s the beat that drives me, the beat takes me on a
just my life story so far, it got everything you can think
journey and it draws it out of me.”
of… listening, dancing, it got it all.”
There are plenty of hurdles artist face to make it in the
We asked Akamap, a friend of Mag who was also in
industry so we asked Mag what does he makes of the
the studio during the interview, about the good, the
challenges posed by the industry. Mag agrees there are
bad and the ugly of the music business. “My dislike
plenty of challenges facing artists as they try to enter
is the politics, it’s about who you know and who gets
the industry.
the incentives but the best thing about it is I know
Be ready for the uphill battle, he says, adding that the music industry is looking for both talent and hard work. “To me, everything is possible and it is up to me to make it possible.”
that what we do will one day inspire someone else and somehow we are going to pass the torch on to someone else but for now we are holding it and we are going to run with it,” said Akamap. The studio owner Marc Mandica said he can’t predict what the future may hold for these aspiring artists but
We asked Mag about his style of music and the
one things for sure, they are passionately chasing their
occasional use of the F and N words in some of his
dreams.
tracks. “With my language its emotion … when I write my music it’s not like I’m planning to use the F word or the N word … but because the music take me places there are different frequencies you know. If I’m talking about frustrations definitely going to use the F word because of my emotion at the time...when I’m talking about family you never going to hear me use the F word.“ For young people getting in to trouble with the law, Mag’s message is ‘get busy’.
“There is a culture that we can appreciate on everyone’s background and I love aspects of African food, clothing and the rest of it the same way I do with Asian food. What we do here is we bring all those cultures together, it’s based on an American kind of music but it has expanded so far. “ SALT Magazine lauds Mag for his effort and commends Marc Mandica at TradeMarc Studio for
“If you know you have to get up in the morning to go
providing the space where
to work, that’s all you’ll be thinking about. A lot of
these young men can pursue
young people say their parents are holding them back
their dreams. We wish them
but you got to put your plan on paper and show your
all the best and look forward
parents - these are my goals and this is where I want to
to reviewing their album.
be in the next two years .. you got to show them what you are doing rather than telling them.”
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Follow Mag on Facebook facebook.com/officialmagag
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KENYA
East Africa
Where is home?
AN ODE TO NAIROBI by Dee Mbugua
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I was glad when they said unto me: “Let us go to the house of your father.”
Nairobi wants me to get with the program, like
By ‘they’, I mean the people in my head. They were
hungry for fresh ideas and untapped minds. It’s tired
busy planning my trip home and I loved it. My passport was about to be very busy on its way to Nairobi. So during my holiday in January I willfully submitted to the merger of all forms of chaos that represent my beloved Nairobi. My home. This is my ode to my Nairobi. Nairobi is like a cousin twice removed: there are undeniable ties, without the obligation. Nairobi won’t take it personally if you don’t spend every Christmas together. Nairobi is freedom. It only takes a few hours of being home to unshackle my mind from all the constraints of first world living (read: laws). Likewise, it only takes a few hours to remember that I must recalibrate my street smarts and make sure that the passport of my tongue matches the passport of my travels. When I can’t complete a sentence without facing an onslaught of mockery for my tweng (accent), I know I’m home. Nairobi doesn’t care if I roll my r’s or let my words slide gently from my lips. Nairobi listens to the language of 42 tongues, it could care less if I misplaced the Queen’s English on my layover. Nairobi is not please and thank you’s. Nairobi doesn’t wait to give way as I indicate my wish to change lanes. Nairobi is not impressed with my two-month-old braids, it does not think my old nappy hair is beautiful. Nairobi won’t wait for me to catch up. Nairobi will find a way to sell me my own skin at an inflated rate.
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yesterday. It is where free enterprise thrives, where metamorphosis is the order of the day. Nairobi is of the regurgitation of skills. Nairobi is uppity – it’s judging my ashy elbows. Nairobi is the mistress who welcomes you with open arms and the wife who kicks you out of bed in the middle of the night. Nairobi is a cocktail of elegance and class, duplicity and decadence. Nairobi is the clang of metal and the click of heels. Nairobi is the pop, snap and crackle of roast maize on the side of the road. It is the music of horns blaring in an incessant daily symphony. Nairobi is the sound of a vibrant nightlife and drunk dialing. It is the sound of a mosquito buzzing in the dead of night and a cock crowing at the break of dawn. Nairobi is the smell of kerosene and firewood the next morning, the bubble of freshly brewed chai. It is the stress of public transport congestion and the forlorn look of early commuters. Nairobi is trying to form its identity. Nairobi is transitioning. It doesn’t believe in fairy tales and tooth fairies. Nairobi is on Instagram. It speaks the language of social media fluently. Nairobi can tell you where you’ve been and where you need to go. Nairobi is in Poland. It’s in Norway, Turkey and New Zealand. Nairobi is here, next to me. Sometimes I forget to put it in my bag, and sometimes I leave it at my friend’s house. But Nairobi, Nairobi will never leave nor forsake me. Nairobi is home.
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Pressing Play by Andrew Lodiong
As the guitar sounds begin to strum and the melody sends waves throughout your body, brace yourself to be taken on a four minute journey by two local Adelaide musicians on the track titled Snakes.
Dela, the man behind the mixing boards utilised his
Produced by fellow Adelaide resident Mandela Kau
emotion into the song.”
(aka Dela) the song graces the harmonious vocals of Jordan Ruru (aka RuRu) and a lyrical feature from Mach Kau (aka Majiik). The two diversely talented artists were blended to create a powerful sound that incorporates the hip-hop and soul genre in the relatable record which they say was bound to happen. “We’ve jammed together for years and getting on an actual song with all three of us was special to me and makes it a lot easier to get onto something else,” Majiik said. “It felt natural to do that. I just knew that we were going to get on a track together, I just wasn’t sure of when,” RuRu said.
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musical talent to engineer a beat that captured a life story concept he had faced. “I was listening to a lot of Sade [Adu] at that time and the people around me that I used to hang with had backstabbed me. Quite obviously I put all of that
“I think snakes came along quite well because we were all in the same mind state,” he explained. With head swaying left to right and eyes potentially shut, attentively listening to each word pierce your ear drum to absorb the message; you wonder how these aspiring artists emerged. Harnessing her ability to vocally caress an instrumental from the age of 8-years-old through church, RuRu rests her song writing ability on her own emotions and the endeavour to deliver meaningful lyrics. “A lot of the writing comes because I feel a certain way or I’m thinking a certain way so I have to write it down.”
“We try to make sure that there’s a message in the music
With a growing knack of storytelling harbouring an
because you can have all the structure you want but if
impeccable flow, the local MC believes being versatile is
you’re talking about nothing then I don’t think it can
an important feat.
relate to a lot of people,” she said.
“You need to be able to explore different ways of doing
Majiik, has spent the last five years crafting his own
things or different ways of doing the same thing to
ability to lay down incredible rhymes as illustrated in
make it fresh,” Majiik said.
the duet.
As a mentor, Dela relished the opportunity to work
“You need to be able to explore different ways of doing things or different ways of doing the same thing to make it fresh,” MAJIIK
side by side with both artists and spoke on its degree of difficulty. “We agree on many terms when it comes to making a new song. There is two different genres but I’m capable to cater for both needs so it’s very simple but it also takes time,” he said.
The 23-year-old who grew up listening to Hip-Hop
The pair are working on their individual EP’s (extended
and Rap said being part of the culture in Adelaide has
play), with Majiik looking forward to the release of his
shaped him as a person and an artist.
compilation titled Silhouette of Sensations in the near
“I am able to express myself and deal with my own sort
future & will be available through SoundCloud.
of situations that I find myself in. It has also given me a point to pass some wisdom I guess from what I’ve learnt,” he said.
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Trauma psychologist, humanitarian specialist and comedian Mujahid Ahmed reflects on his recent travels to Africa.
A country of poor millionaires By Mujahid Ahmed
West Africans debut in T12 cricket tournament The Fullah Friends of SA comprising mainly players from West Africa participated in the T12 multicultural cricket tournament held 16th April 2016 at Pulteney Grammar (Atkinson Oval) in Adelaide South Australia. State Member of Parliament Dana Wortley and Member of the Legislative Council Russell Wortley officially opened the tournament. Soccer is the dominant sport in Africa and only few African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya plays cricket at international level. The team coordinator for Fullah Friends SA Ibrahim Bah said his players had never held a cricket bat before and knew nothing about cricket rules. But with help from the event Organizer, Sean Holden and Woodville District Cricket club staffs the team did few training sessions before the tournament. The team lost all their games at the competition but managed to make a few runs. “Just playing and participating in the match is a win for us …. Next year our team will be ready to take on the other team so watch out for the 2017 T12 tournament” said Ibrahim.
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The word inflation does not even begin to make sense unless one travels to Zimbabwe. Currently the inflation rate is at 3.5 MILLION percent and I use a few examples to help illustrate this fact. A brick today costs the same amount a 3 bedroom house cost 25 years ago, a loaf of bread costs as much as 12 new cars could have cost 10 years before and if you fancy an egg for breakfast then I suggest counting your bills as one egg in Zimbabwe costs FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS – no typo here. The country has just issued its latest currency bill which is valued at ONE HUNDRED TRILLION DOLLARS. I shuddered when I received the bill, hoping deep down that I never need change for a bill that large as I will have no way of carrying the change unless I hire some sort of modified forklift. Despite the dire situation I found that Zimbabweans still embraced their lives with a great degree of humour. Walking down the street,
a beggar brandishes a sign laden with Zimbabwean
common trait within the African identity. In countries
bills with a text in the centre stating that he was a
where the situation was rough or dire –and there are
“starving billionaire” in need of great assistance. The
plenty- a nation unique brand of dark humour –pardon
discovery that I am an African foreigner from another
the pun- seems to evolve from the masses. In Sudan
land only leads to them unleashing their humour on
where a dictator has reigned supreme for over 30 years
the unsuspecting whilst unanimously bearing the same
under what has been effectively a police where silence is
cheeky grin.
golden you see cars with bumper stickers with the most
When my hotel room ran out of toilet paper the concierge stated that toilet paper was out of stock but “he would be more than happy to send me some Zimbabwe Dollars if I needed some urgently” with a chuckle. When taking a taxi, one must carry the exact amount or risk having to hire another taxi to drive behind you to carry your remaining change. After a few days all the extra zeros began to give me a headache so I began to pay with American Dollars and vehemently insisting that the vendor keep the change. An easy feat when a hamburger and fries cost me the equivalent of $1.5 US dollars.
cryptic –or not so cryptic depending on how you look at it- messages such as “You’re an idiot and you know who you are” and “I truly regret not finishing trade school”. Hotel staff will also cheekily give a choice between hot water or electricity as “you cannot have your shower and heat it”. The same thing goes in Egypt where anti-government protests carried signs that said “Please step down, I have been protesting for weeks and miss my wife” and “Please come back, we were only kidding”. Dark humour has become our only free and implicit defence mechanism. We all get the butt of the joke but will never name it out loud. In continent where misery truly loves company, a private joke that only
I began to reflect on why the locals were still able to
you and your fellow countrymen get has truly become
find laughter amidst the madness and the trillions.
worth billions and billions.
Then it hit me that what they were doing was a very
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The Liberian community SA leadership misunderstanding; some may call it a crisis. What is the problem? Mr Talata Sheriff (aka CIA) was elected in a landslide victory to become the next chairman of the Liberian community in SA on 28, November 2015.
highpoint that the recent loss of a community member
Before his election, the outgoing leader Mr Perry Yarso
their allegation unfounded.
Pewee had openly declared his intention not to contest
The debate over CIA level of education has been
the election and expressed willingness to support the next leadership. Until present, the CIA team of leaders are yet to be inaugurated into office nearly five months after his election. As a result, public outcry or what other community members regard as a leadership crisis within the Liberian community in SA ensued. Here I will highlight and analyse some of the key points of contention. 1. CIA and his team accused the outgoing leadership of intentionally delaying his inauguration as a means of holding onto power longer. 2. The debate on CIA’ level of education and ability to lead the Liberian community in SA. 3. The future of the Liberian community in SA. Community members recently took to social media to voice their opinions and frustrations about the delay in CIA’s inauguration, his intellectual incapability to lead the Liberian community in SA as well as the petition that was filed to the outgoing leadership alleging voter fraud. According to the outgoing chairman; Mr Perry Yarso Pewee in one of the recent community meetings, CIA accused his leadership of intentionally delaying his inauguration in order to stay in power longer. Mr Pewee rejected CIA’ claim and reiterated that such claim was false considering his decision to not contest the leadership prior to the election. He went on to
upset the inauguration plans. Though CIA was absent from the meeting, his team present did not substantiate his claim that the Perry leadership was intentionally delaying their inauguration. This in my opinion made
contentious since his decision to contest the leadership position. CIA does not regard himself as an educated person and has been vocal about it, he however boasts of his ability to serve and unite people, something almost every community member may agree with including me. What is important and equally disturbing is the fact that the issue of education is still being mentioned even though CIA was elected in a landslide victory. The fact that CIA initially rallied experienced and educated community members to contest the leadership may apparently suggest that he did not see himself suitable or qualify academically, his decision to contest leadership was motivated by the reluctance of the so-called educated or capable community members to contest the leadership. We would definitely regard CIA as an educated person if he had a bachelor degree, the equivalent or higher. However, that is mere qualification in leadership terms. Education in leadership term goes beyond qualifications to the ability to unite, lead, inspire and make a difference. Equally so, I do not want to disqualify the argument that support (higher) qualification/s as an essential tool for community leadership considering that an integral aspect of community leadership duties involve interacting with mainstream communities and
Disclaimer: Do not perceive my opinion as facts rather a perspective on the situation.
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A F RICA N AU S TR A L I A N N EW S MAG A Z I NE
COMMUNITY POLITICS
by Steve Barliea
Steve Tarkpor Barliea from Liberia talks community politics, giving an in-depth analysis of the leadership struggle within the Liberian community in SA
e a g g e R days Fri ama at M o b Jam
government agencies, or writing project proposals for funding, all of which do require some level of academic intelligence (qualification). As such, I admonish those who make logic of CIA’ argument that his team will help him do the work to understand that community precedent shows that a high level of ineffectiveness and inefficiency has existed in previous leaderships where
de
i adela , t e e tr
the chairperson has functioned in multiple roles even
za s 12 Eli
as secretary. If this were to be repeated there could be a problem.
6-8pm r u o h 2 Happy hicken $1 t c Jerk Movemen y nd urban ers DJ Ra late tain till Enter rom 9pm if agaat
Community politics, disagreement and ignorance are nothing new especially for African communities as this could potentially be labelled an extension of the failed leadership and politics of Africa. I refused to use the term crisis because issues of such nature are commonplace in our communities. I doubt any Liberian community member in SA would reject claims that there has always been a form of community leadership
D
problem, whether allegations of corruption, infighting and so on. The Liberian community today is a victim of unresolved challenges of the past. Therefore, the need for a fundamental and radical approach to leadership is highly warranted. At the moment, some community members do not find it expedient to invest in community initiatives, when they do; it is often toward weddings, bereavements and festivities. Investing in the aforementioned causes do not in any shape or form produce future leaders or fix social problems including youth crime, domestic violence, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, education and others. My point is; if we sincerely desire a vibrant community, then, it is time to be proactive and strategically redefine our investment priorities by investing into specific programs that would produce one.
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My Epic Pacific Adventure The Kingdom of Tonga
My adventure in the Kingdom of Tonga was briskly ignited when I signed up for the Pacific Literature Study Tour organized by the University of Adelaide. When I received the email confirming that my application had been approved, it took me a few days to believe it, I had to pinch myself a few times over to believe that I was going to the pacific Island of Tonga. The objective of the study tour was to allow students to learn and study Pacific literature through a range of literary contexts in a contemporary Pacific environment.
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The tour was made of many people from various backgrounds, people who I became really fond of after the tour. The first thing that captured my senses when I set foot on the tropical oasis was the air, a swift cool breeze that gently caressed my face, closing my eyes I breathed in deeply, trying as hard as I could to bottle in all the goodness of the pacific, this was when I knew I was in for an epic pacific adventure. For the next two weeks Liku’ alofa Beach Resort was our new home, an exotic piece of heaven, carefully crafted and placed on earth. It was a sight for many leisure activities; a lot of time was spent in the sea pool, especially when the tide was high, as it filled the pool up to maximum capacity!
There was so much to see and do that we didn’t even
The texts studied during the tour enhanced my
have time to study! Our first outing was at the local
understandings of the pacific and various historical
market in town. The markets are the places where
periods, in particular the colonial and neocolonial
travelers experience authentic Tonga Arts and culture
histories. Epeli Hau’ofa’s collection of stories in ‘Tales
close up. Almost all the souvenirs, Jewelry and precious
of the Tikongs’ and Sia Figiel’s novel, ‘where we once
cultural artifacts were either hand crafted or made using
belonged’, for example gave voice to a number of pacific
natural sources such as whale, shark and cow bones,
groups and presented an authentic appreciation of
wood, Grass, coconut shell/husk, seashells and clams.
pacific culture, history, traditions and languages. The
The food, I will just say was out of this world! Resort
works of other writers who focused on the Pacific/
staff freshly prepared everything for us, from breakfast,
Polynesian region, such as Louise Beck, Robert Louise
lunch to dinner! The Tongan style banquets organized
Stevenson and Albert Wendt were also studied. For
on Friday nights were just jaw dropping. We stuffed our
poetic research the works of Pacific and non-pacific
selves full with yams, taro’s, plantanes, sweet potatoes,
poets such as Karlo Mila were discussed and as a part
chicken, swordfish, salmon and many other exquisite
of the Pacific film and art study an assessment of
Tongan dishes. Tongans have a magnanimous love for
various films, for example The Orator( Tusi Tamasese)
pork, during every banquet a whole pig was roasted on
and Rain( Lewis Milestone) was conducted in order
a spit or in an Umu, (underground oven covered with
to engage with certain debates asserted with various
banana leaves). I don’t have a big appetite for pork but I
representation of the pacific.
had to be polite and tried everything offered to me.
If anyone asked me many years from now what my
On day 8, we boarded a small commercial aircraft to
most treasured experience of being in Tonga was, I
Eua Island (at 10 minutes flight time it is the shortest
would definitely say that it was being apart of the
commercial flight in the world) and returned to
homestay. During my home stay I got the opportunity
Tonga’tapu after 3 days by ferry. The vast vegetation
to live with a family of four and immerse myself in the
and wildlife of Eua provides magical sights. Wolfgang,
‘Tongan way of life’. Visiting many historical sites with
an unusually adventurous German man who lived on
my host family, for example cooks landing and wearing
Eua Island was our guide and the owner of the Uvava
the traditional costumes to church on Sunday gave
Tree Resort we lodged in. He took us on many tours
me a chance to reflect on the differences and striking
of the island, hiking and riding on the back of carts
similarities between Tongan culture and my own
through dense jungle, caving (The Rat Hole) through
Sudanese culture.
dark caves with narrow openings that opened onto the ocean, climbing to the top of The ‘Natural Arch way’, a visit to the ‘Sink Hole’, tours of beaches scattered with impeccably beautiful shells and electricity blue waters infested with sharp corals.
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B O RT I E R O KO E Following a successful tour and launch of his new album Dzeng Sane in Ghana Master drummer Bortier Oke now turns his attention to Australia. He will be launching his album 7th May 2016 at Nexus Arts Centre in the city of Adelaide were it was originally produced. In his music Bortier shares messages of hope, peace, resilience and tolerance blending traditional West African instruments with guitar, horns, and vocals. Bortier spent much of his childhood in
Finding Mr. Right by Katinda Ndola
Hello I’m Katinda Ndola, an Author / Speaker / Confidence, Relationship & Business Coach living in Melbourne. I endeavour to help women find and keep the man of their dreams as well as help them with business advice on how to increase their profit margins in business. For this edition of Salt Magazine I spoke to single African Australian women across Australia to find out what are the challenges they face meeting someone
Ghana travelling with his family in their music
special.
and dance performance group, Nyomor Baatsor,
3 things most single women say:
and was recognised by the Ghanaian government as a master drummer and cultural ambassador when he was seventeen years old.
All the good guys are taken! They don’t want the same things that I do! They are all players I can’t take these men seriously! Is this you? Sounds familiar? Most of my clients are single women who are actively looking for real love. What is actually the real reason why so many sisters are still unhappily single in their 30s and beyond? Could there be other factors? I spoke to a cross section of single black women across the Country to find out their biggest obstacle to finding Mr. Right.
Chipiwa from South Freemantle, Western Australia
is a single, smart & professional black woman who has real challenges finding a man. She said she has not been on a date for at least 1 year and she thinks the problem with most black men out there is that they find her very intimidating and she is out of their league.
Achieng from Richmond, Victoria, a single and strong
professional in her mid 30’s said most black men cannot be trusted and are looking for a woman to clean up after them. She says she is a modern woman and needs a man with integrity, not a player and also a man who is exclusively hers. She swears not to get desperate and end up with a man from a different culture. She is open for
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A F RICA N AU S TR A L I A N N EW S MAG A Z I NE
love from MOTHER AFRICA.
Kibibi from Bankstown, NSW is a single & successful black woman. She is looking for Mr. Right but says
her biggest challenge is that the black men prefer to date women from other cultures. She says she cannot compete with that. The black men in Australia are so
While in the process of securing your Mr. Right you should also bear in mind: That Mr. Right will not be perfect. We all have flaws.
“SCARCE” so what options do we have? She calls on
That Looks can be deceiving, don’t fall
the universe to SAVE BLACK WOMEN.
for the looks only - look for character. Avoid the relationship if you sense any
Zola from Boondall, Qld, a single and athletic black
woman who prefers to date white guys said white guys are gentler, honest, and reliable and they are not players.
sign of violence or anger. *The names and identifying details in this article have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.
She can deal with the judgmental side of things from her friends and his friends. The only thing she doesn't like as a black woman dating a white man is it takes so much effort on the hair & beauty front. The wigs, weaves and constant staying on point everyday. Finding Mr. Right can be challenging and after chatting with these ladies it is quite obvious that there are varying attitudes and expectations when it comes to relationship for our African Australian sisters trying to juggle work life and a steady love relationship. As a relationship expert here are some tips to get started on the journey to find someone you can share your life with. Be open-minded when you meet with a potential date. Flirt but don’t throw yourself at the guy as you don’t want to come across as too desperate. Neat and tidy presentation goes a long way in winning a guy over. Refrain from expressing admiration of other male friends in front of potential date. Don’t order the most expensive meal on the menu on your first date. Make sure you share the same hobbies and interests
For further details on relationship advice and tips from Katinda, visit www.confidenceandselfesteem.com
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Jaogmether AGAZINE
& SALT M TEAM VISTA
T
FEATURING DADA NII & THE DAMUSHI ENSEMBLE
FUNDRAISE
R
7pm, Saturday 21 May 2016 at Mama Jambo Cafe 12 Eliza Street, Adelaide
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T E A M V I S T AA F RICA African-Australian News Magazine. N AU S TR A L I A N N EW S MAG A Z I NE GROWING TOGETHER
Tickets available for purchase online at
jamtogether.eventbrite.com
PHOTO: Johanna Mbere
A FRICU LT U R ES F ESTI VAL 2 0 1 6 The African Australian community in Sydney were out in full force at Wyatt Park Lidcombe to celebrate the annual Africultures festival which has blossomed over the past eight years to become the largest themed African festival in Australia.
Community leader and member of the Sierra Leone
This year’s event was moved to a bigger location to
There were about 40 African communities represented
accommodate the multitude of cultures on display. It
on the day with food stalls, performances, market and
was a day of fun and activities for families and friends.
information stalls, workshops, fashion and a six aside
The event’s organisers’ estimate over 15,000 people
soccer tournament in which Congo clinched the trophy
attended from all over Sydney, NSW Central Coast,
from defending champions Sierra Leone.
Canberra, and Melbourne and as far as New Zealand.
Hunting and Drumming Group Inc Edmondson Cole said the event has continued to improve every year. “We’ve always participated and as community leaders we need to commend the organisers for all their effort for hosting such a successful event which keeps on improving.”
Leading up to the festival, mentoring workshops were
Salt Magazine’s contributor Ma Musu Nyande was
held for young people participating in the event to
there to look after our stall and give us a feedback
enhance their performance and safe food handling
on how it all went and this is how she summed it up.
training sessions were also held for community groups
‘The festival is a celebration of our African heritage,
to abide by Council food safety regulations.”
Australia has become our home away from home, but the occasional home sickness kicks in and that’s where festivals like these come in hand. It’s a reminder of who and what we are, even though we are several seas away, our culture and tradition is still alive. “The Africultures Festival was able to not just capture the differences of the continent but also the similarity. The festival was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait for next year’s event.”
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A story hour element was introduced in this year’s festival as well giving people the chance to listen to the rich storytelling and writing traditions of African Australian writers. “The Africultures team enjoying working on this project as it allows the community to celebrate all the great the things about its culture and heritage. We enjoyed turning Wyatt Park into an African village,” said Africultures Committee member Zainab Kamara.
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RECI
STIRRING THE POT
GHANA
PE
Shito INGREDIENTS 3 cups canola or vegetable oil
In this edition of Salt Magazine Adelaide resident Genevieve Banks originally from Ghana shares with us a famous and versatile traditional condiment of the Ga people. Black pepper or Shito (pronounced shi-tor) is to Ghanaians what tomato sauce is to Australians. Shito means pepper in the Ga language. It can be used as a condiment or a sauce which means meal combinations are endless! You can eat Shito in as many combinations as your mind can dream up. In Ghana, it is sold along with many Ghanaian and western style dishes by both street food vendors and restaurants. It is also very popular with boarding school kids due to its ability to last for months even without the use of a fridge for storage. Waakye (Ghanaian rice and beans), Kenkey (Ghanaian tamales), Gari (dried grated cassava), tubers, meat, fish, seafood, eggs, steamed rice, or even white bread are a few different foods that Shito can be eaten with. The main ingredients for Shito are onions, ginger, ground chili powder, ground shrimp, and ground fish. You should be able to find the ground shrimp and fish at an African or Asian grocer. You can also get dried shrimp and fish, roast it in the oven for a about 30 minutes and then grind it in a food processor or blender (my preferred method).
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4 cups chopped onion 3/4 cup chopped ginger 1 cup ground red chili powder (habanero powder recommended) 1 cup ground dried shrimp 1 cup ground dried fish 2 Maggie cubes (preferably the shrimp flavour)
METHOD 1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium to high heat. The oil should be hot enough to cook the ingredients quickly but not so hot that it burns everything immediately. 2. Puree onion and ginger in a blender; fry the mixture in the oil until there are few water bubbles left. 3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat again until there are few water bubbles left on the top. 4. Stir regularly to prevent burning at the bottom of the sauce. 5. Cool and store in mason jars or recycled clean glass jars; make sure to leave some oil on top to ensure longevity. Always scoop out of the jar with a dry spoon.
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through the SALT Magazine
lens
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1. Stallholder at the 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere 2. Afro Oz Musica band member at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Leon Green 3. The Strides performing at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Sidique Bah
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4. Angelique Kidjo pictured with fans backstage at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Leon Green 5. Stallholder at the 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere 6. Papa Kwasi, Richard & Caroline Mosha, Moore Black and friend at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Leon Green 7. The Governor, His Excellency Hieu Van Le pictured with Phil Allan, Alfonz Turay and Igor Negrao at the Governor's Multicultural Awards. PHOTO: Sidique Bah
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8. Performance at the 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere 9. Ladysmith Black Mambazo pictured with Jean-Marc at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Leon Green 10. Performance at the 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere
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11. Guests at the Governor's Multicultural Awards. PHOTO: Sidique Bah 12. 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere 13. African Women's Federation representatives at the Governor's Multicultural Awards. PHOTO: Sidique Bah 14. Angelique Kidjo on stage at Womadelaide. PHOTO: Sidique Bah 15. 2016 Africultures Festival in Auburn, Sydney. PHOTO: Johanna Mbere 16. Guests at the Governor's Multicultural Awards. PHOTO: Sidique Bah
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INSPIRING PEOPLE 5 MAY — 8 JUNE 2016
MAYA ANGELOU AND STILL I RISE Although most well-noted for her poetry, Maya Angelou and Still I Rise celebrates Dr. Maya Angelou’s multiple talents including singing, dancing, filmmaking, academia and civil rights activism, and how she inspired generations, pushed boundaries and never ceased in her long fight for freedom for all.
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE In Northern Mali in 2012, radio stations were closed, instruments destroyed and musicians tortured and exiled by Islamic extremists. Refusing to be silenced, local musicians fight to keep their vibrant culture alive. Featuring Songhoy Blues who recently toured Australia.
MELBOURNE CINÉMATHÈQUE: AFRICAN VISIONS This is HRAFF’s 4th collaboration with Melbourne Cinémathèque, screening three retrospective pieces that will examine postcolonialism through French New Wave and African heritage cinema. Featured films include Borom Sarret and Black Girl by Ousmane Sembène, and Petit à petit by Jean Rouch.
MELBOURNE • SYDNEY • CANBERRA • PERTH • BRISBANE • ALICE SPRINGS • DARWIN
FULL PROGRAM OUT NOW @humanrightsfest #hraff16 Download the HRAFF iPhone app
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Book tickets at hraff.org.au Use promo code SALT to receive 15% off tickets (excl. Opening and Closing Night)