#15: cultural & creative industries in africa

1INSPIRE AFRIKA / JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 #15

Alexandra Amon

CLIMBING THE TREE OF SUCCESS

Marie-Cécile ZinsouPrincess of Dahomey

FocusToofan

THOUGHTS CAREER FAVORITE

OfRobert Brazza

2 INSPIRE AFRIKA / JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015


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INspIRE AFRIkA MAGAZINE is edited by ANINkA MEDIA GRoUp

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THE 15TH ISSUE - JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

www.inspireaFrika.com

MaRIE SIMONE NGaNEconTriBuTor For

CHIEF EDIToRJoan YomBo

AssIsTANT CHIEF EDIToRLouis giLBerT Bissek

CULTURE EDIToRsTeLLa sanogo

AFRICAhYacinThe issomBo

ENGLIsH EDIToRchrYs nYeTam

EURopEmariéTou seck

AMERICAaniTa BakaL

TRANsLAToRrakY Touré

EXECUTIvE DIRECToRchrYs nYeTam

pUBLIsHING DIRECToRJoan YomBo

BUsINEss DEvELopMENT Luc YeBga

sALEs MANAGERaniTa BakaL

MARkETING MANAGERamma aBuram

pUBLIC RELATIoNs oFFICERiVan nYeTam

GRApHIC DEsIGNaLissa James & Brice TeiFoueT

pARTNERsHIps MANAGERs

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AFRICAN CULTURAL & CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

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CoNTENTs

CaREER // 20The new Face of african cultural patronage

INSPIR’INTERVIEW // 16 «i’m living my african Dream»

FROM THE EDITOR // 5

INSPIR’NEWS // 6

TRENDS // 8The history of afrohouse music

FaVORITE // 12 The originality of the african music

INSPIR’INTERVIEW // 16«i’m living my african Dream»

CaREER // 20The new Face of african cultural patronage

DaRE TO INSPIRE // 26 For the Love of art

INSPIR’STaRTUP // 28 Discover The african Fantasy

INSPIR’ORGaNIzaTION // 32 a second wind for african cinema

INSPIR’ECO // 36is the african culture profitable?

THOUGHTS // 38of robert Brazza

4 QUESTIONS TO... // 42kusoma group

FOCULTURE // 44Friday night Fever in abidjan

JOBS // 46

THOUGHTS // 38of robert Brazza

FaVORITE // 12The originality of african music

COVER


You have probably heard at some point that we now live in an Enter-tainment focused society. Brands constantly intensify their tech-niques to « entertain » us. Nobo-dy can escape this, and in fact, it is a fruitful business. In Africa, the entertainment industry has never done so well. Indeed, the rise of a middle class that has ex-ceeded certain levels of needs, increases innovation possibilities.According to the audit company PWC, the Afri-can media and entertainment industry will undergo steady growth until 2018, in particular because of better internet access. As a matter of fact, in South Africa, combined revenues from Internet access and advertising are estimated to reach 71.6 billion Rands in 2018, amounting to 37.6% of the market turnover. The stakes are now very high and they always circle back to the same conclusion: the combination of internet and mobile tech-nology remains the key to African growth. The burgeoning of the video games market is a good example. Africa is playing its cards well (once again) by investing in the mobile industry. « The video game development has skipped the console video game system stage » reminds Louise Diallo on africadiligence.com . Success is very well present. Last April, the startup Kiro’o Games (p.28) was an-nouncing the close of its investment capital at 120 million CFA Francs, or about 180 thousand Euros. On the continent, the «ruler» of the entertainment industry, Television, continues to lead. According

to The Africa Report, we should ex-pect a rise of the number of Televi-sions in sub-Saharan Africa at about 20 million by 2020. The channels and audiovisual groups now com-pete to propose new content, more adapted to a demanding middle class that wants to identify to what it sees on TV. Following this ap-proach, the channel A+ proposes original local productions like Chro-niques Africaines (p.16), while the

talented Evelyne Diatta-Accrombessi launches EdanTV, the latest urban Afro-focused channel. The future is more than promising for this sec-tor, which paradoxically remains undervalued by school systems. Advice to actors of the entertain-ment industry: continue to valorise your precious expertise. Dear young people, go ahead! You do not have to be bankers, doctors or lawyers.

Enjoy the read!

Joan Yombo Editor in Chief

WOULD YOU LIKE A LITTLE EXTRA

FRoM THE EDIToR

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INSPIR’INTERVIEW // 16 «i’m living my african Dream»

ENTERTAINMENT ?

1/ Le business croissant des jeux videos en Afrique, www.africadiligence.com, July 8th, 2014

COVER


Afrostream is waiting for you!

available on the website of the French TV channel TF1 VoD since the beginning of 2015, afrostream is a platform that broadcasts the best african american movies and series in French. This african netflix offers subscription for 6,99euros per month. The package will not only include movies but also series such as Before 30 and First gen. Finally, Tonje Bakang, the ceo has not forgotten the continent because the platform is also available in senegal and ivory coast. so what are you waiting for? subscribe here => https://afrostream.tvenjoy our inspir’talk with Tonjé Bakang : http://inspireafrika.com/fr/inspirtalk-3-les-10-phrases-a-retenir-sur-internet-et-le-cinema-afro/

Facebook: Welcome to Africa - soUTH AFRICA

The ambition of Facebook can be summarized in 5 words: To reach one billion users. To achieve this goal– that some see as too big – Facebook looks to africa. our continent has more than a billion souls, yet only 120 millions of them are Facebook users. Facebook sees the remaining 880 millions as an opportunity and want to attract them. The american giant is targeting 12 countries among which mozambique, kenya, south africa, nigeria and ivory coast. and there is more! Facebook has chosen a woman to be in charge of its african quarter. indeed, Nunu Ntshingila, in her fifties, is the manager of the Johannesburg office. welcome to africa, Facebook.

Y’ello Time: The Digital Talk show -CAMERooN

since may 23rd, a new TV show is airing on cameroo-nian TV channels: Y’ello Time. Targeting new Techno-logy lovers, Y’ello Time is a show aiming at promoting digital progress in cameroon. in less than 15 minutes and comfortably installed in her yellow couch, Sophy aiida, the host, share with us the secret of the digital « made in africa » with interesting guests. internet buzz, tips, innovations, everything is analyzed, for the plea-sure of the viewers. if you live in cameroon and want to be the first to be informed on what is happening around you, don’t miss Y’ello Time.

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NEWs


Are you ready for the Global Entrepreneurship summit 2015 ? - kENYA

after the tragic events of garissa, kenya is preparing to host the fifth edition of the global entrepreneurship summit. Between July 24th and July 26th, the entire planet will be looking towards nairobi which will be receiving more than 2,000 entrepreneurs around the world. indeed, president Barack obama will return for the first time in his home country, kenya. on this occasion, the address of the usa president to the world is more than ever expected.

Awalé Biz is here !

african designers can now say goodbye to their concerns; awale Biz is there. The e-commerce platform which aims to promote

african fashion allows african creators to be known by more people. with several means of payment (Visa, paypal, etc ...)

awale Biz is an opportunity for all artists who are still struggling to be recognized at their fair value. For more informations, please

visit the site : http://awalebiz.com

Who is stonebwoy, the best African Artist of the BET Awards ? - GHANA

after the Vodafone ghana music artist of the year award, stone-bwoy, still unknown by the gene-ral public so far, was voted best african international artist at the BeT awards ceremony. Thanks to this award and with only two albums recorded, stonebwoy is starting a new chapter in his mu-sical career. one can only wish him luck for his new adventures.

Erratum : GDp EqUAToRIAL GUINEA

contrary to what we wrote in no. 14 of inspire afrika, equatorial guinea has a gDp per capita of $ 20,581.61, and not $ 14,320. we apologize for the inconvenience.

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TRENDs // soUTH AFRICA

THE HISTORY OF AFROHOUSE MUSICBy Leyla Ismaily

Bodhi satva


Africa is a vast continent with 54 countries, over one billion people, 3000 different tribes, and over 1500 diverse languages. Des-pite all these dissimilarities it can generally be accepted that one uniting factor across the continent is Afro House Music. No mat-ter where you’re from once you hear that drum fused with classic jazz sounds blended with mo-dern house music sounds, you can’t help but move your body, even just a little bit. The phenomenon is quickly breaking boundaries while it catches on across the globe, so much so that it has beco-me a regular at all the hottest African festi-vals. South Africa is un-doubtedly the mec-ca of the genre, as many see it as an extension of Kwaito music. And you sim-ply cannot examine the child without first inspecting the mo-ther first.

Kwaito was born into the music scene in the early 90’s, as Mandela led South Africa to independence. Its origins can be traced back to the 80’s to a South African DJ of Greek descent who started playing “Classic International House” during his sets. Sooner or later, the fabulous Ganyani Tsha-balala caught on and he began dubbing in on cassettes for distri-bution. In line with the Apartheid, government segregation policies in the country was so intense that Zulu’s had to listen to Zulu mu-sic, Xhosas to Xhosa etc. This resulted in this fresh new sound

simply being labelled “international music.” For some this label made the music even more appealing, and served as a worthy distrac-tion from all the apartheid drama going on at home. It eventually opened people up and brought the country together. By the time the 90’s had rolled around, House was a force to be reckoned with in South Africa, and was now being locally produced, by black people as well as white people.

However it had now slowed down from 120 beats per minute to an average tempo of 100 beats per minute and just like that, Kwaito was born.

One of the biggest Kwaito singles was “Kaffir” by Arthur Mafokate1 , an explosion of sound that nar-rated the changing political cli-mate in the country. The genre soon became the new black and without much competition began ruling the music scene, up until the mid-2000’s when club music started speeding up again. This is

where the fusion between Kwaito and international club music real-ly began, thus morphing into the chilled Afro-house we know and love.

A big moment for Afro-House came in 2008 when DJ Mujuava and Dj Spoki’s “Township Funk” topped the charts, eventually at-tracting countless remixes from big named international produ-cers. The song’s unique mixture

of smooth porta-mento synth bleeps and snarling bass pads became infec-tious, club crowds just could not get enough of it. It was at this point that now famous names such as Black Coffee2 from Pretoria, really began to dominate the airwaves. Black Coffee has defined convention and pu-shed Afro house to grow beyond its years. On his South African Award win-ning album -Home Brewed- of 2011 he sidestepped Afro-House clichés but still managed to ex-

hibit restraint and sophistication. He demonstrated his proclivity for Afropolitan house, making his music a must have for all fashion-conscious and future-focused Africans. We have all come to expect nothing but sculptural ba-lance and beauty from him.

Throughout the years, Afro-House has also led to the birth of other genres such as Ancestral Soul which has been pioneered by Boddhi Satva. He hails from the Central African Republic and at the beginning of his career he

1/ A South African kwaito musician and producer 2/ Also known by his real name Nkosinathi Maphumulo, Black Coffee is a multi-award winning DJ and record producer; he is easily one of the most influential African artists of our time


promised he would find a niche market and exploit it. It has been described as the “Congolese rumba wife” of deep afro-house and has managed to win over audiences from Africa and all overthe world. This form of mu-sic and its father have garnered attention from Osunlade’s Yoruba Records, Bob Sinclar’s Yellow Productions, Peter Adarkwah’s BBE Music, Tony Humphries’s Yelloworange are just a few mu-sic labels among many that re-leased Boddhi’s productions.You cannot talk about Afro-

house music without mentioning Electrafrique, the premier dance show on the continent. It brings together a worldwide network of artists fusing elements of African music with electronic beats. It has been established by Swiss DJ Cortega and championed by brand ambassadors such as The Beat Parade Band from Kenya. During the performance what happens is the electro music begins to play but it is accompa-nied by live drums to literally keep you on the dance floor the whole night.

With all these sub-genres deve-loping all over the continent it is anyone’s guess where the future of afro-house music is going. It is however worth noting that as Africans it is something that we should embrace and move towards as our standing on the international scene continues at an alarming rate.

DJ Mujava - Album: COVER


FAvoRITE // ToGo

Fanto et mensah


From soccer to music

Of Cameroonian and Togolese ori-gin, Menah AYO also known as Ba-rabas, left Cameroon to move to To-quoin Séminaire, a neighborhood in the city of Lomé. A year later, Fanto-hou Kossivi aka Masta, arrives to the same neighborhood with his parents. Masta’s integration was not easy and Barabas remembers it jokingly: « At first, I did not want the new kid to come play soccer with us ». But as they say themselves, « soccer unifies people ». It is thanks to sports that the pair of talented young men be-came friends and with nostalgia, they talk about their common passion: « It was a dream. We tried to make it in that field but we could not. ». At that time, Barabas and Masta had no idea of what destiny had in store for them. 2005 is a year full of surprises for Togo. The West African country of 7 million people surprises with its national soccer team, the « Eper-viers4», qualified for the final stage of the world cup, held in Germany the next year. Barabas and Masta decide to honour their national team through a song. « We just wanted to try out doing some music », they say, unaware at the time of the positive consequences of this choice. For a trial, it was a real success. The song « éperviers » is recorded on a Mon-day and is airing on all radio stations and night-clubs by the following Sa-turday. This is the birth of the TOO-FAN family. They explain, « We did

not create a band, we created a fa-mily ».

Ambiance creators

After this success, the duo decides to optimize their alliance and focus on a career in music. Masta has a musical background and has been playing music from a young age. Barabas, loves American rap. Aware of the short lived nature of success, they envision an original musical style that will constitute their fame: The Obragada.

A mix between rap and an African root, Obragada is defined by its creators as a musical style that calls for dancing. With time, the Obraga-da has evolved to become one of the most popular African musical rhythms. Songs like C’est Magique, Apéritif, and Gweta have proven that Toofan focuses on creating am-biance wherever they go. The suc-cess of those tracks is most probably due to the duo’s strong adaptability to latest trends: « In life, you have to know how to adapt to your environ-ment ». An example of their adapta-bility is their use of sampling. For Ba-rabas, sampling is not a prerequisite to do well in music, however, « Ame-

ricans have started this trend and it has to be followed ». The question of whether or not we should always copy what is done elsewhere had to be asked. They answer « No, of course not. We find inspiration from what takes place on other continents but we’re always close to Africa in our actions ». This approach has been working for them for the past 10 years. In 2010, they received the Kundé d’or5 for best African artist; in 2014, the BET Award for best inter-national artist in Africa and the MTV Europe Music Award for best African artist. This year, TOOFAN is still on the rise. In addition to having com-posed the music for the February 2015 Africa Cup of Nations’ hymn, in Equatorial Guinea; the duo is no-minated in 4 categories at the MTV Africa Music Awards taking place in July : best Collaboration, best live performance, best francophone ar-tist and best song of the year.

African Singers

Beyond the several nominations, the colorful and well edited videos, there is another reality. Music is like soc-cer, there are big artists and smaller ones. Smaller ones can barely make a living off their art while bigger ones live off funds from shows and adver-tisings. The situation is more com-plicated in francophone Africa. Ac-cording to TOOFAN, « doing music in Africa is like the American dream. It can either work out or not». In ad-dition, there is a structural problem

1/ A rapper who’s goal is to create a unique ambiance in a song. 2/ African clothing brand. 3/ African Airline. 4/ Sparrowhawks 5/ Awards Ceremony held in Burkina Faso that rewards African music.

« Doing music in Africa is like the American dream. It can either work out or not»

One is a toaster1 and the other a composer. Both are Christians and soccer fans who’ve always been attracted to the sport « like magnets». They believe that only God can truly decide so they give their best in everything they do. Often under the spotlights through concerts or ads for Woodin2 , Asky3 , Mensah Ayao or Fantohou Kossivi, they are living their dream.

TOOFaN : The triumph of original african music


By Chrys Nyetam

«We come from a country where exporting music was complicated. We are the first ones

to do it and we want to give this chance to others».

Fanto et mensah

with the African musical industry. It is no secret that fees linked to copyrights in Afri-ca are not always received by the artists. In Togo, receiving remuneration from the BUTODRA6 has become « complicated », confirms the duo. Still, according to TOOFAN, it would be simpler to live off of single hits rather than releasing albums: « Producing albums in Africa is appealing, but you have to know how far you can carry the album ». Despite all that, Masta and Barabas have chosen to work on their latest album for 5 months. «Over-dose» came out at the beginning of the year. It’s a true voyage between different musical styles. There is for instance, a song featuring the Nige-rian singer Chindinma, as if to demonstrate that there is strength in unity. Their latest music video, OROBO, celebrates curvy women.

Convinced that « everybody has its place in the African music industry » the internationally fa-mous Togolese duo strives to help out other ri-sing singers. Today, they want to contribute to gi-ving more visibility to young Togolese talents, like they did with Toussaint or Tach Noirwho is known for his track Gweta Congolo. Their explanation is simple: « When we see somebody doing good music, we want to encourage them. We did not get that chance. We come from a country where exporting music was complicated. We are the first ones to do it and we want to give this chance to others».

6/ The Togolese Copyrights bureau


INspIR’INTERvIEW // IvoRY CoAsT

At only 33 years old, Marylin Alexandra Amon is already a success: she is a happy wife, company director, and a producer of a show that she co-created with her sister Marie Christine Amon, «Chroniques Africaines» (African Chronicles), which was rewarded at the Fespaco. After growing up in France, Alexandra went back to Ivory Coast to attend Junior High. She then headed towards the United States for her university studies which she finished successfully in 2006, with a diploma in advertising from Pratt1 Institute.In 2008, she decided to move permanently to Ivory Coast where she was hired by McCann agency as an artistic director. 2 years later, she dropped everything to launch her own production company. Passionate about media and Television, Alexandra places Oprah Winfrey and Shonda Rhymes as her role models: strong women that have managed to impose themselves in the very competitive media world.She tells us about her journey, and starts with a good news: « Chroniques Africaines » will air on the cable network StarTimes2 starting in September!

«I’m living my African Dream»

1/ Famous art and design school. Several celebrities such as Robert Redford or Terrence Howard graduated from there.2/ Chinese Television network equivalent to Canal Sat, that airs mostly in Anglophone African countries.

photo credit: hurza.org

ALEXANDRA AMON


3/ Alexandra did campaigns for big international and African brands such as Vlisco and Atlantic Bank 4/ Episode Zero that allows to present the show. 5/ International market of audiovisual industries.

Hi alexandra. Let’s go straight to the point: How did you decide to launch your own production com-pany in Ivory Coast?

I lived in New York for a long time, a city that I love for its ar-tistic side. While there, I met people that played a key role in my career development. When in Ivory Coast, I quickly realised that advertising was not meant for me, even if I did accomplish many successes3 .

I decided to quit everything in 2010. The transition was not easy because of the war and it took me a while to make it. In 2012, I finally took the big leap and I filed ZIV productions as a company. I would like to tell young people from the Diaspora that going back home is a good decision. Everything is not perfect but there is so much to do... (She pauses). If I had never left my comfort zone, my project would probably still be anonymous as of today. I would have had to do a lot more to impose myself and make myself known!

You are the Co-founder of the show « Chroniques afri-caines ». Can you tell us more about the show? How did you meet with a+ and how was it?

« Chroniques Africaines » is a compilation of stories. The show relates the day to day li-ves of several African homes. It is a unifying show. Even though it is shot in Ivory Coast, it covers a variety of African themes to which people can identify. We

have fans in Cameron, Gabon as well as DRC and Central Afri-can Republic. My sister, Marie Christine, found her inspiration from a TV genre that is barely present on the continent: the scripted reality and she transformed it into a new format. Our stories last 3 or 4 episodes while in the classic scripted reality form, a story is covered in 1 episode. Ours is the first scripted reality in franco-phone Africa.

We inspire ourselves from ele-ments that surround us. The upcoming season will be ins-pired from my personal ex-periences and things that I’ve been through. I am opening up my heart and this is what the audience will see on TV. In regards to A+, meeting them was somewhat commonplace. We were presenting the show’s pilot4 at the Discop5 in South Africa. We met the team of Ca-nal + Afrique, who liked it right away. A few weeks later, A+ was pre-ordering « Chroniques Africaines ».

What can you tell us about zIV productions ? Is it a fa-mily enterprise ? We often say that it is difficult to mix family and business: is this really the case ?

ZIV is a production company that focuses on « flux » shows, (entertainment, etc.) reality TV and shows that fit in the « non

scripted » category, because they are not written beforehand. Right now, we are growing and « Chroniques Africaines » is our most famous production. We are creating other shows that we hope will air as of next year. I am currently working on 2 new fiction concepts and on one reality TV show.

I want to specify that Marie Christine and I never in a ratio-nalized to creating a family bu-siness. Marie Christine actually owns her own production com-pany (MAC Productions, editor’s note ). Since we share the same values. « Chroniques Africaines » is a joint venture between ZIV Productions and MAC Produc-tions.

Coming back to the question, working with family is not easy. You have to agree on a majo-rity of areas and have the same vision for your project as well as the same goals. With family, there is always an emotional involvement in the work rela-tionship.

However, to be fully professional, you have to be demanding with oneself and with others. Things can easily get complicated be-cause you have to make sure to be careful with what you say and the way you formulate it.The age factor does not make it any easier. In Africa, respect of elders is crucial. It becomes difficult in such a context to give orders or guidelines to an older person who is, on top of that, part of your family. I would still add that with family, the com-mon interests are often better preserved and the risks of be-trayals are lower. In addition, you

«I would like to tell young people from the Diaspora that going back home is a good decision. Everything is not perfect but there is

so much to do...»



are already familiar with the way your partner works. I would advise to all those that are considering working with family to put a lot of thought into it.What is certain is that this choice should never compromise the work ethic and professional rigor.

There is a noticeable gap between Francophone and anglophone africa in regards to several areas, including the entertainment industry. What do you think makes that diffe-rence?

I think that what is missing in Fran-cophone Africa is the fighting spi-

rit…(Short pause). Do you see what I mean? This daring attitude to take risks. A lot of young Africans that want to get involved in entrepreneurship slow their own selves down. Even if they have a vision, most of them will give up when faced with constraints ( lack of funds, local realities etc.)Instead of looking for solutions, a lot of them end up giving up on their dreams because of fear. They would rather pursue the security that a job can offer.. Which is un-derstandable: A job requires less physical, intellectual and emotional efforts.

I will also add that the difference

between Francophone and Anglo-phone Africa is very cultural. In Abi-djan, where I’m from, when we see someone fighting to make a project succeed, we instantly tell them « You’re like an American! »

This « go getter» culture is very An-glo-Saxon, and it is taught from a young age. Francophone people, have a ten-dency to place security first. The

«In Abidjan, where I’m from, when we see someone figh-ting to make a project suc-ceed, we instantly tell them « You’re like an American! »


6/ http://inspireafrika.com/en/netflix-ink-deal-with-irokotv/

risk culture is less present.

In general, what’s lacking for the african entertainment in-dustry to really take off and as-sert itself internationally?

First of all, it is important to know that we are as talented as the others. However, if the entertain-ment industry in Africa remains un-derestimated and ignored, it is, in my opinion, mostly due to a lack of effort to « market » and export what we do. Once we understand how to valorise our content, we will esta-blish ourselves on the international scene. The latest example is the movie Timbuktu. It clearly shows that there is room for African cine-ma and entertainment. Our art has to be supported by a true commercial effort. Efficient marketing strategies have to be put in place. This also requires an effort in terms of media presence (presence in international festivals, working with press agencies to be recognized by international media etc.) and by communications. Without commu-nications, there can be no visibi-lity. If we are not visible, there will

be no interest in our industry. In addition, this goes through North/South exchanges. We have to deve-lop partnerships with big media groups. I think that partnerships like the one between Iroko TV and Net-flix6 are amazing.

We are currently working on making « Chro-niques africaines », available on iTunes for fans amongst the Diaspora.

I believe that it is this type of initiatives that will allow us to get underway.

a lot of young producers start on internet and find that it’s a lot easier to start with the « web series » format. Why did you decide to go straight to television? Isn’t it more compli-cated?

Thank you for this question.

First of all, today, starting on the internet is an ex-cellent way to launch and gain exposure. Internet en-ables live feedback and touching people on a bigger scale.

However, my decision to work directly with TV chan-nels, was based on a commercial strategy. By ha-ving TV channels buy my programs, I can know what funds I will receive. My sister and I, had invested a lot in the pilot and we had the ambition to invest more in other episodes. We needed financial visibility. When you invest on an internet program, you have no certainty of how much you will gain from it.

There are very few structures dedicated to cinematographic work in africa. Today, how can we get going in this seemingly closed off sector ?

To gain experience in the cinema industry in Africa, the best way is to learn on the job. Unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure forces young people to go through this route. However, a few African countries like Morocco or South Africa have good cinema schools. To those who cannot travel, I would advise to identify professionals with whom they can learn, by starting as assistants for example. In any case, jobs in the cinema industry are often jobs where field ex-perience matters more than academic background.

What did the FESPaCO award bring you?

Clearly? The respect of my peers. And that is very important, especially when you start young. Now, it is a lot easier for me to find sponsors for the upco-ming seasons. Several TV channels are interested in buying the show’s rights. Receiving such a pres-tigious award when you are just starting in the field makes a big difference. It does add pressure be-cause you have to keep up with the expectations. It is still very gratifying. As I always say, when you believe in your project and invest good work, you always end up reaching your objectives. This expe-rience has enabled me to understand that today, I am exactly where I should be: I am living my African dream.

Interviewed by Joan Yombo

« We are currently working on making « Chroniques Africaines », available on

iTunes for fans amongst the Diaspora. »


THE NEW FACE oF AFRICAN CULTURAL pATRoNAGE

CAREER // BENIN

By Louis Gilbert Bissek

Marie-Cécile ZINSOU



1/ The Gantin Cardinal was raised with the five children of Marie-Cécile Zinsou great grandfather 2/ The national flag of France 3/ Name of the United Kingdom flag, also known as the Union Flag 4/ From Frigyes Karinthy

although marie-cécile zinsou honestly recognizes not being able to define the term afropolitanism, her philosophy of crossbreeding and her personal story embodies the concept.

Afropolitanism according to achille Mbembe, a ca-meroonian philosopher, is an attempt to imagine an african identity that is not reducible to anyone’s skin color. it is an identity beyond the color and geogra-phy, since many africans do not live in africa, and to the extent that all those living in africa are not neces-sarily africans. it is an identity that seeks to embrace the world and not to be constituted as a special hu-man entity.

eldest in a family of 3 girls, born in paris, she grew up partly in France and the united kingdom. in this she is attached to the Tricolor2 in addition to the union Jack3 . her genealogy has its foundations in Beninese and italian grandparents through her father, and Franco-german grandparents through her mother.

During the marxist-Leninist revolution of the 1970s, which birthed to the republic of Benin, the zinsou family was banished from the country and all its people were condemned to death in absentia due to the political activism of her great-uncle Emile Der-lin zinsou, former president of the defunct repu-blic of Dahomey. The family found refuge in senegal. whatever the difficulty of not seeing her land of ori-gin, marie-cécile zinsou embraced senegal, where she regularly goes for holidays, as yet another home country. This exceptional event also exposed her to

other african doors such as in côte d’ivoire and mo-rocco, until the return of democracy in Benin in the 1990s.

The young woman is not only, as she proclaims, 100% Beninese and 100% French, but is also 100% senegalese, 100% British, 100% american for ha-ving studied art history at the american university of paris; and especially 100% from africa which she is passionate about and for which she thrills. «I can look out the window and tell you what the Africa on the move looks like» she reveals, hardly amused.

understanding marie-cécile zinsou and perhaps her passion for art and culture of the world comes down to understanding a mesh and a series of nes-ting.

From the theory of six degrees of separation to the reflection of cameroonian philosopher Fabien Eboussi Boulaga, it is a known idea that: «It doesn’t exist a thing that is solely itself. None of our human experiences is such that it can be compared to itself». in regards to the intangibility of one’s relationship to another, marie-cécile zinsou has decided to trans-form her one-of-a-kind oulook on life wealth. when talking about her crossbreeding, she states: «It is the culture that was taught to you that defines your interbreeding.» The zinsou Foundation is therefore the result of ma-rie-cécile zinsou’s different experiences with the world; it is the product of her meetings with people from another race, another language, another culture that she embraced as her alter ego.

It is strange how fate works its choices. What if she had not been named Marie-Cecile? What if it was not a coincidence? The dye is cast, for the happiness of his contemporaries. Indeed, onomastic attri-butes to «Mary» a character full of tenacity, inflexible will, courage and true generosity. «Cécile» would have the sense of action and great intuition, though dreamy. The name “zinsou” is synonymous with african intellectual excellence. The family has within it nothing less than a former President of the Republic of Benin, a cardinal1 , a prime minister, doctors, teachers and engineers, all acquired, at one time or another, to the cause of the continent. This represented a ten-year Pan-african commitment that seared african generations. Marie-Cécile zinsou, Chair of the zinsou Foundation of Benin, was born to philanthropic engagement. Besides, she has never conceived her life in idleness: «As citizens we have rights, but also duties. A sense of duty has been instilled in us since childhood...” she says. With her 6’3” in height and her great ideas, this cheerful and energetic lady in her thirties takes you at first in a whirlwind of enthusiasm with an astute mind and an energetic and a friendly tone. all your questions are answered. Where this cannot be the case, there is no pretense nor cavalier responses to fill the time.

THE afropoliTan


5/ Located at 17.5km from the capital Cotonou

THE audaciTy of HopE

on the 6th of June 2015, the foun-dation celebrated its tenth anniver-sary.

The impact of this epic saga is summarized in the testimonies that mark its young existence. The tes-timonies include the one from the 19 year old Beninese journalist who affirms that coming to the founda-tion since she was 9 years old has changed her view of the world; or the tributes from school teachers to the president, who admit that the Foundation is changing their views on education; or the mo-ving story of a curious student of cotonou, who arrived on June 6th of the year 2005 at the Foundation after school. he looked around him, learned about the purpose of the institution and was guided along the exhibited works. The next day, he returned to visit with 35 classmates. Two days later, 600 visiting children from the same school finally convinced the zinsou Foundation to contact the school principal to immediately create an educational program and organize school visits. since then, the zin-sou Foundation has established partnerships with 364 schools and its sponsors have generously offe-red a bus that picks up the kids in the whole of cotonou.

Yet, nothing would have been possible without the conviction that africa’s growth should first

marie-cécile zinsou welcoming inspire afrika at her home in paris - photo credit : hurza.org

go through a change of percep-tion on the continent itself and through promotion of art and culture as the foundation of this recovered identity. marie-cécile zinsou proclaims that: «Art is one of the first thing that will expose Africa as it is or as it will be. It is a change of perspective of our-selves that will bring about the change in others.»

when in 2003 the young student left paris to teach the history of art to orphans from sos Village

abomey-calavi5 , the idea of crea-ting a Foundation did not inhabit her mind. excited by the interest of her flock in these teachings, she took the commitment to make them discover the contem-porary art of the continent. it is 10 years later, on november 11th 2013 that she kept her promise by offering the continent the first museum of african contempora-ry art, in the historic slave port of ouidah.

indeed, at 21, marie-cécile zin-

«Art is one of the first thing that will expose Africa as it is or as it will be. It is a change

of perspective of oursel-ves that will bring about the

change in others. »


6/ Group of International Companies managing auctions 7/ Award granted by the Japanese Association of fine arts

sou realized that no appropriate structure exists neither in Benin, nor in the neighboring Togo, ghana and Burkina Faso, to take these children in. simul-taneously, the northern countries were celebrating contemporary african art during a major international traveling exhibition called «Africa Remix». Between 2004 and 2007, Düsseldorf, London, paris, Tokyo and stockholm in turn received the exhibition, where 200 works and 87 african artists were exhibited. But it was too far and too expensive to take sixty children there. it is at this precise moment that the idea of creating a place was born. it would accommodate artists and facilitate the meeting between the works and the public.

Very soon her family, also passionate about art, sup-ported her initiative. marie-cécile’s father, the eco-nomist Lionel zinsou, granted € 80,000 for the purchase of contemporary works. in Benin she even met Germain Viatte, Director of the now musée du Quai Branly, who recommended her to meet Be-ninese international artists such as Cyprien Tokou-dagba and Romuald Hazoumé.

This was only the beginning of a journey where selfless enthusiasm rubs pessimism and obscuran-tist stereotypes about africa: «It is a lonely race to set up a project.» she says. in addition to not receiving subsidies from the government of Benin for her pro-ject, she also faced harsh criticism from prospective european investors: «Why open a cultural foundation in a poor country? Should contemporary art really a priority for Africa to focus on? Between war, famine and AIDS, Africans really do not need culture ... If it was a good idea, it would already exist! »

But it takes more to discourage a «mary»!

The zinsou family and friends got together, where as Lionel zinsou, a notorious african-enthusiastic, fought to the critics: «If you don’t like our project, feel free to do something else. We encourage you to do so ... »

still, the challenge was to open culture to a popula-tion whose average salary was upgraded in 2014 to 60 euros (80 us dollars = 40,000 FcFa), where the proportion of young people under the age of 18 is

50%, and the youth literacy rate of 15 -24 years old was 30.8% according to a uniceF report in 2012.

on June 06th 2005, the zinsou Foundation ope-ned its doors in a 800m² rented building in the ca-pital cotonou with free access for all. 10 years later, people under 20 years old account for 80% of the Foundation’s visits and the picture is even more im-pressive: 24 exhibitions, 4.6 million visitors, 17 art books published, permanently free for all exposures and activities, 364 schools in partnership, 600,000 books offered to visitors under 18 years, 450 tea-chers trained in the art exhibitions by the pedago-gical director, 120 full-time jobs created, and 6 mi-ni-libraries created as well. although the zinsou Foundation is still 60% financed by the zinsou family, it is supported by a qualified team of sixty people and private sponsors from Be-nin and elsewhere. among these prestigious spon-sors are sotheby’s and the european union.

marie-cécile zinsou is also very grateful to be well surrounded and assigns the good health of the Foundation to the teamwork. she also appreciates the speed with which some project components were set up in Benin and she attributes it to the ge-neral mood of the country: «creating action here is easy, it’s pretty exciting and it’s going faster than elsewhere.» she says.

50 SHadES of an EngagEmEnT

The foundation has evolved considerably since its inception.

Through its multiple social actions such as the re-novation in 2012 of five services at the cotonou national university hospital centre or its involve-ment in the education of young Beninese through partnerships with schools, the zinsou Foundation is everywhere.

in the end, the Foundation invests both in social ac-tion, in the promotion of contemporary art, africa and its youth, education, literacy, the fight against poverty, culture, heritage protection, and the african memory. But for marie-cécile zinsou there is nothing paradoxical, because everything is connected.

The Praenuim Impériale7 award in 2014, looks like a tribute to this multidimensional investment.

«Creating action here is easy, it’s pretty exciting and it’s going faster than

elsewhere.»


8/ The biggest museum of the world

received from the hands of the brother of the em-peror, His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi, the zinsou Foundation is the only african entity nowa-days to have received this prize. The chair of the zinsou Foundation and her team share this exclusive status in africa with south african filmmaker and an-ti-apartheid activist athol Fugard, first african win-ner of the award, who was also rewarded that year in the category for Drama and / or cinema.

although she is extremely proud, marie-cécile zin-sou appreciates this award at two levels.

First, it is an opportunity for Benin: a 112.622km² territory with 10 million inhabitants, to shine on the world stage. an international recognition which also boasts africa and for which the president of the re-public of ivory coast h.e. alassane ouattara did not fail to personally extend his warm congratulations. on the other hand, it is extra motivation for her team, her family and herself to continue the daily work that remains the most important in her eyes. «To create a project is very simple, but to stay the course every day is a struggle», she insists.

as such, miss zinsou avoids putting the cart before the horse, and despite the international aura of the Foundation, she does not plan on continental ex-pansion. First she attributes this success to the local aspect of the project: «The reason why the Foun-dation is effective and touches so many people is because of its local character. Our first scale is the neighborhood. Then, it spans to the nearby area, then the city, then over Benin.» so, after a success-ful beginnings in cotonou and ouidah, the next step is porto-novo.

however, the difficulty of exchanges with other afri-can museum saddens her: «It’s very difficult to lend works to one another. We are blocked by barriers more likely to be lifted in 20 years but that now compel us...» among others, the extreme high cost of trans-portation, the lack and/or negligence of security measures and conservation works, or the customs barriers are part of the issue.

suffice it to say that the economic potential of the cultural sector in africa is still poorly exploited. al-though the annual budget of the zinsou Foundation

is approximatively 1,000,000 euros/year, it is insigni-ficant compared to the operating budget of the me-tropolitan museum of new York art8 , estimated in 2010 to u.s. $ 221 million. Despite the efforts of the Benin authorities to revalue in 2014 the budget of the ministry of culture at 1.3 billion FcFa, an increase of 300 million FcFa, its share is marginal in the ove-rall budget of 1,121 billion FcFa. in comparison, the

«To create a project is very simple, but to stay the course every day is a struggle»


share of cultural industries in the gDp of France was 2.8% in 2012. indeed, profit from culture accounted for 74.6 billion euros while the budget given to the ministry of culture in 2013 was 7.4 billion euros.

without extending to africa, the zinsou Foundation opens itself to the continent by promoting the made in Benin label. indeed, for the 10th anniversary of

the Foundation, it offers nothing less than a pioneer project never realized by any museum in the wor-ld. Through the creativity of a Benin engineer, the zinsou Foundation has developed the WaKPON application. The idea is simple. Thanks to a printer and the download of the free application on wakpo-napp.org, the new museum of ouidah is demateria-lized and offered to onlookers who cannot get there physically. The ouidah museum is now available for free from any corner of the world. This is one of the methods chosen by the foundation to transcend its Beninese borders.

For the rest, the Foundation conducts more conven-tional promotional activities of its organs and artists it exhibits. Thus, its art collection has a thousand works including signatures of Malick Sidibé, a malian photographer, «golden Lion» award of the Venice Biennale of contemporary art in 2007; Ro-muald Hazoumé, Beninese artist, arnold Bode prize of the kassel Documenta in 2007; the king of the Béhanzin throne, last monarch of the dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Dahomey between the se-venteenth and late nineteenth century.

it is as part of its mission to popularize the african historical heritage that the zinsou Foundation has exposed the throne twice in Benin for the centenary of the death of Béhanzin in 2006 and in 2009. in return, it received in 2007 from the art dealer Enrico Navarra, 70 drawings of the legend of contempo-rary art Jean-Michel Basquiat and Dahomey re-galia kept in the French national collections.

But the task remains huge in the field of art and culture and all indicates that marie-cécile zinsou and her family have started a movement that will be the bearer of an inexhaustible source of wealth for the continent. This certainly justifies her plea to the african civil society: : «The masterpieces are here every day. africa must be considered at the same level of excellence as the other conti-nents.»

Let’s follow the advice...

«It’s very difficult to lend works to one another. We are blocked by barriers more likely to be lifted in 20 years but that now

compel us...»


Inspire afrika: among the seven arts, you chose the third: painting. Rather than focusing your interest on the movements of modern art such as Cubism where the influences of african art are true, you embraced the «Pop art». What led you to this choice?

Fred Ebami: I have been scribbling since childhood, so I think my journey began there. But I almost did not take

painting as a career. I probably owe my ultimate choice to pursue painting to my little brother and to destiny. After completing my literature studies in France, I was dreaming of elsewhere. So I flew to the United States where I lived in New York, Atlanta, and then San Francisco. It was my brother who suggested that I come to Oxford and I fell in love with the place. Once there, I made a meeting that directed me to Oxford and Cherwell College for training in graphic design from which I graduated in 2004. From

Has Andy Warhol been reincarnated? It is clear that the «pop art» that he popularized is more alive than ever, and his artistic reincarnation is far from his puny physical icon of contemporary art. His calm tone of voice contrasts with his bear-like phy-sique. Fred Ebami is in perpetual motion. Of Cameroonian origin, he lives between London and Paris. When sportswear brands like Nike or Le Coq Sportif do not request him for private parties in their upscale stores, it is the star of RnB Pharell Williams who modestly «likes» one of his works (I AM A MAN) on instagram! His achievements, traded and sold on artsper.com, excite, disturb, itch, exalt, but never leave indifferent. Euro-pean gallerists largely favor his work, which is also under contract with the Galerie Jacques Devos / Space Seven in Saint-Germain des Près in Paris. Meet the man of the hour: Fred Ebami.

Fred EBAMI

«Art is for me the last peaceful weapon difficult to corrupt, an open language to everyone.»

DARE To INspIRE // CAMERooN

photo credit : Babylon 23

By Louis Gilbert Bissek


there, my art brother named Marc Alexandre Oho Bambe aka Captain Alexander with whom I grew up, pushed me to go further in my work. He organized an exhibition in Lille - I knew nothing - where I had to exhibit for the first time. Since then, I have not stopped. It was also he who edited my first visuals in a collection of poems: ADN (African Diaspora and Negritude).

Inspire afrika: Fred Ebami is of Cameroonian origin, but a citizen of the world. How do you live this syncretism and what does it bring to your art?

Fred Ebami: My origins are in Cameroon, but I only went to live there at the age of ten. I was born in France, where I lived long before moving to England. These trips gave me a broader view of the world around me, the collapse of cultural and human barriers, and my desire to learn (laughs).

Inspire afrika: african Contemporary art is witnessing some sort of consecration this year with the crowning of the Mauritanian filmmaker abderrahmane Sissako and his film Timbuktu, to the Caesars, or the Golden Lion of the Ghanaian sculptor El anatsui at the Venice Biennale, which is one of the most prestigious art events in the world. How do you judge the place of african art on the world stage and how do you see your contribution to its

growth and its extension?

Ebami Fred: I think that African art has always been prolific, even as a pool of talented artists. Unfortunately, I think that only very few artists were recruited, sponsored or mentored. Nowadays there is more enthusiasm for emerging artists. It’s cool that now everyone can follow their dreams ... I just want to point out that the growth we are discussing here is a generation of Africans who want to be part of the artistic elite, not just to be the African «new wonder» because we all are thousands of wonders! And yes, I am one of those African artists who wants their place at the top, for you realize that there is not an art for Africa and an art for the rest of the time. .. This is our chance to shake up preconceived ideas. For that, I worked among others with three young Cameroonian painters: Omaurice Maurice, Rodolphe Djoumou, and Jean David Nkott; and with a South African poet and slammer named Paulsaid whom I associate to projects, or to whom I give advice or I send the material ... I would love for these young artists to follow their dreams, as I did, for they are the future. Hoping that the business will be less difficult on them, we give them

a hand to succeed.

Inspire afrika: How do you maintain contacts with continental galleries and art events as Dak’art1 or as Yango, the recent Biennial of Contemporary art Kinoise?

Fred Ebami: I participate fairly in events on the continent, but my last Biennial took place in Dakar in 2012. I have not been contacted by other festivals, so I cannot give my opinion. I just carry on and if opportunities arise, we will see

(laughs).

Inspire afrika: Your work is always in tune with current events, often militant. Do you consider yourself as a committed artist? What is art for you and what are the limits that you fix to yourself?

Ebami Fred: I think being engaged, I feel more like a gifted human being with emotions and with a burning desire to share ... Art for me is the last peaceful weapon difficult to corrupt, an open language to everyone. It’s like that! It was a tool that had just been discovered, giving the impression of a new buzz. It’s funny.

Inspire afrika: In 2012 you realized an art work named «Hope». What was this work for?

Fred Ebami: This work aims to be a perpetual reminder to all generations that someday it will get better...

photo credit : Babylon 23

Peinture I Am a Man, 2015

1/ The Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar existing since 1989


INspIR’sTARTUp // CAMERooN

KIRO’O GaMES THE DIsCovERY oF THE AFRICAN FANTAsY

He is proud to work with a team who has been educated in Africa; his video game is one of the most anticipated African products at the moment; but nothing in Olivier Madiba betrays a strong interest in culture. This young Ca-meroonian of 29 years has only known one activity since his graduation in computer science from the University of Yaounde 1: Self-employment. At the head of Kiro’o Games since 2013, Olivier Madiba has managed to raise more than 120 million CFA francs to realize his childhood dream: to create a video game. Discovery.


Inspire afrika: We are in the first video game studio built in Central africa… Olivier Madiba: Yes indeed, in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa there are some in Ivory Coast and Sene-gal. In Central Africa we are the first pro-fessional studio creating video games. I say professional because there may be young people doing it in their rooms wit-hout the world knowing as we did at the start.

Ia: Where did you get the idea of creating a video game? OM: It was first a dream and a passion growing up. I was fascinated by video games. I played a lot but at the same time I was wondering each time on why and how this game was made. At 17 years old I posted a comment on jeuxvi-déos.com in which I said that I would develop a video game. And every year I came back to say how we evolved. It is this dedication and passion that led me to launch into the creation of my first video game. But I also dreamed of going abroad to work in a studio. But in 2012, I found out in an article that one needs 2 to 5 million dollars to create a basic game. So I thought that with that amount here in Cameroon, I could build a local team of Spartans (laughs), which would function as American or European stu-dios that usually have in the $200 million budget. I decided to make a game of African fantasy.

Ia: Your first game is called aurion inheritance Kori-Odan with a black heroes and african myths... OM: Yes, we have taken as the basis African history with its myths and le-gends. We are also inspired by the work of Mr Dieudonné Iyodi on the migratory flows of peoples in Africa in general and that of Bassa’a1 people in particular. The aim was to tell the story of the establi-shment of a people at a given location, while making the process understan-dable by someone living in Timbuktu or in New York. It is not just to establish the African character because he is an Afri-can game; it is also to create different backgrounds characters. For example, the master of arms of the hero of our game is a woman with Arab and Asian origins. This is a nod to the Japanese who produced a lot of the games we played in our childhood.

Ia: Did you connect with other stu-dios around the world to adapt to different consoles aurion exist? OM: Aurion will be uni-platform that is to say on PC, compatible with XBOX 360, because we have not yet experienced enough to carry the project on different gaming platforms. We have established links with African studios, but we are all still in a starting phase. It is only in 3, 5 years to see that we can come together because none of us has the means to support the steps that we need to do. In terms of partnerships, we are probably the first African studio that may have a global recognition of a quality perspec-tive from an informed public. We 1 Tribe Cameroon are also discussing with a publisher based in France that enjoys a high profile for international distribution.

Ia: Based on your experience, what does it take to create a video game studio in africa? OM: First of all we must be realistic. A designer needs a source of inspiration to create games, and must have an idea of the profitability of the project. The game distribution channels are also need to be considered. In our case, if we were limited in Cameroon, we would not be profitable. It is essential to be able to do one game. When I started I was drawing, and was doing the sound effects myself. This allowed me to know what to ask my team. It should also look for what is best. We compare ourselves to the Japanese despite their advance stage in this in-dustry. And finally the last parameter to consider when creating a video game studio is the team: Do not hesitate to bet on the team, it is very important. At Kiro’o for example, all employees are sharehol-ders, giving them great motivation. Kiro’o becomes the concept of each of us.

Ia: How have you made this team? How were you able to find the skills locally despite the technological gap that africa knows? OM: Cameroon has the chance to have an intellectual breeding ground. The French Cultural Centre of Yaoun-de gathers the biggest cultural activity in the country. It is therefore possible to find the contact of a designer or other person with artistic skills. Moreover Yaounde has the best IT schools in the sub-region. The University of Yaoundé I and the African Institute of Computer Science have good training programs.

While I was doing my research, most designers were graphic designers. We must recruit young people who have a passion for IT. And sometimes you have to train them again that means conver-ting their designer experience on paper to designer on computer. Indeed, the challenge is to get the team to draw the environment, meaning that the one who draws the ground has to be consistent with the other one who draws a tree for example.

Ia: and how did you come to create your game? OM: In the business plan we presented the game to be created in 18 months. We were able to develop our own game engine in our own software, which is our greatest technical achievement.

Ia: Which level did you reach at this point in your fundraiser? OM: The fundraiser was closed when we collected 182,000 euros (120mil-lions CFA francs). The chance that we have had is to have an editor such as plug-in-Digital, which has major US partners. The money raised will be used to operate Kiro’o Games before its launch and its first updates are made. We also used some of the money for computer equipment.

Ia: Why is it a chance to have an editor such as Plug-In Digital?OM: We think it’s an advantage for us to work with this editor because we put forward a new kind of collaboration between France and Cameroon. Finally, having an editor is always a plus for an independent studio. The editor is able to assist in the pre communication cam-paign and post-release of the game, manage the sales (produce and deliver the DVD of the game if provided, design goodies, etc.) We believe that we will do good work and hope that this work will bear valuable fruit.

Ia: What are the challenges you had to face during the creation of your business?OM: During the fundraising, the first pro-blem was confidence. We wanted to do crowdfunding, but it did not work. When we presented the project, some people were seeing us as scammers because video game + Africans = suspicions. I got a little revenge by posting videos on forums where we were treated as such


olivier madiba, Fondateur de kiro’o games - photo credit: william nsaï

(laughs) .I think the article in “Le Monde” was the trigger to the public.The second problem was the promise. We had a lot of pro-mises, and we tried to manage them with great transparency. The game was supposed to be released in December 2014, but we ended up managing the concern of shareholders. We finally released the demo which was our trump card to complete the fundraising. Then we had to ensure that all team members can be involved thoroughly without waiting for a qui-ck return, while providing a career path for everyone.

Ia: Tell us more about these promises...OM: At the official launch of the project in May 2013, we gained a sponsorship from the Cameroon Ministry of Arts and Culture, and we received congratulations and compliments from potential investors and other economic observers. The-refore we were very excited to receive soon our first funding. However, we achieved several subscriptions and promises but very few realizations. We believe that this was due to the inno-vative aspect of the project that made some of them skeptical about its feasibility. Nevertheless, thanks to the major media that knew eventually the project and the guarantees of trans-parency that we had put forward through our business plan and our media campaign, some forgotten past subscriptions were materialized in real funds. We therefore cannot say that these promises were all false. It would be bad faith on our part.

Ia: What is your view on tech businesses in africa?OM: In general, I am rather optimistic. When I see what is happening in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana in the field of mo-bile gaming, I can notice that some companies are moving forward. In Nigeria, for example, there is a platform on which developers can directly post their game. However, it would be interesting if African studios could work together. Today there

is a middle class that is evolving in Africa; this middle class wants its children to have games or cartoons produced locally for their entertainment.

Ia: What about Kiro’o in 10 years?OM: It will be a media empire. I wish we will be able to diver-sify our actions in other areas. Maybe it will be via the group, Madia. The video game is quite elitist. It does not create many jobs but it generates large profits that can be used by visionary people to develop other activities.

Ia: What advice can you give to young people who wish to engage in video game programming?OM: Like I said we, young people, have to learn from the best, but we have to be aware that those did not necessarily made long studies in computer science. Take the example of the Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima. He is the proof that we need to have an open mind and to be creative in order to face the technical challenges encountered in programming. We must also work to build our skills and to be our own raw material.

Words collected by Yvan NYETaM


INspIR’oRGANIZATIoN // sENEGAL

a SECOND WIND FOR aFRICaN CINEMa

Hello guys! Can you tell us how Cinewax was created?

Marion: Cinewax was created by Jean Fall, a French Se-negalese young man, in love with cinema and with Sene-gal! (Laughs…) During his numerous trips in the country, he noticed the lack of movie theaters, making it impossible for young people to have access to cinematographic culture. He also noticed that neighborhoods in Senegal were true places of solidarity and cohesion. Therefore, he decided to create cine-clubs that will allow people to be reunited through cinema.

But Cinewax offers more than movie sessions … Marie-France: Yes, Cinewax is not just a cine-club. We want it to be a living place; somewhere people can share cultural experiences, and learn about the cinematographic industry. In addition to the cineclubs, our members will have access to a co-working space, an Internet café, and a libra-ry. We will also set up cultural workshops for children. All of this will be possible only if we involve young people from neighborhoods.

Marion : The whole point is to revitalize the neighborhood life. Our cine-clubs will be genuine and friendly meeting

Many African countries, suffer a lack of infrastructure in relation to the cinema. Senegal, for instance, has less than 5 movie theaters while they had more than a hundred cinemas 50 years ago1 . Created in 2014, Cinewax aims to address this challenge by creating cine-clubs in several neighborhoods in the country, starting with Dakar’s neighborhoods. This solidarity network will allow the creation of a cultural bridge between countries, through cinema. We met Jean, Marion, Marie-France, Dulcie, Corentin and Gregoire, who accepted to sit down and talk with us about their initiative .

1/ Cinéwax.org

By Joan Yombo


points. They will also be an opportunity for artists to express theirselves and show their work. At the end of the day, we want to create an entire ecosystem around cinema.

Corentin: Beyond the cultural aspect, Cinewax is also an economic dynamic.

We will create jobs by including young people of the neighborhoods in the management of the cine-clubs. It will be the same for the craftspeople who will design our indoor and outdoor furniture.

Jean : We are also developing an intranet and an interactive platform in partnership with 3 students from ETNA2 . This IT support will allow us to manage our employees, but also the members of our cine-clubs. They will also have access to our services online: personal account, movie session ti-metable, booking service, etc. In the same way, we will set up an interactive map which will index every Cinewax cine-club, but also every cultural place in the country.

We did not really mention it, but our long-term ambition is to create a network of professionals of the cinema. We rea-lized that when it comes to cinema, there are a lot of local players on the ground. But they are not linked to each other, and they act alone in their corner. Our cine-clubs will be a great opportunity to connect them.

Cinewax is definitely an innovative project, with multiple as-pects!

In some countries, _Cameroon for instance_, movie piracy has killed the cinema. How can you be sure that people will watch movies on Cinewax cine-clubs rather than buy pirated version of those films?

Jean: Movie piracy did not kill the cinema. The lack of government support did. In Senegal, movie theaters have been progressively sold to private operators. If there is no cultural programming, there is no offer, and as a result, no public. People like cinema. But without offer, nobody will go to movie theaters or cine-clubs. Of course, movie piracy is still an issue. But I can assure you that people are ready to pay a certain price in order to watch a movie on big screen!To be honest, the real problem here is the lack of com-munication. Nobody knows what’s going on. There are numerous organizations dedicated to cinema in Senegal, which are totally unknown. I think of « Ciné Banlieue », « Ciné Mascotte » or « Plan B ». It’s kind of frustrating.

When and where will you officially launch the first cine-club?

Marion : Probably around October 2015, if everything goes well. We wanted to open our first cine-club in Februa-ry, but we faced several difficulties.

Jean Dulcie corentin

marie-France grégoire marion

2/ IT School

«Movie piracy did not kill the cinema. The lack of government support did.»


Jean: It’s very expensive to buy a place. So, we are going to rent one. But when it comes to renting a place you need to be very careful, and take your time, in order to do the best choice. The most difficult is to negotiate with mayors and district chiefs.

Meanwhile however, we regularly organize film projections in schools and cultural centers.

How do you select the movies you suggest in the cine-clubs? Marie-France: In Senegal, we emphasize a lot on diver-sity. The program is based on movies coming from all over the world: Chili, Turkey, Colombia, France, etc. We also em-phasize on the history of cinema, because we want to make it known by the majority. We are currently in partnership with Les films du Jeudi , which broadcast vintage movies. In Paris, we focus on African movies.

Jean: There is also a selection of our “crushes”. Each member of the team suggests his favorite movie, and based on some criteria, we see to what extent we can add it to the timetable.

Dulcie: We also plan to set up an offer specially for kids, because it does not exist here.

How do you create engagement around your pro-ject?

Jean: We launch several activities « outside the walls » to make Cinewax known. Like I said, people are not used to cinema anymore, so we have to find all the ways available to reach them. Sometimes, we even organize movie sessions on the streets. We collaborate with institutional partners, in order to broadcast local movies; we also collaborate with media: Vibe Radio and Afrostream for instance, are strong allies.

What is the most complicated thing to set up when you build that kind of venture?

Dulcie: I think the most complicated thing is to manage 2 different realities (Senegal vs. France). We need to handle every detail. Look for example: while being in France, we were convinced that we would be able to open our first cine-club on February. When we arrived in Dakar, we fi-gured out that the idea was too ambitious.

Jean: I totally agree. I will add that the planning is also a big issue, inside or outside the team. Since we are not paid for this project, we all have our personal activities, and it’s

not easy to manage. Sometimes, we can’t even see each other. But with resilience and commitment, everything is possible.

How did you find funds for this venture? Is it really necessary to have money before embarking on a project?

Jean: Beyond money, the most important thing is the time people are ready to spend on your venture. Without the im-plication of everyone here (thank you again), I would never be able to give birth to Cinewax.

However, money stays is a key issue. Our activity needs indeed a lot of money because of copyrights, which are very expensive.

Thanks to our crowdfunding campaign on kiss Kiss Bank Bank, we bought all the equipment indispensable for the launch of the first cine-club. Beyond that, we also build cases for grant applications, and we encourage people to donate. How do you negotiate and pay copyrights?

Marion: It depends on the movie and on the nature of the contract signed by the authors. We can directly negotiate with them, or with production companies.

Jean : For international productions such as Disney movies for instance, the prices are already set, and it’s impossible to negotiate.

As an organization, we have a particular status: we are not an operating company, even less distributors or producers. Therefore, as private actors wishing to broadcast movies, we are limited by the French legislation. We are not allowed to set more than 6 paid film projections per year. It’s a real challenge. We try to discuss with producers and distribu-tors, in order to work around the problem.

Will you extend Cinewax to the rest of africa?

Jean: Definitely! We’ve been contacted by people from West Africa who wanted to set partnerships. Many people ask if we will install some cine-clubs in their countries. There is a real need!

Marion : It’s another way to consume the cinema which, in my opinion, is more adjusted to the needs on the ground. Watching a movie alone in the dark is a very western concept. So we want to change it here, and extend our cine-clubs in West Africa by 2020.

3/ Production Company launched by Pierre Braunberger, French producer. The company own a wide range of independent movies made between the 20’s and 2015

« Beyond money, the most important is the time people are ready to spend on your venture. »

« Watching a movie alone in the dark is a very occidental concept. »


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MY AFRICA is the warm sunshine that burns inside me.

THE LAND WHERE ROOTStake hold & don’t let go, as solid as the

BAOBAB TREE.THE PLACE WHERE I BREATHEin every emotion of human existence. The highs and the lows, the chaos and the calm, the rage and the joy, the hate and the love.

My Africa is the heartbeat of my soul that whispers to me over the ocean and

CALLS ME HOME...

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NEW YORK | 3 Times Square | 25 September 2015

The brain gain company for Africa


INspIR’ECo

wHAT IF THE AFRICAN CULTURAL INDUSTRY BECAME PROFITABLE?

STRUCTURING THE CINEMa INDUSTRY

In the 70s, following their independence, African states started gaining trust in their creativity. Two examples illustrate the lost illusions of a key area of culture. In Ca-meroon, the government created the cinema industry development fund in 1973. Its goal was to encourage the production and cinematographic consumption of the country. More than 30 years later, the cinema in-dustry development fund has transformed into the culture support fund. It is given only 1.5 million Euros per year, divided between music and cinema. This represents a small fragment compared to the

powerful neighbour: Nigeria, that keeps on proving that investing in the cultural industry is a definite way towar-ds economic growth. Hence, in 1979 the Nigerian Film Corporation is created, with the goal of developing the country’s cinema industry. Today, the structure has greatly surpassed its objective. With more than 430 million Euros in annual turnover, Nollywood produces more than 2000 movies per year, employs more than 1 million people and is the second worldwide produ-cer after Bollywood and before Hollywood. However, despite outlooks for the Nigerian economy, the state is slowly disengaging from the cinema industry that Nol-lywood has created. This opposes to countries such

It is hard to know exactly what are the revenues generated by the cultural and creative industries in Africa. Looking at the musical field only, even if the earnings of famous singers like DJ Arafat or the P-Square duo range between 15 000 and 115 000 Euros per show, for the majority of artists, it stays very scant. Copyrights remain a sensitive subject for a lot of countries, and that is when it is not trampled on. Other arts such as cinema, painting or sculpture barely manage to be lucrative and are barely sponsored. However, it is not the ideas that are lacking.

photo credit: fespaco.bf


By Chrys Nyetam

as Cameroon where, despite govern-ment funding, the industry cannot fully takeoff.

Burkina Faso also made the choice to invest in the sector. Indeed, with more than 16 million inhabitants1, the country is home to the African cinema capital, Ouagadougou. Even though the budget allocated to culture is of only 76 000 Euros/year2 , the culture minister has the guardianship of the ci-nematographic creation. The amount of film directors is not what’s missing. During the 2013 FESPACO3 , around a hundred Burki-nabe producers presented their applications but only one was selected. This is proof that the lo-cal creative pas-sion is not alte-red by financial obstacles. Still, there is a long road to reach the footsteps of Madiba’s country. The South-Af r ican government has been suppor-ting the cinema industry since 1997, with the National Film and Video foundation that has a budget of 4 mil-lion Euros per year. The results are compelling! Less than 20 years after instituting this reform, the South-Afri-can movie industry produces 271 mo-vies per year and hires more than 30 000 people.

ENCOURaGING CONSUMPTION

Promoting culture also means being able to adapt. With the rate of mo-bile penetration that will reach 79% in Sub-Saharan Africa and the rate of 3G penetration subjected to rise by 46% in 2016, the consumption habits are bound to evolve. Similar-ly to the way Kenya has managed to

direct 30% of its GDP through mobile technology, movie producers have to find a way to make their products more accessible. Nigeria - who had anticipated the changing times – has revolutionized the marketing of its mo-vies through the growth of platforms like IrokoTV. This company created in 2010 by Jason Njoku is the proof that fruitfulness mainly depends on a good comprehension of the consu-mers’ expectations. With more than 4 million subscribers in 2015, IrokoTV is THE repertory for Nigerian and Gha-naian movies. Even if IrokoTV owes its

success to a Diaspora with a thirst for African content, it is still an example to follow. In Francophone Africa, internet’s diffi-cult access places it as a luxury pro-duct. It remains the ultimate entertain-ment tool in the face of the progressive extension of cinema theatres. Senegal that had more than 100 cinemas in 1980 does not have any today; simi-larly Benin or Cameroon that counted 80 movie theaters in 1987. Only Ivory Coast has managed to get back on its feet, with 4 movie theaters in Abidjan, including 2 at the Majestic Hotel Ivoire and one at the Scocé fountain. On the Anglophone side, South Africa im-poses its difference in the industry, with around 734 movie theatres in 2009,

opposed to 640 in 1999. In Nigeria, Lagos has 6 multiplex, with an average of 30 cinemas each , while Abuja has 25 cinemas. This gap between African nations brings the affected countries’ populations further apart in regards to an ideal cinema industry, that is rewar-ding both culturally and economically.

CELEBRaTING aFRICaN aRT Even if Burkina Faso only has 12 movie cinemas, it is setting the tone for the industry. Indeed, Ouagadougou re-

cently hosted the 24th edition of the FESPACO. The ceremony, now unavoidable on the continent, has an annual budget of 763 000 Euros (500 million CFA francs). But the Burkinabe don’t stop there! They also organise the Kundé d’Or, an African music awards ceremo-ny, for which the organisation cost reaches 152 000 Euros per year (100 million CFA

Francs). At the same time, well establi-shed structures like the Kora Awards, organised by Ernest Adjovie seem to be losing their standing. In 2012, the Ivorian state had commendably sup-ported the initiative with 1 billion CFA Francs. Even with this help, the tickets to attend the ceremony were priced at a minimum of 50 000 CFA Francs, which is a huge amount in a country where the minimum wage5 was at 36 607 CFA Francs.

More leaders are therefore desirable in the African cultural industry, where there are so many possibilities. Lets pledge to the abundance of upcoming initiatives...

1/ World Bank 2/ RFI 3/ Panafrican Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou 4/ Frost and Sulivan study 5/ It was revalued to 60.000 Francs in 2013


THoUGHTs // REpUBLIC oF CoNGo

With over fifteen years of experience under his belt, Robert Brazza is probably the most popular radio host and TV presenter of Francophone Africa. Through “Africa Song” (on Africa number 1) and the show «+ D’Afrique» on the Canal+ channel, Ro-bert Brazza strives to show a modern image of Africa. This observer warned of the African cultural scene has agreed to share with us his views on this sector whose consumers sometimes ignore the realities. Without jargon, Mr Brazza told us every-thing.

ROBERT BRAZZA


sandra Tshiyombo

Inspire afrika: What is your opinion on the marketing of african culture in general and african music in particular? Robert Brazza: Talking of an African culture is already, in my view, a mistake. It exists, and I am convinced, of African cultureS. They are plenty both in their multiple aspects and disciplines as in the many soils where they hatch. I also include in this set all these creators who embody and carry Africa and its legacy worldwide, including the Afro-Caribbeans, African-Americans and those from the «Herencia africana1». The challenge is in the fact that we need to promote this essential element of culture using the same energy and the same dynamics as the West, using the same technical and other marketing communication strategies with particular in the music sector. Why is it that artists like Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams and Nikki Minaj see their music prance to the top of some charts and be downloaded legally in Africa within the same timeframe as in their countries of origin (ie the USA and Europe)? This is because the event created by their highlighting allows music lovers to appropriate their songs without any effort. The key is accessibility. For us to bring Angelique Kidjo, Annie-Flore Batchiellilys or Kalmery with the same pride as we do for recent albums and tours by Béyoncé or STROMAE gives our designers, in correct and friendly proportions, the same visibility enjoyed by these “unavoidable” stars. Ia: How do you explain the domination of the Nigerian music today? Why is it better than other exports? RB: The phenomenon commonly called «Naija» has just found its resources in the forward delivery method that I mentioned earlier. If everyone sings the chorus of P-Square, Flavour, J Martins, or the collective Mavins, it is because those specialty channels play their songs in buckle. I would even say that they

play these songs to an excess. The processed voice software «auto-tune» is so ubiquitous that we begin to find it strange that an artist does not use it! I would like to remind those who see in the auto-tune the ultimate salvation that T-Pain and other followers of the Western genre are performing the reverse path. But do not pay into pessimism. The recent success of the Senegalese Marema or Cameroon Charlotte Dipanda lets us predict great surprises in the months and years ahead. Ia: Through africa Song you let us discover artists of all ages. What distinguishes the younger generation from the previous? RB: Actually, not much. The goal is the same: to share their art with the greatest number. There is the same enthusiasm in an internationally renowned artist like Ray Lema as in a growing talent as Régis Kole. But to return to the term «generation», it would be difficult to classify Lokua Kanza’s generation! The singers and musicians from the continent and its diaspora have also quickly realized that they had to work for people of all ages, sexes, social groups etc ... whose aim is the same: to have fun listening to a beautiful song or to dance to it. When Manu Dibango conquered America in the early 70s

with «Soul Makossa2», he already had in his wallet a vision, an artistic approach, and experience. We are now in 2015 and he still performs in front of thousands of people, including young artists who are inspired by his style. Further evidence: Youssou Ndour alongside Pape Diouf and Papa Wemba rank in the same charts as Fally Ipupa. Ia: In some Francophone countries, very few artists (musicians, actors, producers, etc ..) make a living from their craft. Why? RB: It would be illusory to think that everything is rosy in our English brothers’ countries. Far from there! In Nigeria or Ghana for example, the artists’ image and their relationship to «patron producers» is very similar to that conveyed by the USA or England. They sparkle with flashy cars without displaying the backroom ... We should also remember that the words «trade» and «artist» in the Francophone world are complete, at any commercial setbacks, by the words «rogue» or «failed «. How, then, be surprised by the contempt suffered by those who have experienced temporary setbacks and to whom we attribute the quasi-irreversible status of «has-been»? That will not please their fans. However, even Britney Spears fell before coming back with one of the most lucrative tours in history. The trades that frame the artists should be better valued and appreciated at fair value by the artists. Ia: Is the field of culture structured enough on the continent? RB: Not enough in my opinion. We must allow to creators who start and even to those who already have several years of practice the opportunity to find more areas of expression. This goes for TV programs, radio, but also for concert halls, exhibition hall and theaters.

Robert Brazza in Africa NO1 Studio


The live shows have the same difficulties as the video or audio medium. In other words, an overall reflection is needed. Rulers, professionals of culture, media and the public must also be able to propose solutions. Why not organize general states with a number of representatives from these categories? I do not believe in a boycott of any particular “non-national” work to boost an internal market (as in Guinea Conakry and the Democratic Republic of Congo), particularly if the latter is already unambitious on its own potential. Ia: In 2004 you expressed a ras-le-bol towards certain record companies that do not consider it necessary to send their works to radio stations such as africa No. 1. Have things changed since then? RB: It somewhat has changed, because you have to sell and therefore to be heard by the greatest number. Because of industry crisis, the number of labels and record label dropped and the sale power has been severely affected. We will nevertheless comfort ourselves with downloading music online ... What continues to fuel this sad reality is another simpler reason: When an artist is his own producer and does not have a file or a press list, he does not know where to start. Although the internet allows people to find addresses via social networks, we still seem to find artists’ works by going to the restaurant or hairdresser ... The managers of these places usually tell us that the authors came in person to offer them their works! My colleagues and I are delighted for them! (Laughs)

Ia: Has african music succeeded in finding and assuming its rules in order to increase its acceptance rate? RB: As with any other music, we want to dictate a course of action based on parameters or codes that I sometimes refer to as fantasies! What citizens living in Douala would find the Shakira «booty-shake» revolutionary? Remember, it is she who has sampled the Zangalewa during the 2010 World Cup. The strength of the continental and musical culture, as we speak, is that it is fully aware, through its directors and arranger clips, that the world needs to renew itself in terms of rhythms, arrangements, visual realization and even choreography. If there was the phenomenon of «Back to roots» in the 70’s and 80’s, one can definitely say that it is back in force. Did you hear the title of J-Cole & Trey Songz «Can’t get enough» that is a remake of the successful «Paulette» by Balla & its Balladins? Or the recent «Let the groove get in»

where Justin Timberlake and Timbaland draw from the local Burkinabe? The examples are legion and we must reinforce the fact that Africa is THE new frontier. We must shout out loud. Not through postures but through creation.

Ia: It is observed that such stars as akon and R.Kelly are interested in african singers. Is it just a fad? RB: It’s not a fad. It is a very well-prepared strategy. But the situation is different for the two artists that you mentioned. Akon is first and foremost Alliaune Thiam, born in St. Louis, this is not nothing. He is the son of the great percussionist Mor Thiam. His desire to keep the emotional and professional relationship with the land of his fathers is perfectly understandable. When

we met, Akon and I spent most of our time speaking in Wolof (laughs)! R.Kelly, during his participation in the World Cup in South Africa, has had to produce this anthem «Hands across the world» in which 2Face Idibia, Fally or Navio added their voices. But it has been five years ... I’m waiting to see if his label Rockland continues on this path. Ia: The african

music industry is growing but is not/no longer recognized by the african people themselves. The awards of african music’s most famous today (MTV Music awards and the africa awards Trace) are provided by foreign channels, and the Kora awards have almost disappeared. Why is that? RB: The organizers of these events certainly have the merit of having initiated these events but they skipped the next point, namely a party inviting an audience of personalities and other celebrities. It remains to be seen how certain choices can be justified. Moreover, how could stations like MTV or Trace ignore the labels and producers that feed them all year long? Do we know how the jury makes its choice of an artist and, more importantly, what criteria? The categories should be refined, developers should be less «conditioned» by the host countries and the public should be more open and demanding. We also owe to do these as men and women of culture, communication, and media. I try to do it with as much rigor as possible through the programs I have been responsible for fifteen years on Radio Africa No. 1 and Canal + with the show «+ D’Afrique» which will begin its sixth season in September. Be there!

Words Collected by Chrys Nyetam


?

THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP

WWW.VISITERLAFRIQUE

YOU ?


4 qUEsTIoNs To... // REpUBLIC oF CoNGo

4

KUSOMA GROUPREADING DIFFERENTLY

Social entrepreneur, author, personal development coach, Gédéon Ndjoli, also known as « Marcus Da Writer » is what you call hyperactive. His background has been shaped by diversity. Born in Braz-zaville, he grew up between Ivory Coast and South Africa. He studied in Belgium and Senegal and now travels the continent to teach his learnings. Ibuka turned writing into his main occupation and he shows us that he is a fervent believer in an Africa that reads...

ibuka gédéon ndjoli


Hello Ibuka, can you explain how you ended up on the entrepreneurship path?

My entrepreneurial adventure started in Ivory Coast, where I lived for a part of my childhood. At the time of the country’s crisis, we had to leave, and I spent almost 6 years without going to school. During that period, I started to read and I discovered that I had a true passion for writing. After graduating from high-school, I decided to do a double major in law and computer science. This was during the beginnings of the Arab spring. As I witnessed the intensity of the news as well as the lethargy of some of the African youth, I felt the need to write an article on the subject. By force of circumstance, this article actually became a book1 , published in France by Mon Petit Editeur.

When I came back to Senegal, I tried to make the book accessible to all, especially to the youth because it was destined for them. Unfortunately, I received no support on that front, even though I knocked on all doors. I therefore decided to take matters into my own hands and find solutions to help authors access African publishing houses.I started by creating Da Promoter Agency, an agency that promoted young talents and entrepreneurs. It did not focus solely on writing. The goal behind Da Promoter Agency was to support young people in a variety of fields (fashion, singing, sport, etc.)

After going through several disillusions, I decided to create a second agency (Les littérateurs, editor’s note) to accompany authors from the writing process to the publication of their pieces, all the while allowing them to be better equipped to conquer an audience.

In parallel, I continued to write and to auto-publish my work. My books being mostly well received, I decided to create KUSOMA GROUP, a digital editor, following the approach of making it easier for authors on the continent.

Do you aspire to compete with traditional publishing house ? Not really. First of all, it is important to know one thing: if people read very little in Africa, it is not because they lack the desire. It is simply because over there, books are either expensive or hardly accessible. Before getting started with KUSOMA, I had done a survey, amongst young people. I wanted to know if they read, how they read, why they were not buying books, etc. What surprised me was that, the majority of them read on their computers or on their Smartphones, notably thanks to social media. A striking example is the success that columns written on Facebook2 are having with young people. The youth has a yearning to read, but books need to be made available to them.

Today, we position ourselves as partners to local publishing houses. We present them with alternatives to reach young people. Most of them have a hard time selling their stocks and

barely make any turnover. This needs to change. If we could make books more accessible, publishing houses would sell more and would manage to increase their revenues. The key is to operate in two areas : producing paperback books, and also digital books, in order to give more options to consumers.

publishing is a fragile sector in Africa. In addition, the phenomenon of digital books is still brand new on the continent. Isn’t it a bit risky to venture in that field?

Not at all. This project was not launched by mistake. Before starting it, I tested the concept with my own books, published in paper and digital versions. The last book for instance, sold 700 copies in the city of Dakar (Senegal) only, in 3 months, without doing any promotion. I often receive requests from people in the DRC or in Gabon, asking for the book. They are enthusiastic to receive a digital version. This kind of feedback helped me understand that the digital market in Africa is one to explore further. A lot of young people use Smartphones today. If we give them the opportunity to read African pieces in those formats, they will do it. It’s just a matter of creating content.

Concretely, how does kUsoMA work?

KUSOMA is composed of 3 parts : the publishing part, the library part and an online library where you can sign up on a monthly basis. We are also going to implement a mobile application, on which only books published by KUSOMA will be available. The website is currently a beta version.

We wish to give Africans the chance to read books at the same time as others. A book released in Europe takes around 7 month to be available on the African market. We want to balance things out. Even if consumption is not done under the same format, it will be uniform. Hence the interest of creating partnerships with publishing houses that publish African authors’ pieces.

Interview by joan Yombo

«if people read very little in Africa, it is not because they lack the desire. It is simply

because over there, books are either expensive or hardly accessible..»

1/ Ibuka Gédéon Ndjoli, La jeunesse africaine a une voix, Mon petit éditeur, Mon Petit Edité, 2011, 90p.2/ He wrote a few himself: Papa malgré moi, Journal d’un ex gamer et séducteur, et jusqu’au bout du rêve


FoCULTURE // IvoRY CoAsT

FRIDaY NIGHT FEVER IN aBIDJaN

People from Abidjan have the gift of turning any kind of entertainment to their own special way. Whether it is the parody of an Indian TV show, the massive creation of new concepts or the takeover of social media, this youth has no time to be bored, especially not at night. In the capital, we don’t go out, we «GAZE»! The hardly translatable French word illustrates the Ivorian party style. There is not one Ivorian that does not know the slang expression «Abi-djan est le plus doux au monde» literally meaning Abidjan is the sweetest in the world. This expression was put forward by a popular Zouglou1 band and taken on by an entire genera-tion of partygoers, this sentence illustrates the ambiance of the Abidjan nights.

A «maquis» in Abidjan - photo credit : courrier international


1/ Popular and urban musical genre born in Ivory Coast. It presents the social realities faced by the Ivorian Youth and expresses humoristic and political messages as well as life advice. It was brought on to a global scale by the band Magic System. Zouglou is also known under the name of Wôyô when performed acoustically or live.2/ At first, they were little restaurants in working class neighborhoods. The maquis, true places of exchanges and discussions now attract all classes of people and are growing throughout the city of Abidjan.3/ Source: Agence Ecofin4/ Word from the Ivoirian slang to designate somebody that appears wealthy because of the way he acts.5/ Word from the Ivoirian slang to designate thieves. In the context of this article, they are known for stealing in order to finance their nights out.6/ In Ivoirian slang, this can mean a girl/wife/girlfriend depending to the context.7/ Cassava couscous8/ Congolese word meaning praising somebody for financial compensation. The Maquis DJs have become modern praise singers. 9/ Lebanese Sandwich 10/ Cassava paste obtained by diluting fermented cassava in water and then heating it up. Like Attiéké it is a typical Ivoirian side.

i am always surprised to witness how, every Friday un-til the work hours are over, my excitement grows as the minutes pass. starting at lunch break, the cell phones are out and ringing, the rendezvous are set, the plans are being discussed. some talk about taking abidjan hostage, others of breaking the night club’s tiles under their dance steps. maquis’2 names flood conversations, people discuss and jubilate. The hip neighborhoods are well known: marcory, The beautiful Yopougon, Treichville, cocody … everybody gathers there: from the employee to the company director, from the janitor to the quiet school girl and the neighborhood’s old man... at night, everybody mingles.

as soon as morning sets, the maquis tables are cleaned up and beer cases are readied. The speakers are turned on as the afternoon begins, local and nigerian music takeover the streets, paying no attention to schools and neighboring offices. Like the mermaid calls, the promised good ambiance attracts the usual customers as well as newcomers that start lining up startling number of beer bottles in front of them or under the tables. « we call this the bottle’s graveyard! » proudly claims one customer be-fore his friend calls him a drunk.

Yes, the ivoirians are massive beer consumers. in 2014, the soLiBra, leader of the brewing industry in ivory coast made a turnover of 141,9 billion3 cFa francs or 0.8% of the country’s 2014 gDp.

The sun sets and makes room for the rulers of the night. empty or full pockets, the chocos4 boys, always on point and always well dressed, the V.is (from the french « Ven-deurs d’illusions » meaning dream sellers) and the mon-monseurs5 , arrive in big cars, often rented or borrowed (with or without the owner’s permission). some parents will find their garage empty while some mechanics will fall face to face with the owner of the car they just parked in front of the club... and they’re not the only ones! Latest imitation hand bags, meter long Brazilian weave reaching their lower backs, vertiginous high heels, bleached skin, and strong make up, tight clothes and selfie weapons in hand, the abidjan « gos6 » are ready.

The maquis are crowded but this is only the first step. on the menu is beer, wine, and also Attiéké7 , braised

chicken, braised fish, snail brochettes, spicy kedjenou (chicken soup), braised sheep or beef... here, we eat under tents or outdoors, preferably with our fingers, we drink, we talk loudly to try to hear ourselves over the loud music. some stay there all night while others move on to the next step, following digestion: the night club.

There, the ambiance is completely different, people em-brace classier ways. girls touch up their makeup before taking over the dance floors, where they wine while ad-miring their own reflections on the mirror covered walls. The maquis « graveyards » left space for champagne and whisky buckets, the phone camera flashes add to the club’s lights. here, we dance and we show off. The DJs transform themselves in praise singers and take part in the Atalaku8 to praise the wealth of one or the beauty of another. individuals with elaborate nicknames such as « khalil the famous sultan », or « emperor givenchy the first » are called out for long minutes through songs. The ladders are happy to be the centre of attention for a mo-ment and they empty their pockets with bills in front of the club’s other clients. Their pride is flattered, the next Face-book profile picture is chosen, phone numbers are ex-changed. we leave the dance floors and the night clubs to reach the last step before sunrise.

Before parting ways, the last stop is to take a very early breakfast with friends. There are two options, the more « distinguished » ones go to Lebanese restaurants to order charwarmas9 or classic breakfasts. The second option, for those desiring a more filing meal is to return to the maquis to eat some placali10 with a smoked meat sauce. we eat and comment on the night, we plan to go relax at the Bassam or assinie beaches and we part ways on full stomachs, empty pockets and sore bodies... but not for long: The saturday night fever, often very similar to Friday’s will not wait much longer!

ivoirians are specialists in inventing new concepts.

By stella sanogoh


BUsINEss DEvELopMENT

joBs

CIvIL ENGINEER

ACCoUNTING AUDIToRs

BUsINEss AFRICA is looking for a Business Development Manager.

passionate about sales, you have good negotiation skills and contract drafting with stakeholders capabilities. You will be prospecting for new clients and you will develop relationships with existing clients.

profile :You are 80% sales focused and 20% Business Development Manager3 to 5 years of experience in sales (advertising/location buying)

Location : Abidjan, Ivory CoastReference : AE3996Where to apply : www.afriquemplois.net

ApAvE CAMERoUN is recruiting a Civil Engineer for an im-portant company You will be asked to:• Follow the implementation of construction sites• organise construction sites and manage planning• Ensure quality of onsite work • Negociate contracts • Manage onsite teams

profile :You hold a masters degree in civil engineer, you master AUToCAD software and have good computer science knowledge. 2 to 5 years of experience Management skills

Location : Douala, CameroonReference : ING/0515/001605Where to apply: http://millejobs.com/jobs

CAMEs sARL is looking for accounting auditors. Your mission will be to ensure the global security (finance, pro-cess, accounting, governance) of the company. You tasks will include:• Defining or implementing accounting control methods and

procedures, ensuring good application and suggesting improvements

• Elaborating and implementing the annual audit plan of the structure, determining and supervising audit missions.

• preparing necessary audit elements and analysing them • Controlling regularity and reliability of operations and

structures’ financial states • Identify and indicate any irregularities or inaccuracies

found during auditing• Carrying out accounting operations • Doing the follow up (charges provisions, ongoing, ...) of

Financial risks (asset liability management, market, credit) for the structure

proceeding to budget preparation, result follow-ups by units, products or markets, identifying gaps and causesprofile :You hold at least a bachelor’s degree, you are able to work under pressure. You are very mobile and you master computer science. 0 to 5 years of experience in the field You have skills in the following fields: • Risk hedging • Financial audit • Financial Analysis • Management techniques • planification techniques Location : Yaounde, CameroonWhere to apply : http://millejobs.com/jobs/cames-sarl-recrute-des-auditeurs-comptables

qUALITY CoNTRoLLER

oLAM is looking for a quality controller/ quality Engineer.

Responsible for quality and for the food security program of the factory, through a thorough knowledge of olam’s policies, rules and procedures, you have to guaranty the implementa-tion of expectations.

You will have to:• Develop and manage a team of professionals q/Fs ca-

pable of giving technical advice and assistance in CM ac-tivities

• product development and achieving additional cost re-duction

• Management of the q*Fs CM program, insuring that the risk areas are identified and that priorities are delivered

• Insuring that all economic activities of the MATs in-frastructure comply to Cameroon’s legal conditions

• Be a direct support to the MATs CM by bringing expertise as a resource specialist

• Making sure that the food security program are un-derstood and provide insurance that all norms and stan-dards are implemented.

Location : CameroonReference : qMWhere to apply: [email protected]

#15: cultural & creative industries in africa

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