Connect with us

Culture

Moroccan activists petition UNESCO over Algeria’s claim of ‘Caftan Ntaa El Fassi’

Published

on

Moroccan activists have launched an online petition against what they describe as Algeria’s attempt to claim its cultural “Caftan Ntaa El Fassi” as part of its own heritage at UNESCO.

According to the activists, this is not the first time that Algeria has attempted to claim elements of Moroccan culture and heritage as its own, prompting the petition.

So far, the petition has garnered more than 21,000 signatures, calling on Moroccans to defend their heritage against repeated attempts of cultural theft.

The signatories expressed deep concerns about safeguarding the country’s cultural legacy from any form of misappropriation.

The activists also expressed their disapproval of the inclusion of the image of the Moroccan “Fassi Caftan” in Algeria’s cultural heritage dossier which it submitted to UNESCO in April which had sparked heated debates in the two countries.

The Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication has also waded into the impasse with a pledge to take legal measures to counter alleged attempts by Algeria to claim the Moroccan caftan as part of its own and include it in the file they submitted to UNESCO.

The ministry, according to local media reports, has already filed a complaint to UNESCO’s evaluation committee requesting the removal of the image and the accompanying description placed under it in the Algerian file.

The Fassi caftan, which originates from the Moroccan city of Fez, is reported to be one of the most iconic and cherished elements of Moroccan cultural heritage and is characterized by its unique design, showcasing the fine craftsmanship and artistic skills of Moroccan artisans.

“The dispute over the Fassi Caftan is not Algeria’s first attempt to claim elements of Moroccan culture and heritage as its own,” one online media said.

“Over the years, there have been recurring incidents where Algeria has sought to appropriate Moroccan culture and even claim some Moroccan traditional dishes as their own.

“These attempts have sparked tensions between the two neighboring countries, with Moroccans fiercely defending their cultural identity and expressing concern over the preservation of their heritage,” it added.

Culture

Collabo with Burna Boy enabled me buy house for my mum— Mozambican DJ Tarico

Published

on

Mozambican disc jockey and sound-producer, DJ Tarico, has credited Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, Burna Boy, with his sudden wealth which enabled him buy a house for his mother.

DJ Tarico attributed a collaboration with the Grammy Awards winning “African Giant” as the turning point in his story and said he would forever be grateful to the Nigerian star.

Speaking with the BBC African Voice on Saturday, DH Tarico said when he came up
with a particularly energetic beat one day, he couldn’t have predicted how it would change his life and that of his two friends.

He said one of his friends, Nelson Tivane, a songwriter and vocalist, came up with the lyric “Yaba Buluku” which was “inspired by the sound of coins jangling in a pocket”, while the other friend, Preck, “belted out that lyric with his gravelly, powerful voice,” with the song becoming an instant hit in their country.

“After we concluded the song, we went to a rural zone and we put a car with a big sound there, and we connected the song on the car and we saw many people dancing and ask ‘who is the owner of this song?’ Then we knew this song was going to be big!” Tarico recalls.

He said he was surprised that
none other than Burna Boy, realised the strength of “Yaba Buluku” and jumped on the remix, a move which had a massive impact on Tarico, Tivane and Preck.

“We were travelling all over Africa. Too many big artists were asking us for features. People started to know our face outside of Mozambique. We became internationals.

“And money! I bought a car, land and a house for my mother.”

The trio who now call themselves “Yaba Buluku Boyz”, have dropped their debut album, “Donsa”, on Friday, and are hoping to ride on the success of the collaboration to reach greatet heights in Africa and globally.

“Donsa”, according to DJ Tarico, “is high-energy, danceable amapiano, and features big African names including Ghana’s dancehall King Shatta Wale, Timaya from Nigeria and Harmonize from Tanzania,” he said.

Continue Reading

Culture

African men run away from single mothers— Joselyn Dumas

Published

on

Veteran Ghanaian actress and media personality, Joselyn Dumas, has lamented the fact that most African men shy away from getting married to single mothers due to the added responsibilities they will be saddled with.

The actress who made the assertion in her recent podcast, “Keeping it Real with Joselyn Dumas, The Perfect Picture”, opened up on the challenges of many single mothers who are struggling to find a partner because of societal biases.

In the podcast, Dumas who shared a personal story of a male friend whom she said refused to settle down with a lady because she had a child.

According to her, the friend named Anthony, firmly stated that it wasn’t his thing to be with a ‘born one’ or ‘born two’.

“He said B1, B2, I’m not in and I said to myself, ‘this is the reason why a lot of single mothers are single with their children.

“Now his reason was, why am I going to raise somebody’s child? That’s not my bloodline. He doesn’t have my DNA in him. Why am I now going to help someone’s bloodline grow? What about mine?” she said.

Dumas who is a single mother, noted that Anthony’s mindset is a “reflection of the views of a larger majority of people who don’t want to have meaningful relationship with single mothers.”

She also criticised what she termed as the double standard in society’s views on raising non-biological children, arguing that it should not be seen differently from adoption.

“I have a child but these men won’t even ask you, they don’t even care why you have a child. You’ve had seven miscarriages when you got married. You meet a guy, you were dating and you got pregnant, are you going to abort the baby because you aren’t married?

“He doesn’t want the child, are you going to throw the child away? No! You can raise the child. It takes a village to raise the child, so even if you don’t have a job, you will get support. This is part of the sacrifice you have to make regardless of what has happened,” she said.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Musings From Abroad51 mins ago

France willing to pay for Morocco’s 3GW power line to Western Sahara

Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, said on Friday that France was ready to help pay for a 3...

Metro1 hour ago

Nigerian troops neutralise 216 terrorists, arrest 332 in one week— Official

The Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops from different operation theaters across the country neutralised 216 terrorists and arrested...

Musings From Abroad1 hour ago

Nigeria loses $9.2 billion to foreign shipowners

A group of maritime experts has revealed that Nigeria loses $9.2bn a year to foreign shipping lines that carry goods...

VenturesNow2 hours ago

Nigeria wants managers for proposed $10 billion diaspora fund

A tender paper shows that Nigeria is looking for fund managers for a $10 billion diaspora fund to bring in...

Sports18 hours ago

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs...

Culture19 hours ago

Collabo with Burna Boy enabled me buy house for my mum— Mozambican DJ Tarico

Mozambican disc jockey and sound-producer, DJ Tarico, has credited Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, Burna Boy, with his sudden wealth which enabled...

Tech19 hours ago

RepAir, Cella partner to launch carbon capture in Kenya

Global Direct Air Capture (DAC) firm, RepAir, has entered into a partnership with carbon storage technology company, Cella, to launch...

Metro21 hours ago

Mapanza traditional council shares positive outlook on media rights, freedom of expression

Jonathan Muchindu, a representative of the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, asserts that the...

VenturesNow21 hours ago

World Bank grants Malawi $57.6 million for food crisis

As a response to its food crisis, the World Bank said on Friday that it would give Malawi $57.6 million...

Metro1 day ago

Nigeria loses N1.29trn annually to crude oil theft, vandalism— Reps Speaker

Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has revealed that the country loses a whopping sum of N1.29...

Trending