Friday, 19 Apr 2024
Month: April 2013

Chinua Achebe speaking at Asbury Hall, Buffalo, as part of the "Babel: Season 2" series by Just Buffalo Literary Center, Hallwalls, & the International Institute. Photo by Stuart C. Shapiro.

Debunking the Chinua Achebe legacy

Unarguably he was one of the most-read writers from the African continent, selling more than 8 million copies. His book Things Fall Apart is the most widely read book in African literature and the most translated. While a whirlwind of tributes has poured in in the wake of Achebe’s death, we have been left to ponder his contributions to African literature and the literature body generally, and to see if he rightfully deserved the continent’s honor: The father of modern African literature. And while at it, also weigh the relevance of his work to the present generation.

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Images by Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa. From the Ernst May exhibition at Uganda Museum April 2013.

The Ernst May Exhibition at the Uganda Museum

KCCA’s struggle to transform Kampala into an international city has not been without its squabbles. The December altercations involving the business community in Centenary Park and KCCA went almost viral. Against such a background came the Ernst May Exhibition on 9th April this year at the Uganda Museum. It was organized by the Germany Embassy and designed as a tribute to the rapidly expanding and modernizing city of Kampala.

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Illustration by Jackson. © All rights reserved 2013.

“His Skin Lost Its Soup” | A Survey of Memory Loss

Kadongo Kamu is a musical subculture within Uganda which roots began in the 1950s with the guitarists Christopher Sebadduka and Elly Wamala. This article deals with how this culture has been subverted from mainstream culture through active technological and infrastructural modernization in Uganda from the 1960s till present.

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Artisans in … Photo by Kirsten Scott.

Opportunities and challenges in international craft collaborations

“However beautiful Ugandan craft products may be, it will be difficult for local artisans to succeed in a global market unless certain conditions can be met. … In my opinion, tight deadlines, consistent quality, innovation, committed partners, and good communication are fundamental to successful participation in global trade, over and above the products themselves.” Kirsten Scott writes about international craft collaborations.

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Photographs from "Sketching a Civilisation" by Andreas Stultiens and Canon Rumanzi, exhibited at Makerere Art Gallery, April 2013.

Sketching a Civilisation: Graphic records of unfinished ideas

“The very images themselves are still under construction — as rapidly as a freehand drawing — because each time someone sees one, s/he will add something, omit another thing, and form a memory that they will continue to work on in their minds. This is how we are all not the same. We don’t even see the same thing when looking at the same picture.” Ishta Nandi reviews the exhibition of Rumanzi Canon and Andrea Stultiens at Makerere Art Gallery.

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