African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe Award Winning African Films

The Africa Movie Academy Awards started in 2005. The AMAA’s are presented annually to recognize excellence in the African film industry, films are made for Africans, by Africans. The AMAA’s were founded by Nigerian film maker Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe founder and CEO of The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) stated “The AMAA’s started out just as something I was going to do, so that we could have one day as filmmakers to meet and sit down together. But now it’s something that everybody looks forward to. So when I look back, I think that’s my biggest achievement.”

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder and CEO of the African Movie Academy Awards

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe also says “Bringing the cinema to rural areas in Africa is important because Africa has knowledge and history of storytelling, and this is just moving it to the next stage. These are films made for Africans, by Africans. One of the saddest things for us as African filmmakers is that a lot of the films that are made in Africa with the exception of Nollywood films don’t get seen in Africa. Some of the historical filmmakers like Ousmane Sembène a lot of people on the continent have not seen.”

“There are so many positive things that come out of Africa that never get said or never get talked about. Most of the things we see on TV are the problems that we already know we have. There is poverty in Africa, there is illness, there is homelessness, but there are still a lot of good things in Africa a lot of beautiful people in Africa that make the world go around in terms of their industry.” states Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

The Africa Movie Academy Awards trophy

The AMAA are aimed at honoring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe tells Ted Talks “One of the best things coming out of Africa right now is the creative industries. We have a lot of brilliant writers, filmmakers and musicians. P-Square, for example, comes to America from Nigeria and sells out shows. We have dressmakers like Tiffany Amber who are now internationally renowned. All these young entrepreneurs are succeeding in the face of so much adversity. There is a vibrant youth culture going on in Africa, and these things need to be talked about, these things need to be shown.”

The African Movie Academy Awards took place in Bayelsa, Nigeria on May 26, 2014 honoring a number of filmmakers for excellence in African film making and cinema. On June 20, 2015 the nominees for the AMAA were announced in Los Angeles, California, South Africa will host the event, which will be held outside Nigeria for the first time since the awards were founded in 2005.

The 2014 African Movie Academy Awards Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bob Manuel-Udokwu

Best Film

Of Good Report: South Africa Best Director Jamil X.T Quebeka: 

Of Good Report (South Africa) Best Actor in a Leading Role Mothusi Magano: 

Of Good Report (South Africa) Best Actress in a Leading Role Clarion Chukwura: 

Apaye (Nigeria) Best Actor in a Supporting Role Thapelo Mofekeng: 

Felix (South Africa) Best Actress in a Supporting Role Patience Ozokwor: 

After the Proposal (Nigeria) Best Child Actor Lebohang Ntsane: 

Forgotten Kingdom (South Africa) Best Film in an African Language B for Boy: Nigeria

Joyce Banda Award for Film on Women Empowerment B For Boy: Nigeria Madiba Award Ni Sisi: Kenya

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

  1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
  2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
  3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
  4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
  5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

Greek Obsession with Ethiopia

Image
Ethiopia: How Ancient Greece Imagined a Distant Land. The ancient Greeks were fascinated by Ethiopia , placing it at the edge of the known world. Drawn by dreams of wealth and the pursuit of mathematical knowledge and scientific marvels, the Greeks also sought riches such as gold, ivory, ebony, and exotic animals. These goods were highly prized in the Greek world , promising great wealth and peril to those who dared to venture to this distant land. Distance and Travel to Ethiopia. Sea travel was the primary means of long-distance travel for the ancient Greeks . A sea voyage along the African coast to the regions they considered Ethiopia would have taken several weeks to a few months. Sea voyages were fraught with dangers. Ships were vulnerable to storms, which could capsize or drive them off course.  Pirates posed a constant threat, targeting both seafaring vessels and coastal settlements. Navigation was challenging, relying on knowledge of stars, coastlines, and rudimentary instru...
Read the full post here

Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition

Image
Dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia: the newly chosen Fine Boy is temporarily celebrated with fanfare and pleasure. Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition Fascinating stories emerged during the Pepper Coast's glory days. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders established outposts along the Liberian coastline, drawn by its wealth of humans, spices, and other commodities.  Centuries later, in the 19th century, the American Colonization Society (ACS) founded settlements in Liberia and began journalling native stories.  Among these tales is a dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia, a story so intriguing it almost seems too good to be true because, in some ways, it is.   The Kru women periodically held elections to select a young, handsome man as their “Fine Boy.” The announcement of his selection was celebrated with a vibrant procession featuring music, singing, and dancing.  The newly chosen Fine Boy was placed at the front of the para...
Read the full post here

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali ...
Read the full post here

Why Study the Kingdom of Kongo When It Failed

Image
A Kingdom Torn Apart: The Forces Behind Kongo’s Collapse. Why study and honor defunct ancient African kingdoms? These kingdoms no longer exist, they were failures; hpwever, they were once thriving societies with remarkable achievements. Before the arrival of Portuguese explorers, the Kingdom of Kongo flourished as a prosperous and powerful African state.  It boasted a sophisticated social structure, strong economic systems, and rich spiritual traditions. The King of Kongo was regarded as a sacred intermediary between the gods and his people, embodying the kingdom's deep reverence for spirituality and governance.  This existence, however, became a battleground as the Portuguese wielded their “divide and conquer” strategy with precision, exploiting internal rivalries and introducing advanced weaponry that disrupted the balance of power, deposing the king. Economic pressures intensified as the Portuguese fueled the transatlantic slave trade, transforming allies into rivals and co...
Read the full post here