Culture

After 140-year battle, UK returns Ethiopian Prince Alemayehu’s lock of hair

Published

8 months ago

September 22, 2023

After a legal tussle that lasted 140 years for the return of a lock of hair from a young Ethiopian prince, Alemayehu, who was in captivity in Britain, the UK government has finally handed over the hair to representatives from his home country.

According to history, Prince Alemayehu was taken away by British soldiers in 1868 after invading the fortress of his father, Emperor Tewodros II, who then killed himself.

The prince was taken to London aged just seven, where his status as an orphan elicited the sympathy of Queen Victoria who agreed to support him financially and put him under the guardianship of Captain Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, the man who had accompanied the prince from Ethiopia.

But barely 10 years later, the Crown Prince died at the age of 18 in 1879 after an unhappy upbringing in Britain and was buried at Windsor Castle near London.

Requests to have his body returned to his home country for a proper burial were repeatedly turned down, a situation which led to the long battle.

In rejecting the requests, Buckingham Palace reasoned that exhuming the prince’s remains would disturb the remains of others buried in the catacombs of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

However, on Thursday, the issue was settled after the UK government handed over the lock of hair to Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the UK, Teferi Melesse, at a ceremony held in London.

While taking possession of the lock of hair which came with a number of other artefacts that had been looted from Emperor Tewodros’s Maqdala fortress, Melesse welcomed their return, saying that they will go back to their rightful place where they can continue to inspire and educate generations to come.

Melesse however, said Ethiopia would continue to press the UK to return more items seized from the fortress.

One of the prince’s descendants, Fasil Minas, also expressed hope that the handing over of the prince’s hair could pave the way for his body to go back to Ethiopia.

The handing over of the hair was facilitated by the Scheherazade Foundation, which had originally been in the possession of Captain Speedy.

Leonie Turner, a descendant of Speedy who handed over the hair in London, told journalists that she had discovered the artefact among her family heirlooms.

“I felt Prince Alemayehu’s hair was a long way from home,” she said quoted.

A member of Ethiopia’s Heritages Restitution National Committee, Alula Pankhurst said he welcomed the return of the hair but said this should just be the start.

“The restitution of Ethiopian artefacts looted by the1868 British expedition to Magdala is important for restorative justice and an excellent way to build better relations and collaborations between British and Ethiopian institutions,” he said.

Related Topics:Ethiopia Featured Hair history Prince Alemayehu UK

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Culture

South African actor dies tragically in car accident

Published

2 days ago

May 6, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

South African actor, Mpho Sebeng, has reportedly died in a ghastly car accident in in Potchefstroom, North West province, his family said in a statement on Monday.

The actor’s family which confirmed that the 30-year-old died in the tragic accident which happened on Sunday, has appealed for privacy as they grapple with this devastating news.

“The family of the South African entertainer, Mpho Sebeng, are saddened to confirm, to the public and media, that their son has indeed passed away,” the family statement said.

“Mpho met his untimely death in the early hours of Sunday, 5 May 2024, due to a tragic car accident in Potchefstroom.

“Whilst the family appreciates the immense outpouring of love and condolences, the family requests some space to process the news,” the statement added.

According to local media, Sebeng, a celebrated figure in South Africa’s entertainment landscape, had a career spanning nearly two decades, marked by remarkable performances and accolades.

His journey in acting commenced at the tender age of 12, catapulting him into the spotlight of television.

“Among his notable works are appearances in TV dramas like “Justice For All” and “Zero Tolerance,” both of which received widespread acclaim and numerous awards.

“During his high school years, he portrayed a role in the 2011 film “Winnie,” a biographical depiction of the late Winnie Mandela’s life.

“His talent was further recognized when he was nominated for Best Male Actor in a telenovela at the 2018 South African Film and Television Awards.

“Sebeng’s repertoire extended to international platforms, including roles in Netflix productions such as “Savage Beauty” and “Miseducation.”

“Sebeng was born in Soweto on 1 December 1992 and matriculated in 2011 at West Ridge High School. His achievements at school included full colours for drama.

“He made his television debut in the SABC drama series, Justice for All as well as Zero Tolerance.

“His first major TV role was in the Mzansi Magic drama, Ring of Lies, which earned him a Best Actor Safta nomination in 2018. Since then, Sebeng has showcased his talent in a variety of shows, such as “Savage Beauty”, “The Brave Ones” and “Miseducation” on Netflix, “The Queen”, “The Throne”, “Zbondiwe”, “Scandal” and “Hush Money.”

Culture

Burna Boy emerges Africa’s top earning artiste in the US from tours, concerts

Published

3 days ago

May 5, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation,
Burna Boy, has emerged as the first African artiste to stage the highest-grossing arena concerts and tours in the United States of America.

International rating platform, Touring Data, which provides a PDF and spreadsheet with ticket count information for tours in the US and Canada, in a post on X, said the “Common Man” crooner beat his record set in 2022 after he generated $1.593 million, (over N2 billion), at his TD Garden in Boston on March 2.

‘‘Burna Boy earns the highest-grossing arena concert by an African artist in US history with $1.593 million at TD Garden in Boston on March 2, 2024, surpassing his numbers at Madison Square Garden in 2022,” Touring Data stated.

The platform also noted that one of Burna Boy’s “I Told Them” tour sold out by large margins in Scotiabank Arena, Montreal and Toronto in Canada, Boston in the US, and Cologne in Germany.

Touring Data also stated that over 124,706 tickets valued at $93.50 on average were sold at the “I Told Them” tour.

“Revenue-wise, $11,659,531, or about N16 billion, was realised via the ticket sales,” the data platform said.

“Shortly after dropping the highly anticipated video for “City Boys”, Burna Boy announced his I Told Them… Tour.

“Produced by Live Nation, the 16-city tour kicked off on 3 November at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

“It marked Burna Boy’s first-ever performance in a Los Angeles stadium. He toured other American cities, including Houston, Chicago, Toronto, and more, before wrapping up in Atlanta at State Farm Arena on March 9th.

“Nine months earlier, the “African Giant” had a sold-out show at Citi Field, New York, making him the first Nigerian artiste to headline a stadium in America.

“BMO Stadium’s website said the singer commanded a crowd of more than 40,000 fans, including celebrities like Busta Rhymes, SZA, NBA star Mo Bamba, NFL Star Larry Ogunjobi, and British rapper Dave, who joined him on stage for a performance of his (Burna Boy’s) hit song “Location.”

“This history-making performance followed his landmark London Stadium performance, where Burna Boy made history as the first African to headline a stadium in the U.K.

“With his Madison Square Garden performance, the singer again made history as the first Nigerian musician to sell out The World’s Most Famous Arena.

“The global giant once again made history with his recently released album “I TOLD THEM…” after it debuted at #1 on the official U.K. Albums chart, making him the first international African artiste to earn the title,” it stated.