African Awards - search results

On Amie Dibba's last trip to her home country of The Gambia she stumbled across a familiar land and a familiar tune. Dibba frequently heard the polyphonic version of her favorite song “African King” - the song that she wrote for her Child of Africa album had morphed into a popular cell phone ringtone. Those bobbing their heads to the catchy R & B/Reggae beat did not recognize Dibba's face, but that was temporary. A couple years and awards later, Amie Dibba's voice and face are recognizable to her fans in The Gambia, the United States, and everywhere in between.

Up-and-coming Tanzanian moviemaker and Minnesota resident, Josiah Kibira, is working on finishing touches for his third movie shot on location in his country of birth. The title of his movie is “Bongoland II,” which he describes as being about “looking at us (Africans)in our own backyard.”

“We are questioning how we do things and why we accept things the way they are just because someone is afraid to scream –‘the emperor is naked,’” says Kibira.

It's Saturday night and I've just walked into Blue Nile Restaurant. Bebe Cool, Uganda's talented Ragga artist will be performing later tonight, and I have no notion of what to expect. At the moment, DJ Kevo from Kenya is at the turntables enticing the crowd to the dance floor.
   

MINNEAPOLIS – After the superlative introduction by Minneapolis’s Dakota Jazz Club’s owner, Lowell Pickett, I expected a rich, preeminent performance by Dee Dee Bridgewater, surpassing anything I’d experienced before.

At its 23rd annual awards gala in New York last week, The Africa-America Institute recognized Tanzania for what the organization said was the country’s significant progress in education, environmental conservation, and creating a business-friendly environment.

Fifty years ago, in the late summer of 1957, Althea Gibson made history as she captured the U.S. National Championships title on the grass courts of Forest Hills. With that win, the 30-year-old Gibson became the first African-American¬ – male or female ¬to win that most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament crown.

Ugandan musician Joseph Mayanja a.k.a. Jose Chameleon is currently on a tour of the United States that is scheduled to bring him to the Twin Cities on August 11th.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization today announced five winners – from China, the United States, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania – of this year’s Literacy Prizes.

The honours are awarded yearly to recognize particularly effective efforts made in the fight against illiteracy, one of UNESCO’s priorities, and raise awareness of the work of thousands worldwide promoting the cause of literacy for all.

Jeff Koinange is CNN’s Africa correspondent, responsible for reporting for CNN from across the African continent. Since joining CNN in 2001, he has reported on news events throughout Africa for the international news network.

Since joining CNN, Koinange has covered a range of African issues and events with a dedication to professional impartiality while using his experience to report on his topics sympathetically.

Former US Vice President, Walter Mondale and his wife Joan Mondale were awarded the International Citizen Award by the International Leadership Institute (ILI) in Minneapolis yesterday.

 

The annual award ceremony recognizes members of the Minnesota community who have made tremendous impact on communities across the world in the three categories. The awards encompass not only Minnesotans, but also corporations and foreign-born Minnesotans who have endeavored to make positive in-roads in achieving global equity in areas as varied as global economy, human rights and empowering individuals.

It was a night to remember. Saturday the 10th of March 2007 Bayelsa State (also known as the Glory of Lands), Nigeria hosted the main players in the film industry from the continent.