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Whatever happened to Jay-Z’s Water For Life campaign? I thought there was supposed to be a documentary airing on MTV. Always the business-MAN, Jay seemed to have squeezed in a new ad campaign for Rocawear while he was in South Africa. You can’t miss the campaign which is splashed all over the first 20 or so pages of Vibe’s new issue. Here are some scans from the campaign. More scans at Stylemix. Trend Alert: Animal print is in.
When I heard Al Gore’s announcement that he will be producing Live Earth, a 24-hour concert held simultaneously across all 7 continents, I got to thinking about what part if any Africa(ns) play in the enormous eco-conscious global trend. With “An Inconvenient Truh” nominated for an Oscar, eco-trend features in both business and fashion magazines, and eco news and blog sites popping up everywhere, surely the trend seems to be here to stay. But as we Africans go about trying to deal with our societal issues, I can’t help but think that maybe we need to think about this issue as well.
I spent a good deal of my senior year in high-school in the Environmental Society (yeah, yeah, I’ve had many lives and some a bit nerdy), where myself and a group of students learned and taught about the necessity of caring for your environment. I remember some programs we ran seeming boring and redundant to me but I couldn’t pin-point why. While others became passionate about the whole “save mother earth” movement I started to wonder why I wasn’t so gung-ho about it. I certainly agreed with the efforts but i just didn’t understand why some people seem to take it soooo seriously. Later in life I came to understand that growing up in an African household we never saw the earth as something or someone separate from ourselves. It was part of our culture to respect your surroundings and live within the parameters of the environment you were in. You somewhat understood the need and uses of certain natural resources and you respected their place in your life. But I think we’ve gotten comfortable as time has gone by, and are now part of Africa’s environmental problem.
When my father visited Ghana recently after many years, he was shocked about how rampant littering was. He described how easily people threw plastic products on the ground, even when there was a trash receptacle available. In discussions we often chalked it up to lawlessness, but there might be a deeper concern. As Africans we’ve begun to assume that we innately subscribe to old cultural norms when our actions prove otherwise. Try to talk to an African about environmentalism and many times you’ll get a blank stare or a “whatever” response. But one thing that Silas Siakor proved is that our actions are causing our situation to get worse. Yes, we have big problems like corruption, famine, and drought, but those problems are also tied to how we treat our environment. It’s true we’re not any worse than any other communities, but the effects on our “problems” are worse. When we allow large corporations to drill for oil without any concern about environmental hazards we make things worse for ourselves, What’s the revenue from exports worth when it leaves us with more problems to spend the money on.
The Africa portion of the Live Earth concert will be held in…..wait for it……South Africa. Surprised? Anyway, here’s more information about the event:
LIVE EARTH
Live Earth – The Concert for a Climate in Crisis
July 7, 2007
“The global audience gathered for Live Earth, its ongoing actions, and the proceeds from the concerts, will form the foundation for a new, multi-year international initiative to combat the climate crisis led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Al Gore.
Concerts on all 7 continents:
• Shanghai
• Sydney
• Johannesburg
• London
• Brazil – TBD
• Japan – TBD
• United States – TBD
• Antarctica – TBD
100+ artists: Current and legendary artists across all genres performing multiple hits.
Confirmed performers:
• Pharrell
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Foo Fighters
• Snoop Dogg
• Lenny Kravitz
• Bon Jovi
• Paolo Nutini
• Sheryl Crow
• AFI
• Melissa Etheridge
• John Mayer
• Damien Rice
• Corinne Bailey Rae
• Duran Duran
• Snow Patrol
• John Legend
• Black Eyed Peas
• Akon
• Enrique Iglesias
• Fall Out Boy
• Maná
• Keane
• Kelly Clarkson
• Korn
• Faith Hill w/ Tim McGraw
• Bloc Party
So, I survived another fashion week with very little scrapes and bruises. As usual the week was hectic. Here are my observations:
• Kofi-ism #1: Never tell a model she’s sweating. Models need to be complemented only. Whatever!
• Kofi-ism #2: The only people worse off than uninvited fashion guests are the photo and video people”.
• Kofi-ism #3: Fashion is going through a black out period. Black/African models, unless Baby Phat hires you , you’re f**ked.
• Kofi-ism #4: Fashion week is over run by spectators who have no purpose but to eat, drink and be merry. If you’re not working at fashion week, please stay home. You’re killing the vibe.
• Kofi-ism #5: The days of goodie bags are over. See #4 for the reason why.
• Kofi-ism #6: There are way too many shows going on in the week. They need to be consolidated and staged in closer proximity.
Highlights of the week included Diesel’s retro punk show (Fresh!), Doo Ri’s excellently crafted dresses (I need to learn to sew like yesterday!), and Jackie Rogers’ show at Scores (Yeah baby!)
On the last day , with the last once of energy left, I left Tommy Hilfiger and walked uptown to attend the Designers for Darfur event. While the event got mixed reviews by the press, I was content with the way it turned out. Malcolm Harris and Lydia Hearst took on a huge responsibility in trying to put together this event and I think they deserve credit for that. One of the problems with scheduling a show to close out fashion week is that most people are exhausted by the last day and just ready to put the week behind them. While there weren’t as many celebrities at the event, the event did make a statement though not a huge one. The clothing was great and the vibe was on point. Though it could have been better planned to guarantee certain people be involved, I don’t share the NY Post’s Danica Lo’s opinion that it was a failure. The Designers for Darfur event reflected the general theme of the whole fashion week. Not many big name celebrities or industry vets even at the big name designer shows, a whole bunch of fans getting in the way, and shows running late and too close together.
Tommy Hilfiger had a dope stage
Organizers: SaveDarfur.org, Steve Madden, Malcolm Harris, Lydia Hearst
Steve Madden interviewing with MTV
Turkish designer Rabia
Designers for Darfur banner
Designers for Darfur poster
1 AM. I’m exhausted!
So I finalized my Fashion Week schedule the other day and, while I won’t be showing my clothing line this season, I am excited about the shows I’ll be attending. The week will definitely be an exciting one, as I am scheduled to work with some wonderful mens and womens designers. One show that I’m looking forward to attending though is the Designers for Darfur show taking place on Friday February 9th. Designers For Darfur, was founded in 2007 by designer Malcolm Harris of Mal Sirrah and model Lydia Hearst-Shaw (One Model Management) in association with Fashion Television and Steve Madden, Inc. The event is aimed to raise funds and awareness on behalf of the Save Darfur Coalition. The organizers have gotten a exciting list of designers to create one complete ensemble in Red, Yellow, Green or Black (or any combination of these symbolic colors of Africa) to be featured in the fashion show at Roseland Ballroom. Confirmed participating designers are Chado Ralph Rucci , Steve Madden , Donna Karan , Catherine Malandrino , Rachel Roy, J. Mendel, Michael Kors, Naeem Kahn, Alice & Olivia, Carlos Miele, Joseph Abboud, Marc Bouwer, Nanette Lepore, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Mal Sirrah among others. And those are just the designers. Oprah Winfrey, Joss Stone, Roberto Cavalli, Kanye West, Mia Farrow, Maria Bello, Don Cheadle, and Russell Simmons, are scheduled to attend; but the big question is will George Clooney, a serious advocate for US intervention in Darfur, make an appearance? I’ll let you know. Kudos to the organizers for closing out the week on a good note.
Today is February 1st and the beginning of Black History month here in the US. In the past I haven’t really followed the events which take place for Black History month because it had turned into just a part of big business’ marketing calendar. But this year Black History Month might turn out to be worth noting for both Africans and African-Americans. Vh1 is leading the pack with it’s debut of a 30-seond spot directed by director Spike Lee encouraging African-Americans to scientifically determine their African lineage.
The spot which debuts today (February 1st) on the VH1 soul channel will feature several African-Americans initially mentioning the American cities that they are from. The people are then featured again, holding swabs and naming the African region that their ancestors are from. The spot then encourages viewers to “take pride in their original homes during Black History Month”. The campaign feature DNA-based ancestry tests performed by African Ancestry, Inc., a company that uses swabbed DNA to genetically determine where in Africa a person’s African ancestors came from. DNA ancestry tests have gained mainstream popularity particularly through the efforts of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr’s four-part PBS series “African American Lives,†which used DNA to trace the roots of Oprah Winfrey, Chris Tucker and other prominent African Americans all the way from slave plantations to the shores of Africa. Dr. Gates, a professor who heads Harvard’s Afro-American Studies program, also hosted another recent PBS special centered around tracing Oprah Winfrey’s genealogy and is releasing a book and DVD “Finding Oprah’s Roots — Finding Your Own”.
VH1 will also be launching a new music video show “One Planet. One Soul” beginning Sunday, February 4 showcasing soul artists from the U.K., Africa, Canada, Australia, including Akon, K’Naan, and Rhian Benson. “One Planet. One Soul” will air every Sunday at 10:00 am, 6:00 pm and 2:00 am.
The nominations for the 79th annual Academy Awards were released this morning, and I’m elated to see African film is carrying on it’s influence from the Golden Globes to the Oscars. I’m even more excited to see that Djimon Hounsou was nominated for his role as the Sierra Leonean fisherman in “Blood Diamond”. Yet another milestone for the African film industry. The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. For the full list of nominees go here
Note: * Indicates actor with African heritage or film where Africa is central character
Best Motion Picture of the Year
* Babel (2006): Alejandro González Iñárritu, Steve Golin, Jon Kilik
The Departed (2006): Nominees to be determined
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006): Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Robert Lorenz
Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Nominees to be determined
The Queen (2006): Andy Harries, Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
* Leonardo DiCaprio for Blood Diamond (2006)
* Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson (2006)
Peter O’Toole for Venus (2006/I)
Will Smith for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
* Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond (2006)
Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Jackie Earle Haley for Little Children (2006)
Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls (2006)
Mark Wahlberg for The Departed (2006)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
* Rinko Kikuchi for Babel (2006)
* Adriana Barraza for Babel (2006)
Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006)
Best Achievement in Directing
* Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel (2006)
Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Stephen Frears for The Queen (2006)
Paul Greengrass for United 93 (2006)
Martin Scorsese for The Departed (2006)
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
* Babel (2006): Guillermo Arriaga
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006): Iris Yamashita, Paul Haggis
Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Michael Arndt
Laberinto del Fauno, El (2006): Guillermo del Toro
The Queen (2006): Peter Morgan
Best Achievement in Editing
* Babel (2006): Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
* Blood Diamond (2006): Steven Rosenblum
Children of Men (2006): Alfonso Cuarón, Alex RodrÃguez
The Departed (2006): Thelma Schoonmaker
United 93 (2006): Clare Douglas, Richard Pearson, Christopher Rouse
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
* Babel (2006): Gustavo Santaolalla
The Good German (2006): Thomas Newman
Notes on a Scandal (2006): Philip Glass
Laberinto del Fauno, El (2006): Javier Navarrete
The Queen (2006): Alexandre Desplat
Best Achievement in Sound
* Blood Diamond (2006): Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ivan Sharrock
Apocalypto (2006): Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell, Fernando Cámara
Dreamgirls (2006): Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer, Willie D. Burton
Flags of Our Fathers (2006): John T. Reitz, David E. Campbell, Gregg Rudloff, Walt Martin
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006): Paul Massey, Christopher Boyes, Lee Orloff
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
* Blood Diamond (2006): Lon Bender
Apocalypto (2006): Sean McCormack, Kami Asgar
Flags of Our Fathers (2006): Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006): Alan Robert Murray
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006): George Watters II, Christopher Boyes
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
* Indigènes (2006)(Algeria)
Efter brylluppet (2006)(Denmark)
Laberinto del Fauno, El (2006)(Mexico)
Leben der Anderen, Das (2006)(Germany)
Water (2005)(Canada)
Best Short Film, Live Action
* Binta y la gran idea (2004): Javier Fesser, Luis Manso
Éramos pocos (2005): Borja Cobeaga
Helmer & søn (2006): Søren Pilmark, Kim Magnusson
Helmer & søn (2006): Søren Pilmark, Kim Magnusson
The Saviour (2005): Peter Templeman, Stuart Parkyn
West Bank Story (2005): Ari Sandel
• Helping Hollywood get serious about Africa: LA Times
• Evolution from Africa to Russia: NY Times via Pure Pedantry
Some years ago, I was walking through SoHo and came across an exhibit at a nondescript art gallery. I was struck by the large image of a man resting calmly in the gaping mouth of a crocodile. The man was laying on his stomach writing in a journal with his legs extending into the creature’s mouth. Being the ever inquisitive art student, I walked into the gallery and into my first experience with photographer/artist/writer Peter Beard‘s work. When you first happen upon Beard’s work as I did so many years ago, you are at first shocked. There’s blood, old photos, animal skin, and all sorts of other materials. Beard’s work is organized chaos at it’s best and an organic one at that. Beard first started traveling to Africa in 1955 and since then he’s been obsessed with Africa’s land, people, and animals. Beard is one of those artists who lives and breathes his work. He is easily compared to Warhol, in his art and celebrity, but his knowledge of and adoration for Africa sets him apart. Beard recently released a 500-page limited edition book of his work through Taschen books. Follow Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore’s lead and get yourself a copy. If you can’t afford it get a pair of Peter Beard sandals.
Last nights Golden Globe awards solidified what newspapers have been saying for months. Africa is red hot for Hollywood filmmakers. Babel, filmed in Morocco and Tunisia, won for best film and Forest Whitaker (Platoon, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Color of Money) won the best actor award for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”. While the two films are dramas, the diversity of the scenery in each film is a testament to the multitude of cultures and landscapes, which makes the African continent unique.
I haven’t talked much about “The Last King of Scotland” in the past particularly because I have yet to see it and it didn’t get much of a push at the box office. But Whitaker’s Golden Globe win is a clear example of the strength of the African continent as a source for filmmaking. Whitaker who has held various roles as actor, producer, and director is an unlikely star. Since appearing on screen in the early eighties, he has constantly worked on and off the screen developing projects. Those of us in the hip-hop community probably know him best for his Wu-Tang Clan association. It’s Whitaker’s quirkiness which made him an ideal candidate for the Idi Amin character. While critics claim the movie again put the white character at the story’s’ center, Whitaker’s intensity could not be ignored. I hope both wins send a rush of viewers to see the films, and push the profit numbers up. At the end of the day, hollywood is about making money, and if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense (to produce).
“Buoyed by the critical and financial success of movies such as Hotel Rwanda and The Constant Gardener, studios are unleashing a series of films not only based on life in Africa, but shot there as well.
The cinematic migration, filmmakers and analysts say, reflects a sea change in Hollywood’s perspective about the region, once a mystery and easy stereotype for the entertainment industry.
Gone are the safari and Africans-as-savages motifs. The new films address recent history and topical subjects from terrorism to the diamond trade to long-distance runners.” – USA Today
The Golden Globe Awards are tonight and one clear winner for now is international film production. With movies like “Babel”, “The Last King of Scotland”, and “Blood Diamond” the ceremony has already set a tone for film in the near future. Though it hasn’t been publicized much, London-born Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is up for two separate awards. One for his work as the drag queen in “Kinky Boots”, and again for his portrayal of a man who gets caught in the Thailand tsunami in HBO’s “Tsunami, The Aftermath”. Ejiofor’s “wife” in “Tsunami, The Aftermath”, Sophie Okonedo, who is half Nigerian, is up for her second Golden Globe nomination this year. The Golden Globe are considered a dress rehearsal for the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan. 23. The Oscar ceremony will be on Feb. 25. The awards ceremony will be televised 8 ET/PT, on NBC.
Here are the African nominations for tonight’s ceremony:
* Indicates actor with African heritage or film where Africa is central character
Best Motion Picture – Drama
* Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
* Forest Whitaker – The Last King Of Scotland
* Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed
Peter O’Toole – Venus
Will Smith – The Pursuit Of Happyness
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
* Chiwetel Ejiofor – Kinky Boots
Sacha Cohen – Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
Johnny Depp – Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Aaron Eckhart – Thank You For Smoking
Will Ferrell – Stranger Than Fiction
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
* Adriana Barraza – Babel
* Rinko Kikuchi – Babel
Cate Blanchett – Notes On A Scandal
Emily Blunt – The Devil Wears Prada
Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
* Brad Pitt – Babel
Ben Affleck – Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls
Jack Nicholson – The Departed
Mark Wahlberg – The Departed
Best Director – Motion Picture
* Alejandro Iñárritu – Babel
Clint Eastwood – Flags Of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood – Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears – The Queen
Martin Scorsese – The Departed
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
*Babel
The Departed
Little Children
Notes On A Scandal
The Queen
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
* Babel (Santaolalla)
The Painted Veil (Desplat)
The Fountain (Mansell)
Nomad (Siliotto)
The Da Vinci Code (Zimmer)
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
* “A Father’s Way” – The Pursuit Of Happyness
Music By: Seal and Christopher Bruce
Lyrics By: Seal
“Listen” – Dreamgirls
Music & Lyrics By: Anne Preven, Scott Cutler, Beyoncé Knowles and Henry Krieger
“Never Gonna Break My Faith” – Bobby
Music & Lyrics By: Andrea Remanda, Bryan Adams and Eliot Kennedy
“The Song Of The Heart” – Happy Feet
Music & Lyrics By: Prince Rogers Nelson
“Try Not To Remember” – Home Of The Brave
Music & Lyrics By: Sheryl Crow
Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
* Sophie Okonedo – Tsunami, The Aftermath (HBO)
Gillian Anderson – Bleak House (PBS)
Annette Bening – Mrs. Harris (HBO)
Helen Mirren – Elizabeth I (HBO)
Helen Mirren – Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
* Chiwetel Ejiofor – Tsunami, The Aftermath (HBO)
André Braugher – Thief (FX)
Robert Duvall – Broken Trail (AMC)
Michael Ealy – Sleeper Cell: American Terror (SHOWTIME)
Ben Kingsley – Mrs. Harris (HBO)
Bill Nighy – Gideon’s Daughter (BBC)
Matthew Perry – The Ron Clark Story (TNT)