Category Archives: This is Africa

Telling the truth about Africa with photography

by jrdijkstra Posted on December 2, 2013

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

If only he knew what he exactly wanted to show, his life would be a lot easier. But for Ghanaian photographer Nana Kofi Acquah, Africa is a never-ending journey of discovery.

“My aim is to show the beauty of Africa, and so far I’ve just been sharing my experiences with my viewers. I see myself therefore more as a storyteller who uses his camera as a medium.” Acquah grew up in his grandmother’s pub in Elmina, Ghana, just two hundred metres away from São Jorge da Mina, the first slave castle built in sub-Sahara Africa. “It [the pub] was the hotspot for every kind of gossip and the place where I learned to develop a keen ear. To date, I think one of my best gifts is my ability to listen and even to hear what is not being vocalised.”

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Using this gift Acquah works all over Africa, though he speaks only three of the thousands of languages spoken on the continent. So he’d be the first person to admit that he only scratches the surface. “People tend to think that because I am African, I know the continent better. They think I am more in tune with the cultures, but this is far from the truth. When you consider the fact that each language represents a way of seeing and embodies diverse belief systems and ideologies, you discover that whatever I do now is only the tip of iceberg.” It’s the unknown however that motivates him. The fact that he might see or hear something new tomorrow.

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His work is a combination of documentary and commercial photography.  Having been initiated into photography via the commercial side, he found his passion for storytelling leading him towards documentary, and noticed that no matter how hard he tried, his pictures always looked “a bit glossy”. “I saw that as a weakness for a long time, till I realised that no matter how hard I tried, I can never run away from the fact that it’s part of me and my past.

This past life came to an end seven years ago when Kofi dropped everything after five successful years in advertising to pursue a full-time career in photography. After starting off as a copywriter and accidentally picking up a camera because they needed to take pictures for design layouts, he kept on improving. Upon reaching the point where in his job as creative director at advertising agency TBWA the clients often preferred his pictures to those of his professional colleagues, he knew his competence in photography could make him a career in photography. “Years before that I worked as a radio presenter and even though the fame was nice, I got bored at some point. I felt the visual part of me was dying – my childhood dream was to become a painter – and changed to advertising. Now felt I had to make another change, even though the timing was bad with a family to support and not much money in the bank. The early days were tough but perseverance always pays off.”

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Luckily Acquah persevered, because when he made the change he became a joke in many circles. “Most educated Africans – and Ghanaians in particular – believe that the only mark of good education and intelligence is when one works as a lawyer, banker, doctor, engineer, pilot or professor for example. They don’t realise that if well-educated folk don’t take on the responsibility of telling Africa’s stories, we will always be at the mercy of those who tell our stories for us. With digital cameras becoming affordable, I am seeing a lot more young people taking up photography and this is the beginning of the journey to correct Africa’s image after over a hundred years of photographic misinterpretation.”

Yet the photographer doesn’t want to go out to “educate” or “change opinions”. He thinks it’s dangerous to work with this mindset and a very presumptuous idea. “It assumes that one knows what’s best for another and unfortunately much of what has been created on Africa was done by people who were intent on showing us the way; totally disregarding their own blindness.” For that reason he tries to stay as neutral as possible. As much as he would like to always paint Ghana and Africa in a positive light, there is also the fact there is a lot that happens on the continent that isn’t positive. “I see it as a gross injustice towards the victims if people like me turn a blind eye to their stressful situations. It’s about showing a truthful image, contrary to the fact that western media has over centuries focused so much on Africa’s negatives. People now think that’s all there is, when the reality is all the rot won’t even account for five percent of what Africa is.”

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From his hometown of Kokrobite, a tiny village outside the capital Accra on the coast, he works all across Africa for corporations like FIFA, Nike and BASF, NGOs like UNESCO, WaterAid and CARE, and magazines/newspapers like Geo France, The Guardian and The Financial Times. Ghana is his hub, and from there he’s travelled to Cameroon, Uganda, Angola, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast and Liberia. Travelling so much for work has its difficulties and challenges, the three main ones being access, cost and culture. “Gaining access to certain parts of the continent is just difficult. You can think of this in terms of going to remote villages and towns, but even traveling from one African country to another can be difficult. Travelling within Africa can be extremely expensive, and when one finds himself where the story is, then there is the cultural and languages barrier to cross. At the end of the day, however, nothing inspires me like this continent because of all the diversity it offers.”

And there are more positive sides, because the continent’s rising economy brings more prosperity to photography enthusiasts in Africa; for Acquah that means more people asking to buy prints. “And a lot of young people can now afford some good cameras so we are also getting a lot of new photographers every day. Next to that, fortunately because of the internet, there is also a rapid growth in competence within the photography community. The internet really takes away every excuse we used to have for when we performed poorly in any endeavour.” Of course it helps that photographers like Acquah spread their message and photography via the Instagram group ,everydayafrica’, for example.

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And we mustn’t forget the bridge the internet creates between African and non-African photographers. “Before, I think that most foreigners came with preconceived notions and went around looking for images that fit their prejudice. Fortunately, that attitude is gradually changing: I see a lot more effort by non-African photographers to change the rhetoric. The difference between my work and that of non-African photographers is something the viewer perceives more than I do, however, I don’t compare myself to anyone – foreign or national.” That leads Acquah to another observation: “Ghanaians don’t collaborate.” It’s a cultural problem, in his opinion, of which he also is guilty. “We keep our ideas and opportunities to ourselves and only invite our colleagues to our exhibitions and ask them to like our published work on social media. If we never become as strong a force, as say the Nigerians, this will be what did us in – self-centredness.” Words his colleagues throughout the continent should probably pay heed to.

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The new African Photography

by jrdijkstra Posted on November 6, 2013

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

Not only is Emeka Okereke (1980) one of the Nigeria’s most high profile contemporary photographers, he is also the founder of Invisible Borders, an artist-led initiative that brings several upcoming African artists together for an annual road-trip in order to question the photographic representation of their continent. ’A photograph is a window and not the view. Don’t photograph what you see, photograph what you feel’, he tells the participants. That’s what he does himself and it’s an approach that allows him to explore questions of co-existence, otherness and self-discovery. Okereke’s work often includes subtle references to socio-political issues, which he also addresses by non-photographic means: poetry, video and collaborative projects.

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‘There is a sense of responsibility in my work, together with consciousness. I want to show the public the changing situation of Africa, but first we need to sensitise them to actually be able to see this.’ By deciphering hidden lines and using his travels and experiences – Okereke lives and works between Africa and Europe – he tries to understand the world he’s living in from an African point of view. ’Only after that can I try to make the rest of the world change their perception of our continent. By putting emphasis on the way we live our lives I try to steer away from the negative (stereotypical) image that people have of Africa. We have our own kind of organisation, that comes from improvisation’, he explains. He points out though, that this is a very tricky subject. The pitfall of romanticisation or commodification beckons, and with those you miss your goal. ’Emphasising either extreme just works in an averted way.’

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For Okereke, Africans don’t have to justify themselves to anyone. Nowadays, African artists and photographers are forced to take a stance and make a big deal out of what they do, he says. ’Where we actually should take the freedom to show or tell what we want, be creative and try to find the right balance. It’s almost a cliché, but somehow Africans don’t see that they can investigate their own position and that way be active without getting boxed in to a issue. Because if they divert, they won’t get noticed anymore. We’re not free to do what we want yet.’

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Part of the reason why Okereke has such an outspoken opinion about the status of photography in Africa is because he’s been part of the Depth of Field collective (DoF) for over ten years. Just two years after he came in contact with photography in 2001 and not even five years after he first touched a camera to capture his siblings going to church, he became the assistant of another Nigerian photographer, Uche James-Iroha. Uche was one of the founders of the group of six professionals in DoF and being around him every day eased Emeka’s way into the collective as the youngest member. ’It was like the school I never had. Not just a project, but a way of life. DoF is a group of friends actually, who when they get together talk solely about the photographic portrayal of Africa, aesthetics and their subjects.’ Together with colleagues like Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Akinbode Akinbiyi, Uche created a sort of a radical environment for Okereke. It quickly resulted in honour and praise, with Uche winning the Best Young Photographer award at the Bamako Photo Festival in 2003.

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‘Photography is a powerful tool and I do feel that I have a task to fulfill as a photographer. Sometimes situations that cannot be explained, can be shown. My pictures are not merely images, something static. They’re windows to possibilities, can be read and interpreted differently, lending themself to the flexibility of shifting contexts.’ Okereke, who has exhibited in biennales and art festivals in different cities around the world, is constantly looking for answers, not paying heed to received wisdom. He just wants to see Africa anew by experimenting within his own reality, with history as his guide. He is optimistic, and why wouldn’t he be? ’There is a lot of energy flowing through Nigeria when it comes to the future of photography. The audience is positive about our work. Young people are very interested in new directions to follow and internet gives them a stage to show their images to the world. And all over the continent female photographers are stepping up, watch that!’

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According to Okereke, the rise of African photography goes hand in hand with the growth of an entire ecosystem. ’There have to be people writing about photography, galleries showing it, videographers willing to cooperate and bloggers spreading the work’, he explains. ’It’s a new generation of students and young professionals that is concerned with this, all to create a better understanding of the work of photographers. Education within these sectors is therefore a very important factor.’ This explains why he organises projects with artistic interventions, promoting exchanges that cut across indigenous and international platforms. He led the first ever photographic exchange projects between a school in France and one in Nigeria. ’I tell these students that they can photograph anything; there are no boundaries. If they diversify, the complete story will come out. You need to see the potential, be sensitive to talent and give people room to grow.’

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Wherever he is, Okereke’s photography is African. He doesn’t feel that he has to explain why his work is African, because he is one himself. The moment he starts to fight that, he says, he’d box himself in again. ‘It’s just a different context. What is going to change the perspective of Africa is not what you do or how you do it, but what influences you and what you show the outside world. I allow myself to change and let myself become an embodiment of that change. My photography will reflect that and hopefully affect others and their perceptive.’

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Photography as a medium for social change

by jrdijkstra Posted on October 18, 2013

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

‘I believe in the power of still images’, proclaims Mario Macilau (1984). The Mozambican photographer uses his photography as a tool to change people’s minds about the world we’re living in, focusing on the living and working conditions of socially isolated groups. ‘I’m mostly thinking about how my work can contribute to changing their situation. As a social documentary photographer I try to break the silence surrounding them and bring their identities, which have been hidden for too long, to the foreground. Hopefully this will cause some social impact.’

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Activism for progressive change has always been integrated into the work of the young artist from the city of Maputo. Operating within a global movement fighting for social justice, peace and environmental issues, Macilau constantly confronts his audience with the power of realism. Born in the newly independent Mozambique in the midst of the most critical phase of its civil war, his family struggled. ‘Plants do not choose the garden in which they flourish and blossom’, he writes in his biography. Having worked since he was just seven years old, he started taking pictures just ten years ago, reaching a professional level in 2007. ‘Now I specialize in long-term projects on living and environmental conditions, striving for a positive change across different cultures, locations and perspectives.’

Macilau, whose images have been described as ‘alarming and provoking, arresting and engaging, public and private but, above all, utterly human’ does not expect people to tell him how amazing the compositions of his work are, because he would rather have them read his work deeply. ‘What I shoot is quite sensitive and I want it to create a line of discussion, to provoke. The power of the image together with my believe in my subjects motivate me to photograph their situations.‘ For Macilau it’s about sharing their testimonies, while directly reflecting on his own experiences. ‘I believe that the path of life has made me who I am and I learned from that. It would be easy to say that, if born somewhere else, I would have different views, but if you don’t experience something, you don’t know. My life is not based on imagination, but on experience. I was born in Mozambique and I am still based here, a fact that is important in my personal and professional life.’

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Even though he didn’t know how he could use photography as a source of income when he started out ten years ago, Macilau did believe in the medium as a stage to get his message out. Yet he admits to not knowing much about how critics perceive his images: ‘What they say is more virtual than real. There is a difference between misinterpreting an image and using a photograph to tell a different story than it was meant to do’. With that statement he aims at a century of photographic misrepresentation of the African continent. According to Macilau, who won both the Visa pour la Creation in France and the Protection Project Award in Washington last year, the world is filled with cameras these days and regardless of the past, we should look at how photographs are getting used right now to portray the continent and Mozambique in particular. ‘As professional photographers we should aim at painting a complete and coherent image, instead of letting amateurs tell a misleading story with sensational photographs.’

To do this he focuses on the different aspects of everyday life in his work. What brings a big difference when comparing photography to paintings or drawings is the fact that ‘the people are becoming part of your portfolio, including their real lives, identity and stories.’ This reality, says Macilau, must be seen by others in order to see the impact and changes they’ve gone through in the future. ‘They may be different, their stories might change, just like their way of thinking. There is not a singular image of Mozambique I intend to show. It changes constantly and I use my photography as a tool to show people’s lives to the world.’

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This is not an easy task though. As Macilau explains, artists in Mozambique are marginalized by people from the outside (like tourists and media) and the inside – collectors. He has to continue fighting and dreaming and even though he could choose to go abroad, he prefers to stay in Mozambique because it’s the best way for him to articulate the experiences of the people there. ‘I grew up there, I lived the same life [as my subjects, ed.] and I know what in their hearts and minds. It’s easy to understand each other and build a relationship, but as a photographer I also like to explore new worlds, work outside my comfort zone and discover different places.‘ Good reasons, especially when you consider that the recent economic growth hasn’t done anything for the popularity of photography in his country. ‘There is simply no social development here. Without it, emerging artists have a gloomy future. But we simply cannot force it. It’s not about the quantity of the images, but the quality.’

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What challenges the progress of photography in his country? ‘Young people in Mozambique are very afraid to take risks’, explains Macilau. ‘These days a lot of people come to me, saying: you travel a lot, I want to become a photographer and do the same. Young people have to first work on building a portfolio with strong images. They dream too much. South Africa for example does provide a lot of good spaces for young artists like Sabelo Mlangeni to develop themselves first.’ There are some good ‘new generation’ photographers in his country, such as Mauro Pinto and Filipe Branquinho. Macilau also points out Michael Tsegaye (Ethiopia) and Sammy Baloji (Congo) as examples of young talent.

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The African continent needs this new talent in order to correctly represent itself in the future. ‘We’re no victims. No matter what we have been through, we’re still here with the intention to achieve something. I hear people complain all the time, instead of fighting for what they believe in. Too much theory and not enough practical effort to change the situation, just like a lot of young photographers. They have to understand the world is more than just the continent we’re living in. We’re not special because we’re Africans, but because we’re human beings like everybody else and live together on the same planet.‘ Macilau therefore focuses on the present, but never looses sight of the future: ‘If today it’s raining and you don’t remove your clothes when entering the house, what will you wear tomorrow?

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Barbara Minishi is exploring her own ‘unique visual DNA’

by jrdijkstra Posted on October 1, 2013

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

Barbara Minishi shoots from instinct. ‘I immerse myself in my work and stay open to surprises’, she explains. ‘It’s easy to get set in a particular way of doing things, but I find that by following what I’m curious and excited about, and therefore what challenges me, I grow.’ What she’s scared about, the unknown, for instance, galvanises her. ‘That fear, a certain kind of vulnerability is necessary.’

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Minishi first came in contact with photography at an early age, when she played around with her father’s camera. At university she primarily shot as a way to avoid participating in other activities, but her work got noticed by the uni’s PR-department and she got hired as a photographer for the school paper. ‘I didn’t realise it was what I really wanted to do as a career until I had a ‘eureka!’ moment a week after graduation. I realised photography was what drove me and held my interest. With it I had a voice and could focus on the subjects I wanted to show the world.’

After an internship with one of the few photographers in Nairobi with whom she shared the same vision with respect to photography, Minishi started shooting her own documentary stories, teaching and challenging herself by just doing it because the schools to which she applied for further training charged steep fees. ‘Photography is a daily learning process that I got on Nairobi’s streets’, says Minishi. ‘I just love watching, observing and noticing, witnessing the ordinary and capturing that. Whether it be in fashion, commercial, documentary, art or portraiture, I relish the act of creating a strong constructive element, the ability to tell stories, the freedom to explore concepts and to challenge clichés.’ Photography is for her Minishi a playground that provides her with an audience and a chance to re-imagine, connect and learn.

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‘There are no proper schools of photography here in Kenya, but I feel the concept of visual literacy needs to be incorporated into our educational system as we are all sensitive to visual nuance and sometimes images get misconstrued.’

While she isn’t solely concerned with changing opinions, she does find it odd whenever someone says her images “don’t look Kenyan,” particularly as Kenya is where she grew up and went to school, and she mostly shoots Kenyans in Kenya. ‘Some people get really surprised by the calibre of my work, and by my aesthetic and manner of working, and assume it’s because of foreign influences. However, it’s the opposite that’s true. I focus on different subjects, and I think these do not automatically equate to being in one place. Sometimes getting out of your zone or circle of influence provides the opportunity to look at things from a different way.’

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About one thing Minishi is really clear: that her vision is not based on a quest. People can interpret her work however they want, whether they choose to view it as a sort of movement or not. ‘It’s their assumption but not my reality,’ she points out. ‘Maybe it’s because for too long a certain kind of image of Africa was mostly seen and now that there are more and more African photographers doing their own visionary work the rest of the world is starting to notice and calling it as a ‘quest’. I don’t think it is. I believe it’s simply photographers doing what they want to do and more people being receptive to our work.’ As a result she feels people sometimes get stuck discussing and analysing viewpoints about photography from Africa and forget that life is going on. ‘I would rather shoot more quality photographs than talk about the lopsided view. I’m really not concerned about cementing myself in the past.’

Sometimes however the rising photographer feels that she does get stuck in a ‘victim’ mentality as she talks too much about the past and external negative factors. ‘I forget that we are in the present, the now. Of course there’s history, but I can’t carry this around like excess luggage all the time and use it to justify how and why I shoot images. I have learned from it and still do, but don’t want to stay focused on it anymore. Learn from the past and move on, just like you deal with other difficulties. Use it to your advantage!’ No wonder her aim is to broaden her horizon and work worldwide, a goal she’s clearly already taking little steps towards.

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Asked how she’d like to portray Kenya, she shrugs: ‘Kenya is what it is. Truth is subjective and my truth is not necessarily that of others. So I don’t want to concoct any kind of image about my country.’ Her opinion about the development and limitations of photography in Kenya are just as clear: ‘Limitations exist based on an individual and how they view the world’, she says. ‘Pondering it doesn’t change anything and with the resources I have I am developing myself as best as I can. Of course I don’t have all the equipment, tools, or access or outreach I want, but this doesn’t stop me. I do what I can with what I have.‘ Whether the continent’s rising economy is being reflected in the popularity of photography in Kenya is for her also a non-issue: ‘It has always been popular in Africa, irrespective of the economical status. Same for Kenya.’

She sees the photography scene growing nonetheless, and she finds it ‘exciting and dynamic’. But she is careful about looking at other photographers’ work, in order to stay unique. ‘The challenge is always to create a cohesive story. Sometimes it happens, other times not.’ That there is a difference in the way situations are portrayed is natural, she believes. ‘Some people choose one angle, others another. I’m not grading another photographers work on what they may have failed to see and then take it on as my responsibility to get another opinion out to the international market.‘ And it’s not solely an African or non-African issue. ‘Both have their own failures, and I know that there are also foreigners who are indeed telling honest and beautiful stories about our continent.’

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Minishi stresses the point that her aim is not expressly to be different from other Kenyan or foreign photographers for the sake of standing out. Rather, it’s a lifelong process of exploring her own ‘unique visual DNA’. ‘I believe following what you are attracted to irrespective of what others say or do is the way to work. Of course you can learn from constructive criticism and get inspired by others photographers’ work, but I think it’s brilliant to have our different backgrounds influence our storytelling.’ What that will mean for her in the future is unknown. ‘The present is changing as the seconds tick by’, she says. ‘Therefore I focus on growing now, exploring and developing my vision on Kenya and the way to show this to the outside world though all manners possible.’

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LagosPhoto 2013: The Megacity & Non-City

by jrdijkstra Posted on August 19, 2013

One of the most important photography festivals in Africa, next to Les Rencontres de Bamako in Mali, is LagosPhoto, which this year will be held for the fourth time from October 25 till November 24 in the capital of Nigeria. Being the first and only international photography festival of the country is has appropriated itself the task to promote African photography from national as well as international photographers around a central theme, this year ‘The Megacity & Non-City’. Within this subject photographers tend to looks at both the development of urban centers and the influences of technology, the internet, and the digital revolution in Africa. They will also investigate how these factors have transformed photography and their sense of place in a globally connected world, exploring the relationship between photography and social conditions on the continent.

‘We want to form an answer to the stereotypical images of poverty, conflict and famine with which the photographic representation of the continent is infested’, according to founder and director of the festival Azu Nwagbogu, a native Lagosian. ‘A more nuanced and balanced, well-rounded perspective in which the negative as well as the positive aspects are represented, with a focus on diversity, is what we want to show.’ Refreshing, new and engaged, that’s what photography at LagosPhoto should be. That way Nwagbogu wants to show his audience what African photography has to offer, not what it lacks. From the expertise of domestic photographers and through the broad vision of their foreign counterparts. By extending to international photographers that work extensively on the continent they allow for a healthy dialogue between local and international artists.

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With over thirty photographers representing diverse genres as photojournalism, documentary, fine art, fashion and conceptual practices the festival extends outside of its official venue to include outdoor exhibitions in congested public spaces, with the aim of engaging the broader general public with photography. ‘As we started LagosPhoto with the predicament of photographers only focussing on the negative sides of Africa in mind, it is refreshing that now we are moving beyond this to focus on broader image-based work that approach fine art and conceptual practices, more on par with the international arts community. I think that negating the negative of African imagery is an important first step, but after that you need to step forward and show what is new and engaging.’ Nwagbogu has observed a massive change in the way the continent is represented through photography since the festival started. By focusing on great balanced work others are encouraged to capture these sorts of stories and imageries, which add value and importance.

There is a thriving community of emerging photographers in Nigeria as well as in other African countries who decide to stay local and document the experiences of their environment. ‘They of course have the advantage of specific knowledge and an intimate relationship with their surroundings, but also travel and document other cultures and experiences. With the right tools to tell their own stories the can reach great results’, says Nwagbogu, who himself is motivated by that progress. ‘LagosPhoto is organized by a very small and hardworking team, and each year the festival grows to an unprecedented level. We are focused on creating a community for photography to thrive and it’s good to see how interesting that community has become.‘ With LagosPhoto Nwagbogu is looking to build an institution; an entity that is self sustaining and relevant beyond our days. As for African photography, we knows that it will continue to grow and is are excited to be a part of this growth process. ‘Everything in Africa is unique and most of the time very complicated; therefore more exciting and interesting. That makes me humble while also inspiring me in equal matter. Our festival will keep on growing and service the continent.’

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A movement of new African photography

by jrdijkstra Posted on August 8, 2013

Conflicts, poverty, diseases and misery those are unfortunately still the general aspects with which foreign media characterizes the African continent. Heartbreaking images just sell a lot better then pictures of happy, smiling Africans. Yet there are enough photographers, domestic and foreign, who are also willing to show the other side of life and go in-depth to portray Africa through the eyes of professionals who actually do care about this continent.

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Giving those without a voice hope and a goal, that’s why Joe Lukhovi undertakes on his endless journey to photograph the real life in Kenya. The 24 year old photographer from Nairobi feels it’s his duty to show the ‘invisible reality’ of his African home country and shine a light on those aspects that many foreigners never get to see. Without any photographic education – those were not available in Kenya at the time – he just went into the streets and developed himself into a documentary photographer. ‘Photography is my way to let the identity of closed communities emerge. It’s plainly wrong to only show the negative sides of a country and skip the positive ones. We have been the victim of twisted foreign reporting that only serve the wrong purposes. As an African it therefore feels as my task to show people the true image.’

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Lukhovi doesn’t stand alone in his opinion about the imaging that since decennia exists of the African continent. Also the South-African Anthony Bila, founder of the picture blog ‘The Expressionist’ and also autodidact, is tired of the misconceptions and prejudices about his continent. ‘That’s why I take it to the streets in South Africa to show my country on a day to day basis. I won’t to step off the one dimensional view that is being fed to us by international mass media. Africa is anything but lost, instead it’s a place full of possibilities and beauty. We Africans can tell our own story in our own way.’ Putting the continent into a new perspective, with a fresh and new look and at the same time show a deeper layer. That’s exactly what a new wave of contemporary photographers who work on the African continent have in mind. And luckily they’re not alone in this, because a growing number of international colleagues support them.

 

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Europeans in Africa

Like the 33 years old German photographer Marc Hofer for example, who quit his successful job at Microsoft to chase his dream of becoming a photo journalist. From his post in Kampala, Uganda, he covers South and East Africa with a refreshing point of view. ‘In the contemporary photo journalism on the African continent I see to much artistic manipulation. Foreign photographers only think about what their audience wants to see, not about what they should actually show. It’s so easy to get carried away by what sells, but at the same time very dangerous. It’s the main reason that Africa at this moment has such a bad and negative reputation; photographers have been looking and portraying this continent in a much to simplistic and sensational way for much to long.’ He as well sees an image that therefore is solely focussed on problems and conflicts, but there is hope. Hofer sees himself as part of a countermovement that has been growing the past few years: foreign photographers who try to broaden the vision on Africa by capturing the continent with an open mindset. ‘Well informed professionals who dive into background stories and show all sides of a story.’ Together with the their domestic colleagues they can create a context and reach international media, resulting in a more balanced picture of the continent that can actually contribute to improving the living situation of many Africans, instead of being counterproductive.’

Township DiariesTownship Diaries © Anthony Bila

While Bila in Johannesburg goes into the townships to photograph the fashion and street cultures, Lukhovi visits the garbage dump of Dandora in the east of Nairobi for his series ‘Scavenging Boma’ to show the hope that can radiate from even the hardest of realities of living in wretched conditions. ‘I want to show South Africa to the world and the world to South Africa’, says one. ‘With my images I try to show the hope and success of people’, continues the other. ‘Our continent is full of blessings and even though it gets tagged as lost, there are more the enough beautiful and exhilarating stories to be told. Photography is the best medium to show these hopeful sides of the continent.’ That’s exactly the reason Dutch photographer Martin Waalboer uses it to capture the life in troublesome countries like Liberia (where he documented the life in the town of Harper), Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau from a cultural and artistic point of view. According to him foreigners have seen so much extremes coming from the these places, that they consider it to be normal. ‘Therefore I focus on average people, like a chronicler of daily life. We should be reporting like it’s a freak show over there, but find special things in the ordinary. They’re also just people like you and I’, he reflects.

Tubman houseA Town Called Harper © Martin Waalboer

Different yet the same

Whether they’re domestic (Lukhovi and Bila) or foreign photographer (Hofer and Waalboer), they share the same values and goals: change the cliche image of Africa, step away from the stereotypical sensation coverage and go in-depth with the people. Even though getting published when covering stories about day to day life, the all want to keep showing the possibilities and potential of the countries they operate in through photography. Like Bila did with his ‘Township Diaries’ and ‘Portraits of Africa’ for example: personal projects that go deeper and show a fascinating aspect of a continent that deserves a more balanced photographic coverage then currently present in international media. If this growing group of conscious photographers together with their national and international dedicated colleagues can really change the image of the African continent in foreign media is a question that cannot be answered yet. ‘At least we can try’, they all agree, ‘to take away some of the preconceptions and misconceptions by portraying common people and documenting daily life’. According to them Africans shouldn’t allow outside media to tell them what is happening in their own countries: they should take matters into their own hands and take control of the imaging on their continent. Luckily this sense of responsibility is growing and by collaboration with counterparts from abroad this new image of Africa will eventually reach foreign audiences. Only is this way can they together take away this mark of lost continent in a photographical way.

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African refugees, another problem for the Israeli government

by jrdijkstra Posted on October 20, 2011

‘Infiltrators is what they are called’, shouts Oscar Olivier. This volunteer for the Hotline for Migrant Workers (HMW) is getting upset every time he starts talking about them: African refugees in Israel. ‘The situation of refugees here is quite critical’, he explains, ‘and it hasn’t improved due to the lack of legislation.’ It might come as a surprise to most people, but there is quite an African population in Israel. Next to the 120,000 African Jews, there are 35,000 African refugees in a country counting nearly 7,5 million inhabitants. But where the first group of mainly Ethiopian Jews cost the Israeli government little problems, it’s the refugees – who mainly reside in the beach resort of Tel Aviv – that give this Jewish state the biggest headache next to their conflict with the Palestinians. Their existence hardly receive any coverage anywhere, but where the history of African Jews dates back over 2700 years and they therefore, but for the color of their skin, are as Israeli alike, it’s the African refugees that the inhabitants of Tel Aviv became more agitated with over the past decade.

African Jews and African refugees

‘Actually, the whole situation for African refugees has become critical since xenophobia is orchestrated by some government ministers’, says Oscar, himself from Congo,  aiming at Eli Yishai of Interior and Yaakov Neeman of Justice. Because of incitement their – lack of – legislation and ruling, refugees can be ‘beaten up in the streets’ or ‘even stabbed’, while their houses can be ‘set on fire for no reason’. ‘By their neighbors so to speak’, reacts a shocked Oscar. And by ‘their neighbors’ he doesn’t only mean the white, European Jews, back also their black brothers. ‘African Jews are a little bit like African Americans: some of them are embarrassed or ashamed to be associated with Africa or black people. Therefore – again, some of them – consider themselves not to be Africans or blacks and prefer to stay away from fellow their original brothers.’ A critical situation, that due to the every ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

African refugees in Tel Aviv

When thinking about the Israeli beach resort Tel Aviv, little people would think about the problems this country has. Along the sandy beaches and perfect coast line, many tend to forget the conflict that’s been holding the country in a permanent state of emergency. But even though Gaza and the West Bank are far away and orthodox Jews aren’t the only people you see walking in the streets – like in Jerusalem – there is another problem this second city of Israel faces. ‘Nearly 35,000 African refugees, almost 23,000 from Eritrea, 5000 from Sudan, 1000 Ivoirians, 300 Congolese and a few from different places on the continent’, according to Oscar. They’ve been coming into the country via Egypt since the early nineties, but their numbers increased since early 2007. The city of choice was Tel Aviv, since it’s the most cosmopolitan and ‘open-minded’ city in Israel, with the most humanitarian NGO’s to support them. Almost 85 percent of them live in South Tel-Aviv, a neighborhood I toured last summer with Swaray Alusine – from Sierra Leone – from the African Workers Union (AWU). His NGO is a social change organization founded and registered in Israel since November 1997 to advocate for both migrant workers and their children (especially those born in this country), while HMW is there to assist refugees and foreign workers to deal with the local bureaucracy. ‘To build a bridge between the Israeli society and refugees’, Oscar explains. A bridge well needed, because even though the refugees live in the same neighborhood with Israeli Jews, they also live completely segregated from each other, as two people living apart together on the same land. ‘Bear in mind however’, Oscar continues, ‘that African refugees are segregating themselves by not learning the local Hebrew language. They keep on speaking English or French for years, while we are not in England nor France.’ What a paradox.

No comparison

Both of the NGO’s don’t receive any funding from the government, so therefore the AWU collects humanitarian goods like clothing from kibbutzim and distributes them to the refugees. They have to, because there is no clear or set law by the State of Israel toward refugee seekers. ‘It is only on humanitarian grounds that some of them receive temporary protection; that is not being arrested by the immigration officers’, tells a well spoken Swaray. ‘It’s only a small percentage that receives refugee status, but then still nothing is certain. No housing is provided, no free education and no free medical attention. There’s nothing they can do if the authority does not allow them to do anything.’ A completely different world compared to that of the African Jews from Ethiopia, who are considered full citizens of Israel and receive rights accordingly. They live in Ethiopian communities throughout the country, where they get direct assistance in their life support by the government. ‘The African Jew sits higher in hierarchy than the refugee one. Even their general opinion about the conflict and towards Palestinians are the same as the ‘white’ Jews one’s’, according to Oscar. ‘But they also get discriminated sometimes, by European Jews. Unemployment rates among them are very high and most black Jews live by government subventions. Therefore they are not happy to see fellow Africans coming in, believing they have to share their piece of the pie. While not even a single cent is given to the refugees by the government.’ It’s just one of the reasons for the tensions between these brothers and as a result the two don’t even live together anymore.

South Tel Aviv

Most African refugees live in South Tel Aviv, in neighborhoods like Shapira and HaTikva. Swaray explains that almost all of the few Israeli that lived in the area fled to the north or central part of the city. ‘This area is now completely inhabited by refugees, so much of them that some without housing sleep in the park or on the street. Most of the squad or pay a small amount of rent to some shabby home owner who doesn’t want people to know he rent out to refugees.’ Swaray has lived in the area for many years himself and calls the lives of refugees in Tel Aviv – and elsewhere in Israel – ‘miserable, laborious and mostly short lived’. No wonder it forms the main center of the AWU as well as HMW, since no authority cares for these refugees. ‘They come here because of civil wars, mismanagement, famine or ethno-political strive, but live here is not much better. They few that have a simple job try to support the community, while they can do notning but hang around all day and wait for something to come along. It is very difficult for them to get a meal every day, but sanitation is the biggest problem. They survive by depending on gifts, help from NGO’s like us and otherwise begging. Sometimes they would have been better off staying in Africa.’

Dead end

Like said, Israel has no written or defined refugee laws. And since there is no legislation on this issue, Oscar claims that every asylum request is handled according to the feelings of clerks working for the Ministry of Interior. ‘It looks like the religious minister and her clerks are allergic to African refugees and to anyone that looks different, so requests are determined by the moods of those people rather than the law. Meaning that requests are never checked out – except when it concerns an African Jew; there is no relation between them and other African refugees’, so says Oscar. ‘It’s a dead end.’ Only a few individuals of the Members of Parliament – like the Ethiopian Jew Shlomo Molla – are supportive of the refugee problem, while many more of them would rather see them go them come. ‘But still then they have to file a report at the UNHCR-office in Jerusalem, before they can apply to the ministry for a re-entry visa. After contacting them, presuming they believe your story, you can travel to another country for a specific time. But not to the Palestinian Authority of course. There are no African living there and it’s off limits to everyone.’ Refugees can get a three months visa that is renewable, but can also be cancelled at any time. Some temporary examples are given a visas for a month or two, just to protect them from getting arrested because they don’t have any papers. It’s a vicious circle; nothing like Europe, where a refugee with legal status can just buy a ticket and travel. Even travelling within the borders of Israel is dangerous without the right papers. ‘Refugees aren’t safe in Israel anywhere. Because there is no legal ruling concerning their issues, the way to immigration police’s abuse is large and wide open.’ Not surprising they don’t really welcome you as a journalist, let alone speak openly about their situation with you.

Voiceless

Next to the political factors, also some rabbis are working against refugees. Oscar blames the color of their skin: ‘It’s has taken a huge place in the minds of clerks, rabbis and the public. Being black means the same as being a refugee and there is no room for compassion. Some rabbis have even signed a letter, forbidding renting houses to refugees. And their followers abide by them.’ Although there are discrimination laws in Israel which also cover Africans living there, they do not apply to refugees. ‘Or are at least refugees are not taken into account.’ The salvation of refugees comes exclusively from NGO’s like the AWU and HMW, both examples of organizations that struggle with their own problems as well. Even though Oscar tries to explain that a lot of refugees have been moving from one place to another since biblical times, the Israeli government doesn’t bow. ‘Their stamped as infiltrators, but no file about their status has ever been checked by the ministry. You cannot label them like that’, responds an angry Oscar. Swaray isn’t anything more uplifting about the situation in Tel Aviv: ‘Refugees are voiceless in Israel.’

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Deephouse talent from South Africa: Culoe de Song

by jrdijkstra Posted on September 9, 2011

His distinctive sound, a mixture of house, deephouse, hiphop and electro combined with African influences, make him one of the fastest rising stars of South Africa. Culoe de Song just entered his twenties, but the DJ from Johannesburg is rapidly taking over the world. He recently released his new album Elevation! in the Sugar Factory, Amsterdam. For Overdose.am I had a nice chat with him before he boarded his plane to dazzle us with his epic African house music.

You participated in the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona in 2008, from where you’re international career took flight. There you shared your culture and experience through music with a new type of audience and got in contact with the Innervisions lable. What happened after that?

‘Well before I was just making the music, but at the Red Bull Music Academy I got serieus. Of course I joined Soulistic Music already, but kept reaching out. The academy was a big step. The moment Innervisions came to me was the moment it all really started, especially internationally. It felt like the time to present them my part of the evolution in music.’

It must have not only been a big step for you, but also for South African dance music. You being one of the few reaching so high?

‘Yeah, it was. We’re in an era of the youth, a lot of young people are getting into the dance business and that’s just what I did. There are a lot of young South African producers, musicians and other artists that are taking their chance. I’m just part of the movement.’

Operating from Johannesburg, how do you manage to get such a broad audience?

‘Joburg is good for my business and it has a nice vibe. It’s like South Africa’s New York. But also in the countryside the dance scene is growing. That’s the good thing about South Africa; there’s a lot of things growing in different places. Not only the people in the big cities, but also in the smaller towns they’re are interested in dance music. The scene is big and filled with African house musician.’

The year after the academy you returned to the city for Sonar Festival. The same summer you played in Europe’s underground dance music scene in Italy, Belgium, Germany and Amsterdam. How does that make you feel?

‘There must be a lot of people around the world that love my music. With all the publicity I got more bookings and that feels very good. The people are reaching out to my music, they way I play it. Before I mainly worked in South Africa, so to go out was huge. The responses of the rest of the world were enthusiastic. It’s a great honor touring around the world with my music.’

Now you’ve come back to Amsterdam to delight us with a new album of epic African house music. Does Amsterdam have a special place in your heart?

‘Amsterdam is amazing. I’m really excited to come back to Sugarfactory, because last time it was very nice. The city is one of my favorites in the world and last year I also performed during Amsterdam Dance Event. What attracts me most is the fact that Amsterdam is so retro, you get a really calm atmosphere.’

And our dance music scene, including our audience?

‘When they get to clubs it’s a different story with the people from Amsterdam. They really enjoy the music and just go crazy. Everybody feels the music very bad. You got a lot a artistic people walking around and you can see that in the dance scene as well as within the audience. Amsterdam is just one of its kind.’

In what way do you think your music connects people in Europe and the United States to the people in Africa?

‘It’s great to travel the world, experience and meet people around the world because it’s all about music. With music we can all understand each other: it’s universal.Even though we use less vocals in dance music, it makes sense and therefore bridges gaps. We feel each other. It’s powerful.’

And South Africa in particular?

‘I’ve got a big fan base in South Africa that reflects to the fans outside. But of course South Africa is a country where the difference between rich and poor are very big. So I think by growing up in Africa we got the message that with music you can relate to people, no matter their status. Next to that South Africa is a country with a lot of – turbulent – history, whereby the music and rhythms got filled with political messages. It’s the young people who learn about this history via music and so I try to keep that local flavor into there as well. That’s unique for South Africa.’

About your new album Elevation!: how did you keep the mixture of house, deep house, international hiphop and electro with African influences alive on this one?

‘My new album is filled with local vibes with the inspiration of indigenous music. It also features some collaborations, like I did before as well. I chose the title Elevation! with a good reason, because I think it’s a step up again for my music. Everything I experienced has led me to a point right now and I wanted to put the growth into this album.’

What’s the next step for Culoe de Song?

‘Keep spreading the word, spreading the music. I want to tell my people about my love for South Africa and show them the beauty of our country. I try to do that with my music, but also just by telling people. More collaborations around the world to keep putting people together with the music. That’s my main influence and that’s what keeps me going.’

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