Away from Africa

Mansour Ourasanah The Vilcek Foundation was created to highlight the achievements of the many talented immigrants who made their life in the United States. Marica and Jan Vilcek are originally from Slovakia. Jan Vilcek, a microbiologist, has 45 patents in his name and was the co-inventor of the blockbuster drug, Remicade. Marica is an art historian. They fled  Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia for  the United States 50 years ago, and created the Vilcek Foundation in 2000. Every year, they give out rewards in different categories. This year’s focus was excellence and innovation in design. On June 19,  3 of the award recipients came together for a  panel discussion  at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City. The designers spoke about their creations, and topics covered were material ecology, and how can industrial design improve society? The discussion was moderated by Glenn Adamson, Director at the Museum of Arts and Design....

In Montréal, Canada, for a few days, we were pleased to note how many Francophone Africans are living in this French-speaking city, and how active they are in its cultural life. Montreal is a calm but also a very international city, boasting denizens from all over the globe, including many from France, the Middle East and Africa. The soul of African cultural life lives in the Maison de l'Afrique Montréal . This African cultural center, in a house located in a quiet neighborhood, was founded in 2004 by Mariam Sy Diawara, originally from the Ivory Coast. The Center's doors opened in 2009. The center's mission is to act as a link from the Americas to Africa, to promote African culture and history, from all over the continent. There is also a tourism component and assists African immigrants in their integration in Canada. Gisèle Ndong When we visited in July, Ms. Diawara was in the Ivory Coast, but we met several team members: Cheick Cissé, Administrator, Moussa Xli...

Today I went to Harlem, to the Harlem Book Fair, to see Atim Oton at the Calabar Imports booth. Atim and her friend Cassandra in Harlem For those decrying the "whitification" of Harlem, I didn't see much of it. Maybe they stayed home. On the other hand, there were many Africans, in all kinds of traditional dress, speaking different languages, including French. I saw no books at the Book Fair, but there were booths selling clothing, jewelry, hair products, African art... There seems to be no need to travel to the African continent anymore to buy anything: I saw Ghanaian-made dresses, bags and clutches, necklaces made of fabric at Calabar; traditional glass and amber bead necklaces; children's clothes; statues and masks, fabric and more (but no books). Maybe the books were elsewhere. Adana Collins (above) creates hand-painted earrings and braid ornaments for very reasonable prices. Her company's name is Lovable Treasures , and she also sells at Calabar...

Please join us for the New York book launch of De La Case A La Villa,  June 26, 2014 from 6 pm to 8 pm. Epee Ellong will present the book in French and in English. There will be wine... and free bookmarks! 529 West 20th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10011 Tel. : (212) 352-8058 https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Skoto+Gallery/@40. 746539,-74.006785,17z/data=! 4m2!3m1!1s0x0: 0xb881f9d37b3cdff1

The Musée Dapper in Paris, located in the Embassy neighborhood in the 16th arrondissement, at 35 rue Paul Valery, is a wonderful hidden gem, mainly known to specialists of art from Africa and its diaspora, including the Caribbean. The difference between the Musée Dapper and many other French museums is that the Musée Dapper is a nonprofit organization, whereas many French museums are run by the French government. In the United States, it is the opposite: most museums are nonprofits/public-private partnerships, including the Smithsonian Institution , which I thought was a Federal institution. Samir Bitar, Director of the Office of Visitor Services , provided explanations on this subject. (however, Smithsonian museums are housed in GSA buildings .) The museum opened in 1986, after the Olfert Dapper Foundation was created in 1983 in Amsterdam by Michel Leveau (1930-2012). Why Olfert Dapper? He had written a “Description of Africa” in 1668, an encyclopedia-style book, where...

Akenataa Hammagaadji, the person behind the online African music radio program, First World Music, was born in Monrovia, Liberia. His mother had immigrated to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and sent for her children when Akenataa was 12 years old. Later they moved to the continental United States. After attending college, he hosted an African music program for 12 years on Columbia University's WKCR station. Nine years ago he started working on his current  show  on WVKR, showcasing musicians from the entire African continent, known and unknown. What keeps him going? There is much negative news out of Africa, and much of it is nor untrue; but his goal is to highlight the positive & beautiful: "Something from our heritage. Melodies, lyrics & instruments that are our own intellectual property." As per his website, among the goals of the radio program is: "to promote African artists to that they can be rewarded for the music (...). We hope that by airing mus...

The book " De La Case A La Villa " is a reality... and will be presented at the Paris Salon du Livre on March 22, 2014, at 6pm, along with Samuel Mbajum's book:  “Les combattants africains, dits « Tirailleurs Sénégalais » au secours de la France. 1857-1945” about African soldiers pulled into not always voluntary service in European wars. Our publishing house is Riveneuve Editions . Samuel Mbajum is also originally from Cameroon, like Epee Ellong, and we look forward to meeting him!