Africa 2000

New Ethiopian Millennium
Arts and Culture Supplement

Africa 2000 is a special section that will appear regularly up to the Ethiopian millennium festival and through out the millennial year. Africa 2000 features a brief arts and culture profile of each AU member state. Capital believes that an enhanced awareness of the rich diversity of Africa will help in making the New Ethiopian Millennium a truly African celebration. We hope that Africa 2000 will, in a modest way; educate, inform, update and help promote intra-Africa relations as envisioned by the 8th Ordinary Summit of AU Heads of State. The republic of Angola is one of the latest entrants to the family of independent African nations.
The glory days of the Bantu tribes that originated and spread inland from present day Angola, ended in 1530 with Portuguese colonization. The occupation of Angola for nearly five centuries is among the longest in the infamous annals of colonization.
A sustained armed struggle which began in 1961 culminated with independence in 1975. Unfortunately, the three independence movements fought one another backed by the West and South Africa, ( UNITA and the National Front) and, the Soviet Union and Cuba, (MPLA) . UNITA and MPLA, despite several regional and international attempts to stop the fighting, battled on until 2002 when UNITA’s Jonas Savimbi was killed, finally ending a 27 year civil war that claimed up to 2 million lives. Some fighting however, continues sporadically between the government and separatists on the oil rich Cabinda enclave.
Following years of economic crisis accentuated by corruption and embezzlement of the country’s sizable oil income, Angola is currently in a boom with the second fastest growing economy in Africa.
Art and Culture
The earliest evidence of prehistoric art is in the form of cave paintings found in southwest Angola. Modern art developed mostly around the anti colonial struggle and is thus heavy on revolutionary and patriotic themes. Of late and in the wake of peace, stability and a prosperous economy, Angolan artists are more sophisticated and even avant-garde.
Luanda is the nexus of Angola in many respects and this also holds true for the graphic arts. The majority of art studios and galleries are found in the capital and to a lesser extent in the second city of Huambo.

Waldemar Bastos
Child of the Angolan Renascence

Waldemar Bastos is from Angola in southwestern Africa: like many Angolan singer/songwriters, his music has a soft, soothing lilt despite the decades-long war that nearly destroyed Angola.
Bastor lives abroad now, but since the end of the civil war, he's returned to Angola several times to participate in Angola's renascence: hence the title of his latest CD.
Waldemar grew up on the Angolan-Congo border, so every once and a while, a bit of Congolese rhumba perks up his music.
He grew up listening to all types of music, including Western classical, jazz, and rock, as well as Brazilian and other music of the Portuguese Diaspora.
Listeners will be surprised and delighted to hear a song from a soft ballad to Congolese rhumba, then jazz/rock with a Middle Eastern string section.
Some of Waldemar's vocals remind one of French cafe singers meeting bossa nova tones.
There are two versions of the song 'Pitanga Madurinha', which has a reggae type beat reminiscent of early ska bands.
RENASCENCE closes out in a stronger Jamaican version remixed with vocals added by Jamaican toaster (the original rappers) Chaka Demas.
To call RENASCENCE just an African CD is a bit of an understatement, for this is true world music or music without borders.

Vital Facts
Topography: mostly plateau, between 3000-5000 feet, central highlands, some desert
Population: 11,827.315
Distribution: 35.7% urban
Principal ethnic groups: Uvimbando, Kimbundo, Bakongo
Principal languages: Portuguese( official), Bantu, other African languages
Principal religions: Roman Catholic, other Christian
Government: Republic
Head state: President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, since 1979
Head of government: PM Fernando da Piedade Dias Dos Santos, since 2002
Capital city: Luanda, 2,623,000
Major cites: Huambo, Lobito, Benguela
Economy: oil, mining, cement, minerals, fish, food production
GDP Growth: 11%
Per capital GDP: 2,100 USD
Literacy: 42%
Currency: New Kwanza, ( AON), 85.30:1 USD
Life expectancy: 37.3 male, 39.6 female
AIDS rate: 3.9%
Daily newspaper circulation: 11 per 1000 people

Facts and figures are the latest available at time of publication and may not necessarily be the most accurate .

‘Made of Africa’
exhibition opens today

By Mina Yirga

The Made of Africa Gallery and project launched its first exhibition with a selection of finely made handicrafts made by Africans.
Bringing together ideas and originality from Ethiopia, Africa, Asia and Europe, nurtured in cosmopolitan experience, Made of Africa tried to merge and reinvent culture and heritage from contemporary Africa.
The exhibition is run under the supervision of fashion designer, Gigi Fresenbet, South African Clifford Charles, and Bruce Clarke Anglo-French, both visual artists. A local artist, Guenet Alemu, also assisted the group.
“The products illustrated here are the result of an approximately two week long workshop involving a dozen or so people with different craft weaving and sewing skills from Gigi Ethiopia. The aim was to transform familiar handcrafted objects imaginatively into new decorated art objects for an export market using easily available and relatively inexpensive materials. These include paint, cut-off from fabric designed by Gigi Ethiopia, beads, natural fibres of different sorts including dried false banana leaves, metal, nails, glass etc. In the process, we intended to provide the semi-skilled handcraft workers with new skills and imaginative techniques. In future workshops, it will be possible to give skills for resource generating activities,” Says Gigi Fresembet, founder of Made of Africa.
“Once or twice every year, we teach art works to elementary students in various parts of Ethiopia. Two weeks ago, we had a project which was conducted in Butagera Woreda. Their art works are displayed here at the exhibition. The combined skills of trained visual artists, crafts people and fashion designers proved educationally important to all. There was an exchange and enrichment of competences, opening out to experimentation and original new ideas,” she added.

In Perfect Light

By Tsion Aklilu

He would have been one of the kidnapped people in Afar. Antonio Fiorente had a plan to travel to the area with one of the abducted groups, but a sudden change of plans came up and he left to BahirDar.
Antonio is planning to present a part of his collection at the Italian Cultural Institute. Capital has interviewed him about the event and other photographic matters .

Could you tell us about your recent visit to Eastern Ethiopia?
As you know, Jimmy Carter, the former president of America was here and his Carter Center contacted me to present them with reportage on HIV, malaria, trachoma and river blindness in the different regions of the country. Therefore, I was in Harar to take pictures for three days. Next week, I will be heading to Awassa for the same purpose. I have traveled to Jimma, Bahirdar, Harrar, and Alamaya so far.
Were these regions selected by the Carter Center?
Yes. The center nominated the places according to the particular areas relevance. For instance, if you go to Jimma, river blindness takes the highest toll and in the northern areas, trachoma is ranked first. I believe the center has selected the places very wisely.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Well, mostly I ask the key question ‘what do my clients need? Answering this question inspires me. In addition to this , I will search for a new and different angel.
I do not go and jump to take shoots. I have to take my time in getting along with the community, environment, and custom of the area.
What challenges have you encountered in your job?
Oh! The words-‘taking photos is forbidden’ is the biggest challenge. I have been in Europe for almost twenty years; people have the right to take pictures of what they like. In Ethiopia, you cannot shoot everything you like. Abroad, public places are where people enjoy taking pictures and use the areas as background, whereas I cannot do the same here.
Would you share with us one incident?
It was the best time to take a shot of Meskal square. The light was dark blue, the scene was perfect for a night shot. I landed my tripod, fired my camera and started shooting. Suddenly, a militiaman stopped me from taking pictures; I tried to convince him that I have taken many pictures around the square and a lot of arguments pursued. The disappointment was that the moment had vanished.
Tell us about your up coming photographic exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute.
Dr. Emiliano Longhi, Director of the Institute, has invited me to present my collections. I attended some classes at the institute before I went to Italy years ago, so it was my pleasure to honor the institute. I will present my contemporary collections. Taking pictures of details might be strange but what I have done is give a different angle for what we are familiar with but not aware of.
What is your personal collection about?
It depends on the places I discover. Let me say people decorate their home and when I take a shot, I make it more beautiful with good light and composition.
How did you become involved in photography?
My sister gave me a camera for my 18th birthday and that was the turning point. As a child, I used to paint but I started to take pictures because of my sister and here I am today.
What makes photography more interesting than painting?
Painting is the beginning of art in my life, whereas photography is my life. I love the job and discovering new things with my camera.
Most of your works feature the cultural diversity of Ethiopia. Would you comment?
I have traveled to different places around the world and all have their own beauty but Ethiopia is of a different kind. I want to show this beauty for others, not for foreigners but for Ethiopians, as we are not familiar with what we have. I was initiated by the fact that I had not had any evidence or memory about the place I grew up in-Awassa.
What sort of camera do you use?
I use old cameras. Old-fashioned cameras are very professional and so mechanical that I need to work on the adjustment. I won the 2003 ‘Fuji African Press Photo’ contest with a 35 year old camera.
What is your opinion on the development of photography in Ethiopia?
The business has developed positively but not the art.
Where did you learn photography?
I only took some short-term courses and a lot of practice.
What are your future plans?
My job determines my future. Clients give me a call while I am on fieldwork and there you go on another unexpected request. Do not take me wrong when I say my job determines my future; However I do plan to publish a book for the millennium.