Music Video: Somi "Ingele"

Ingele from Joshua Atesh Litle on Vimeo.

Indie Inspiration: QuellyRue Designs ... Hand Crochet And Artistic Fancies

Written By: MIM!—QuellyRue Designs is a collection of handmade crafts, art, and accessories that is full of bohemian flare, whimsical, yet refined and reminiscent of a love for Africa. Racquel Dwomoh (pronounced Ju-moh), the self-taught designer behind QuellyRue Designs, prides herself on her chic, quirky, imaginative, super cute accessories bursting with color, texture, print and intricate patterns. These reflect her colorful memories growing up as a child in the buzzing city of Accra, Ghana, and her Afro-Caribbean American roots.

Africa Online: Stuff Nigerian People Like

Written By: Nani Hapa—A team of Nigerian bloggers launched www.StuffNigerianPeopleLike.com to share their witty and hilarious cultural perspectives about what they describe as "some of the characteristics that shape Nigerian people and what they like." The blog, www.StuffNigerianPeopleLike.com, includes on its growing list of "stuff Nigerian people like": (1) other people's business, (2) projecting their voices, and (3) being late. Of course, whenever culture and humor collide, so does the debate about promoting stereotypes, but the website is written in good fun, and of course is an exaggeration of subtle cultural nuances that we can all relate to, with posts like these:

Pointing With Their Lips—People tend to point at things with their fingers, I mean, it only makes sense. However, Nigerians have created their own way of pointing. It is well known that many Nigerians have been blessed with full, plump lips. However, who would have thought that these pepper soup coolers could be used to POINT? If you are Nigerian, you have probably witnessed your parents, aunties, uncles, etc. use their lips to point to something. That “something”, which they may refer to as “dis tin‘” is probably within their arms reach, but that’s another story. A Nigerian father who wants a pen on the desk may turn his head towards the desk, say “get me dat dis tin,” and poke out his lips towards the pen. You think it would be simple enough to just say “get me the pen,” but Nigerians are efficient people. Why waste energy using your voice or silly fingers, when God has blessed our people with ample lips to do the job!

For more Nigerian cultural humor that will have you rolling on the floor laughing, visit www.StuffNigerianPeopleLike.com.

MIMI Related Links: Africa Online: The Bridal Bliss Edition, Africa Online: The Think Different Edition

(Photo Credits: © Alloy Photography / Veer)

Creative Flow: Africa Unsigned

Written By: MIM!—www.AfricaUnsigned.com is a joint initiative by producers, artists, music promoters and managers based in West, East and South Africa, who believe in the future of music from Africa and give unsigned artists a chance to record their music with the help of funding from fans. A selection of up and coming artists from several African countries including Kenya (such as MIMI favorite Just A Band), Senegal, Mali, Zimbabwe and South Africa were hand picked by a music panel consisting of music experts like Baaba Maal, Tony Allen, and Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) to be featured on www.AfricaUnsigned.com. Music fans from all over the world can listen to the selection of artists, pick their favorite(s) and chip in a minimum of $1 dollar to the recording of a professional EP. Proceeds from the music is then distributed to the fans who backed the artist and sold on all major online stores (including www.Amazon.com and iTunes). All the generated net income from music sales is shared equally between the artists and the music fans who supported the artist.

If you want to support your promising musical talent from Africa, visit www.AfricaUnsigned.com.

(Photo Credits: www.AfricaUnsigned.com Digital Press Kit)

Asa's New Album, Beautiful Imperfection, Is Out Today In Europe

ASA – Be my man from notjustok-TV on Vimeo.

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

Sex Sells, Even If The Subject Matter Is Serious Says Ghanaian Writer Director Leila Djansi

Written By: MIM!—Africa Academy-nominated writer/director Leila Djansi is pushing the envelope in her upcoming film Sinking Sands, which is slated to premier in Ghana on November 13, 2010 at the National Theater. The film staring Jimmy Jean-Louis and Ama K. Abebrese deals with the subject of abuse, but also contains nudity—an undoubtedly taboo issue in African film. Indeed, as Ghanian writers and directors continue to seek to distinguish their films from Nollywood films by including sex scenes in their movies, the frenzy around the polarizing subject of the portrayal of sex in African films only increases as noted in MIMI's Summer 2010 article, Cut! Censoring Sex In Ghanaian Movies. In anticipation of the premier of Sinking Sands, Leila released a press release sharing her views about how she handles sex in films. Read Leila's Q&A below.

. . .

Q. Nudity and sex are new to movies that are filmed and distributed in Ghana. Why do you think both are new to movies in Ghana? What has taken Ghanaian filmmakers so long to incorporate it in their films?

Leila Djansi. Just like Hollywood, it is a phase each industry has to pass through. Hollywood went through it with the Catholic Church and other elements driving them out of the East to what we now call Hollywood. Same way censorship boards in Ghana are getting drastic and same way it was in the early years of the American film industry, it is a phase ... a time to evolve. When I was growing up in my church, if you wear trousers you are a wayward girl. Today, female ministers preach in trousers. When I wrote the first script for GAMA, I was told the violence was too graphic; today you see movies with guns drawn in broad daylight in shopping malls. The only constant thing is change. That strong, strict Ghanaian culture is slowly growing lax with all the globalization.

Q. Nudity or sex in a film? Which would you prefer, and do you think they are both are the same?

Leila Djansi. Well either arouses sexual thoughts, desire and images; therefore, as an artist, in my opinion, they are same. It isn’t like your actors are really engaged in the act of copulation; they are selling the scene with the nudity and sexual gestures.

From The Archives: Fabulous Style 24/7

Written By: MIM!—Truly fabulous women know that being fabulous is not about the designers you wear, the size of your clothes, the style of your hair, or even your age, it is about a state of mind. As the legendary Grace Jones put it, “One creates oneself. I believe whatever I dream. Whatever I dream, I want to do.” For more direct inspiration, how about these words of advice from the fabulous RuPaul who is quoted as having said, “With hair, heels and attitude, honey, I am through the roof!” Make a promise to yourself to:

1. Express your own style. Women with great style know how to create a unique look. Take Winnie Mandela as an example. She is known for wearing big thick-rimmed glasses and head wraps. Iman on the other hand is known for her chestnut colored hair. What these women have in common is that they’ve discovered what works for them and stylishly pulled it off in a way that only they can.

Read the rest of MIMI's tips on how to cultivate your Fabulous 24/7 in our fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

(Photo Credits: © Image Source / PunchStock)

Refashioning The African Politic

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—For the many self-employed African tailors who dress men and women who cannot afford to purchase imported clothes at retail stores to the crafty African artisans who capture the imaginations of tourists with uniquely crafted jewelry, there is no question that the success of the African fashion industry has a direct correlation to their well-being and livelihood. And for those entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the global (mis)appropriation of “African fashion,” all eyes are on the continent; indeed, anybody tuned into fashion knows that the “African aesthetic” is not only tipping into the mainstream, it is in vogue. Yet for some, African fashion is regarded as a passing fancy to preoccupy elite upper class African women, and not the stuff of intellectuals, economists, politicians, and social activists trying to solve the continent’s problems. It is precisely that misconception that fails to recognize the importance of African fashion’s place in the development of the continent as a vehicle to generate both serious revenue and cultural change.

Read the rest of this article, Refashioning The African Politic, in MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

(Photo Credits: © Image Source / PunchStock)

My Favorite Fictional Fly Girls: 5 African-American Actresses Who Shaped My Teen Years

Written By: Rebecca Naikada—Growing up as a black teenage girl in rural Canada, there were not too many people around who looked like me, much less teenage girls. But I am convinced I survived being the only black girl in my high school because of my fictional television role models who were some of the flyest black girls I had ever seen.

. . .

1. The Black American Princess (BAP): Lark Voorhies or Saved By The Bell’s Lisa Turtle: The beautiful actress Lark Voorhies played the prim high school student Lisa Turtle on the popular television sitcom, Saved By The Bell. The ever-stylish Lisa was smart, gorgeous, wealthy, and unapologetically confident among her peers. Armed with a keen sense of entitlement (remember her famous lines such as “am I a 10 or what?”) there’s no question that she was the first teenage card-carrying member of the BAP Club. Watching the fictional Lisa successfully navigate through Bayside High as the sole black girl in her school, I learned to strive for perfection in everything I do and do it all in style.

Find out which other actresses made the list in the article My Favorite Fictional Fly Girls: 5 African-American Actresses Who Shaped My Teen Years, available in MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

(Photo Credits: © Pixland / PunchStock Photo)

Iman Co-Hosts The Fashion Show, The Ultimate Collection

Written By: MIM!—Starting on November 9, fashion icon Iman will co-host an all-new season of The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection with internationally acclaimed designer Isaac Mizrahi.

The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection will split 12 talented men and women into two fashion houses and each “house” must work together, not only to create a cohesive collection each week, but also to produce a live fashion show in every episode. From the set, to the music and lighting, these contestants will be pushed harder than ever before as they lay it all on the line for a chance to create the ultimate collection and to win $125,000 furnished by TRESemme Professional Hair Care.

The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection premieres on Bravo on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com.

(Photo Credits: © Mike Ruiz/Bravo)

Behold Yourself As Beautiful

Written By: Nana Bonsu—People often say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” The most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder of your own beauty. But for so many of us, we follow trends that define a particular type of beauty as socially desirable. What we forget of course is that by definition, trends shift. And as African women, we know this all too well. A body that we embrace as perfectly curvy would have been considered freakish in a different culture (think of Saartjie Baartman or the “Hottentot Venus”).

But knowing that you are the beholder of your own beauty, do you behold yourself as beautiful? Read the rest in Behold Yourself As Beautiful in MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

(Photo Credits: © Image Source / PunchStock Photo)

"The Wrong Truth" By Indigo Williams

Written By: MIM!—In the circle of devastatingly cool and talented spoken word poets, Indigo Williams stands out as the embodiment of Soul.Substance.Style. Watch her disarm stereotypes as she poetically recites The Wrong Truth and in the process discover a true talent.

Writer's Block Presents: Spoken Unplugged - 'The Wrong Truth' by Indigo Williams from LoveWritersBlock on Vimeo.

Look out for more from the innovative series, Spoken Unplugged presented by Writer's Block at www.vimeo.com/lovewritersblock.

South Africa And Lesotho, Where Women Come First

Written By: MIM!—According to the 2010 Global Gender Gap Report, Lesotho and South Africa rank among the top 15 countries for women's equality, with Lesotho ranking at number 8 and South Africa 12. The Report measures both the number of women in administrative positions in 134 countries, as well as improvements in the wage gap between men and women. Nordic countries Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden continue to demonstrate the greatest equality between men and women, with all in the top 4, but rounding out the top 25 are Mozambique and Namibia at numbers 19 and 25 respectively.

To read the Report in its entirety, visit www.weforum.org or www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/report2010.pdf.

(Photo Credits: © digitalskillet / iStockPhoto)

Mind The Gap: Runway To Retail

Written By: Nani Hapa—Over the past five years we have experienced an explosion of African fashion on the global fashion scene. Where wearing an outfit inspired by Africa’s rich and diverse culture once meant sketching a clothing pattern, finding fabric, and working with a tailor to create the outfit, we now have a number of labels based everywhere from Lagos to Johannesburg who are playing couturier, as well as fashion shows such as the well-established Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week to the up-and-coming Mozambique Fashion Week who are providing much needed platforms to showcase African designers. But until two years ago, the bridge between runway and retail was non-existent for African fashion consumers without access to designers’ brick and mortar stores, leaving many would-be-consumers unable to support African designers ... Creative e-tailers are connecting African designers to the rest of the world by offering one-stop-online stores. In Bridging The African Retail Gap From Runway To Retail, find out which e-tailers are leading the trend and bringing African fashion to Afri-nistas worldwide.

(Photo Credits: © Image Source Photography / Veer)

Eki Orleans: Summer Loving

Written By: MIM!—View the latest collection, WAVE, from Eki Orleans in the article, Eki Orleans: Summer Loving, from MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

To see more from Eki Orleans, visit www.ekiorleans.com.

(Photo Credits: © Eki Orleans)

New Column: Wear Africa On Your Sleeve

Written By: MIM!—This issue, we are debuting a new column, Wear Africa On Your Sleeve (a play on the popular phrase, "wear your heart on your sleeve") where we will show you how you can incorporate Afri-chic fashion in your day-to-day style from designers are readily accessible at various e-tailers.

In our New Wave Noir issue, find out how which Afri-chic designers have created fabulous fall coats inspired by Africa's diverse style and are all just a mouse click away if you care to splurge on any of these beautifully crafted Afri-chic garments this season. Read Wear Africa On Your Sleeve for more.

(Photo Credits: © OrbFoto / iStockPhoto)

Style We Love: Simphiwe Dana

Written By: MIM!—Find out what makes Simphiwe Dana's style stand out from the crowd in Style We ♥: Simphiwe Dana, from our fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir. And to learn more about Simphiwe's musical style, visit her official website: www.simphiwedana.com.

(Photo Credits: © Gallo Records)

Label Love: Loin Cloth And Ashes

Written By: MIM!—Anisa Mpungwe's Loin Cloth And Ashes Winter 2010 Collection, Midnight, is utterly decadent. Find out why we love this label in the article, Label Love: Loin Cloth And Ashes from our fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

To see more from Loin Cloth And Ashes, visit their official website, www.loinclothandashes.com, and follow them on Facebook.

(Photo Credits: © Loin Cloth And Ashes)

South African Fashion's New Guard

Written By: MIM!—View the collections of a promising crop of new designers, who are considered the next generation of South Africa's fashion designers in the article South African Fashion's New Guard from our fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

(Photo Credits: © Ivan Naude / Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week)

Virgos Lounge: A Girl Thing!

Written By: Nani Hapa—Fioye Akinsola, Oye Wemi-Akinsola, and Nike Ajanaku possess a style wizardry that allows them to marry a passion for old-world detail with modern authenticity to bring shoppers who frequent their boutique, Virgos Lounge, a collection of garments that are as wearable as the are stylish. MIMI caught up with the impressive women to learn about how they manage to stay in girls’ closets. Read the rest in the article, Virgos Lounge: A Girl Thing! from MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

Shop Virgos Lounge by visiting www.virgoslounge.com, and get the latest style updates from them by following them on Facebook.

(Photo Credits: Joanna Krause @ www.joannakrause.co.uk) (Styling: Rebel Culture @ rebelculture.viewbook.com)

Talking About A Nu Revolution With Les Nubians

Written By: Lola K.—Les Nubians are in a league of their own—carving out a name for themselves as the beautiful soul sisters with an artful mastery of bringing together jazz grooves, African beats, hip-hop melodies, and lyrics in both French and English to create a sublime sound that is uniquely their own. Their previous two acclaimed albums, Princesses Nubiennes and One Step Forward, charted impressively on the Billboard Top 200, each respectively the highest debut for a French language album in the past 20 years, and their last project, Echoes was hailed as “a musical expedition of poetry and song.” To achieve such critical and popular success in the modern musical landscape without confining one’s artistry to one-dimensional labels such as “soul” or “World” is remarkable, but then again, so are the sisters who have remained true to themselves and faithfully reflected their diversity in their music throughout their long-spanning career. Hèléne explains, “I think that being children of a mixed couple, definitely puts you in that mindset—you are the world, basically. You become a universal citizen. You can’t envisage life as this way or that way. We have a kind of global point of view. We don’t see color. We are color blind—a little bit. History then makes you root everything to a cause and so you understand the world and why, badly, that world has been organized and divided. But from the start, I believe that [we are] citizens of the world.” With conviction in her voice, Hèléne adds, “The universe is beautifully organized and I have faith. And that faith makes me celebrate life, love and cherish the world, and try to be a better human everyday.” Read the rest of the article in Talking About A Nü Revolution from MIMI's fall 2010 issue, New Wave Noir.

MIMI Magazine Fall 2010 Issue: New Wave Noir

Written By: MIM!—Fresh off the presses, MIMI's fall issue, New Wave Noir, is yours to read. Ever-stylish sisters Célia and Hélène Faussart of Les Nubians grace the cover of this issue, photographed by one of our favorite photographers, Delphine Diallo. Here's what to expect, as reflected in the Editor's Letter:

African fashion has undergone nothing less than a revolution and we have assembled a rather impressive wardrobe. Indeed, you need only read the pages of this issue of MIMI to see how African fashion has been transformed in countless ways—aesthetically, in terms of its identity, and also behind the scenes where a wide range of independent designers have emerged. The result is a fresh, new Afro-urban aesthetic that truly reflects the flavor of the continent: New Wave Noir.

We still have one more issue for the year, which is our Special Anniversary Issue with Editor-at-Large Mario Epanya. Invite your friends to follow us on Facebook to be part of this special issue, as well as to be eligible for special MIMI giveaways!

(Photo Credits: © Delphine Diallo)

Look Book: Virgos Lounge Glitz Fall Collection

South Africa Fashion Week 2010 (Winter Collection): Loxion Kulka

Nelson Mandela Pens Second Autobiography, Conversations With Myself

Written By: The Nelson Mandela Foundation—"In real life we deal, not with gods, but with ordinary humans like ourselves: men and women who are full of contradictions, who are stable and fickle, strong and weak, famous and infamous."—Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age. Now, after a lifetime of taking pen to paper to record thoughts and events, hardships and victories, he has opened his personal archive, which offers an unprecedented insight into his remarkable life.

Conversations With Myself gives readers access to the private man behind the public figure: from letters written in the darkest hours of Mandela’s twenty-seven years of imprisonment to the draft of an unfinished sequel to Long Walk to Freedom.

Eki Orleans' Bespoke Wedding Prints

Written By: MIM!—In three short years, Eki Orleans has established itself as a young fashion house to contend with on the global African fashion scene. The ever growing label recently expanded into bespoke wedding services, offering one of a kind versatile silk prints to represent that special day. For more information about Eki Orleans and its bespoke wedding services, visit www.ekiorleans.com.

(Photo Credits: Eki Orleans)

Camer Couture Mixes Fashion And Philanthropy

Written By: Mazuba Kapambwe—We wish we could fly ourselves to London this Saturday October 16th for Camer Couture's fashion show but for those of you lucky afronista's, this is an event you don't want to miss.

After the success of their first show last year which showcased design labels Kirette Couture, Anggy Haif, Bot I Lam and others, Camer Couture has organized an even bigger event with more designers, more press, and more VIP guests including English Premier league stars like Enoh Eyong, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sebastien Bassong, Marcus Mokake and George Elokobi. Guests will see collections by Cameroonian labels and Africa Fashion Week NY designers Cote Minou and Kirette Couture as well as Kosibah who is famous for their gorgeous wedding dresses. Other designers slated to walk the Camer Couture runway are Alain Martial Tapoplo, Eki Orleans, Deenola.

Snapshots: "Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder" By Nontsikelelo Veleko

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Since photographer Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko displayed her photographs at 2003's MTN New Contemporary Artists exhibition, she has grabbed the local South African and international public's attention with a tight urban grip. Lola shares, "I'm totally urban, and I love what happens in urban environments, therefore my work is not far-fetched. It's something simple, something that people know, but that they don't actually think is that important until they've seen it in a photograph. Somehow photography seems to make it more important, and have people think about it. My work is really just fun, and interspersed with many layers - it could be complicated, but I try not to let it go there!"

Lolo says about her Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder series of photographs, "I named my project Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder because other people, when they saw those people dressed up like that, would ask: 'How can you dress up in yellow pants and a lime green jersey with stripes?' And I thought the way I see beauty and the way I perceive beauty might be different to someone else next to me ... So the project is called Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder, because for me they are beautiful. I was excited [by them] I didn't care what anyone else was saying ... It was all about drawing attention around issues of beauty. And it was also about street fashion ... But I don't think that they're just performing themselves; I've lived it. I used to be one of those people..."

(Photo Credits: © Nontsikelelo Veleko)

Laura Izibor Unplugged

Laura Izabor - 'Break Up' from John Hendicott on Vimeo.

MIMI Related Links: MIMI's Hot 21: Laura Izibor; Somi's Prayer To The Saint Of The Brokenhearted

Who Fears Death? A Novel By Nnedi Okorafor

Written By: Nicole-Parker Jones—Nigerian writer Nnedi Okorafor is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. She is know for her young adult fantasy novels, including Zahrah the Windseeker and The Shadow Speaker. Her latest novel, Who Fears Death, is set in a post-apocalyptic futuristic desert in Saharan Africa, and follows a young sorceress Onyesonwu (born Ewu)—whose name means "who fears death?" As Onyesonwu grows into her powers, it becomes clear that her fate is mingled with the fate of her people, the oppressed Okeke, and that to achieve her destiny, she must die. Okorafor examines a host of evils in her chillingly realistic tale—gender and racial inequality share top billing, along with female genital mutilation and complacency in the face of destructive tradition—and winds these disparate concepts together into a fantastical, magical blend of grand storytelling that Nnedi is known to deliver.

Nnedi shares about the book, "I started writing Who Fears Death just after my father passed in 2004. I was very very close to my father and writing was my way of staying sane. I based My Father’s Face [a chapter in the book] on a moment I experienced at my father’s wake when everyone had cleared out of the room and I found myself alone with his body. I was kneeling there looking at his face, thinking how much it no longer looked like him and how terrible that was. My morbid thoughts were driving me into deeper despair. Then suddenly I felt an energy move though me. This energy felt highly destructive, as if it could bring down the entire building. Almost all the details in the scene I went on to write were true, I felt them…well, up to the part where Onyesonwu makes her father’s body breath. As soon as I wrote that scene, everything else rushed at me. My father’s passing caused me to think about death, fear, the unknown, sacrifice, destiny and cosmic trickery."

Mataano Spring 2011 Look Book

Written By: MIM!—Mataano's Africa Fashion Week Collection has come to life in the pages of their Spring 2011 Look Book.

Visit www.mataano.com and www.facebook.com/mataano for the latest information about Mataano.

MIMI Related Links: Fashioning The Continent; MIMI's Hot 21: Ayaan And Idyl Mohallim

(Photo Credits: Mataano)

Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week 2010 (The Winter Collections): Elle New Talent

Written By: MIM!—Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week is now underway (hooray), and today kicked off with fashion's new guard with the Elle New Talent fashion show. Congratulations to winner Cleo Donner. Of course, we can't wait to see more from these new designers!

Jewel Clothing, Because Everybody Is A Jewel

Written By: MIM!—Fashion forward friends Lyande Kaika and Julia Omoarukhe teamed up to launch Jewel Clothing, a fresh and innovative new brand within the UK fashion industry that is never afraid to experiment with a combination of different and sometimes unusual shapes, colours, textures and patterns. To see more from Lyande and Julia's dressy collection, visit www.jewelclothing.co.uk.

(Photo Credits: Jewel Clothing)

Fashion Ingenuity: "The Takeover" A Fashionable Film By Eniola-David Hundeyin

"The Takeover" from Eniola-David Hundeyin on Vimeo.

Written By: MIM!—Three words: love, love, love. Visit www.theafropolitancollection.com for more from the Afropolitan Collection.

Black Mamba Boy By Nadifa Mohamed

Written By: Nicole Parker-Jones—Black Mamba Boy is the critically acclaimed debut novel by Somalian-British writer Nadifa Mohamed. Set in the vibrant Aden, Yemen in 1935, Black Mamba Boy follows ten-year old Jama, who unexpectedly finds himself alone in the world when his mother dies. Jama is forced to return to his native Somalia, where war is on the horizon and the fascist Italian forces who control parts of East Africa are preparing for battle. Yet Jama cannot rest until he discovers whether his father, who has been absent from his life since he was a baby, is alive. And so begins an epic journey which will take Jama north through Djibouti, war-torn Eritrea and Sudan, to Egypt. And from there, aboard a ship transporting Jewish refugees just released from German concentration camps, across the seas to Britain and freedom. This story of one boy's long walk to freedom is also the story of how the Second World War affected Africa and its people.

(Photo Credits: Book Cover Art / Hapercollins)

Swahili Imports Senegalese Fixe Signare Decorative Plates

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—According to Swahili Imports, "a group of artisans in Dakar, Senegal, hand paint each of these stunning decorative plates using a reverse glass painting method called 'fixe.' Reverse glass painting has its roots in Senegal's Muslim history, and reaches back as an art form through the centuries and across borders." The smallest of these plates, with a 7.5 inch diameter, costs $78. Get more information by visiting www.swahili-imports.com.

(Photo Credits: Swahili Imports)

Afri-Chic Decorating: Anthropologie's Josef Wingback Chair Upholstered In African Wax Fabric

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—This season Anthropologie's catalogue has a number of African inspired decor pieces, including these fabulous African wax upholstered wingback chairs, which retail for $1,698.00 each. They've already been added to my Christmas wish list! Get details by visiting www.anthropologie.com.

(Photo Credits: Anthropologie)

MIMI's Fab Find Of The Month: ASOS Africa Chevron Beaded Leather Sandal

Written By: MIM!—Inspired by South Africa, the ASOS Africa chevron beaded leather sandal is a colorful patchwork of detail and simplicity. Get yours for $50.55 by visiting www.asos.com.

(Photo Credits: ASOS Africa)

See Sade In Concert: Sade Set To Embark On First Global Tour In Ten Years

Written By: MIM!—Following the platinum selling success of Soldier of Love, Sade announces her highly anticipated return to the world's stage. The North American leg begins on June 16, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland at the 1st Mariner Arena. Tickets go on sale in select markets beginning October 16th at www.LiveNation.com with additional dates to be announced soon. RSVP on Sade's Facebook page to receive a special code to buy tickets early.

Sade will perform songs from their collection of timeless hits including songs from their critically acclaimed album, Soldier of Love which secured the # 1 album spot upon its release in February. Selling over a million copies to-date, Soldier of Love spent three weeks in the number one spot taking its rightful place among the collection of iconic Sade albums. Sade will perform over 50 concerts in top arenas across North America, in an effort to reach her vast and loyal fan base. Their classic sound set to haunting, unmistakable vocals creates the most

intimate of concert experiences in a way that only an unforgettable Sade performance can. Sade performed for more than 1,000,000 fans during her last tour in 2001.

• 06/16 Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena (on sale 10/16)
• 06/19 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Arena (on sale 10/18)
• 06/21 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum (on sale 10/18)
• 06/24 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale 10/18)
• 06/28 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre (on sale 10/16)
• 06/30 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre (on sale 10/16)
• 07/06 Boston, MA - TD Garden (on sale 10/18)
• 08/05 Chicago, IL - United Center (on sale 10/18)
• 08/19 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center (on sale 10/18)
• 08/30 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center (on sale 10/18)

Additional dates will be announced in the following markets soon: Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Calgary, AB; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; Milwaukee, WI; New Orleans, LA; Oakland, CA; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; San Diego, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; St Paul, MN; Vancouver, BC.

We'll definitely be there!

(Photo Credits: Epic Records)

ASOS Africa's Fall 2010 Collection

Written By: Nani Hapa—Asos Africa's fall 2010 collection is now on sale at ASOS' website, www.asos.com (search for "Asos Africa"), and better still, their debut summer 2010 collection is now an sale with some fabulous finds! Here are some of our favorite pieces from the fall collection.

(Photo Credits: ASOS Africa)