Arnaldo Berdugo is a musician and DJ/producer from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia who sent Soul Safari this mix of great African/Latin music. Perfect music for Summer 2020 that I want to share.
Dj Arn4l2 releases his own productions as well, surely worthwhile to check out.
Even better to support this young producer since Colombia is under strict regulations due to the Covid 19 virus. Check out his latest production on bandcamp
Tracklist Arn4l2 @ Selektor WDR Cosmo 27.06.2020 The shoe laces – uvuka ekuseni (arn4l2 remix) Steve kekana – marching (arn4l2 remix) Orch. Veve – baluti (arn4l2 remix) Uso manta – noname Maluleke song (arn4l2 remix) Orch veve – toweli nini (arn4l2 remix) El nene y sus traviesos – la barola (arn4l2 remix) Bitops (ft. Bokky bass) – arn4l2 Natalie oh (arn4l2 remix) Sucess zoo – noname (arn4l2 remix) El afinaito – busco alguien que me quiera (arn4l2 remix) Four brothers – Rudo Imoto (Meistro Sol Power Bump) Orchestre Variete Africaine – noname (arn4l2 remix) Sabroso (sono sa kua tema remix) arn4l2 Orchestre negro success – nelly na place na ngai (arn4l2 remix) Sangasuza – izaura (arn4l2 remix) ORCHESTRE VIVA MAKALE – SAFARI (ARN4L2 REMIX) SYSTEMA SOLAR – EL VACILE (ARN4L2 REMIX) BOUNCING BONA VERSION 3 (ARN4L2 REMIX) BAMAMA (ATTENTION NA SIDA) (ARN4L2 REMIX) ZAMBALE – NONAME (ARN4L2 REMIX) NONAME – NO NAME (ARN4L2 REMIX) NGENZENI – NONAME (ARN4L2 REMIX)
A Tribute to South African Airways -Suid Afrikaanse Lugdiens-
now that most airlines face such hard times, I would like to pay this tribute to South African Airways. The expiration date of this company is no longer guaranteed, but it would be a real disaster for South Africa if this beautiful company disappears. Come on people, fly SAA as long as you can.
this rare single was written and recorded by famous band leader Dan Hill. The text in Afrikaans was written by Anton De Waal, the English words by Ralph Trewhela.
Used as a promotional tool around early 1960s, this recording depicts clearly the self-confidence and boosts the success of South African Airways during the The Jet Age: 1953–1973
South African Airways was founded in 1934 after the acquisition of Union Airways by the South African government. The airline was initially overseen and controlled by South African Railways and Harbours Administration. Anti-apartheid sanctions by African countries deprived the airline of stopover airports during apartheid, forcing it to bypass the continent with long-range aircraft. During this time, it was also known by its Afrikaans name, Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens (SAL, lit. ”South African air service”), which has since been dropped by the airline. In 1997 SAA changed its name, image and aircraft livery and introduced online ticketing services. In 2006, SAA was split from Transnet, its parent company, to operate as an independent airline. It remains one of the largest of South Africa’s state owned enterprises. SAA owns Mango, a low-cost domestic airline, and has established links with Airlink and South African Express. It is a member of the Star Alliance.
but for how long?
On 5 December 2019, the Government of South Africa announced that SAA would enter into bankruptcy protection, as the airline has not turned a profit since 2011 and ran out of money. In January 2020, South African Airways announced that it will suspend several routes, national and international, in order to reduce its financial struggle.
Cyclone Idai has devastated the Mozambican city of Beira and turned it into an inland lake. The city of 500,000 people is at the epicenter of one of the worst natural disasters to hit southern Africa in decades.
Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe are still coming to terms with the immediate impact and aftermath of the storm, a week after it made landfall on southeast Africa’s coast, ripping through the region at speeds of up to 194 km (120 miles) an hour. An estimated 1,6 million people are believed to be affected, towns and villages remain submerged, and the death toll in the three countries has surpassed 500.
Idai’s timing and target could not have been worse, hitting already vulnerable communities in some of the continent’s poorest countries just before harvesting season.
The extent of the inland flooding from Beira.
Floodwaters spilling out from the region’s Pungue and Buzi rivers now cover a massive 2,165 sq km-area (834 square miles), according to the UN, far exceeding the width of the initial storm. The water levels created inland islands, marooning hundreds of people across the region, and stretching rescue operations.
Flooding from Idai has almost completely submerged Beira, cutting it off from the rest of the country. The emergency wing of its central hospital is non-operational, a major grain terminal has been damaged, and dam has collapsed outside of the city, according to the UN’s Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System.
“Beira is pretty much paralyzed, with many…going hungry, and without food and shelter,” resident Samuel Fenis told the UN Environment agency. At least 242 people have died in Mozambique alone. As the extent of the damage unfolds, it’s becoming clear that president Filipe Nyusi’s estimate that as many as 1,000 people are dead could be confirmed.
Cut off in Mozambique.Destruction in Beira.
After making landfall in Mozambique, Idai travelled more than 300 km (186 miles) to Zimbabwe, killing at least 139 people, with dozens more still missing. It travelled across Sofala and Manica provinces, leaving behind flooding so severe that entire villages have been wiped out. The area remains inaccessible, with an estimated 100,000 people stranded, according to the UN, making it difficult to ascertain the true extent of the damage. As rescue workers wade through the disaster zone, there are reports of people still huddling on rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Families have resorted to digging through mudslides to find their relatives still trapped.
“Whatever crops that were being grown despite the drought have now been destroyed in the floods, and these districts will need the help of the international community now more than ever,” Paolo Cernuschi, Zimbabwe country director at the International Rescue Committee, said in a statement.
The cyclone did not cross into Malawi, but the resulting floods killed at least 56 people, and displaced 82,700.
A family dig for their son in Zimbabwe.Rescuers in Zimbabwe.
Aid agencies have made desperate appeals for funding, revealing the extent of the devastation. The World Food Programme says it needs $121 million to help those affected in Mozambique alone. The UN aid agency’s operations in Malawi will require $10.3 million for just two months of assistance. In Zimbabwe, $5 million will be needed to provide food, logistical support and a response in the affected districts where 90% of property has been damaged.
UNFPA and Unicef have also dispatched teams to the region to assist women and children, whose vulnerability is exacerbated in disasters such as this.
Most vulnerable.
The storm’s impact shows the need for better preparedness and warning systems, the UN environment agency has said. As the extent of the damage wreaked by Idai is revealed, state and non-governmental agencies are flocking to the affected region to help, and discovering that Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe will need far more than expected.
the dance performance Via Kanana by Via Katlehong / Gregory Maqoma premiered during the Dutch Festival Julidans 2018. The performance is African dance with a sombre message and a touch of hope.
Via Kanana Pic Christian Ganet
Soweto-born Gregory Vuyani Maqoma took up dance in the late 1980s as a refuge from the political tensions in the township, and quickly began excelling. He embarked on his formal dance training at Moving Into Dance Mophatong in 1990 where, in 2002, he would return to serve a five-year stint as associate artistic director.
Today, Maqoma is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and scriptwriter. He has also distinguished himself for his artistic collaborations, including working with British-based choreographer Akram Khan and the London Sinfonietta, as well as South African fashion designer David Tlale, singer-songwriter Simphiwe Dana and theatre maker Brett Bailey.
Still to be seen: march 2019 in Kerkrade, Breda, Groningen, The Hague, the Netherlands during Festival Explore.
“Cion” another choreography by Gregory Maqoma will be part of the Holland Festival in June 2019.
Cion requiem of Ravel’s Bolero
Gregory Maqoma; in this work, I am drawn to Zakes Mda’s character “Toloki” the professional mourner from his beloved Ways of Dying as he further uncovers in his book Cion the story of the runaway slaves. In my interpretation, Toloki rediscovers death in a modern context, inspired by the universal events that lead to death, not as a natural phenomenon but by decisions of others over the other. We mourn the death by creating death. The universe of greed, power; religion has led us to be professional mourners who transform the horror of death and the pain of mourning into a narrative that questions what seems to be normalised and far more brutal in how we experience death and immigration. I am creating this work as a lament, a requiem required to awaken apart of us, the connection to the departed souls.
The first offering under the title “Requiem Request” was first presented at William Kentridge’s The Centre for the Less Good Idea where the idea of interrogating the music of Ravel’s Boléro using South African voices as a musical device to create a score.
and still relevant enough to re-post it. US designer Dapper Dan from Harlem is now the new guest designer for Gucci.
Introducing the collection of ready-to-wear and accessories that takes its cue from the Dapper Dan archive created with the House’s refined materials. Featuring a new yellow Gucci logo, the pieces were shot by Ari Marcopoulos on young faces from Harlem.
Exploring the synergy of design between Dapper Dan and creative director Alessandro Michele, the new collection of ready-to-wear and accessories features tracksuits in luxurious fabrics, denim with late 80s washes and fits and GG canvas jacquard jackets.
Each new movement has obviously predecessors. Les Sapeurs became somewhat of a household name in Congo in the 60’s with their brash dandyism. In New York it was designer Dapper Dan of Harlem who created the flamboyant look and style of rappers like LL Cool J and other heroes of the early hip hop scene in early 80’s.
Dapper Dan of Harlem
Right on 125th street in Harlem USA, sat a custom high-end clothing boutique owned by Mr. Dapper Dan. Before Kanye, Juelz, Fabolous and some other well known rappers wore Gucci and Louis Vutton, Dapper Dan in the 80’s and 90’s planted the seed for fashion in the hip hop culture. He created one of a kind customized high-end clothing that incorporated highly recognizable accessory logos like those of Gucci and Louis Vuitton, featuring them in non-traditional ways. His pieces were sold for thousands of dollars, and created a sense of what’s cool, what’s new in the streets and ‘in hip-hop’.
The designer describes his way of working as ‘sampling’, an unique interpretation of mixing existing designs and logos with his own interpretation. Dan Dapper ” I opened my workshop in ’82. First I would take little garment bags by Louis Vuitton and Gucci and cut them up, but that wouldn’t suffice for complete garments. So I said, “I have to figure out how to print this on fabric and leather.” I went through trial and error. I didn’t even know we were messing with dangerous chemicals—the U.S. government eventually outlawed the chemicals I was using. We made these huge silk screens so I could do a whole garment. A Jewish friend of mine helped me science out the secret behind the ink, and that was it.”
the Diane Dixon coat
the Aldo coat
His designs specified the look of hip-hop artists, sporters and those incurred by gangsters. “Gangsters. That’s who I grew up with. Middle-class blacks couldn’t accept what I was doing—you had to be of a revolutionary spirit. Who would be more like that than gangsters? And who would have the money? Hip-hop artists didn’t have any money. They used to wait until the gangsters left the store before they could come in and ask what the gangsters wore. Everybody follows the gangsters. The athletes came before the hip-hop artists. Mark Jackson, Walter Berry. I’ve got pictures of NBA players that I can’t even remember their names. The athletes had money earlier that the hip-hop artists.
FAVORITE CREATION: The “Alpo Coat” [for drug dealer Alberto Martinez] and the Diane Dixon coat [for Olympic athlete Diane Dixon].
Dakar ca 1950-1960. Photo Mama Casset, studio African Photo. Courtesy Revue Noire
The history of Senegalese photography begins in Saint-Louis du Sénégal, capital of the French Sudan, with the first African photographers who began their trade in the studios originally operated by white Europeans.
The African pioneers gave a less exotic, more modern and prosperous image of their fellow citizens, away from the typical western imagery.
This unique exhibition includes thirty images taken in Saint Louis by the earliest African photographers like Mama Casset whose name is less known by the Western public than that of Seydou Keita.
Saint Louis ca 1930, anonymous. Photograph courtesy Revue Noire
MAMA CASSET
AND THE PRECURSORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN SENEGAL
In 1870, in Saint-Louis, the former capital of Senegal, Meissa Gueye, Doudou Diop, Mama Casset and others photographed the bourgeoisie and the Senegalese people. In 1940, in Dakar, Mama Casset set up her new studio “African Photo” and became the undisputed master of the portrait, creating the stereotypes of the pose in the studio, often used in painting and studio photography across the continent. One of the first African masters of photography.
Dakar ca 1950-1960. Photo Mama Casset, studio African Photo. Courtesy Revue Noire
St. Louis ca 1930. Photo Mama Casset, studio African Photo. Courtesy Revue Noire
Mama Casset, born in 1908, died in 1992 after a life spent first in Saint-Louis-du-Senegal and then in Dakar, in the Medina.
Initiated to the photography of the time of the colonization by the French Oscar Lataque, he will be enlisted in the French army to make aerial photographs. In the 1940s, he set up his studio, “African Photo”, in the Medina, to become the fashionable photographer of Dakar.
at Soul Safari we love great LP cover art…and travel by airliner. When traveling by plane was still glamorous fun….
Trek Airways
Founded in 1953, Trek Airways was the only South African airline apart from SAA to fly international services. At the beginning, flights were operated from Europe to South Africa with one over-night stop. The aircraft used at the time was the Vickers VC.1 Viking. Since the Viking did not have the range for the operations, they were replaced by the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed L-749A Constellation. Later on it operated the Lockheed L-1649 Starliner.
Trek operated from London, Düsseldorf, Vienna and Luxembourg to Windhoek and Johannesburg with two or three intermediate stops.
In 1964 a co-operation with Luxair was reached whereby Luxair took connecting passengers to other European airports.
In was in 1968 that the first jet aircraft was used when a Boeing 707 was introduced, but due to the embargo of South African registered aircraft due to Apartheid Trek had to suspend flights for a period of time. Those operations were re-established in 1991 and once again a co-operation with Luxair was established whereby Trek used a Luxair/Luxavia Boeing 747-SP painted in the old Trek color scheme. It was also during this time that Trek founded a subsidiary called Flitestar using Airbus A320 and ATR-72 aircraft. In 1991, politics changed again and the South African Government deregulated its aviation policy. Trek Airways applied for and was granted a license for a South African domestic service, in direct competition to SAA. Flitestar was born operating Airbus A320’s. On 11 April 1994, Trek ceased all operations.
Belgian Sabena Airlines 60s
But the most favourite of this gallery of airline travel must be “Jet Ride!” by Duffy Ravenscroft. Simply for its space age artwork and the old South African Airways logo and cabin crew message system….
in this fascinating biography on Nina Simone by Alan Light, the late singer also speaks, through the many documents from her legacy of private correspondence and diaries. This brand new book is part of a revival on the artistry and life of Nina Simone, a militant and successful but also troubled singer who became an icon of American jazz & blues.
Director Cynthia Mort of ‘Nina’, the film released earlier this year in the US received a lot of criticism by casting the lightly colored actress Zoe Saldana, who does not resemble the singer physically and had to be transformed rather drastically to perform as the ‘blackskinned’ Nina Simone.
Then of course there was the Netflix documentary ‘What Happened, Miss Simone’ by Liz Garbus on which the book by Alan Light is based.
Ms Simone, known as one of the last great jazz divas, was also a committed civil rights activist in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, fighting oppression as a black woman from the segregated southern US states. Songs like “Mississippi Goddam” and “Four Women” became iconic statements of that period.
As a young jazz piano player and singer, Nina Simone was quickly discovered and found immediate success. She became a millionaire and a star on the American and international stages and performed in numerous television shows. But at the same time Simone began to become more and engaged with the emerging black protest movement of nonviolent protest of Martin Luther King to the racial separatism of Malcolm X. Her rants about racial discrimination in America from the stage alienated her public.
On April 21st 2003 hundreds of mourners gathered in the southern French town of Carry-le-Rouet to pay their last respects to legendary US jazz and blues singer Nina Simone (born Eunice Waymon 1933)
South African singer Ms Miriam Makeba, a close friend of Ms Simone, was among those in attendance at the funeral in the Our Lady of the Assumption church at Carry-le-Rouet, just west of the port city of Marseille.
“She was not only an artist but also a freedom fighter,” Ms Makeba said before taking a seat inside the church next to Simone’s 36-year-old daughter Lisa for the ceremony.
“Nina Simone was a part of history. She fought for the liberation of black people. It is with much pain that we received the news of her death” read a message sent from the South African government.
At her request, Ms Simone’s ashes were spread in several African countries.
Hello World. Today’s post is a longread so may I suggest to take your time.
At the start of February the SA Menswear Fall 2016 Week took place in Cape Town, as in other capitals of the world. After Paris, Milan and London, the African continent sets its mark on international fashion. Fashion is flourishing as never before in Africa, a legion of ambitious young fashion designers are evolving towards national and international recognition and showing their collections to local and foreign buyers and press. The first rows are complemented by an enthusiastic young audience of bloggers and fashionistas eager to see the latest fashion.
model Sanele Xaba
And the amazing thing is that this actually sells. A new black middle-class has the money and interest to actually buy the clothes of African designers. Design boutiques and ultra-luxurious shopping centres offer a shopping extravanga never seen before and are popping up around the big South African cities. Should you be looking for a 40’s Christian Dior jacket, a Balenciaga ballgown from the 50’s, or Jordache bellbottoms, then your retro fix will be satisfied at The Flea Market at the Market Theatre in Newtown, the cultural hub of Johannesburg.
But it’s more than just expensive designer clothes or original vintage haute couture. Fashion is hot not only for style-concious hipsters but is regarded as a highly effective way to create an own identity. It is also a firm confirmation that one who dresses well has style. And the young ‘bornfrees’-the generation that was born after 1991-have style, radiate confidence and success. Besides that, African traditions and the heritage of the ancestors are en vogue.
That is reflected in the book The Black Photo Album / Look at Me: 1890-1950 by Santu Mofokeng (Published by Steidl in 2013. ISBN 978-3869303109)
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For this book Santu Mofokeng collected private photographs which urban black working and middle-class families in South Africa commissioned between 1890 and 1950, a time when the government was creating policies towards those designated as “natives”. Painterly in style, the images evoke the artifices of Victorian photography. Some of them are fiction, a creation of the artist in terms of setting, props, clothing and pose – yet there is no evidence of coercion. We believe these images, as they reveal something about how these people imagined themselves. In this work Mofokeng analyses the sensibilities, aspirations and self-image of the black population and its desire for representation and social recognition in times of colonial rule and suppression. The Black Photo Album / Look at Me: 1890-1950 is drawn from an ongoing research project of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
DREAM BIG, ACT COOL
Every year The Street Cred Festival brings a buzz to Johannesburg, an excitement in street-culture that unites the hottest and cool young fashionistas and designers. Streetgangs like the Swenkas, Smarties (Soweto), Isokothan (a gang modeled after the Urhobo People of Niger Delta) show that their passion for fashion is not only obsessive by clothes but at the same time their style manifests a passive aggressive form of resistance.
Although financially limited this young generation wants to create their own look, to show the world an interpretation of Africa, a tribute to their ancestors while looking forward to the future. It is hopeful and positive. What is Africa, Who am I as an African, those are the big questions that engage this new generation. Bloggers like Sartist reflect the search for a new horizon of fashion and dopeness.
Sartist
LES SAPEURS & NYC GANGSTA STYLE
Each new movement has obviously predecessors. Les Sapeurs became somewhat of a household name in Congo in the 60’s with their brash dandyism. In New York it was designer Dapper Dan of Harlem who created the flamboyant look and style of rappers like LL Cool J and other heroes of the early hip hop scene in early 80’s.
Dapper Dan of Harlem
Right on 125th street in Harlem USA, sat a custom high-end clothing boutique owned by Mr. Dapper Dan. Before Kanye, Juelz, Fabolous and some other well known rappers wore Gucci and Louis Vutton, Dapper Dan in the 80’s and 90’s planted the seed for fashion in the hip hop culture. He created one of a kind customized high-end clothing that incorporated highly recognizable accessory logos like those of Gucci and Louis Vuitton, featuring them in non-traditional ways. His pieces were sold for thousands of dollars, and created a sense of what’s cool, what’s new in the streets and ‘in hip-hop’.
The designer describes his way of working as ‘sampling’, an unique interpretation of mixing existing designs and logos with his own interpretation. Dan Dapper ” I opened my workshop in ’82. First I would take little garment bags by Louis Vuitton and Gucci and cut them up, but that wouldn’t suffice for complete garments. So I said, “I have to figure out how to print this on fabric and leather.” I went through trial and error. I didn’t even know we were messing with dangerous chemicals—the U.S. government eventually outlawed the chemicals I was using. We made these huge silk screens so I could do a whole garment. A Jewish friend of mine helped me science out the secret behind the ink, and that was it.”
the Diane Dixon coat
the Aldo coat
His designs specified the look of hip-hop artists, sporters and those incurred by gangsters. “Gangsters. That’s who I grew up with. Middle-class blacks couldn’t accept what I was doing—you had to be of a revolutionary spirit. Who would be more like that than gangsters? And who would have the money? Hip-hop artists didn’t have any money. They used to wait until the gangsters left the store before they could come in and ask what the gangsters wore. Everybody follows the gangsters. The athletes came before the hip-hop artists. Mark Jackson, Walter Berry. I’ve got pictures of NBA players that I can’t even remember their names. The athletes had money earlier that the hip-hop artists.
FAVORITE CREATION: The “Alpo Coat” [for drug dealer Alberto Martinez] and the Diane Dixon coat [for Olympic athlete Diane Dixon].
Ozwald Boateng is a London fashion designer of Ghanaian descent and co-founder of Made in Africa Foundation, which supports and funds studies for large-scale infrastructure projects across Africa.
Boateng is known for his classic British menswear, done in warm colors. He is considered one of the most successful designers of men’s fashion in recent years. His big break came in 2005 when he worked as designer for the French fashion house Givenchy and dressed actor Jamie Foxx for the Oscars.
His first show in Ghana caused a small revolution. Just like in 2013 during NYC Fashion Week where Boateng showed mainly African prints processed in classic men’s suits on black models. Boateng’s explains his vision on style; “Colonialism has done little good for Africa but it brought the typical Western sense of style and elegance to Africa. Mixed with local traditions this sensibility created a truely new African identity.”
Ozwald Boateng 2013 NYC Fashion Week
During the same week in NYC South African born designer Gavin Rajah brought the fantasy element of fashion back to the runway with creations that were eclectic and high glamour. Again, black models ruled the catwalk.
DO NOT MAKE WHAT IS THERE, MAKE WHAT IS NOT THERE
Is the motto of label ACF (Art Comes First/Always Cut First). ACF is an exciting innovative concept that typifies the New Black Dandyism.
In their vision a modern day gentleman stands for Energy, Style, Power and Pride.
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With a collection they call “Dance”, Sam Lambert & Shaka Maidoh of the ACF now launch Avec ces Freres. Avec ces Freres inaugural range sees the duo manifest the authentic spirit of the ACF within a focused assortment of interrelated styles. The essential root of the ACF’s style fraternity is their shared vision of the modern gentlemen in a new age. Elemental to this notion is a zealous commitment to travel and the belief that a near constant state of travel leads to a near constant state of learning. Travel is a journey of discovery. Discovery is the porthole to knowledge. -And the sensation experienced during moments of true discovery and the acquisition of knowledge is equal parts cerebral, physical and spiritual. Discovery delivers “little hits of wonder”, it injects a lasting spring in our step and it makes us want to smile and smile, to jump and jump, to dance and dance.
Lambert and Maidoh have worked to vitalize this simple notion in a fresh travel-friendly wardrobe crafted with intelligence, curiosity and good intention.
From the press release of their Autumn/Winter 15 Lookbook
BLACK POWER
Dark Models dominate World’s Fashion Weeks catwalks…
Jimi Ogunlaja -Sunday Times 7 Feb 16
Jimi Ogunlaja
Akuol De Mabior-sunday times 7 feb 16
SA Menswear Week Autumn 2016
Sanele Xaba
There are 50 shades of grey, and perhaps even more shades of black. And the blacker the better as South African designers scramble for darker-hued models who are regarded as ‘edgy and classy’. About half the models at the South African Menswear Autumn/Winter 2016 in Cape Town were very dark. They walked for designers including Craig Jacobs, Julia M’Poko of Mo’Ko Elosa and Jenevieve Lyons.
Popular on local runways is Jimi Ogunlaja, a Nigerian-born model and the face of 46664 Apparel, who has been walking ramps in South Africa for brands including Fabiani, Carducci and Craig Port since 2008.
Source; The Sunday Times 7th February 2016
Jimi Ogunlaja
model Jimi Oganlaja
model Sanele Xaba
model Akuol De Mabior
During the Paris Fashion 2016 Week black models also graced the Balmain Fall 2016 Ready to Wear catwalk, although the look and wide choice of models was based on the now platinum Kim Kardashian West. Her husband Kanye was sitting front row. His fashion-show-slash-record-listening-slash-party in New York last month drew 20,000 New Yorkers into Madison Square Garden on a freezing Thursday afternoon. The premiere of Yeezy Season 3 and stream of his new album, The Life of Pablo, proved to be the event of the New York Fashion 2016 week—with people lining up hours beforehand to enter. Young, old, invited or not, Kanye fans patiently waited for the doors to open. And once they did it was madness. The power of commercial streetstyle!
Lupita Nyong’o, one of the hottest black actresses of the moment walked onstage of the Late Night With Seth Meyers-talkshow in a tomato red Balmain power suit. Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan actress and film director. She made her American film debut in 2013 in Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave. She won an Oscar for her supporting role as Patsey. But movie stars, popstars or fashion designers with African roots are not the only forces to dominate fashion in 2016, the biggest influence remains the First Lady of the USA, Michelle Obama.
Soul Safari 