The 2013 Grammy Nominations Are In ...

((  Written By: Mimi Tsiane  ))  ... and I am totally underwhelmed.  I find going through the list irritating as I don’t know many of the new artists, I can’t pronounce their names and music nowadays describes all the intricacies of sex to a point where it becomes a physical and mental assault of the soul.  With that said here are the three Africans that could win a Grammy.  Estelle's (Senegal) song "Thank You" was nominated for Best R&B Performance, Wale's (Nigeria) "Lotus Flower Bomb" featuring Miguel was nominated for Best Rap Song, and Hugh Masekela's (South Africa) album "Jabulani" was nominated in the Best World Music Album category.

Issa Rae Joins Pharrell Williams’ i am OTHER Family For Season 2 Of The Hit Web Series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl

((  Written By:  Staff Writer  )) Since going viral in 2011, Issa Rae's comedic series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl has become a cult favorite, with episodes garnering over 500,000 viewers each, and the series winning the coveted Shorty Award for "Best Web Show."

After lobbing her comic grenades to a dedicated core of fans, Issa's funny business landed her a production deal to air The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl on i am OTHER, a YouTube partner channel managed by Pharrell Williams, and now she's poised to explode in a blaze.  Issa shares:  "We're SO excited to be launching Season 2 on the i am OTHER network. Pharrell's team has been incredibly supportive and we have a lot of hilarity in store for season 2."  

Hers is the face to watch in female comedy, and now fans and new viewers alike need not wait any longer to see how Issa's well-played small, awkward moments translate into Season 2 of The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl.  Watch the trailer for Season 2 of The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl below and watch all episodes by visiting YouTube's i am OTHER channel.

  

Estelle's All Of Me Is Out Today In The US

Written By: MIM!—We've been eagerly waiting for four years, and today, All Of Me, Estelle's follow up to her 2008 album, Shine, is released in the US. All Of Me features features a number of collaborations, including the already-released singles Break My Heart (with Rick Ross) and Thank You (with Akon). Stateside fans can catch Estelle on tour, which is already underway; for details, visit www.estellemusic.com. In the UK, All Of Me will be released on March, 12th.

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

Africa Online: Iman, Estelle, Femi Kuti ... And More

Written By: MIM!—Stay connected to positive news by reading these five stories from the worldwide web, about Africa and the African Diaspora, that we loved reading this week:

1. Somalian supermodel Iman pens an inspiring article 5 Seeds of Hope for Somalia via The Huffington Post;

2. Senegalese-British singer-songwritter Estelle shares her oh so fashionable list of The 5 Things She Can't Live Without via The Stylist;

3. Nigerian afro-funk musician Femi Kuti describes what music is playing In His Ear via NPR;

4. Kenyan director Jinna Mutune's trailer for his highly-anticipated superhero film Leo hits the web via Shadow and Act; and

5. Haitian accessories designer Cynthia Germain, whose label Saint-Germain captures the spirit of Africa in its design aesthetic and was inspired by a trip to Niger, offers a behind the scenes look at her latest collection via Vimeo.

For more stories about Africa and the African Diaspora, catch up with MIMI's archives at www.mimimagazine.com/archives.

(Photo Credits: Movie Poster Art)

Youssou N'Dour Is Wrapping Up His US Tour And Heading To Canada

Written By: Nani Hapa—Sade and Freshlyground are not the only acts to go on tour this summer, the legendary Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour has been touring Stateside and is heading out to Canada. Read on for details.

Friday, June 24: New York, New York @ Terminal 5 , 6 Delancey St

Sunday, June 26: Toronto, Ontario @ Mainstage, Toronto Downtown Jazz

Monday, June 27: Montreal, Quebec @ Metropolis Theatre

Tuesday, June 28: Ottawa, Ontario @ Confederation Park

(Photo Credits: © Youri Lanquette)

Must See Documentary: Taxi Sister By Theresa Traore Dahlberg

Written By: MIM!—With the help of a progressive government initiative supporting female taxi drivers, there are 15 female taxi drivers in Dakar ... that's out of 15,000 taxi drivers. Who’s talking about women's equity besides Senegal's government? Promising Swedish/Burkinabe director and producer Theresa Traore Dahlberg is (photographed above), in her documentary Taxi Sister which follows a woman behind the wheel who grapples with society’s view and expectations on women. Watch the trailer below ...

TAXI SISTER TRAILER from Theresa Traore Dahlberg on Vimeo.

(Photo Credits: © Senay Berhe)

Estelle Releases "Break My Heart" From Her Upcoming Album "All Of Me"

Written By: MIM!—Today Estelle released the single Break My Heart from her soon to be released album, All Of Me. To hear the track, featuring Rick Ross, visit www.estellemusic.com.

(Photo Credits: © CD Cover Art)

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  ))

Achieving 8 Goals For Africa

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Launched by the UN Development Group, 8 Goals for Africa, is a campaign song by eight of Africas best known musicians, calling for commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals—a set of eight internationally-agreed upon goals designed to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, and maternal and child deaths by 2015. 8 Goals for Africa features Yvonne Chaka Chaka from South Africa, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe, Eric Wainaina from Kenya, and the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa with world renowned jazz musicians Hugh Masekela and Jimmy Dludlu from South Africa are instrumentalists on the track. Watch the inspiring music video below:

8 Goals for Africa from UNDP on Vimeo.

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)

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)

Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Tunisia And Egypt Among Top 100 Countries In The World

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Newsweek conducted a study evaluating economy, politics, health, and quality of life, to determine the world's best 100 countries. Eighteen African countries made the cut.

Here are the African countries that ranked in the top 100, as well as their relative rankings (for purposes of comparison, Finland ranked as number 1, while Canada ranked as number 7, the US number 11, and the UK number 14):

65. Tunisia

67. Morocco

74. Egypt

80. Botswana

82. South Africa

85. Algeria

86. Ghana

87. Kenya

90. Madagascar

91. Senegal

93. Tanzania

94. Ethiopia

95. Mozambique

96. Uganda

97. Zambia

98. Cameroon

99. Nigeria

100. Burkina Faso

Explore the world's best countries by visiting www.Newsweek.com.

(Photo Credits: © Dreamstime / Milosluz)

It "Don't Matter" To Akon

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 010): Aïssa Maïga

[ click image for larger version ]

Written By: MIM!—Aïssa Maïga is a Senegal-born actress who has stared in a number of French films including Paris, Je T'aime and Bamako, for which she was nominated in 2007 for the Most Promising Actress César Award. From her first role in the 1997 thriller Saraka Bô, there was no denying Aïssa's star power; on an obvious upward trajectory, today, Aïssa has 31 films under her belt and is one of France's most celebrated actresses. As she explains, ‘‘Directors are starting to call me for movies because they knew me. Not because they wanted a black African French girl.’’ A mother of two, Aïssa keeps her personal life private and instead lets her growing body of work speak to her talent.

(Photo Credits: Laboratorio Immagine Donna)

Happy Freaky Friday

Written By: Nani Hapa—I know, I know, I've already recommended that you to listen to Estelle and Shine Like A Star for a great start to the weekend, but I couldn't help but chose yet another Estelle song, to jumpstart the weekend. This time it's a brand new release, Freak. The song is so new it was released today, and to hear it, you've got to log on towww.EstelleMusic.com. The track was produced by David Guetta and is off of Estelle's new album All of Me, which her label says is "coming soon!" I can't wait; for now I'll freak out to Freak!

UPDATED: Here's the official artwork for Freak; as always, Estelle is taking fashion chances.

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

Shine Like A *Star* This Friday!

Written By: Nani Hapa—Star is a little musical gem in Estelle's repertoire that I adore! Produced by Kardinal Offishall, the song, which I would label "pop lite" is definitely a different sound for Estelle, but that's exactly why I like it, because it's an unconventional song filled with Estelle's conventional wisdom. It's a light and fun pick me up on a Friday. Follow this link to play the song on Lala.com.

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

New Music: Akon's Oh Africa

Written By: MIM!—Pepsi has teamed up with GRAMMY nominees Akon and Keri Hilson and two-time GRAMMY award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir alongside 16 young singers from around the world to create the track, Oh Africa to benefit underprivileged African youth through Akon's Konfidence Foundation and other great charities designated by Hilson and Pepsi. Follow this link to play the song on Lala.com, and if you like what you hear, purchase the song from www.Konfidence.org to support a great cause.

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go)

Written By: MIM!—Get your weekend off to a fun start with the Noisettes' Don't Upset The Rhythm. We can't get enough of the upbeat, catchy tune, and as a bonus, the remix features Wale and Estelle. EDITED: Follow this link to play the song from Lala.com

MIMI's Life & Style List: January

Written By: MIM!—Here are five things we are doing this month ...

1. Treasure It: Delphine Diallo's original artwork.

2. Bookmark It: Marian Kihogo's uber stylish blog, www.mariankihogo.com.

3. Hear It: Ty Bello's classic album, Green Land.

4. Rock It: Zulu Rose's inspired t-shirts, www.zulurose.com.

5. Note It: Mü & Me's adorable cards and notebooks, www.muandme.net.

Marie Ndiaye's Trois Femmes Puissantes

Written By: Nicole Parker-Jones—For the first time in its history, France's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, was awarded to a black woman: French Senegalese author Marie Ndiaye. The Prix Goncourt was awarded to Ndiaye for her novel Trois Femmes Puissantes ("Three Powerful Women"), which is about three African women, each with one foot in France and the other in Africa (the novel is not currently available in English).

A prodigy, Ndiaye began writing at the age of 12 and published her first work when she was 17. Her 2001 work, Rosie Carpe, garnered her attention when she was awarded the prestigious Prix Femina literary prize. Despite touching on social themes (such as race and gender) in her oft-times surreal stories, Ndiaye has reportedly gone on the record to explain: "I don't represent anything or anyone. I have met many French people raised in Africa who are more African than I am."