MIMI's Holiday Gift Guide: Ah(MEN)

((  Written By: Lola K.  ))  Here are MIMI's inspired gift ideas, which are sure to suit almost every good guy on your Christmas list who loves all things Soul.Substance.Style from Africa and the African Diaspora.  1.  ENZI Footwear (Ethiopia—Price Available Upon Request; Stockists Available at www.enzifootwear.com)  2.  Della's Ruckus Skinny Tie (Ghana—$44 via Della Boutique Online)  3.  This Is Africa Tee (South Africa—$35 via The African Look Book)  4.  Street Level: A Collection Of Drawings And Creative Writing Inspired By Dar-Es-Salaam Illustrated By Sarah Markes (Tanzania—$30 via Amazon)  5.  Kushn 13-Inch Leather Laptop Case (South Africa—$122 via Etsy).

Doreen Mashika And EDUN For The Holidays

((  Written By: Staff Writer  ))  EDUN has partnered with Zanzibar-based accessories designer Doreen Mashika for a special accessories collection for the holiday season.  She says about Zanzibar's influence on the collection:  "The nature I find around the island is quite interesting, I think finding form and function inspired by nature plays a significant role in creating a brilliant design.  Going outside to be inspired is the most enjoyable research I love to take part in.  Nature never fails to produce something new and interesting.  This is quite visible in the Zanzibar Collection for EDUN."

Highly Endangered: The Maasai

(( Written By: Nani Hapa  ))  In recent years, the Maasai have found it increasingly difficult to maintain their traditional pastoral life due to outside influences of the modern world and environmental degradation that has resulted from drought.  Highly Endangered: The Maasai is a viral campaign that seeks to advocate awareness about the effects of environmental degradation on the Maasai culture through fashion, photography, and design.

2012 Africa Fashion Week: Mustafa Hassanali

((  Written By:  Staff Writer ))  Tanzanian fashion designer Mustafa Hassanali's 2012 Mercedes-Benz Africa Fashion Week collection was nothing short of striking with its bold use of red.  Take a look at some of our favorite pieces from his collection below, and visit mustafahassanali.net to see more from the designer's past collections.

He(ART): Koku Gonza—Ushering In The Neo-Soul World Music Movement

((  Written By:  Staff Writer  ))  With the release of her third CD, Radiozophrenic, Koku Gonza brought together elements of her Tanzanian heritage as well as her unique aesthetic for genre blending, to create a sound that is filled with passion, love, and neo-soul.    MIMI sat down with the artist to talk music, style and inspiration.

MIMI:  How were you discovered and put on the path to becoming a recording artist?
Koku Gonza:   I was discovered by playing everywhere I could. I started singing in church and city choirs as a child and I continued discovering various aspects of music as a teenager. I was put on the path of recording at a young age. As a kid, I used to watch my father write and record songs on tape. (Her father is Tanzanian guitarist Longfellow Mugarula.) I knew at the age of 4 I was interested in creating my own music. I recorded my first song at the age of 9. I sang and played piano.

MIMI:  What place do you call home?

Koku Gonza:  My third floor apartment in Chicago in Hyde Park by the lake front.

MIMI: What is your definition of "Radiozophrenic"?

Koku Gonza:  Radiozophrenic is the concept of turning the dial on my personal creative radio as a songwriter. I love to listen to different genres of music. Sometimes its Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Pop, Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, Brazilian Style-Bossa Nova or the Bongo Music of East Africa that tickles my musical pallet within a span of one hour.

MIMI's Fabulous Find Of The Month: Chichia One Frill Sleeve Kanga Dress

Written By: MIM!—Available at Agnes & Lola, Chicia London (by designer Christine Mhando) wowed us with it's vibrant palm print khanga dress from its "Made in Dar" collection. Fashion forward (leopard print sleeve and green, turquoise, and fuchsia trim) and pretty, it's perfect for a night out of town!

(Photo Credits: Agnes & Lola)

Growing Up African: A New Reality Show About A Tanzanian Family Living In America

Written By: MIM!—Since last year, the blogosphere has been a buzz about a new reality show that just transcends several barriers: Growing Up African. The show centers around a Tanzanian family of five siblings and a single mother living in the United States:

MIMI's Hot 21: Anisa Mpungwe: The Closet Bad Ass (No. 006)

Written By: MIM!—Don’t let her youth fool you: Anisa Mpungwe (pictured above, center) is a powerhouse designer for a new generation. It's only à propos that she's The Closet Bad Ass of MIMI's Hot 21. Here's her latest collection from her label (Loin Cloth And Ashes) that was showcased at Johannesburg Fashion Week 2011.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka Campaigns Against Malaria On "A Journey Of African Women"

The Motherland Tour - A Journey of African Women with Yvonne Chaka Chaka trailer from Malaria No More UK on Vimeo.

Fashionjunkii Organizes Its First Ever Global Fashion Show

Press Release—On Friday, October 22, 2010 at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Fashionjunkii (a fashion house run by Tanzanian stylista Rosemary Kokuhilwa) organized it's first ever Global Fashion Show to benefit the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project.

The Global Fashion show is one the most talked about fashion shows to ever happen in New York today due to it's huge success. A total of eight well established designers show cased their spectacular collections from different parts of the globe. The designers featured that evening were; Maatano who are based in the United states but of Ethiopian descent, Amparo Chorda from Spain, Louda Collection who is based in New York City but of Russian descent, African Mosaique from South Africa, Thula Sindi from South Africa, David Tlale from South Africa, Nike Kondakis who is based in Kenya but of Greek and Danish descent and Prajje Couture from Haiti but also based in the United States.

Making A Difference: The Film Mimba Explores Why Maternal Mortality Rates Vary So Dramatically In Tanzania

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—In Tanzania, maternal mortality rates vary tremendously between districts. The film, Mimba, shot in Kiswahili but accompanied by English subtitles explores why. But for the grace of God, any of these women could be me, it could be you, it could be your girlfriend, it could be your mother, it could be your sister, it could be your aunt. Mimba is not to be missed.

Mimba from Lars Johansson on Vimeo.

MIMI Related Links: Restoring Health And Dignity To Young African Women; The Truth About FGM

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)

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)

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)

We ♥ Loin Cloth & Ashes' Signature Earrings

Written By: MIM!—Designer Anisa Mpungwe recently expanded her Loin Cloth & Ashes' label into jewelry. We ♥ the eccentric and funky, signature wooden earrings from the first jewelry line collection, called Jungle.

Visit www.loinclothandashes.com for more information.

(Photo Credits: Loin Cloth & Ashes)

Indie Inspiration: Funky Dada

Written By: MIM!—Funky Dada's home decor collection is anything but ordinary. Inspired by bold and beautiful patterns, prints, and textures from around the globe, Funky Dada aims to infuse a bit of vibrancy, color and whimsy into our lives. Shop Funky Dada by visiting their Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyDada and learn more about the label by visiting www.funkydada.com. And as Funky Dada shares, "Dada means sister in Swahili, and we hope our creations encourage and inspire funky sisters (and brothers) everywhere! "

(Photo Credits: Funky Dada)

The Road Less Travelled

Written By: Jacqueline Kibacha—I was born in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and I’m the first born and only girl of 4 children. When I was 3 years old we left Tanzania and I've since lived in the Middle East and the UK. I enjoyed and was always really good at creative writing and art from a young age and that is what I chose to study. My teachers discovered I had a talent for acting and so I also studied to gain awards in speech and poetry presentation as well as performing in plays and musicals. I spent much of my university life, where I studied Fine Arts, involved with music, through organizing events, being a lead vocalist in a band and joining various choirs. It was whilst preparing for my final year Art Show and recording with DJs that I began to experiment with sounds and words in the form of poetry. I was given the name Pretty Poet in 2005 and took my poetry to a new dimension. Read about My Journey To Becoming A Voice For The Voiceless.

(Photo Credits: Fiona Compton)

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)

Jacqueline Kibacha: Pretty Poetic

Written By: MIM!—Tanzanian-born artist Jacqueline Kibacha has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember. In Jacqueline’s world, the road less traveled is not just a quaint notion in a poem, but a metaphor for her life choices. In July 2002 she created a video installation which fused her love for words with music and video. Since then she has been working with djs, musicians and producers to craft poetry with a purpose beyond words on a page. The result: melodic lyrical poetry. Jacqueline explains, "I have a passion for words and music. I love love love the sound of drums, mixing ancient cultures with modern beats, putting intimate words and real emotions over eclectic melodies." Find out what inspires Jacqueline to breathe life into her words in our upcoming summer 2010 issue where she shares her ongoing journey to became a "voice for the voiceless."

Listen to Jacqueline's melodic poetry, including our favorite pieces, Urban Lamentations and Mean Love at www.myspace.com/itsprettypoet, and for more of Jacqueline's poetic musings, visit her blog at itsprettypoet.blogspot.com.

UPDATED: Listen to the Mean Love track below.

Mean Love by BarafuGroup

(Photo Credits: CD Cover Art)

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 014): Maia von Lekow

[ click image for larger version ]

Written By: MIM!—Maia von Lekow is a twenty-something jazz artist representing Kenya’s dynamic musical scene. The daughter of Tanzanian jazz groover Sal Davis, Maia fuses her musical influences like a lounge chameleon, singing in English and Swahili. While her vocals are reminiscent of 1960 soul music, Maia draws from her varied life experiences experiences—backpacking around the world, living in Australia and now Kenya—to create a hybrid sound that is her very much her own. Listen to this woman of Soul.Substance.Style by visiting MySpace and Facebook.

(Photo Credits: Provided Courtesy of Maia von Lekow)