Poet Aimé Césaire honoured at the Panthéon in Paris on April 6, 2011

Aimé Césaire the poet and politician from Martinique will be honored by the French Republic on April 6, 2011 with a national tribute and ceremony at the Pantheon in Paris.

Two years after the renowned writer and statesman passed away, a plaque will be sealed in the heart of the famous French monument dedicated to the burials of personalities acknowledged as great men by the French Republic.

According to Unesco it will be the third plaque which pays tribute to a man of African descent. Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803) and Louis Delgrès (1766-1802) were similarly honored in 1998. In accordance with his wishes, Aimé Césaire’s ashes will remain in Martinique hence they won’t be transferred into the monument.

(Alexandre Dumas, père was reburied in 2002 in the Pantheon 132 years after his death.)

On the occasion of the 2004 International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, UNESCO awarded the Toussaint Louverture Prize to the author, in acknowledgement to his contribution to the struggle against domination, racism and intolerance.

Worldwide considered as a humanistic and universal poet, his candidature was proposed for the Nobel Prize of peace by two European universities in Belgium and Sweden in 2006.

Commemorating his death, UNESCO also paid a special tribute to the Poet of Negritude on 22 May 2008.

* Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803) is a freed slave who led the fight for Haiti’s independence.
* Louis Delgrès (1766-1802) is a revolutionary soldier who took part into the resistance while the re-establishment of slavery by the Napoleonean troups in Guadeloupe. (Source: UNESCO)

The ceremony will be broadcasted live on France 2 and the overseas network channels first (France Ô).

A tribute to Monsieur Aimé Césaire


Remembering Aimé Césaire, 1913-2008


In this video Aimé Césaire speaks about his first encounter with
Léopold Sédar Senghor in Paris in the 1930s. Alongside Léon-Gontran Damas, and Léopold Sédar Senghor, Aimé Césaire established the concept of Négritude. Négritude helped to guide Sénégal into independence with pride

Les Twins - Hip-Hop dance duo from France

Via: NEO.Griot
Les Twins are a hip-hop dance duo consisting of the identical twins Laurent and Larry Bourgeois from Sarcelles, France. Their dance style is new style, a type of house hip-hop dance. They have made appearances on various dance competitions, such as Juste Debout, Battle of the Stylez, World of Dance and Urban Dance Showcase.

"Les Twins" on Planet Funk (Speak Out)

Meet Miles Marshall Lewis - An African-American writer and music journalist in Paris

Miles Marshall Lewis is an African-American writer/editor in Paris France. He has published books a few books and has written for top magazines & newspapers like Vibe, Rolling Stone, and the Village Voice.

And he also has a great blog with stories about his live in France and with interviews with American black people in France.

Check out his blog at www.furthermucker.com, and his stories 'French like me' on his blog here.

Miles Marshall Lewis in his own words. "I was born in 1970, the year Toni Morrison wrote The Bluest Eye and Afrika Bambaataa started to deejay.



My writing life began eleven years later, when Marvel Comics published my letter to the editor of Captain America.

Growing up in the Bronx during the 70s endeared me to hiphop culture from the start, hearing Kool DJ AJ spin records in St. Mary’s Park outside my grandma’s South Bronx window.

Penning magazine cover stories about Erykah Badu, Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Nas, I’ve also assumed positions at XXL (deputy editor), Vibe (music editor), BET.com (deputy music editor) and Russell Simmons’ Oneworld (literary editor) from 1998-2004. ...

As a native New Yorker, I felt the city change post-September 11 — NYPD backpack searches on the train, armed guards patrolling Grand Central Station — and pissed off over a Bush-misled America, I moved to Paris in the spring of 2004.

For over a year, I wrote about my experiences as a postmodern bohemian B-boy in a 21st-century City of Light for PopMatters.com, a column called “Paris Noir.”

My encounters with French hiphop and black culture in Paris, in addition to marrying a Martinican woman and helping raise our two sons, have led to my next book, as yet untitled.

With one foot ever in NYC, I founded Bronx Biannual in 2006 as an urbane urban literary journal full of essays and fiction from celebrated and unsung writers who share the hiphop aesthetic. "

Read the whole story at his Blog www.furthermucker.com

see a recent interview with Lewis here

Bonus
Video of a winter tour through Paris (BlackAtlas/Nelson George)

Beblack TV – New Black French TV channel

Alfred Jocksan (agence de Presse GHM)
BeBlack TV is the new black TV channel in France. The channel will broadcast black culture programs for families and young adults. The channel was launched January 20the in Paris by the founder, Guadeloupe-born and French Guianan, Gadjar Sebastian (30).

Present at the launch party were his team, and personalities and celebrities in the broadcasting and music business. Among them French R&B singer Lynnsha and Zouk singer Sir Wesley. See a full photo report at FXG

BeBlack TV will be available in metropolitan France (Freebox) , the French West Indies, Guiana and Reunion (Mediaserv).
Website: www.beblack.tv

Ayo is back! World Premiere On December 21st 2010

World Premiere! On Tuesday December 21st 2010, Ayo invites you to listen exclusively to her new single. Go to www.ayomusic.com

World Fencing Champion Maureen Nisima joins the champion supporters backing Annecy Olympics Bid 2018 (France)

Following on from her first individual world Epée title at the World Championships held in November at the Grand Palais in Paris, French fencer Maureen Nisima has come out behind the French bid to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, reports Around the Rings.

This new title adds to Maureen Nisima's already impressive record, with 2 world team titles in 2008 and 2008. The champion, already a figurehead in the fencing world, adds her name to the list of sports champions backing Annecy's bid for 2018.

Video of Nisima giving fencing lessons to a journalist


Maureen Nisima was born in Bondy France (1981) and is of Martinique origin. The French national fencing team has many fencers from the Caribbean and French Guiana.

Black French minister Rama Yade sacked after Sarkozy's cabinet reshuffle

The French government has become more white and more rightwing in a reshuffle that has included the sacking of two ministers handpicked by Nicolas Sarkozy to bring ethnic diversity to the cabinet, wrote the Guardian

Senegalese-born Rama Yade, the sports minister, and Fadéla Amara, the minister for urban policies, lost their jobs in the shake-up that also signalled an end to the French president's policy of "openness" to his political opponents and to racial minorities.

Patrick Lozés, president of the Representative Council for Black Associations, expressed his disappointment on his Blog. "November 14, 2010 is a sad day for the diversity in the Republic. Nicolas Sarkozy, announced December 17, 2008: The diversity at the bottom of the country must be illustrated by diversity at the head of the country. This is not a choice, this is an obligation." He added, "I note barely two years later that the commitment was not kept."

About Rama Yade Lozés wrote, “I particularly regret the departure of Rama Yade from the government. Her leaving is a heavy symbol for all French from visible minorities."

Filmmaker Euzhan Palcy Hounoree of the French Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards

Filmmaker Euzhan Palcy is the Honouree of the French Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards 2010

Euzhan Palcy is a film director writer and producer from Martinique, French West Indies. Notable for being the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio (MGM) for "A Dry White Season" the only female filmmaker who directed Marlon Brando (she brought him back to the screen).

In 2006 Euzhan Palcy was one the artists who was featured in the commercial-free presentation "Infiniti In Black", which was sponsored by Nissan Motors for the Black History Month.

The winners of "Les Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens" - Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards 2010 (France)

On Monday November 8the the fifth edition of the "Les Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens" ("Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards") was held in Paris France.

And the winners are:
Best artist: Kaf Malbar (photo)
Best album: Groove Lélé & Ernst Reijseger – Zembrocal Musical
Best clip: Youssoupha, "L’effet papillon"
Best group: Carimi
Revelation of the Year: Kim
Best essay: Mohammed Aïssaoui, "L’affaire de l’esclave Furcy"
Best novel: Léonora Miano, "Les Aubes Ecarlates"
Best documentary: Pascal Lamche, "Black diamond"
Best film: Rachid Bouchareb, "London River"
Honour Award: Euzhan Palcy

Download: Les Nubians vs. Floetry

Via Soul:UK
DJ1derful has put together a great mix for Grown Folks Music, featuring two of the best soul duos in recent memory, Floetry and Les Nubians. You can stream/download the mix below (click on the arrow to download).


TRACKLIST
Les Nubians – Makeda
Floetry – My Apology
Les Nubians – Liberté
Floetry – Blessed 2 Have
Les Nubians – Me & Me
Floetry – Fun
Les Nubians – One Step Forward
Raheem DeVaughn – Marathon (feat. Floetry)
Les Nubians – John Banzi (Feat. Lipstik) – Rendezvous
Floetry – Floetic
Les Nubians – Bebela
The Floacist Featuring Josh and Kissi B. – Life in 3D
Les Nubians – Desolee (Roots mix-demo version)
Floetry – Say Yes
Les Nubians – Temperature Rising
Floetry – Opera
Les Nubians – Princesse Nubienne
Floetry – If I Was a Bird

All Sharpton goes to France in response to French designer Guerlain’s use of “N-Word”

French perfume designer Jean-Paul Guerlain’s use of the “n-word” during a recent interview on French state TV sparked an outcry from anti-racist groups, capped by the American civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton’s announcement of plans to travel to Paris to speak to the groups in November.

“The fact that Jean-Paul Guerlain felt comfortable enough to use the ‘n-word’ in public, coupled with the recent United Nations report showing that racism is on the rise in France, illustrates the depth of racism not only in France but throughout Europe and around the world,” Sharpton said in a statement Oct. 23.

“We will be joining with the fair-minded people across the Atlantic Ocean to further internationalize the struggle for fairness and respect. We cannot tolerate such affronts to our basic humanity,” reports Afro



French perfume designer Jean-Paul Guerlain created a firestorm after his racist statements in a TV interview on France 2.

He was talking about how the perfume Samsara grew out of a discussion he had with his wife.

“One day I told her – and I still call her Madame (0.12) – ‘What would seduce you if one was to make a perfume for you?’ and she told me, ‘I love jasmine, rose and sandalwood.’” Guerlain continued, “And for once I started working like a nigger. I don’t know if niggers really worked that hard.”

Patrick Lozès, of France's Representative Council of Black Associations, said the French word "nègre" used by Guerlain was an "extremely pejorative" and "racist" term equivalent to "nigger" in English.

But Patrick Lozes not only attacks Guerlain. On his Blog he also attacks the interviewer Lucet, who laughed after Guerlain made his racist statements.

Although Guerlain has apologised by e-mail, it’s clear he knew exactly what he was saying.

Also read: French perfume house Guerlain faces legal action over racist comments

Video: Ben l'Oncle Soul - Seven Nation Army (France)

Ben l'Oncle Soul is a French soul singer with a retro style who made his eponymous Top Five hit album debut in 2010 (Motown France).

Born Benjamin Duterde in 1984 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France, he took his name and look from Uncle Ben, the fictitious elderly African-American man dressed in a bow tie who serves as the brand image of Uncle Ben's Rice. The moniker Ben l'Oncle Soul was chosen rather than Uncle Ben...

He is also nominated for the French Awards "Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens" in the category Artist of the year.

Ben L’Oncle covered the song “Seven Nation Army” of the rock band "White Stripes"


See more at http://ben-music.artistes.universalmusic.fr

Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin will perform in Paris on November 6th 2010

Three time Grammy award winner Donnie McClurkin will perform at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on November 6th 2010

Donnie McClurkin is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.

In 2009 he released his album "We All Are One (Live In Detroit)" featuring CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary and Karen Clark Sheard.

Video of the song “Wait on” from the album We All Are One (Live In Detroit)

"A Nos Morts" - A Hip Hop play about the forgotten soldiers of France

"A Nos Morts" is a French Hip Hop musical about the forgotten liberators of France who fought in World War I and II. The musical was performed in September in Koln (Germany).

Influenced by the Hip-Hop-Culture of the suburbs of Strasbourg, this performance melts poetic texts with urban sounds as well as with a contemporary dance choreography - all this is taking place to the backdrop of historical film and photo material. The production is reminiscent of hundreds of thousands colonial soldiers from the former French colonies who fought for France in 1914-18 and 1939-1945 and contributed to the victory of France



According to the creators the history of the forgotten soldiers is also relevant today. “Faced with the rise of intolerance and discrimination, it is important for the new generations to know that diversity was also in the ranks of those who liberated France. The transmission of these memories participates in the construction of a collective history necessary to bring communities together and recognizing each other.”

"A Nos Morts" is also a monument in Strasbourg (France) which was raised in 1936 in memory of the children who died during World War I.

See more information at www.cie-memoires-vives.org

Also see French black soldiers excluded in ‘whites only’ liberation of Paris

Lilian Thuram and his fight against racism

The former French international football player and social activist Lilian Thuram is a man on a mission.

In January this year he published his book My Black Stars, from Lucy to Barack Obama (original title in French : Mes étoiles noires, de Lucy à Barack Obama).

And in September he revealed his plan to distribute a DVD in schools to educate children on the subject of racism.

About the book he writes on his website: “Every person – child or adult – needs stars to find their way. Everyone needs models during their formative years, to build their self-esteem, to change their imaginary worlds, and to break the preconceived ideas which they project on themselves and others.

When I was a child, I was shown many stars. I admired them and I dreamt about them: Socrates, Baudelaire, Einstein, Marie Curie, de Gaulle, Mother Teresa… But no one ever told me about black stars. The walls of the classroom were white, the pages of my history textbooks were white. I was completely ignorant of my own ancestors and their history. Except for slavery. This black history was like a vale of fears and tears.


World Cup winner Lilian Thuram discusses his transition from football to social activism, his new foundation 'Education Against Racism' and reveals why he is supporting the Council of Europe's anti-discrimination campaign


Can you give me the name of a black scientist? A black explorer? A black philosopher? A black pharaoh? If you cannot, then this book is for you, whatever the color of your skin. Because the best way to fight racism and intolerance is by enriching our knowledge and our imaginary worlds.

I wrote these portraits of women and men after reading about them and talking to specialists and historians. Lucy, Barack Obama, Aesop, Dona Béatrice, Pushkin, Anne Zingha, Aimé Césaire, Martin Luther King and many others… . These stars prevented me from becoming a victim. They also helped me believe in people and above all have confidence in myself.”

DVD
The goal is to distribute 50.000 DVDs in schools. The former international wants to "provide an educational tool for teachers and help reverse the conventional wisdom that children may have on racial issues."

Read more at Lilian Thuram Foundation www.thuram.org

Soul music in France - The album "Soullissme"

A compilation of music of French Soul artists can be downloaded for free.

In recent years Soul music made a comeback in France, but mainly trough concerts. At some point it became legitimate to call it the "French Soul scene".

As a result of this trend an album was compiled with Soul music of French artists. The album is entitled 'Soullissme’ and was released in May 2009.

The album features 19 songs and you can download the complete album for free. See more information at website ‘Soullissme’ www.soulissime.com

Or download the album immediately here

If you want to listen to the music first check out the playlist below.



Playlist with the names of the artists
1 – Rycko – Comment te dire
2 – Sabrina Adel – Shoobeedoop song act1
3 – Sandy Cossett – L'emmerdeur
4 – Leslie Phillips – Il est temps
5 – Monsieur Nov – J’voulais qu’on se pose
6 – Natho – Dis moi
7 – Freddy – Elle veulent tout
8 – D3CCPT – U&I feat. Sly Johnson
9 – Kohndo – Je serai là feat. Dwele
10 – Jango Jack – Fleur du Ghetto
11 – Rony – J’me dis (remix)
12 – Akoma Aya – Créolité urbaine feat. Afrosoulicious
13 – Erik – Elisa
14 – Habib Kane – Juste un sourire
15 – Aldrick – Franchement tu m’énerves
16 – Shad Murray – Soul music
17 – Quinze – Seul
18 – Jaleenah Birdland – Out of my word
19 – Third Shot – Sweet miracle


Some technical information: If you can't open the downloaded music file you can download the software to unzip the file here

Video: ‘Milk Coffee & Sugar ’ - Nominees of the French Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards

Gaël and Edgar, both members of the French Hip Hop duo Milk Coffee& Sugar, are nominees of the Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards (des Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens) 2010 in the music category Revelation of the year.

The duo has released the album ‘Milk Coffee & Sugar’ on May 10 2009. Proud of their African roots, they share their perspectives on their mixed society. Gaël Faye is French/Rwandese and Edgar Sekloka is of Cameroonian origin.

This is not a standard rap album, this music has flow, poetry and tranquillity. The Rap/Jazz track 'Je Vis' is a masterpiece.

Prévu Pas Prévu - Milk Coffee & Sugar



Je vis - Milk Coffee & Sugar


Album : Milk Coffee & Sugar
Label : 6D Production

Official MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/milkcoffeesugar

The Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards (des Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens ) - November 8 2010 in Paris

The 5th annual Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards 2010 (des Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens) will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris France on November 8 2010. The ceremony is a tribute to the famous poet, author and politician Aimé Césaire.

The Arts Awards ceremony rewards the best artists and personalities of Francophone Caribbean, Africa and the Indian Ocean. The artists are nominated in categories music, literature and cinema.

According to the blog FMX, this 5th edition runs along side the fiftieth anniversary of African independence. Also in this edition, a connection will be made between the United States, Africa, the Caribbean and France.

The award ceremony is inspired by the BET Awards in US and the MOBO Awards in the UK.

The ceremony will be broadcasted on TV on France 2 and France Ô.

Some of the nominees in the category music are:

Artist of the year
Kolo Barst - Martinique
Kaf Malabar - Reunion
Salif Keita - Mali
Ben Oncle Soul - France

Revelation Artist of the year
Milk Coffee & Sugar - Cameroun, Rwanda and France
Arielle T - Gabon
Yaelle Trulès - Reunion
Kim - Martinique

For more information and for a complete list of the nominees and categories see the website of the Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens at www.lestaac.com

Caribbean Festival – Influences Caraïbes – Sept 29 – Oct 3 (Paris)

The festival "Influences Caraïbes" returns this fall and is celebrating its 5th anniversary from September 29 to October 3, 2010 in Paris France.

During these five festival days, musicians, visual artists and speakers will present their views, and play the music of the Caribbean.

The festival will be held on three important places of Parisian culture: L'International, le théâtre des trois baudets and Sciences Po Paris.

Artists: Mélissa Laveaux (Haiti / Canada), Licia Chery (Haiti / Switzerland), the duo Jatoba (Tony Hunter / Stéphane Castry), Edouard Glissant, and the quartet Sakesho (Martinique / Guadeloupe). And last but not least the Guadeloupean group Soft.

Main theme of this year's debate is Haiti.

See more information at http://influencescaraibes.cridupeuple.com/

Lura will perform at Jazz Touraine 2010 on September 17 (France)

Portuguese singer Lura will perform at French Festival Jazz Touraine 2010 on September 17

Lura, born Maria de Lurdes Assunção Pina (1975) is a singer and musician. Born in Portugal to Cape-Verdean parents, she considers herself as a Cape-Verdean.

Lura stands at the crossroads of Portuguese and Cape Verdean culture. Growing up in the Creole quarter of Lisbon, Lura was surrounded by beats from the leeward and windward islands, as well as Portugal’s pop, jazz, African music and American soul.

The song "Quebrod Nem Djosa" from the album Eclipse.



Yet she also felt intensely drawn to the African archipelago that her parents had been forced to leave, and determined to reclaim for herself. Today, all these influences are to be found on Eclipse. The album expresses love, joy and sometimes sadness. Its thirteen new tracks display incredible energy as well as Lura’s burgeoning songwriting skills. (Source 4Q)