by Lisa Ellwood
There is another shot being heard around the world; only this time the revolution does not signify the birth of a nation, but rather the revitalisation and emergence of African culture in global consciousness. African creative and performing artists are finally emerging from the long shadows of the West and are taking their rightful places on the world stage as forces to be reckoned with.
There was a time when one would be hard-pressed to name even one actor or actress of African origin (rather than African-American) who had managed to make an impact outside of their birthplace. African born actresses like Crash’s Thandie Newton (originally from Zimbabwe though now living in London) and Charlize Theron (originally from South Africa but making her home in Los Angeles) as well as those with one parent of African origin such as Britain’s Sophie Okonedo of Hotel Rwanda, have taken Hollywood by storm.
To paraphrase the immortal words of Nelson Mandela when speaking about Theron’s Oscar nod for Monster a few years ago – Africa is finally being ‘put on the map’. Being blonde and blue-eyed, the only serious impediment for Theron, besides working on her accent, was the fact that she had been a successful model before braving the tempestuous waters of becoming an actress in Tinseltown. At a time when many great African-American actresses like Cicely Tyson, Lonette McKee and Angela Bassett seem to have dropped below the radar, seeing Thandie Newton’s and Sophie Okonedo’s success is all the more important. Oscar nominee Okonedo had not really made a name for herself outside of working in her native Britain in theatre and on television before her surprise casting with African-American Don Cheadle in the leading roles in Hotel Rwanda.
Thandie Newton, in particular, is finally catapulting to the front of the queue with Screen Actor’s Guild and BAFTA awards for her riveting performance in this year’s Oscar-winning Best Film Crash. Hers was the performance most cited for praise in the ensemble piece which provided an unflinching reality check about lives intersecting across racial lines in the tinderbox that is Los Angeles. Newton’s recognition is all the more sweet after impressive acting achievements including Bernardo Bertolucci’s African-themed Besieged, Beloved, the epic Jefferson in Paris and Mission Impossible 2. Giving credit where it’s due, by all reports Tom Cruise fought tirelessly for her casting as his lover in M I 2. In an era where the hackles of American audiences can still be raised by even the subtlest suggestion about interracial relationships, we can applaud Mr. Cruise for not only having the courage to act on his convictions, but also for appreciating Ms. Newton long before Crash made it fashionable to do so.
African films are certainly coming into their own considering their often meagre budgets compared to the West. South African film Tsotsi, a modern updating of the story originally set in the 1950’s by acclaimed writer and playwright Athol Fughard (Master Harold & The Boys) – won this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Kwaito Music, which features heavily in the film, provides an authentic voice of the townships of Johannesburg. Its influence and reach now extends to the international music market. Some of its artists are selling beyond Southern Africa to the US, Europe and Australia with exports soon to start to China and Japan.
Even African literary efforts are getting their due across the globe. New talent is rising up and raising their voices alongside those of writers Nadine Gordimer, Reshard Gool, Tayeb Salih and poets Kola Boof and Antjie Krog. London’s Poetry Café in Covent Garden regularly holds what it calls ‘African Writers Evening: where Africa speaks and the world listens’. The most recent event on 31st March featured young poets Nick Makoha of Uganda and Inua Ellams of Nigeria, both of whom appeared on the AWE open mike before they became published poets. Host and Founder Nii Ayikwei Parkes read a couple of his favourite poems from last year’s acclaimed Dance the Guns to Silence which was published in honour of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 8. The African Writers Evening has been listed regularly in BBC Recommended; Nii Parkes also fronts the BBC’s African Bookclub.
Theatre in Africa has a vocal supporter in British Actor and Director Alan Rickman, himself a BAFTA & EMMY Award Winner and Tony Award Nominee, who sings its praises wherever he can. Rickman wrote the foreword for a book profiling the South African theatre company Dimpho Di Kopane (A Short History of Dimpho Di Kopane a South African Theatre Company, edited by Camilla Driver: Spier and Nandos (Capetown), 2004). In it, he notes that he first saw Dimpho Di Kopane perform in Yiimimangaliso: The Mysteries in 2001 and was struck immediately not only by the actors’ skills and the complete unawareness they had of themselves, but also by the obvious love of their craft on the part of all in the Company. Said Rickman: “It was clear that the work of Dimpho Di Kopane has a kind of joyous inevitability about it. Their time has come. I am glad to be in the audience, clinging happily to their coat-tails.” High praise indeed from one of stage, screen and television’s most acclaimed talents and conscientious voices globally.
African music and culture now has another champion besides Peter Gabriel and his WOMAD (World of Arts, Music & Dance) Festivals, WOMAD Foundation and Real World Studios (which have been going strong for more than 20 years) in the form of Pan-African music channel MTV Base.
MTV Base is a new voice for African entertainment and music news. On 22nd February of this year, global media powerhouse Viacom launched the latest of its MTV Networks enterprises. African music fans can now watch daily bulletins of targeted entertainment and music news focusing on their favourite African and international artists – providing bite-sized chunks of entertainment news from Africa as well as the UK, USA, France and the Caribbean. News stories include everything from artist signings, to award wins, album releases, tour news and emerging music trends. Network executive Alex Okosi commented, “ MTV News is a staple feature of MTV channels around the world, so we’re delighted to launch an African news service for the first time. Base News provides African musicians with yet another platform for promoting their music, artistry and successes to a Pan-African audience, while fulfilling our audience’s appetite for topical stories about their favourite artists.”
Each bulletin of Base News is presented by top MTV presenter Tim Kash, a veteran of the MTV music and entertainment scene who has interviewed stars from Madonna to Jay Z, and who recently interviewed British Prime Minister Tony Blair for MTV Base exclusive, MTV Base Meets Tony Blair. Indeed, the network chalked up a significant victory for African programming by securing in-depth access to the British Prime Minister during his recent visit to Africa. Kash mediated an intimate televised debate between Mr. Blair and six young Africans selected from across the continent. It was a unique opportunity for no-holds-barred discussion about the issues concerning these young people most including AIDS, gender equality, corruption, investment in Africa, electoral fraud and immigration.
The Promota was invited to a private screening of the programme in London where we had the opportunity to meet presenter Tim Kash and the producers of MTV Base Meets Tony Blair. The next issue of The Promota will be a Special Issue focusing on the programme and some of the many concerns and issues it brought to light. We anticipate following up with all involved and it promises to be the one publication our readership will not want to miss.
MTV Base is looking for African recording artists to be featured on their programme. We will print a full contact list in our next issue. In the meantime, email The Promota on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.
