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Senegal: Thousands of explorers visit as African arts dazzle at Dakar Biennale 2022

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The 2022 edition of the Dakar Biennale, an art festival in Senegal has come to an end after a month of exhibition of some art pieces from the West African country.

The Biennale, which opened last month and runs through June 21, is the zenith of the city’s ebullient cultural calendar, drawing in artists, collectors and trendsetters from across the world.

This year’s edition featured artists like Johanna Ziemer works as a playwright, translator, Serigne Boyer is a graffiti artist, Zhang Yanzi, Stephanie J. Woods, Ytasha L. Womack amongst others

The Technical Director of Dakar Biennale, Abdou Diouf said that the edition lived up to expectation as it was widely attended with visitors numbering almost half of a million.

“The Dakar Biennale this year has kept all its promises. We had between 450 and 460 thousand visitors unlike in 2018. We had over 180 thousand visitors at the main expo site. So I think it is truly a great success.,” said Abdou Diouf.

“I think that it is also a challenge, a stake. We must manage to maintain this course, so that the universe, the environment, and I would even say the world of art can consider Dakar the capital of plastic arts,” said Diouf.

The Biennale has been established by the State of Senegal since 1989 with a first edition dedicated to literature in 1990, it was later reserved for contemporary art during the second edition in 1992 before being definitively devoted to contemporary African creation from 1996.

 

Culture

Kenyans mourn passing of prominent TV star, Rita Tinina

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Kenyans, especially those within the country’s media space, have been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of veteran television journalist, Rita Tinina, who was found dead at her home in the capital, Nairobi, on Sunday.

According to a preliminary police report filed at Kileleshwa Police Station shortly after she was found unconscious in her house, the NTV broadcaster suffered from a bout of epilepsy.

The report which quoted the deceased’s sister, Helen Silau Njaga, said that the journalist was epileptic and had been suffering severe fever in the past week before succumbing to the cold hands of death.

Njaga reportedly told the police that the 46-years-old journalist was found unconscious on her bed inside her bedroom at her Kileleshwa home.

Njaga said when she was informed of the situation, she rushed to her sister’s home and when she arrived, she found Tinina unresponsive and called for medical assistance, adding that paramedics confirmed that the body was already lifeless upon arrival.

“On behalf of Yiapan’s family, this has come as a shock to us. We are really trying to digest and at the moment we just request for the privacy to be accorded to the family. More information will come in the letter,” Njaga told the press shortly after her sister’s body was transferred to a funeral home by the police.

The news of the journalists demise has sent the Kenyan media industry into mourning with a plethora of accolades hailing her as a trailblazing media personality.

Her colleagues at NTV said she was expected to be on duty on Sunday but failed to show up, prompting a wellness check in her house where she was found unconscious.

Prominent among those who poured accolades on the long-serving TV journalist known for her captivating news features, was President William Ruto who took to his official X account to eulogise her.

“My sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Rita Tinina – a pioneer and a trailblazer in TV journalism. Rest In Peace, Rita,” he wrote.

Former President Raila Odinga also posted his condolences on X:

“Her passing leaves a void in the industry, yet her legacy of storytelling and integrity will endure,” he said.

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Diamond Platnumz once called off wedding few days to the big day, sister claims

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A sister to Tanzanian Bongo Flava star, Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack, otherwise known as Diamond Platnumz, has revealed that he actually called off a wedding days before the ceremony was set to take place after realising he was not ready for a commitment at the time.

Esma Platnumz revealed in an interview with Wasafi FM that the “Yatapita” crooner, after calling off the wedding, advised his then fiancée who she identified as Sophia, to put an end to the wedding plans as he was not ready to go ahead with the wedding.

Esma said the two families had already reached an agreement for the marriage and all preparations were well under way when her brother decided to call it off.

Esma revealed that just when the wedding was about to be announced, the MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) winner “abruptly changed his mind, citing concerns about rushing into marriage and wanting to make the decision with more certainty,” she said.

During the interview, Esma was asked if their family and friends had ever sat down and asked the singer about his marriage plans after he broke up with Kenyan singer Tanasha and engaged in another dramatic relationship with singer Zuchu.

In reply, Esma said:

“We’ve involved him several times, but I believe everything happens as God’s plan. God does his things whenever he wants,” she said.

“We can force him to get married but he’s not genuinely ready for it. He can get married to someone’s daughter and abandon her.

“We tried to persuade Diamond to get married to Sophia. Her family had already received a dowry and we were planning to visit her home and for formal arrangements.

Diamond himself had even ordered matching outfits from Turkey for the wedding with his fiancé. However, he informed us that he has decided to stop the proceedings. He told her to stop the process because he wasn’t ready for such a commitment,” Esma revealed.

She stated that Diamond’s mother, Sanura Kasimu, had once intervened in an attempt to persuade and arrange a marriage for him but the singer insisted that he was not ready for marriage and everything related to it.

Though he has four children from different women, Diamond, unarguably Eastern Afruca’s biggest music artiste, has been in and out of relationships with celebrity women including Ugandan socialite, musician and actress, Zarinah Hassan, popularly known as Zari the Boss Lady.

The “Jeje” hitmaker has also been linked to fashionista Hamisa Mobetto, as well as Kenyan model and singer, Tanasha Donna.

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