Nigerian-German singer Ayo sings "Africa" and "Life is real" in Olympia in Paris

Singer-songwriter Ayo life in Paris in 2007. The entire history of the continent passes by in her song, from slavery, Biafria to Mandela. Great singer.

Check the full concert Ayo - Live At The Olympia 2007

Black in Portugal - Nuno Santos and his music of resistance

Nuno Santos (aka Chullage) is a second generation Cape Verdean living in Portugal. Half of his fellow Cape Verdeans in Lisbon don’t have official documents and live without basic human rights. Nuno writes blistering protest songs about being an immigrant in Europe, and his outspokenness has made him a target for right-wing attacks.

Video: Interviews with immigrants in Portugal

Interviews with immigrants in Portugal about how they are treated in Portugal. The video is part of MIPEX III (Migrant Integration Policy Index III - 2011): This project, led by the British Council and the Migration Policy Group, evaluates and compares since 2004, immigration policies in force in 31 countries.

Black European victims who became symbols in fight against racism

From left to right, Kerwin Duinmijer (Netherlands), Stephan Lawrence (UK), Alberto Adriano (Germany)

Racially motivated crimes against black people and people of colour in Europe is still a problem. Some of these incidents briefly make the headlines and cause a public out cry, but often these incidents are not even documented as racist violence. But in some cases victims of racist violence become symbols in the fight against racism.

A Black American walks through Black Amsterdam: The Bijlmer

Black American travel writer and filmmaker Diana O’Gilvie ignored the travel advice and went down into the Black neighborhood in Amsterdam.

“Don’t go to the Bjilmer,” was the general consensus among folks I asked about this predominantly Black neighborhood in Amsterdam.

“Make sure you hold your purse” cautioned my taxi driver on our way from the airport to my hotel.  While I appreciated her advice, I grew up in Kingston and lived in Brooklyn for sixteen years, so visiting Amsterdam’s proverbial ghetto wasn’t a stretch for me. I took the #54 train from Centraal Station in the heart of the historic district.

Afro-Europeans talk about their experiences in Germany and The Netherlands

Ian Ogutu from Germany and Furaha Kensmil from The Netherlands have something to say about life in Europe. In an interview with The German based African Magazine African Courier student Ian Ogutu talks about the challenges facing African and black students in Germany. And in a personal story Furaha writes about why she feels like a foreigner in The Netherlands. Furaha's story (picture at the top right corner) was published in a special edition on Afro-Europeans.

Video: The portrayal of black people in Dutch television advertising

How are black people portrayed in TV commercials in the Netherlands?  In a new TV commercial for  chocolate pasta Duo Penotti (brown and white) the old stereotypical image flashes by, a little black boy playing drums in a lion suit and a little white girl playing piano in a ballet dress. It’s the colonial image of the uncivilized versus the civilized.

Moving towards the end of Afro-Europe Blog

After more than 4 year of blogging it's time to stop. But the blog will of course be available and I will keep moderating the blog until it's no longer needed, so the blog will stay open for comments.

Video: "Yes I am" - Afro-German musicians fighting racism

A movie about black German musicians: they live in two different worlds. After a black man is beaten to death by a right-wing extremist teenager, they come together and found the musical group "Brothers Keepers". The musician fights with her voice..
 

Dutch black children are selected to play Black Pete? Zwarte Piet - The Documentary

Dutch  (white) boys and girls playing Zwarte Piet

Kickstarter: African American curator Shantrelle P. Lewis is fundraising for a film about the blackface tradition of Zwarte Piet in The Netherlands. But what is Lewis trying proof? Will she present an interesting perspective, or just an old cliche? And should you support this?

French author Marie NDiaye is a finalist for the 2013 International Booker Prize

Marie NDiaye par Nicolas Hidiroglou, Paris

Author Marie NDiaye, who is the first black woman to win France's Prix Goncourt, has been named a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize. She is nominated alongside such international superstars as Lydia Davis, Marilynne Robinson, and Peter Stamm, as well as past winners like Philip Roth, Alice Munro, and Chinua Achebe.

Video: Black European music (men) - Black History Month special

Last week for Black History Month, the chart-topping Afro-European female singers. This week the male singers who have made their mark nationally and sometimes internationally. Eddy Grant from the UK with Electric Avenue  of 1983 is the first in the compilation.

REPORT: Black Portraiture[s]: The Black body in the west (Paris)

Photo by Terrence Jennings

 A month ago the highly anticipated conference Black Portraiture[s]: The Black body in the west was held in Paris, France on 17–20 January 2013.  "A conference for the history books," wrote Michelle Joan Wilkinson in ARC Magazine.