Away from Africa

Ab incredible variety of talented people contributed to the book, De La Case A La Villa . Many are not of African origin, although all share a certain vision of the world, I think. Book cover design by Pollyn C. Horvath Richard McMillan is an American registered architect, trained at the University of Tennessee, with an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business. Besides working full-time in the architectural field, Richard is also a publisher. His book, 101 Cool Buildings (The Best of New York City Architecture), is an ode to the plethora of interesting contemporary architecture in New York City. Beyond architectural themes, he also publishes choral music ( RM Choral Music ).

Landry Tientcheu Landry Tientcheu   is a specialist in sustainable energy by day, and a talented singer by night.  Landry, who is of Cameroonian origin, and currently lives in California, USA,  wants to use the platform of his music to tell a different story about Africa. He wants to tell the story of a gifted Africa, of an educated Africa, of a knowledgeable Africa, of a prosperous Africa, one that doesn’t inspire misery and neediness. As  Landry  eloquently states, “Misery is real, but it  doesn't  bring  out  the best in us. Successful and  inspiring stories of Africa, on the other hand, inspire people to invest in themselves and in others. People only invest when they feel good about themselves, about others, and about where we are going as a species." I call Landry's new album "Jazz with a French African accent" - it's called  Landry at the Bayou .  Landry at the Bayou album cover

Atim in the Front Street store Calabar was an international sea port as far back as the 16th century. Calabar Imports is a fitting name for Atim Annette Oton's Brooklyn-based stores. I visited her in the seasonal Dumbo store, at The Shops at 145 Front Street. Atim is one of the first African-born architects we met in New York. At the time she was teaching, and publishing a design magazine called Blacklines; she had interviewed my spouse, Epée Ellong , for an article about his architectural projects in Cameroon. It's now my turn to write about her! The store is in Dumbo, in the shadow  of the Manhattan Bridge The store and business is owned by  Atim Annette Oton and her mother,  Heloise Annette Oton.  The main store is located  in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.  Calabar Imports carries a dizzying array of unique handcrafted items: affordable fashion clothing, fashion accessories, jewelry, home decor and gifts. T...

The word "toubab" means "white person" in Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal, and also in Bambara (Mali). Why use this term for the name of this accessories company? Because Maud Villaret, the head designer, is a toubab herself; Toubab Paris brings two worlds together, and symbolozes the back and forth between the continents. I was attracted by her whimsical designs, and curious to find out how she came about creating African themed accessories... Maud in NYC Born and raised in France,  Maud attended a well-known design school, the Ecole Duperré , majoring in textile arts. During her last year in school, she traveled to Mali for an Indigo workshop. Indigo dye is a natural dye, from the plant   Indigofera tinctoria  - it is written that the dye was first widely used in India (ancient Phoenicia used a similar color that came from a rock snail, the Murex). Nowadays, Indigo is still widely used in Western Africa, in countries such as Guinea, Senegal and Mali. ...

We met Pierre Thiam about ten years ago in Brooklyn, when he was planning two eateries almost simultaneously. Since then, he has not stood still. He competed against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America , wrote a cookbook, helped put together a festival of African cuisine in Dakar, and much more. I asked him a few questions about the road he travelled. Chef Thiam, photo courtesy Simran Jaising What is your background--where were you born, raised, in what languages? I was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal. The official language is French but in Senegal, everyone speaks Wolof. My mother is from the south of Senegal, where Portuguese Creole  is spoken, and she taught me this language, so I grew up speaking these three languages. Grilled Chicken Yassa with Lime and Onion Confit Over Jasmine Rice, inspired by   a typical Senegalese dish Photo: Adam Bartos When did you decide that you wanted to be a chef, that you loved cooking? How and ...

An overview of the book's themes. 

These are a few of the images that have been chosen for the book " De La Case A La Villa "  (From the Hut to the Modern Home).  (Description of the book in English available at: http://www.awayfromafrica.com/2013/05/from-hut-to-modern-home-book-campaign.html ) "Modern traditional" in West Cameroon/"Nostalgic Architecture" chapter.  Photo courtesy of Christine Jumaucourt North Cameroon Foulbé contemporary huts Square hut in poto-poto (West Cameroon) Bamiléké funerary masks