Spotlight on an African Production: An African City

My latest obsession, the amazing web series, An African City! 

I know all of my fellow Africans strongly dislike the ignorance displayed in popular media's depiction of Africa. The many images you see on screens are most often limited to AIDS, poverty, or even safari/wildlife. Sadly, images of this sort skew the mentalities of many people. These images turn the masses away from the rich, complex culture and beauty that Africa manifests. This is where An African City comes in. Creator of the show, Nicole Amarteifio, challenges this lack of knowledge through the uniquely scripted show based around 5 young, beautiful and successful women living in Accra, Ghana. Although one could compare the show to 'Sex and the City', 'Single Ladies' and 'Girlfriends', An African City is definitely in a league of its own. 

The show perfectly displays the raw beauty that Ghana has to offer. From current hot spots, to the top Afrobeats, to the latest African designers (the style is so on point btw!), An African City has become a platform for creative people of African descent to showcase their talent. The show not only makes me miss the motherland like crazy, but also helps me appreciate the ties to my roots, my people and my culture. It reaffirms my purpose, where I'm from and where home is. However, there's one thing I would change about the series- the episodes need to be longer! Finishing one episode leaves me wanting more each time...

With the first season coming to an end, I recommend all those that have not yet jumped on the bandwagon to do so immediately, before the finale. I sincerely hope to see many more seasons of An African City. I am crossing my fingers that the hard work of the writers, cast, and production team pays off, with them being given an international opportunity to shine.

Here is the first episode (the whole series can easily be accessed on their channel):

The cast is not only super gorgeous, but also super talented. You can follow their individual journeys on Twitter:

Creator: @Allthingsafrica 

Nana Yaa: @MaameYaaBoafo 

Sade: @itsnanamensah 

Ngozi: @EsosaE 

Makena: @Marielaly on Instagram. Random fact: Marie actually went to school down-under (Australia), as she graduated from Deakin University in Melbourne. How cool! 

Zainab: @MsAdjei 

-Posted by Vanessa 

Spotlight on African Talent - K' Naan

If you are anything like me and have extreme African pride, you will understand my weird obsession with exploring and promoting raw and underrated African talent. I feel an instant, deeper connection to hustling artists of all rights who are from the motherland. It's almost like a sense of an invisible family bond, as they become my sister or brother who I need to support during their rising movement. It's crazy to think that a household name in Africa has probably never been heard of by many living abroad, simply because they only see what is put in front of them. Nonetheless, I want to put spotlight on a lyrically gifted Somali rapper, K'Naan Warsame.

K'Naan is a Somalian-born, Canadian-based artist. For me, what sets him apart from other rappers is his ability to bring awareness to REAL issues with his unique flow like no other. Anyone that takes the time to listen to his songs will appreciate not only his struggle (fleeing Mogadishu at the height of the Somali Cilvil War)  but also the 'internal wars' he talks about that we as humans face on an emotional level. K'Naan's standout talent reached a new height when Coca-Cola used the remixed version of his smash hit "Wavin' Flag" as the theme song for the 2010 World Cup. This amazing opportunity allowed K'Naan to receive the recognition he deserves, especially grabbing the attention of world-known artists. The success of "Wavin' Flag" is reflected in the caliber of artists K'naan has been able to work with, including Nas, Nelly Furtado, Bono, Will.I.Am and B.O.B, just to name a few.

He has been known to use his celebrity status to be an advocate for sending aid to Somalia and other African countries. K'naan's positive impact is set to takeover Africa and beyond. This is confirmed by being ranked the 25th most powerful celebrity in Africa by Forbes in 2011. K'naan is definitely one artist to keep our eye on in the near future.

Enjoy some of my favourite songs/clips from the man himself !

-Posted by Vanessa