Been listening to Spoek Mathambo all day, have to give thanks to Sam, my ‘other other half’ for turning me on to this. He’s seriously addictive, I could listen to Mshini Wam all day. His cover of Joy Division’s Control is really something and the video is hella dark. Love the embroidered tie

Spoek is from [...]]]>

Been listening to Spoek Mathambo all day, have to give thanks to Sam, my ‘other other half’ for turning me on to this. He’s seriously addictive, I could listen to Mshini Wam all day. His cover of Joy Division’s Control is really something and the video is hella dark. Love the embroidered tie

Spoek is from Soweto in South Africa where he also works as a graphic designer and illustrator. You can really see this arty influence in all his vids. It’s nice to see something that helps to move Africa on from the Live Aid cliché, fingers crossed for some UK tour dates. This is one gig I could temporarily sacrifice my delicate ears for.

You might have already seen Malick Sidibe’s photographs in the Guardian (thanks for the link Beatriz!), and if you haven’t then why aren’t you reading Rachael’s blog?! I’ve put a few up here because it reminded me I haven’t shared of my own Mali pictures. Last year I accompanied a couple of seasoned Africanophiles to [...]]]>

You might have already seen Malick Sidibe’s photographs in the Guardian (thanks for the link Beatriz!), and if you haven’t then why aren’t you reading Rachael’s blog?! I’ve put a few up here because it reminded me I haven’t shared of my own Mali pictures. Last year I accompanied a couple of seasoned Africanophiles to Mali and Burkina Faso and it was really magical. They’re both Francophone countries so to be somewhere that felt like home but at the same time was utterly foreign made it even better. I tasted pigeon at a roadside café in the dark, got clothes made up, sang ‘Mysterious Girl’ in a waterfall, and saw enough cute children to make your ovaries pop out. Any continent you have never been to will be an eye opener, but these two African countries were really special. It goes without saying that next time I go out the I’m getting a whole wardrobe of clothes.

Woman with tattooed feet at Bobo Dioulassou coach station, fabric at Bobo market.

Amazing ‘pagnes’, cutest smile, Safia Tou, make of the fermented gruel that saved me from sunstroke, three stylish ladies in Ougadougou, car boot Burkina style.

Getting clothes made up in Bobo, they let me go into the back room and see their sewing machines. AMAZE.