Africa
2000
The United Republic of Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is made up of the former Tanganyika
and the largely autonomous island of Zanzibar. Tanzania holds a
special corner in the heart of pan-African Ethiopians by virtue
of Tanzania’s most famous son - the late Mwalimu Julius Nerere.
A contemporary of Emperor Haile Selasie I as well as a close confidant,
the two leaders though polar opposites in ideology, cemented a people
to people African solidarity that endures to this day.
Tanzania is a fairly large country with amazing ethnographic diversity.
It has abundant fresh-water sources as well as an extensive coastline
with many offshore islands. Mainland Tanzania is one of the world’s
most important sites of major archeological discovers including
some of the earliest hominid fossils to be found in the anthropologically
rich Rift Valley sub-region.
Closer to our times, early historical records pertaining to the
area reveal that present day Tanzania first attracted the interest
of foreign powers by way of the slave trade. This “industry”,
to many Africans and to most of the rest of the world, would seem
to have focused only on West Africa by European slaves. However,
the slave trade was equally brutal and on massive scale in and around
eastern Africa. The only difference was that the suppliers were
Arabs.
As early as the 8th century, Arab colonization had begun, especially
of the islands and the coastal strip. The Portuguese put in a showing
in the late 1490’s, paving the way for other European powers
after them. The victor of this scramble was Germany when in 1885
the Weimar republic established “German East Africa”.
Almost exactly 50 years later Germany lost the First World War and
German East Africa (Tanganyika) was made a league of nations mandate
and in 1946, given to Britain as a UN trust territory.
Tanganyika became independent in 1961 with British administered
Zanzibar following in 1963. After the sultan was overthrown by local
revolt on Jan 12, 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar entered into a union
called Tanzania- a bond that has through held firm for many decades.
Facts and Figures
Location- East coast of Africa, Uganda and Kenya on north Rwanda,
Burundi, Congo on west, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique on south
Area- 945,087 sq.km
Topography- hot and central plateau, lake region in west, temperate
highlands in north and south, coastal plains
Population- 39,384,223
Distribution –44 % urban
Ethnic Make-up- Mainland- Bantu Zanzibar- African, Arab, mixed
Languages – English, Swahili (both official), Arabic, indigenous
languages
Religions –Christian, Muslim and indigenous beliefs
Capital City – Dodoma, population - 168,000
Government Type – Republic
Head of State–President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, since 2005
Head of Government- P.M. Edward Lowassa, since 2005
Currency- Shilling (TZS) 1246.00 = $ 1 US
Gross Domestic Product - $ 29 bln
Per Capita GDP -$ 800
Economy –Agriculture, and processing, diamonds and gold, other
mining, tourism
Electricity Production – 1.9 bln kwh
Life Expectancy – 49.4 male, 52 female
AIDS Rate – 6.5 %
Airports – 11
Rail Roads – 3690 kms
Vehicles –145,000 units
Telephones –157,200 lines
Radios – 280 per 1000 people
TV sets – 21 per 1000 people
Internet – 384,300 users
Facts and figures are the latest available at time of publication
and may not necessarily be the most accurate.
Current Taarab Stars in Tanzania
Khadija Kopa (Khadija Omar Abdalla) is without doubt Tanzania’s
current Taarab Queen. Khadija jumped on the Taarab scene in 1990
when she joined the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar.
She is currently with the Tanzania Ruling Party’s (Chama cha
Mapinduzi) Tanzania One Theatre (TOT) serving as composer,
singer and Director in charge of Administration.
Altegnam
By Kirubel Tadesse
· Directed by: Eniyew Dechassa
· Written by: Eniyew Dechassa
· Type: Romance Suspense
· Duration: 108 min.
Love runs the wrong way for these two best of friends, who were
traveling to Bahir–Dar together when they meet two ‘right
men’ for their future. Unfortunately, both of the girls liked
the same guy but that wasn’t the case for the men, who each
picked different girls. This would have been perfect, if the same
could be said for the girls. Even if the main character, the beautiful
nurse, gives up her love for her best friend to enjoy, the guy was
in to her rather than her friend, who is unlikely to commit in this
new Amharic film, ‘Altegnam’ (I won’t sleep).
Sleepwalking is real, as having sex during sleepwalking. Sex during
sleepwalking is called sexsomania. It is a rare medical condition
in which the victims unintentionally demand, or actually have, sex
while asleep. It does not have any cure so far. This disorder usually
causes serious problems in relationships as you come to know through
the painful and irreversible moments of the characters in ‘Altegnam.’
To settle things for the nurse, her friend who was desperately looking
for a husband but couldn’t commit won a DV lottery adding
to her chances of getting married quicker. As the guy who married
the friend of the girl he loves to go to the USA starts rethinking
his decision, the nurse fell short of her consciousness one night
resulting in a revenge opportunity for another guy who was watching
closely. What happened and where sexsomania comes in the picture
is for you to find out after watching the film, which hits theatres
in the coming weeks.
The writer and director of this film also wrote ‘The 11th
Hour’ and ‘Kistet’. This is a fresh story, briefly
liberating Ethiopian screens from following the same pattern; recycled
family related dooms over and over again. Even if the story revolves
around a strange condition, which is almost unheard of, it was not
too technical or scientific to its credit; the writer recounted
the story in simple scenarios and dialogue. In fact the lines were
quite amazing and funny, making the film straightforward and enjoyable.
Berhane Deressa, Mayor of the city of Addis Ababa, was at the National
Theatre on Monday 21, 2007 for the premiere. Lalibela Films extended
480,000 ETB for Altegnam. Although most of the crew, including the
director, failed to take the certificates for undisclosed reasons
from the mayor, the later congratulated the entire crew.
Mayor Berhane advised that film production companies construct studios
in controlled environments, which can create more jobs and upgrade
film standards, which are today witnessing great improvement. He
even pointed out that each sub city has auditoriums which can be
used to establish studios with some kind of arrangement with the
relevant authorities. He also advised film producers to consider
previews of the films for selected guests, as this can be used as
one final check before the production is released to the wider public.
The invited guests who watched ‘Altegnam’ in its opening
gave a warm and deserving applause at the end of the inauguration
ceremony.
Award for best Ethiopian documentary
By our staff reporter
The 2nd Addis International Film Festival on Rights and Justice
is looking for the best documentary, feature or short film. For
the first time the Addis Film Festival Award will be given to the
best film directed by an Ethiopian film maker on the topic 'Rights
and Justice'. The five best entries will be presented on the final
festival day on March 30th and one of them will receive the Addis
International Film Festival Award. A high profile jury composed
of well-known Ethiopian and international documentary makers and
film festival organizers will choose the winning film that will
be presented at human rights film festivals all over the world.
Films may be submitted until February 15th .
International and local documentaries as well as discussions with
the filmmakers and experts on the respective issue will engage the
audience on this year's theme 'Organizing the Unorganized'. The
festival will open on March 21 with the Ethiopian premiere of the
documentary 'Black Gold' directed and presented by brothers from
the UK, Marc and Nick Francis. The film follows Tadesse Meskela
- the head of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union - from
the coffee fields in the hilly Oromia region to the modern city
of Seattle in the U.S. where he meets buyers at the annual conference
of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The film tackles
the imbalance Tadesse and his fellow farmers have to face in making
a living - from demanding buyers and weak local infrastructure to
global trade rules that disadvantage small farmers.
Besides the film screenings, the festival aims at inspiring young
people to actively deal with the festival's theme by conducting
the "Creativity Award". This enables students to join
the competition by creating any kind of art on 'Organizing the Unorganized',
such as short stories, paintings, sketches, cartoons, interviews,
photographs, short movies etc. The best entries will be published
in the Film Festival's brochure, in one leading Ethiopian newspaper,
they will be exhibited at the Art exhibition at the festival's venue
and the artists will be awarded with a surprise activity.
Another way to engage the community on the issue of rights and justice
is a theatre play of a student group that will perform a play on
women's rights at several high schools throughout Addis Ababa -
starting on Women's Day, March 8th, 2008.
The 1st edition of the Addis International Film Festival on Rights
and Justice was launched in January 2007 by the Ethiopian non-profit
organization Initiative Africa. It already demonstrated the great
impact educating films may have on the audience. The screening of
the film "Sisters in Law" that deals with women's rights
in Cameroon raised a heated and interesting discussion between the
audience and women's rights activist Ms Ngassa.
Alike the 1st Addis International Film Festival, the second edition
follows the overall objective to educate the public on human rights
issues through the medium of film. This event is truly the first
of its kind in Ethiopia; locally organised and internationally oriented,
while focusing on the link between modern cinema and awareness-raising
of human rights issues.
This project is more than just a festival. Film and other art-forms
are in this sense merely vehicles intended to convey certain social
messages; address injustices and draw attention to the plight of
the poor and underprivileged of the world. Initiative Africa, as
an organization that endeavors to address these very problems, is
committed to the use of film as a tool for its advocacy work in
human rights.
Loulou Cherinet in the Johannesburg Art
Fair
By Abiy Demilew
The Joburg Art Fair – the first African contemporary art
fair which will be held in Johannesburg from March 13 to 16 –
will establish South Africa as an essential stopover on the global
contemporary art buying calendar.
On sale at the Sandton Convention Centre will be the largest collection
of African and South African contemporary art the world has ever
seen. Prices will range, making art accessible to all - from arts
appreciators to serious collectors.
The fair will provide buyers and art lovers with a single point
of access to a wide range of galleries. Potential buyers can also
see a cross section of work in a short space of time by the continent’s
best artists including Zwelethu Mthethwa, William Kentridge, Santu
Mofokeng, David Goldblatt, Pieter Hugo and Sabelo Mlangeni, as well
as being exposed to the continent’s best newcomers.
The Joburg Art Fair will include a specially curated show entiled
‘As You Like It’ by Simon Njami and Thembinkosi Goniwe.
Njami was the chief curator of the highly successful Africa Remix
exhibition, as well as the Africa pavilion at last year’s
Venice Biennale. Njami is choosing a selection of art from artists
throughout Africa who are not represented by galleries on the fair
and all these will be on sale.
Artists selected (although this is subject to change) include video
and installation works by Bili Bidjocka (Cameroon), Loulou Cherinet
(Ethiopia), Amal Kenway (Egypt), Myriam Mihindou (Gabon), IngridMwangiRobertHutter
(Kenya), Jimmy Ogonga (Kenya), Zen Marie (South Africa) and Patrice
Felix-Tchikaya (DRC). Mixed media works by Modou Dieng (Senegal),
Berry Bickle (Zimbabwe), Joël Mpah Dooh (Cameroon), Dominique
Zinkpé (Benin) and Tamrat Gezahegn (Ethiopia) as well as
sculpture by Shuck (Guadeloup), Isoje Chou (Nigeria) and Jems Koko
Bi (Ivory Coast) will be shown.
There will be photographic works by Omar D (Algeria), David Damoison
(Martinique), Ihosvanny (Angola), Thando Mama (South Africa), Ananias
Leki Dago (Ivory Coast), Jellel Gasteli (Tunisia), Kiluanji Kia
Henda (Angola), Malala Andrialavidrazana (Madagascar), Mouna Karray
(Tunisia), Emeka Okereke (Nigeria), and Michele Magema (DRC).
International contemporary art galleries confirmed for the Joburg
Art Fair include the Jack Shainman Gallery from New York, Galerie
Peter Herrmann from Berlin, Gallery Ames D’Afrique from Strasbourg
and the October Gallery from London. Morocco’s L’ Appartement
22, Rabat and Cairo’s Townhouse Gallery will also be participating
in the Joburg Art Fair.
The Joburg Art Fair will be held from 13 to 16 March 2008 at the
Sandton Convention Centre.
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