In the slums of Wakaliga, on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital Kampala, an independent film studio has been defying norms for 20 years. With shoestring budgets, Wakaliwood produces action and martial arts films that are viewed by millions of Ugandans on YouTube every year. This cult film studio, blending ultra-violence, comedy and tributes to Bruce Lee classics, made waves in 2010 with “Who Killed Captain Alex?”, a viral hit amassing 10 million views. Today, after years of financial struggles, the long-awaited sequel to the film is about to debut, promising to reignite passion for this unique cinema. FRANCE 24’s Clément…
Author: King Jaja
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In Summary African traditional festivals are deeply rooted in history, spirituality, and cultural identity. Many are tied to royal lineages, marking transitions of power, while others honor deities, ancestors, and natural elements. Some, like Nigeria’s Durbar, originated from military traditions, while Ghana’s Akwasidae links to the Ashanti Kingdom’s golden stool. Masquerade festivals often serve as mediums between the living and the dead, while events like Ethiopia’s Timkat celebrate religious rites. Deep Dive!!African festivals are not just celebrations; they are historical archives in motion, where culture, power, and identity are reaffirmed. They are not just festivals; they are Africa’s living traditions, where history, power, and spirituality…
The Republic of Cape Verde, an island country, covers an island chain of 15 islands located in the central Atlantic. It sits 570 km off Western Africa. The island’s area is approximately 4,000 sq. km. They are of volcanic origin. Three are sandy, flat, and dry but the remaining ones are rocky. Rainfall is infrequent. The name derives from Cap Vert, on the Senegalese coast. The Portuguese discovered and colonized the previously uninhabited islands in the 15th century. It became an important part of the slave trade due to its location. At several times, pirates like Sir Francis Drake attacked…
On June 9, 2024, the Lagos State government declared a cholera outbreak after recording over 300 suspected cases and 15 deaths. Two weeks later, on June 24, the federal government activated the Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in response to a surge in cases. By this time, Nigeria had recorded 1,528 suspected cases and 53 deaths. As of July 15, the number of suspected cases had escalated to over 3,600, with 103 deaths reported. Amid this public health crisis, Nguvu Change Leader Jennifer Akatu, a passionate advocate for community health and environmental sanitation, believes the outbreak’s impact could have been…
Herbert Mensah, the president of Rugby Africa, is in an exclusive with me praising South African rugby boss Mark Alexander for achieving success on and off the field with his country. South Africa is back-to-back world champions, on top of being financially the healthiest of the top-tier rugby-playing nations on the planet post-pandemic (ahead of the likes of France, England, New Zealand, Australia, Japan etc). Mensah, two years into office, says he is motivated by South Africa’s success story. His vision, he says, is to ride on South Africa, during his tenure, to grow rugby throughout the continent and produce…
A “Ne Zha 2” themed wall painting pictured at the entrance of Xiaozifang Alley in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, China, on February 20, 2025. / CFP Read < 1 minute“Ne Zha 2”, the recently released Chinese animated blockbuster film, continues to shatter global movie records as screenings expand worldwide. The film, released on January 29 during the Chinese New Year festivities, has already surpassed 13 billion yuan (around 1.8 billion dollars) in total box office revenue – including special screenings, pre-sales and overseas earnings, according to Maoyan Professional, China’s leading movie-ticketing platform. It is currently the highest-grossing animated film globally, placing…
Read 2 minutesThe draw for the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup was done on Thursday, serving up some intriguing ties, featuring six North African teams and two sides from South Africa. Defending champions Al Ahly will face Sudanese side Al-Hilal Omdurman in the first quarterfinal. The Egyptian giants are aiming to become the first side to win the competition for a third successive time and claim a record-extending 13th title. Al Ahly narrowly avoided elimination in the group stage and will hope to carry that momentum into the knockout stages. Al-Hilal will carry confidence into…
When the Egyptian writer Alaa Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building was published in 2002, it almost instantly entered the canon of modern Arab literature. Set at the turn of the century, the novel reflects back on the demise of a privileged Egyptian way of life in the decades after the 1952 revolution, via the intersecting stories of multiple protagonists: an ageing aristocratic playboy, a young policeman, a closeted newspaper editor, a shop girl.But the most compelling protagonist might be the one in its title, where it all plays out: the Yacoubian Building. Built in 1937, designed by an Italian architect,…
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show is still generating debates but for some, the attention has been shifted to the hidden messages within his lyrics. On February 10, iconic director Spike Lee took to Instagram to applaud the rapper’s performance while explaining a historical reference made by the rapper. “I Want To Thank My Brother Kendrick For The 40 Acres And A Mule Shoutout Which Has Been The Name Of My Production Company Since NYU Grad Film School,” Lee, 67, wrote alongside a clip of the performance. “And I Want To Send A Special Shoutout To My Morehouse Brother Samuel Jackson…
Angola is located in south-central Africa and is known formally as the Republic of Angola. It is surrounded by Democratic Republic of Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and Namibia on the south. The Atlantic Ocean sits on its west coast. Once of its provinces, Cabinda, borders the Republic of Congo as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola’s capital city is Luanda. From the 16th century to 1975, Angola was an overseas territory of Portugal. An intense civil war took place after Angola’s independence between 1975 to 2002. In sub-Saharan Africa, Angola is the second…