Euromight - Guide to multicultural Europe

Euromight celebrates Europe's multicultural residents, telling their stories, discussing their concerns and marking the events that are important to their everyday lives.

Whether you are a European of black or brown descent, belong to an ethnic group not commonly recognized as European, or are simply interested in these unique Europeans, Euromight provides a vehicle that reflects Europe's diversity both in the region and beyond.

Euromight was founded by London-born journalist, writer, editor and professor Olive Vassell. Being born to parents of Caribbean origin, Olive was keenly aware from an early age that her family and other immigrant families were rarely represented in the social, cultural and political landscapes around them.

Read more on http://www.euromight.com/

Black Dutch Antiques dealer Hesdy Artist

Accros from Amsterdam Rijksmuseum lies the world famous distict Spiegelkwartier – a historical neighborhood with over seventy specialised shops offering a wide variety of fine art and antiques.

One of these shops is owned by the black antiques dealer named Hesdy Artist. In travel and leisure Paul Bellaart wrote a story about him (date unknow).

Paradox is a "very Dutch thing,'' an antiques dealer named Hesdy Artist explained to me the following afternoon, the two of us seated on plump bergères in a gallery he owns near the Spiegel-kwartier, Amsterdam's antiques district. "In one way, nobody in Holland wants to stand out,'' Artist says, alluding to the prevalent "act normal" ethos. In another, less overt sense, the Dutch, he explained, like it understood that beneath their very proper image an unruly spirit lies barely concealed.

Artist himself is a clear anomaly in some basic ways, at least professionally. "There are very few dark people in antiques sales in Holland,'' says the 37-year-old former banker, whose skin is the color of a ripe plum. "Maybe in Europe," he adds. "Maybe the world."

To browse through Artist's stock of Dutch copies of 18th-century French furniture, or 19th-century English copies of 17th-century Flemish silver, or 17th-century lithographs of old master paintings of slaves, is to conclude that his taste is far from the concerns of contemporary Netherlands designers. Yet it seemed to me that much of the Dutch output now captivating the international marketplace has something in common with Artist's interest in mining what appear to be exhausted veins of history.

The above was take from an article 'Going Dutch' by Paul Bellaart, published in Travel & Leisure (ch); www.travelandleisure.com

Read more on http://www.buku.nl/artist.html

It appears that Artist also sells black collect

'Inside Buffalo' documentary tells history of Black Soldiers in Italy in WWII

The film ‘Inside Buffalo’ is the documentary of Afro-Italian director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu that tells the story of the forgotten ‘Buffalo Soldiers’.

These soldiers were African American foot soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division who valiantly fought side-by-side with Italian partisans against the Nazis along the Gothic Line, mainly in Tuscany. Read the full story about the film here.

According to the Deutsche welle Kuwornu worked as a DJ and TV producer, until American movie director Spike Lee inspired him to become an independent filmmaker. In 2008, Lee was shooting a feature film on location in Tuscany, based on a novel about black American soldiers. Kuwornu worked as an extra on the feature film. It became the starting point for a very personal voyage of discovery for Fred Kuwornu culminating in his documentary 'Inside Buffalo'.



Kuwornu's father is Ghanaian and his mother is from Tuscany, making him one of the few mixed race Italians growing up in northern Italy in the 1970s. He is planning on doing more films on topics like racism, dialogue and human rights in the future.

The film '‘Inside Buffalo’ reminds of the story of the French Black soldiers 'Le Tirailleurs Senegalais' (Senegalees Riflemen)'. These soldiers were deliberately removed from the unit that led the Allied advance into the French capital. They were removed because British and American commanders wanted to ensure that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory. Read the whole post here.

Shouldn't we have Black European History month?

Where is Ayo?

It's quiet around the Afro-German/Nigerian singer and songwriter Ayo. The latest news in October 2009 was that she was taking a break in Paris before starting to work on her third album. Her last album was Gravity at Last (2008).

And she also starred in a documentary, titled “Joy,” The film shows her life and the search for her roots during the preparations and execution of her first concert in Nigeria, the birth country of her father. But the film was planned to be released early 2010, and is now expected to finish in late 2010. It seems I will have to wait.

So here is "Lonely" from the album Gravity at Last.


http://www.ayomusic.com/

Remembering Slave Trade and Abolition in Paris

copyright: Régis Durand de Girard: in the middle Davy Sicart and Christiane Taubira

Yesterday May 10th was the official French ceremony of the ‘Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition’. The ceremony was held in the 'jardin du Luxembourg" in Paris, and was only open for invites. See the pictures of the ceremony on the blog fxgpariscaraibe here.

According to the blog FXG, the ceremony didn't had the grandeur of previous commemorations because of the absence of president Sarkozy. It appeared that he was in middle of the crisis meeting about the Euro.

One of the invites was of course Christiane Taubira, MP for overseas region French Guiana. Taubira gave her name to the 21 May 2001 law, "la Loi Taubira", which recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as a crime against humanity. But in the speech of the minister of interior about recognition, her name wasn't mentioned.

Also present was ex-football player and anti-racism activist Lilian Thuram. Thuram is president of the Lilian Thuram Foundation, an anti-racism foundation that combats racism trough education. Just recently he published his book ‘Mes Etoiles Noirs’, a book about important black personalities and stars.

On the blog there are some interesting interviews with Christiane Taubira and Lilian Thuram.

Among the invites were, Marie-Luce Penchard (Secretary of State for Overseas Territories), Françoise Vergès (chairman of the ‘comité pour la mémoire et l'histoire de l'esclavage’), Davy Sicart (Musician), Marijosée Alie (head of television), Pierre Saintons (Musician), and Nathalie Coualy (comedian).

Afro-Europe is featured on Ebonyjet Online

Afro-Europe International Blog is the editor's pick of the African-American online magazine Ebonyjet Online.

See more on http://www.ebonyjet.com/

Update: In May 2010 Afro-Europe was featured on the main site of Ebony Magazine for two weeks.

Singer and actress Lena Horn dies at 92

Lena Horne, jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom, died Sunday. She was 92.

Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her sultry voice, was remarkably candid about the underlying reason for her success.

"I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept," she once said. "I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked." Read the full story on yahoo news




During the 1960s Horne was involved in the American Civil Rights Movement. She participated in the March on Washington in 1963, performed at rallies in the South and elsewhere, and worked on behalf of the National Council for Negro Women. During the same period, she was also very visible on television, appearing on popular variety shows and in her own special, Lena in Concert, in 1969.
-- World biographies --

I knew Lena Horn only through her music, but after reading about her I now know she was much more then a wonderful singer. Rest in Peace Lena Horn.

An historic political night for Black Britain

British Black politics successful at the elections. With a record voter turnout from the African, Asian and Caribbean electorate and a record number of candidates winning seats at Westminster, black politics in the UK has finally come to age

The blog Operation Black Vote reports: As Britain makes sense of the new political landscape let’s not forget the record breaking numbers of African, Asian and Caribbean candidates elected to Parliament. Overall the number has nearly doubled from 14 to 27, the greatest number and percentage increase ever seen in British politics. And within those historic figures individual firsts have illuminated this election.

Women did particularly well. Helen Grant becomes the first woman of African descent to represent the Conservatives at Westminster. Priti Patel became the first Conservative Asian female. The Labour candidate Shabana Mahmood becomes the first Muslim woman to be elected to Westminster. The Labour Party’s Chi Onwurah became the first women of African descent to win a parliamentary seat.

OBV Director, Simon Woolley: “Black politics came of age last night. A record voter turnout from the African, Asian and Caribbean electorate and a record number of candidates winning seats at Westminster will dramatically change how we see our governing class and how it operates. Greater representation, and greater involvement from our communities will undoubtedly enhance our democracy.”

* The term ‘Black’ is a political term. It refers to African, Asian, Caribbean and other ethnic minorities.

Also see http://www.obv.org.uk/

Also read the very interesting story about the black Identity issue during the elections on the Theroot: U.K. Election Raises Black Identity Issue

Very interesting how the Britons handle the ethnic part in politics, in The Netherlands every ethnic minority has its own lobby.

Festival Africaphonie 2010 - May 13th in Paris

On May 13th the festival Africaphonie 2010 will be held at the Bellevilloise in Paris. Damage: 15€ / Pre-sale 13€ at Digitik, Virgin.

Initiated in 2007 by the Association ORIG'IN with support from UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and the Overseas Departments, the festival AFRICAPHONIE aims to celebrate and commemorate, France, the African history and culture and its Diaspora.

At the Festival the documentary "10 mai Africaphonie" will be shown.


Artists : ERIK, SAMUEL, PEEDA, ELSA MARTINE, HERMANN, ROSELYNE BELINGA, MILK COFFEE & SUGAR, JACKSON THELEMAQUE, LORD EKOMY NDONG, K’MELEON.

http://www.africaphonie.com

Festival Africaphonie 2009

Forum: "Slavery and Trafficking, crimes against humanity" (Paris)

Forum on the occasion of the 5th edition of the Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (“de la Journée des mémoires de la traite, de l’esclavage et de leurs abolitions”) on May 10, 2010 in Paris.

The theme of the forum discussion will be: "Slavery and Trafficking, crimes against humanity" ("L’esclavage et la traite, crimes contre l’humanité").

In partnership with the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles) the ASPA (l'Association des étudiants de Sciences Po pour l'Afrique) will organise the forum on May 10, 2010 at Sciences Po Paris, Amphithéâtre Jacques Chapsal, 27 rue Guillaumen 75007 Paris.

Participants:

- Frank Anretar , President of the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles
- François Durpaire, Advisor of FAAC and winner of the Literature / Essay “Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens 2008” with L'Amérique de Barack Obama.
- Nelly Schmidt, winner of the Literature / Essay “Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens 2009 with the essay “France a-t-elle aboli l'esclavage”?
- Ivan Voice, Chairman of the Education Sector FAAC and President of the association ARCHIVE.
- Ahmed El Keiy, journalist and host the show “Toutes les France” on France O.
- Christiane Taubira, member of Guyana, author of books on slavery.
- Françoise Vergès, President of the Committee for the commemoration of slavery, author of books on slavery.

Together with: Véronique Helenon, Amadou Sall, Karfa Diallo, John W. Franklin

The program will be opened by M. Hervé LADO, Président de l’Association des étudiants de Sciences Po pour l’Afrique (ASPA) and Frank Anretar, President of the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles).

For more details see http://aspa.afrik.com

Singer Lebogang Masemola to perform in Munich

Afro Soul singer Lebogang Masemola will be performing on May 19th in Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. She also performed at the Pan African congres in 2009 with a South African hyme.

For Lebogang Masemola music is freedom. She says “ It is in music that we can just BE. Whether joyful or sad, music can embrace or alter the situation” A way of life that is rooted in her origin. Lebogang was born and raised in South Africa and presently resides in Hamburg Germany.




Details
Hotel Bayerischer Hof
Nightclub
Promenadeplatz 2-6
80333 München

On Myspace: Lebogang Masemola

General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy - 7th and 8th May

General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy - 7th and 8th May

It will focus on how to involve African immigrants in the development of the continent. The Association of Africans in the World is organising the General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy.

The event will be held in Rome on 7th and 8th May, in Via IV Novembre 119 (Palazzo Valentini, sala della Pace).

The Convention is organised in collaboration with the African Diaspora in Europe and the Management Consulting Group (MCG), and is sponsored by the Province of Rome.

Ethical Bank of the African Diaspora will be introduced during the Convention and 5,000 founding members selected.

Round table discussions will centre on many issues affecting Africa’s social, political, cultural, economic development. There will be a special focus on how to involve African immigrants in the development of the continent.

African diplomats and Italian national and local authorities will attend the Convention.

For further information, please log on to: www.africaninelmondo.it or send an email to Mr. Raymond Kouassi, President of the Association of Africans in the World: africaninelmondo@gmail.com

For more information go to www.africaninelmondo.it

Spotted on the blog missasali.blogspot.com

Jermaine Jackson crowns Luciano (9) in "Move Like Michael Jackson" contest

Luciano Hiwat (9) is the winner of the Dutch/Belgian "Move Like Michael" dance contest.

When I see you, I think of my brother Michael and my childhood, " said jury chairman Jermaine Jackson Saturday night to the youngest candidate and winner of the competition.

The "Move Like Michael" contest was a nationwide search to find the most talented and original dancers who could demonstrate that they have the spirit, showmanship and technical ability of Michael Jackson. The competition was only held in the UK and in the Netherlands/Belgium.

The winning act of the dance contest will perform at the official tribute concert.

The UK winner is Animaineaxs, who won the final on Sunday 20th in December 2009.

Video of Dutch winner