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Morocco adds national dress, Caftan, to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Heritage

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The Moroccan Department of Culture says it is committed to preserving its cultural and artistic heritage of one of its National dresses, Caftan, by promoting it internationally.

To this end the Department has concluded plans to add the Caftan to the list of the intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Speaking at the which held on Friday in Rabbat, with theme theme “Art, Tradition, and know-how of the Caftan,” the Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Abdelilah Afifi, said after the inclusion of the Caftan in the list of tangible and intangible heritage of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in 2022, all stakeholders are now focused on continuing to preserve Morocco’s cultural heritage.

“The Department of Culture is committed and is collaborating with all stakeholders, to preserve the Caftan as a national and artistic heritage,” Afifi stressed.

“Studies have been conducted around the Caftan to highlight its cultural and social dimensions and its craft and artistic characteristics.”

“The skills and knowledge associated with this element have also been documented and recorded in audiovisual format to highlight its distinctive features and promote it internationally,” he said.

The director of the Museum Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art, Abdelaziz El Idrissi, who also spoke at the event, highlighted in a presentation the characteristics of regional Caftans of Morocco, including the Caftan of Fez, Tetouan, Rabat, Marrakech, and Oujda.

“It was in the 12th century and under the Almohad dynasty that the Caftan appeared in Morocco and that it was quite different from traditional clothing worn in the East,” he explained.

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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