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Mansa Musa – The richest man in history January 12, 2017 – Posted in: History

Mansa Musa Mansa Musa Keita, also called the Lion of Mali, was the 10th Mansa, or Emperor, of the Mali Empire in West Africa. He lived from 1280 to 1337. He was appointed as deputy to Abubakari Keita II who left to sail the Atlantic in search of his predecessor, and never returned. In 1312, Musa became ruler of the Mali Empire. The Mali Empire under Mansa Musa stretched 2,000 miles east from the Atlantic…

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What is African Art September 10, 2016 – Posted in: Culture

What is African Art? African art may be simply defined as art produced by Africans. This brings up the question: does this include art produced by the African diaspora? What about art influenced by African culture but produced by non-Africans? There is no real answer as art cannot be confined and is difficult to define. African art has influenced artists across many different cultures. Picasso, for instance, was heavily influenced by African art as evidenced…

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The Magnificent Kuomboka Ceremony September 4, 2016 – Posted in: Culture

The Kuomboka Ceremony is carried out in the town of Mongu by the Lozi people of Zambia. “Kuomboka” means “coming out of the water.” It is the actual and ceremonial movement of the Lozi people and their chief, the Litunga, from the flood plains to higher ground. Kuomboka Ceremony Every year, the Barotse plains of the upper Zambezi flood during the rainy season. The Litunga is transported from his palace at Lealui to higher ground…

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Celebrating Salif Keita, An African Legend August 25, 2016 – Posted in: Culture, News

Salif Keita is a Mandingo Afro-Pop singer and song-writer from Mali. He celebrated his 67th birthday on August 25, 2016. His golden voice is well-known throughout Africa. Some of his classic songs include Yamore which was a collaboration between Keita and the late  great Cesaria Evora. His haunting melodies always evoke images of home  (Africa) for us. Aside from his voice, Keita’s albinism makes him distinct. In his 2009 album La Difference, he urges us to…

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Ten Interesting Facts About Africa August 2, 2016 – Posted in: Travel

  Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Africa Africa has been referred to as the dark continent. This is a reflection of ignorance about Africa, rather than a reflection of the continent itself. Below are some interesting facts about Africa which you probably didn’t know Africa is larger than the United States, China, India, Argentina, and western Europe combined. The Sahara desert alone is bigger than the continental USA. There are 56 sovereign countries on…

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Climbing Kilimanjaro was hard July 27, 2016 – Posted in: Travel

Post by Dr. Quinta (DrQuinta.com) A couple years ago, I fulfilled my dream of climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At 19,341 ft, it is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Several routes are available for climbing the mountain. My group and I used Lemosho which is 7 days round-trip: 5.5 days to reach the summit, and 1.5 days to descend. Each night we camped on the mountain. We had porters who…

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