Eye Candy: Delphine Diallo Captures The Modern Queens Of New York

((  Written By: Nani Hapa  ))   Artist Delphine Diallo first dazzled critics and art connoisseurs alike with her richly textured photographs layered with patterns extracted from the textiles, totemic animals, and plants. Armed with impressive credentials (Delphine is a graduate of the Académie Charpentier School of Visual Arts) and innate creativity, Delphine has worn many titles including, director, filmmaker, photographer and video editor, among others, and worked with an array of clients in the entertainment and other industries, including most recently, Les Nubians. (Delphine shot the Fall 2010 double covers of MIMI featuring soul sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart.)

Now, Delphine is dazzling the art world once again with her new photography project Queen(s) of New York, a stunning collection of modern photographs reminiscent of vintage colonial posters.

Delphine shares about Queen(s) of New York:

"Once upon a time in New York city, there were Queens. Coming from Africa, South-America, Europe or Asia, they are a new generation of women that inspire me. They represent the diversity, the mix of cultures and the energy of the city. More than just aesthetic portrait, it was an outward manifestation of their identity and their inter-relatedness with their natural and spiritual power. I use the graphic design of the so-called exotic postcards and I subvert them, My queens are not a colonial dream. I shoot Laura, Katie, Mengly, Monica, Dina, Azza, Keeya … They are my peers."

To see more from Delphine's stunning portfolio, featuring the Queen(s) of New York collection as well as other new works, visit Delphine's official website www.delphinediawdiallo.com as well as her blog, www.delphinediallo.wordpress.com.

((  Photo Credits: Delphine Diallo  ))

Olubunmi Akindebe: Queen Of Hearts

Written By: Lola K.—In a few short years, registered nurse by day, fiction author by night, and full-time wife and mother Olubunmi Akindebe has created a niche for herself writing African romance novels under the pen name Lara Daniels. Olubunmi, who grew up in Nigeria, began writing in high school where she wrote short fictional stories. In college, which she attended in the United States, Olubunmi honed in on her craft, and published her first work in the United States, Love in Paradise (available at www.Amazon.com), in the summer of 2009. (I can't help but like Love in Paradise because the female protagonist is named Mimi.) This summer, Olubunmi followed up with her second novel, Love at Dawn (available at www.Amazon.com), which picks up where Love in Paradise left off. Olubunmi says about the novel:

"Love at Dawn is a romance-suspense novel set in a fictional African country called Zamzudan (based on my experiences in living in several hilly cities in Western Africa). It is a country that also incoporates the Swahilian language and at times, rests on the culture of Swahili speaking countries. The novel features a major beloved character from Love in Paradise, Tory Da-Silva. Many readers, after reading Love in Paradise wanted to read a love story of Tory, and it took approximately a year for me to figure out her own happilly-ever-after. While I hope readers will love the story of Tory Da-Silva and enjoy the suspense I worked so thoroughly hard to achieve in the novel, I still will enjoy this moment, realizing that it is mine to cherish and savor after a year long of work."

For more about Olubunmi (or as she's better known to her readers, Lara Daniels), visit www.laradaniels.com.

(Photo Credits: © Rapid Eye Media / iStockPhoto)

Indie Inspiration: Yummi Kouture

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—If you're looking to make a dramatic statement with your jewelry, look no further than Yummi Kouture, a newly launched independent label offering handmade jewelry inspired by Ghana.

An Exclusive First Look At Aya Morrison's S/S 2011 Collection Which Will Be Released Tomorrow

Written By: Lola K.—Tomorrow, one of my favorite accessories labels, Aya Morisson, will debut its Spring Summer 2011 collection online, which will be available for purchase at www.ShopAyaMorrison.com. Here's an exclusive first look at what's in store tomorrow courtesy of über fabulous designer Helena Aidoo-Morrison ...

Making A Difference: Turning Bullets Into Beautiful Jewelry

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Lovetta Conto was born just before she was forced to leave her home country, Liberia, because of a civil war. Lovetta fled to Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, before settling in a refugee camp inn Ghana, awaiting the end of the war. During this time, she was spotted by Cori Stern, founder of The Strongheart Fellowship and subsequently met by other members of the Strongheart team who chose her as the first-ever Strongheart Fellow. Through her fellowship, Lovetta created a jewelry line, Akawelle, that creates pieces from spent bullets. Watch her inspiring story below.

My (True) Fairy Tale from Strongheart on Vimeo.

AWA Jewelry By Awa Kamara

Written By: Nani Hapa—Designer Awa Kamara works with wood, shell, camel bone, vinyl records, recycled glass, clay, gemstones, brass, silver, hypoallergenic 14K gold-filled metals and leather to create handmade jewelry fusing her own personal cultural fusion—African grace (Sierra Leone is Awa's ancestral home), Austrian conservatism (Awa was born in Vienna and grew up in Salzburg) and a twist of New York eclecticism (Awa studied at at Parsons The New School for Design in New York).

In addition to being utterly fabulous, Awa Jewelry donates a portion of its web sales to the following organizations: (1) Shine On Sierra Leone (a foundation focused on creating sustainable development, healthcare, literacy, education, technology and microcredit programs to promote thriving self-sufficient communities in Sierra Leone); and (2) The New Hope Movement (a campaign aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone).

For more information about Awa Jewelry, visit www.awakamara.com, and shop the collection at Awa Jewelry's Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/people/awakamara.

MIMI Related Articles: Gold Rush; Designer Spotlight: Sanabora

(Photo Credits: © Awa Kamara)

Discover Urbantopia Books And Read An Excerpt From Urbantopia Books' Metamorphosis By Ola Laniyan-Amoako

Written By: Nani Hapa—Frustrated by the disconnect between black and minority ethnic readers and writers, Nigerian author Ola Laniyan-Amoako launched her own publishing house, Urbantopia Books to bridge the gap "for the urban voice" by bringing more books that tell the stories of black and ethnic minority readers.

Read an excerpt from her self-published book, Metamorphosis, which she describes as "a poetry infused, humorous novel about four individuals and events in their lives which force them to morph into new characters. When Sade, the semi racist, finds herself unable to share distressing news from her ex with her black friends, she turns to a white colleague at work and from there she begins grow, mature and morph. Fun loving Olu finds himself in a complex place when the mother of his son tells him she is getting married and moving their son to America. A part-time father he may be, but he’ll do anything to keep his son close.....The question is how far will he go? Young , cute Donna turns confident. Why? Love, passion, the affair. The transformation from mistress to Mrs...A long and twisted tale of life and growing up." Read Metamorphosis below.

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MIMI's Fab Find Of The Month: Della LA's Classic Bag—The Bag That "Carries Change"

Written By: MIM!—Los Angeles based designer Tina Tangalakis combines her love of art and humanitarian work with Della, a company that provides jobs to the women of Hohoe, Ghana who work on creating accessories for Della under the guidance of local seamstress Beatrice Agabe.

Della's premier design, the Classic Hobo (photographed on the left, and available in a number of prints), is the cornerstone of the collection. As functional as it is beautiful, the sale of every bag "has a positive effect on the people of Hohoe."

Learn how you can carry change with a $48 Classic Della Bag by visiting www.DellaLA.com.

(Photo Credits: © Della LA)

Listen To Imany's Acoustic Sessions

Written By: MIM!—Imany, who we featured in our summer 2010 issue, Sweet Somethings, in the article, Imany: From Paris With Love, has released her anticipated debut album, Acoustic Sessions (that's easily one of the most adorable CD covers that we've seen). Listen to Acoustic Sessions on Imany's MySpace Page, www.myspace.com/imanyeasy, and follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/imanymusic, and her official website, www.imanymusic.com, for the latest tour updates.

MIMI Related Articles: The AiRis Project, Talking About A Nü Revolution

(Photo Credits: © CD Cover Art)

Making A Difference: Me, Myself, And HIV

Written By: MIM!—MTV Staying Alive has tirelessly campaigned to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in our generation. Their latest campaign, Me, Myself, And HIV follows the lives of two twenty-somethings—Slim, an aspiring DJ and music producer from Zambia, and Angelikah, a college student from the USA—both living with HIV. The show follows them as they tell their stories from the very beginning: why they decided to get tested, to the aftermath of getting their results, right through to the present day where we get to see the complicated layer HIV can sometimes add when it comes to everyday lifestyle choices such as dating, work, friends and the future. Watch the enlightening and entertaining series below.

Me, Myself And HIV from mtv staying alive on Vimeo.

Pledge your support for the Me, Myself, And HIV campaign, by visiting hiv.staying-alive.org.

Watch Tiwa Savage's Music Video For "Kele Kele"

Tiwa Savage - "Kele Kele" from Ringleader on Vimeo.

MIMI Related Articles: Tiwa Savage: On Her Way To The Top; A Tune Of Her Own: Alache

From The Archives: Music Video: Jaqee Castara Blues

Written By: MIM!—The song may be more than two years old, but Jaqee's Castara Blues video remains one of our favorites because it showcases Jaqee's creativity—she shot some of the videofootage from the video herself while on vacation in Trinidad and Tobago!

Jaqee - Castara Blues from Joni Huttunen on Vimeo.

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 021): Vickie Remoe

Written By: MIM!—Vickie Remoe is a twenty something socialist, fashionista, concerned global citizen, know-it-all, Africanist, self-proclaimed “Biggest Swit Mot Na Salone” with the gift of gab. One of the first "cool kids" to move back to Sierra Leone as early as 2007, she hosts her own television show (The Vickie Remoe Show) and is an innovative serial entrepreneur with ventures such as country director for Canoe Magazine, author of The SwitSalone Blog, and host on Free Radio 95:7.

(Photo Credits: © The Vickie Remoe Show)

Watch The Noisettes' "Kilimanjaro Studio Sessions"

Noisettes 'Kilimanjaro Studio Sessions' from Agile Films on Vimeo.

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 020): Megalyn Echikunwoke

Written By: MIM!—If looks could kill, then actress Megalyn Echikunwoke would be behind bars, or at least that's what most men think when they see her. But maybe that's not surprising given Echikunwoke means "leader of men." At age 14, Megalyn was discovered while performing in an arts academy summer camp play, and thus began her long distance relationship with Hollywood. She began auditioning for parts via videotape, and then she and her mom would make the long drive in from Arizona (where she lived). Her persistence paid off and at age 15 she was cast as the young female lead in the ABC/Peter Benchley miniseries "Creature." Soon thereafter she and her family moved to Los Angeles where Megalyn enrolled in high school and immersed herself in the theatre department. Her career with Hollywood has only continued to move in an upward trajectory as she has appeared on screen in several roles, including television series such as The Game, 24, For the People, That ‘70's Show, ER, Boston Public and Buffy the Vampire Slayer ... to name just a few of this woman of Soul.Substance.Style's acting credits. But we especially love her for lending her name and giving her time to Women (And Girls), Education, And Arts, Providing Opportunities, Now ("W.E.A.P.O.N."), an organization committed to ensuring that African women and girls have easy access to education and a forum where their voices can be heard.

(Photo Credits: © Megalyn Echikunwoke)

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 019): Ndidi Onukwulu

Written By: MIM!—This lady sings the blues, and defines Soul.Substance.Style.

(Photo Credits: © Side Street Management For Ndidi Onukwulu)

The Nollywood International Connection: The Mirror Boy Starring Genevieve Nnaji And Busted Life Starring Ramsey Noauh

Written By: MIM!—With Nollywood making serious inroads in film, it should be no surprise that producers around the world are looking to tap into the market, take a look at the trailer for two such collaborations, The Mirror Boy (a Nigerian-UK production), starring Nollywood's favorite actress, Genevieve Nnaji and Busted Life (a Nigerian-US production) starring Nollywood's top grossing actor Ramsey Noauh.

The Mirror Boy Trailer from Andrew Webber on Vimeo.

"BUSTED LIFE" Movie Trailer from Ivan, Tim, Erika & Del on Vimeo.

H&M's Holiday Campaign Featuring Waris Dirie, Liya Kebede, Kesewa Aboah And Adwoa Aboah

Written By: MIM!—Not only do we love the look of H&M's 2010 Holiday Campaign featuring Somalian models Waris Dirie and Liya Kebede, as well as Ghanaian models and sisters Kesewa and Adwoa Aboah, but we also love the spirit behind the campaign—throughout the holiday season, H&M customers in stores in over 30 countries around the world will be invited to make a donation at the register to support UNICEF through “give a child the gift of clean water.” Based on the amount of the donation made, H&M customers will receive either one or a pack of 6 specially designed H&M holiday gift box stickers.

From The Archives: Growing Up Is Hard To Do

Written By: Kara Weeks—Aargh! I remember as a child, I could not wait to become a teenager. And as a teenager, I could not wait to be a young adult, so I could hang out with the college kids. Entering college, I wanted to be 21 and above, truly independent …nobody telling me what to do, who to see, where to go. I am past that point now, in my mid-twenties, and how I wish I could go back to those golden years of my childhood.

Being an adult is not all it’s cracked up to be. Nobody told me about all the "un-fun" responsibilities that come along with adulthood. And if they told me, they probably sugarcoated it. So here I am, about to graduate with my second degree, about to go out into the real world, and I have come to the realization that being an independent adult ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Case in point … I have written and rewritten at least ten drafts of my resume in the past three months. I have written more than enough cover letters. I have lost track of the number of jobs I have applied for. I currently have accounts on MonsterTrak, Careerbuilder, Yahoo Jobs, and

numerous other job websites. I spend multiple hours a day hunting for jobs. Just looking for a job IS a job in itself. That’s why there are job agencies out there…supposedly taking the stress off you.

I just want some money to live my life. Why didn’t anybody tell me as a child to savor the moments of mummy and daddy paying for everything (well, some of the things) I wanted? Nobody told me that growing up meant I would actually have to get up day in and day out, working at some dreary job just so I could pay bills and taxes (damn you, Mr. IRS Man!). I guess it never really dawned on me that Mummy and Daddy were actually working for that money to buy me pretty dresses, bicycles, and whatnot. Growing up is hard to do!

Stella Mwangi Pens Another Hit!

Written By: MIM!—Stella Mwangi (aka STL) is among the Norwegian semi-finalist of the Melodi Grand Prix. Stella will compete on January 29th and if she wins, she will compete in the Norwegian finals for the coveted slot in the Eurovision song contest. The finals will be held in Spectrum Oslo in February next year. (Eurovision is a song competition that involves 51 countries from Europe and each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular in the competition.)

STLs submission is a yet to be released song haba haba which is mostly influenced by Stella’s Kenyan background. The song will be released in January 2011, and will be the first single from her yet to be titled album scheduled to be released in May 2011. Can't wait to hear it!

MIMI Related Links: The Hit Girl: Stella Mwangi; Stella Mwangi Puts A Smile On Her Fans' Faces; Stella Mwangi's Favorite

(Photo Credits: © Stella Mwangi EPK)

Making A Difference: POWA's Social Experiment Raises Domestic Violence Awareness

Written By: Ogilvy South Africa—On the 9th of May POWA, in partnership with Ogilvy Johannesburg, decided to conduct a social experiment in a townhouse complex in a Johannesburg suburb. The idea was simple: make as much noise as possible in a quiet part of suburbia to test when the neighbours would start complaining. The results, however, were rather disturbing. While the neighbourhood was immediately up in arms during a vigorous drumming session, a (pre recorded) physically violent fight between a couple, supplemented with screams, the live sound of smashing walls, crockery, broken glass and a vicious beating, elicited no reaction whatsoever. Watch the disturbing video below.

POWA Social Experiment from Ogilvy South Africa on Vimeo.

For more information, visit www.powa.co.za and www.ogilvy.co.za.

Today Is World AIDS Day

Written By: MIM!—

Today, the world unites to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV virus. Learn how you can take action to tackle HIV prejudice and to protect yourself and others from HIV transmission by visiting www.worldaidsday.org.

MIMI Related Links: Better Sex Education Needed For African Adolescents; Healthy Sexual Lives For People Living With HIV; AIDS In Africa

(Photo Credits: © AtnoYdur / iStockPhoto)

Miss Beautiful: South Africa In Pageants

Open publication - Free publishing - More winners