World News, Africa, Opinion

Creativity is the new money

By Carlos Lopes

On August 19th,  like every night, Africa’s creative talent was showcased across the continent. In Cape Town, South African opera stars Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane’s voices  captivated audiences while they perform U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, a Xhosa adaptation of Bizet’s famous opera. In Agadez, internationally acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Bombino, dubbed the next Jimi Hendrix,  mesmerized an audience with his music and lyrics for change. In Accra, more than 30,000 people danced the night away at a concert of Nigeria’s famous hip-hop duo, P-Square. Similar excitement occurred in Luanda as Big Nelo and C4 Pedro take the stage. In Dar es Saalam, 28-year old fashion designer Anisa Mpungwe,  showcased her creations – probably by the coming weeks she will do the same in New York. In Kinshasa, crowds  gathered to appreciate the paintings and sculptures created by award winning artist Rhode Bath-Schéba Makoumbou. Households across the continent were glued to their television screens watching Egyptian or Nollywood movies as were Africans in the diaspora.