Culture

African music legend, Angélique Kidjo says she is from Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

January 6, 2023

African music legend and multiple Grammy Award winner, Angélique Kidjo, has confirmed that she is actually from Nigeria despite being born and raised in Benin Republic, which made many to believe she is from the tiny West African country.

The music icon who made the revelation on Thursday in an interview with a radio station in Lagos. said her mother revealed to her that she is a Nigerian from Iseyin, a town in Oyo State in western Nigeria.

The 61-year-old Kidjo revealed that though she was born in Benin Republic, her mother told her she is originally from Nigeria and that she has lots of relatives in Nigeria even though she doesn’t visit them often.

“My Mum told me that I am from Iseyin in Oyo State, Nigeria, because when my grandfather’s great great great great father came back from Brazil, they found their roots in Iseyin,” she said.

“From my mother’s side, we have always been from Nigeria. So we have families in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos, everywhere. I have cousins I haven’t seen a million years that I miss a lot, ” she added.

Also speaking about her music, Kidjo said she was not only interested in singing about the beauty of the African continent, but also in demonstrating the joy that Africans exude.

“It’s just that I love to sing. I love to bring Africa to the world. The beauty of Africa, not the music that people are very content about seeing and talking about.”

“Africa is not about that because I grew up in a country that is poor, but people were very happy.”

“I also want the world to see how powerful African women are. The women of Africa are the backbone of this continent and they are beautiful. So, I want the world to see that,” Kidjo stated.

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Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”