Culture

Ethiopian girls celebrate Ashenda, the Virgin Mary festival

Published

5 years ago

August 23, 2018

Ethiopian girls have reportedly trooped out in their thousands to take part in the annual Ashenda festival, which celebrates the Virgin Mary. It gives girls carte blanche to sing and dance over the three-day celebration.

At the eve of the festival, which first started centuries ago, girls plait their hair in an elaborate design called Ga’me and head to the market, where they buy necklaces and other traditional cosmetics.

The girls also gather Ashenda grass from the riverside. Ashenda means “the tall green grass” in the region’s language, Tigrinya, and gives the festival its name.

The grass is sewn together and worn on the girls’ waists as a skirt.

The girls form groups of eight to 12 with a lead singer and a drummer, and they gather in the public squares of Mekelle, Tigray’s main city.

For the first time this year, Tigray’s culture and tourism bureau allowed the festivities to take place at Baloni Stadium.

The party goes on from sunrise to sunset. The celebrating girls see the festival as a source of fun and an opportunity to tell the world that they are proud of the Virgin Mary.

The Ethiopian government plans to get the festival recognised by Unesco.
Ashenda is also celebrated from 30 August to 1 September in Aksum, central Tigray, and goes by a slightly different name, Ayni Wari.

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Culture

South Africa announces inaugural Creative Arts Awards

Published

17 hours ago

November 28, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

The South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has announced the inaugural South African Creative Arts Awards which is scheduled to hold between March and April next year.

Making the announcement on Tuesday at a news conference, Kodwa said the awards would be bestowed on South Africans and literary creatives in various sub-domains who exhibited outstanding artistic and technical outstanding achievement.

“It will be the most desired recognition in the South African creative industry,” said Kodwa.

“The awards will be exclusively for creatives from across cultural domains who push boundaries of their creative abilities and show devotion to excellence,” the minister added.

The announcement of the Creative Arts Awards is coming a few weeks after the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs withdrew support for hosting the South African Music Industry Council (SAMIC) Awards, also known as SAMAS.

Culture

20th Marrakech International Film Festival kicks off in Morocco

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

The 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival successfully kicked off at the weekend at the Palais des Congrès in the Ochre City, Morocco, with a plethora of distinguished figures from the world of cinema, art, culture, and media.

The weeklong festival which kicked off under the watchful eyes of King Mohammed VI, and will run till December 2, began with the customary procession of festival attendees, including Moroccan and international film greats who graced the red carpet with colourful klieglights, with American actress Jessica Chastain serving as the president of the jury.

Among the awarded are Danish actor, Mads Mikkelsen who was honored with a career achievement award for his remarkable contributions to films like “Another Round,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and “Casino Royale,” where he portrayed a memorable James Bond villain.

In an interview with journalists after receiving his award, Mikkelsen expressed gratitude to the organisers.

“Marrakesh welcomed Scandinavian filmmakers ten years ago by paying tribute to them. So we have a shared history, and they have helped us to make a name for ourselves. We are very grateful to them,” he said.

Mélita Toscan du Plantier, Director of the Marrakech International Film Festival, highlighted this year’s packed programme with strong films and great directors, noting that the festival would feature a predominantly female jury, with six women and three men.

British actress, Tilda Swinton also emphasized the importance of film festivals, saying:

“Film festivals celebrate the opportunity in cinema to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and to reach a kind of agreement about the human experience. So film festivals are always valid.”

The opening film, Richard Linklater’s action-comedy, “Hit Man,” set a lively tone for the festival, while over 70 films, including Michel Franco’s “Memory” starring Jessica Chastain, and Matteo Garrone’s Italian immigration drama “Io Capitano,” are expected to be showcased at the event.

Moroccan Prince, Moulay Rachid, who is leading the foundation responsible for the festival, while delivering his welcome speech, emphasized that it served as an invitation for discovery, empathy, and sharing.

He added that despite challenges like Israel’s war with Hamas and a recent earthquake in Morocco, the organizers aimed to showcase cinema from Morocco, the Middle East, and Africa.

“The Marrakech International Film Festival stands as a bastion of peace, bringing people together for discovery, empathy, and sharing,” he said.