Tag: Senegal

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Painter Kehinde Wiley’s World Stage: Africa





EXHIBIT
Kehinde Wiley, The World Stage: Africa Lagos~Dakar
July 17—October 26, 2008
PLACE
The Studio Museum in Harlem
144 West 125th Street
New York, New York 10027
tel 212.864.4500

The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar is Kehinde Wiley’s first solo exhibition at The Studio Museum in Harlem and features ten new paintings from his multinational “The World Stage” series. Wiley is known for his stylized paintings of young, urban African-American men in poses borrowed from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European figurative paintings, a practice he started in the early 2000s while an artist in residence at the Studio Museum. Over the last two years, Wiley has expanded his project by living and working abroad; he temporarily relocates to different countries and opens satellite studios to become familiar with local culture, history and art. His “The World Stage” series is the result of these travels.

pictures from the exhibit opening

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African countries on 2007 list of 50 most desirable outsourcing destinations

Dakar buildingsBusinessWeek’s recent article on rising outsourcing destinations highlights what many African entrepreneurs have proposed for years. Outsourcing to parts of Africa can be a win-win situation. The BusineesWeek article refers to consultancy A.T. Kearney’s 2007 list of the 50 most desirable outsourcing destinations worldwide. For the list countries were ranked by a) financial attractiveness, based on such measures as compensation and infrastructure costs; b) a so-called people score, measuring a nation’s people skills, availability of language and educational skills, and the size and quality of the IT industry; and c) their economic/political environment, infrastructure quality, cultural exposure, and IP security. While India remains the top outsourcing destination many African countries are learning from their example. (Note: Scores are in parentheses.)

Rank – Country (overall – financial – people – environment)
#13 – Egypt (5.6 – 3.2 – 1.1 – 1.3)
#25 – Mauritius (5.4 – 2.8 – 1.0 – 1.6)
#26 – Tunisia (5.4 – 3.0 – 0.9 – 1.5)
#27 – Ghana (5.5 – 3.3 – 0.9 – 1.3)
#31 – South Africa (5.3 – 2.5 – 1.2 – 1.6)
#36 – Morocco (5.1 – 2.9 – 0.9 – 1.3)
#39 – Senegal (5.1 – 3.2 – 0.8 – 1.1)

Other factors which add to a countries’ attractiveness are language and education skills and the reliability of a nation’s telecommunications infrastructure. But the the key underlying factor for many African countries’ successful bid for new business is the lack of infrastructure. While the African digerati are continuously ramping up their skills and making themselves available for business they continuously run into infrastructural limitations. But who is to blame? Is it the governments who are overrun with bureaucracy? or the people themselves, who often do not hold their leaders accountable?

Offshoring upstarts are making so many inroads, in fact, that by 2012, they’ll significantly dilute India’s dominance, says consultancy Gartner (IT). The consulting firm says that by 2010 about 30% of Fortune 500 enterprises will outsource to three or more countries, from less than 10% today. “So many governments have realized what an opportunity this is and there’s a lot of effort being spent in promoting their countries to the market,” says Johan Gott, manager of A.T. Kearney’s Global Services Location Index.

…Kenya, for instance, is trying to become a destination for business process and IT outsourcing. The Kenyan government has worked in recent years to liberalize its telecom sector, which has lured more operators and helped drive telecom services prices down by 70% in a short time, according to the World Bank. Yet the country relies on satellite connections to link to the rest of the world. That makes it costly for outsourcers to do business.

(photo source)

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Global Hip-hop in your city

Nomadic Wax, the crew behind the Democracy in Dakar video series, are taking their global hip-hop on a mini US tour. The Global Underground tour features international hip-hop pioneers Chosan (Sierra Leone), LF and Laylo (Brazil/Dominican Republic), Foundation Movement (Puerto Rico/Liberia), Zuluboy (South Africa), DJ Boo (Philippines) an accomplished group of percussionists including Ernesto Abreau (Antibalas/Ya Esta), Chauncey Yearwood (The Pimps of Joytime/Escort), and Nomadic Wax founder Ben Herson (Nomadic Wax/Escort/Subatomic Sound System). The tour launches at Galapagos Art Space on July 19th in Brooklyn, New York, and will visit clubs in Providence, Rhode Island on the 21st and Boston, MA on the 22nd. If you haven’t seen any of these acts perform yet, do yourself a favor and catch them when they roll into your city.

Global Underground tour
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African super-rich grow richer, move to Richistan

Porsche in Dakar trafficAs part of my research on the African brand, I interviewed a Nigerian Hollywood public relations professional recently. Though his clientèle doesn’t consist purely of Africans, being a Hollywood connector he frequently encounters Africans with a bit of money looking to use his services for something or another. As we talked, the topic of money came up and the gentleman expounded on the different groups of Africans with money and their attitudes towards wealth. What I found interesting was how the Nigerian connector classified the groups: hustlers, who will do anything for a buck, and dignitaries, whose source of wealth is questionable. In his experience these were the two types of people who make up the affluent African class. Of course I found his tales of the affluent African a little disheartening, but it brought to light the issue of options for African wealth. We all know that the continent is rich with resources, however the access to those resources and who benefits from it’s potential revenue is another story.

The Wall Street Journal’s Informed Reader points to the recent release of Merrill Lynch and Cap Gemini’s 2007 World Wealth Report which reveals:

Globally, the HNWI (High Net Worth Individuals) population grew by 8.3% in 2006, to a total
of 9.5 million individuals. HNWI population gains were particularly strong last year in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, advancing by 12.5%, 11.9% and 10.2%, respectively, and outpacing more developed nations. These gains came amid these emerging markets’ attempts to solidify their infrastructures and become more developed economies.

While this means there is more African representation in Robert Frank’s Richistan, many of us in lower to not-even-close Richistan, are beginning to ask even more questions about what role Africans play in the scramble for Africa’s resources. A BIG question raised in the conversation about African billionaires on Forbes’ list was, where are those billionaires getting their money? The wealth report hints that,

China has been an active player in Africa, investing heavily in various sectors and showing particular interest in mining. Taken together, these factors bolstered the continent’s HNWI population, helping it grow by 12.5 percent in 2006 and increasing its wealth by 14 per cent.

While this seems like a good answer, I’m not sure many Africans will buy it. But I don’t want to be labeled a “player hater” so I will point you to this statement by the Informed Reader:

So when it comes to business and markets, the firms that cater to the top of the high end will continue to do the best in the coming years. Think megayachts instead of yachts, beachfront estates instead of McMansions, and Bentleys and Maybachs instead of Mercedes and BMWs.

Paul Redfern adds, “The report says much of the income is spent on luxury items, art collections, jewelery and charitable causes.” Maybe this growing area will give enterprising Africans such as my Hollywood connector friend a green card to Richistan. As another hustler friend of mine said, “Don’t hate, participate” – legitimately of course.

image source

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(RED) Vanity Fair charity album by Youssou N’Dour

(RED) Vanity Fair Youssou N'Dour charity albumThe recent issue of Vanity Fair, the “Africa issue”, has spawned a charity album featuring some great West African musicians. Based on Youssou N’Dour’s personal playlist, the “Tracks in the Sand” compilation album is available for sale on iTunes and includes a digital booklet with liner notes by Mark Hudson, author of The Music In My Head.

Tracklist:

  1. “Li Ma Weesu,” by Youssou N’Dour.
  2. “Senegal Fast Food,” by Amadou & Mariam.
  3. “Savane,” by Ali Farka Touré.
  4. “Jiin Ma Jiin Ma,” by Orchestra Baobab.
  5. “Africa Challenge,” by Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra.
  6. “Saa Magni,” by Oumou Sangare.
  7. “Chet Boghassa,” by Tinariwen.
  8. “M’bifo,” by Rokia Traoré.
  9. “Sou,” by Cheikh Lô.
  10. “Iniagige,” by Salif Keita.
  11. “Miyaabele,” by Baaba Maal.
  12. “Jaman Moro,” by Afel Bocoum.
  13. “Sigui,” by Djelimady Tounkara.
  14. “Debe,” by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabate.
  15. “Allah,” by Youssou N’Dour.
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Africans on TIME’s 100 most influential people list

Youssou Ndour TIME influentials 2007TIME magazine has released it’s annual picks of the 100 most influential men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world. The list is broken up into groups of Artists & Entertainers, Scientists & Thinkers, Leaders & Revolutionaries, Builders & Titans, Heroes & Pioneers. Here are the Africans who made TIME 100 most influential people list. The African country represented and the categories they appear in are in parentheses.

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Design Made in Africa exhibit opens in NYC

Design Made in AfricaOn April 12th, the Design Made in Africa exhibit opened in New York at 4 World Financial Center. The exhibit is the first major traveling exhibition of contemporary African design. It presents a selection of 30 designers from 14 African countries featuring both utilitarian and decorative objects, including seating, lamps, tableware, wall hangings, graphic designs and body ornaments. The exhibition will be on display at the Courtyard Gallery. Featured designers are: Algeria: Amira Atallaoui-Deverchere, Abdelaziz Bacha, Mhedi Izemrane, Mohamed Faycal Guenni; Burkina Faso: Vincent Bailou and Vincent Rossin, Anthony Labouriaux, Hamed Ouattara; Cameroon: Sandrine Dole, Jules Bertrand, Wokam; Congo: Frederic Ruyant and Julien Robert; Cote d’Ivoire: Issa Diabate, Vincent Niamen; Ethiopia: Fasil Giorghis; Mali: Cheick Diallo, Marianne Montaut; Uganda: Sanaa Gateja; Rwanda: Laurent Hategekimana; Senegal: Balthazar Faye, Frederic Hardouin, Babacar Niang, Dominique Petot; South Africa: Marisa Fick-Jordaan, Maira Koutsoudakis, Piet Pienaar, Strangelove (Carlo Gibson and Zimek Pater); Togo: Kossi Assou, Ameyovi Homawoo; Zimbabwe: Ralph Gallagher.
Design Made in Africa poster

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Business management programs travel to Africa

African cotton NY Times
Businessweek reports on French business school, HEC, which is leading the way by taking the management programs to Senegal. The program’s focus is on the African cotton industry. Could this be a new trend in African business development?

We need to adapt to local contexts and cultures. When we go to Africa, we need to respect the local specificities but at the same time we have to adapt our own approaches to the reality in those countries. We cannot import our own view. We have to have a different perspective and be open to different views. This is what corporate social responsibility is all about. We think we have a responsibility to contribute to these countries. – Bertrand Moingeon, Associate Dean for executive education and professor of strategic management.

Also the NYTimes reported on the African cotton industry back in January.

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Akon, Vibe and the new urban standard

Akon Vibe cover April 2007With two singles in the #2 and #3 spots (Akon “Don’t Matter” and Gwen Stefani Featuring Akon “The Sweet Escape”), a new album, Konvicted, holding the #3 spot on the Billboard charts, and a starring role in a new Verizon commercial, Akon is hot right now. Now Senegal’s son graces the cover of the new Vibe Magazine which just hit my neighborhood newsstand. I’m not sure if this is the first time an African has made the cover of Vibe, but Akon’s cover is particularly significant to me because as an artist he continues to have appeal beyond genres and walk the fine line that Vibe has been so successful walking. Akon’s continued rise further convinces me of the growth of a new urban culture without the restrictions of race and origin. Not to say that the genre is color blind but where urban culture was primarily associated only with Black American culture before, the new urban culture seems to fall more in a gray area where race and origin aren’t the only determinant. A few weeks ago John Pasmore wrote on his Fast Company blog about the origins of the urban. The way things are going these days soon there might be a new definition of urban with new originators as reference points. Whether this new genre is a good or bad thing for black/African culture depends on your perspective, but one thing’s for sure, Akon and Vibe are attempting to shape that new definition right now.