Getting a hold of it... and food for the soul.

It's sunny outside, and for my first post I thought I'd find something fun, at least until I get a hold of this and find out exactly what I want to focus on. There is only one thing I'm sure of: I won't focus on the bad stuff. The African cultures have an enormous influence on that of my own country (Brazil), and I find it amazing that you see such a rich culture in a continent that has just recently been added to history courses. Their music, their dances, their costumes, their souls; these will hopefully be my themes. I'll try to bring to your view a side of Africa that we, Brazilians, have had the pleasure of knowing, and that some places in the world have chosen to ignore. One problem I did encounter (and probably will again) is the lack of information about my topics on "trusted" sites. But I am insatiable, and my journey has only begun.

Concluding my thought, don't consider my first post as essential information, but rather, see it as food for the soul (or food for thought, as you Americans like to say). This post will be about art. More precisely, about the Segou Music Festival. Segou is the second city of Mali, and they apparently have a wonderful, 3-days-long music festival, where world-famous singers as well as local drummers and fishermen can be seen. The website says it takes place beside the Niger river (you'll remember today's class discussion on it). During the festival, racial differences seem unimportant as albino dancers dance for black singers (being born an albino in west Africa can be a traumatic experience, according to the website's report.) The article offers tips about the Bobo Bwa culture, an ethnic group indigenous to central Mali, known for their masks (which were used by artists in the festival). Follows the link to the article, originally puclished in the Guardian. http://http//www.allwestafrica.com/170620105116.html

Also on that topic, if you have a little extra time, check out africancolours.com . It promotes contemporary African artists and has links to their portfolios, giving them "adequate exposion". It has info about film festivals, art and antiques that are for sale, etc. The picture I posted is of one of the paintings (wasn't successful at placing it in the right place). Hope you enjoy.