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Media About Africa

These media have helped me learn about Africa.

Books - Recommended

Also see my books on LibraryThing.

Books - Interesting

  • Aebi, Ernst - Seasons of Sand
  • Alexander, Caroline - One Dry Season
  • Aman: the story of a Somali girl
  • Dostert, Pierre Etienne - Africa 1997
  • Elechi, Amadi - The Concubine
  • Herrera, Susana - Mango Elephants in the Sun : How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin
  • In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the brink of disaster in Mobutu's Congo - Michela Wrong
  • Lamb, David - The Africans
  • Maraire, J. Nozipo - Zenzele : A Letter for My Daughter
  • Mukiwa: a white boy in Africa
  • Nine hills to Nambonkaha: Two years in the heart of an African village - Sarah Erdman
  • Nisa: the life and words of a !Kung woman
  • Nthunya, Mpho - Singing away the hunger: the autobiography of an African woman
  • Paton, Alan - Cry the Beloved Country
  • Samkange, Stanlake - The Mourned One
  • The New Africa: Dispatches from a changing continent - Robert M Press
  • Thomsen, Moritz - Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle
  • The worlds of a Maasai warrior: an autobiography

Magazines

  • New African
  • Africa Today
  • BBC Focus on Africa
  • Jeune Afrique

Radio Stations (Short Wave)

  • BBC - British Broadcast Corporation
  • RFI - Radio France International
  • VOA - Voice of America - heavy propaganda but a few tolerable shows

Films

Most of these are described on the California Newsreel Library of African Cinema web page.  
  • Africa Dreaming (Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia) ***
  • Africa: A History Denied (USA)
  • Africa: Its People and Promise (USA)
  • Africa: National Geographic (USA)
  • Africa on the move
  • African and African-American religions
  • African Queen (USA)
  • Africans (series, including Bible and Gun, Magnificent Cake, Rise of Nationalism, Legacy) (Basil Davidson) ***
  • Africans (9-video series) (Ali Mazrui)
  • Afrique je te plumerai (Cameroon)
  • Allah Tantou (Guinea, South Africa)
  • Angano (tales from Madagascar) ***
  • A Walk in the Night (South Africa) ***
  • Baka: Peole of the forest
  • La bataille d'Algiers (Algeria)
  • Ca twiste a Poponguine (Senegal)
  • Chef! and La tete dans les nuages (Cameroon) ***
  • Chocolat (Cameroon)
  • Clando (Cameroon)
  • Cobra Verde
  • Cry the Beloved Country (South Africa)
  • Dakan (Guinea)
  • Divine carcasse (Benin)
  • Education: A Basic Human Right (South Africa) ***
  • Everyone's Child (Zimbabwe)
  • Femmes aux yeux ouverts (Togo)
  • Flame (Zimbabwe) ***
  • Fintar o Destinho (Cape Verde) ***
  • The flame trees of Thika
  • Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask 
  • La gènese (Mali) ***
  • Gito l'Ingrat (Burundi)
  • The Gods Must Be Crazy (Botswana)
  • Gorillas in the mist (USA)
  • Le grand blanc de Lambarene (Gabon)
  • Guimba (Mali)
  • Guelwaar (Senegal)
  • Hyenas (Senegal) ****
  • In and Out of Africa (art merchants of West Africa)
  • In a Time of Violence (South Africa) ***
  • Jit (Zimbabwe)
  • Journey back to Africa (USA)
  • Keita l'heritage du griot (Burkina Faso)
  • The Language You Cry In (US/Ghana)
  • Liberia: America's stepchild
  • Lumumba: mort d'un prophete (DR Congo) ***
  • Mandela (South Africa)
  • Mandela and de Klerk (South Africa, USA)
  • Mapantsula (South Africa) ***
  • Mortu Nega (Guinea-Bissau) ***
  • Namibia: Africa's Last Colony ***
  • The Nile - Jacques Cousteau
  • Nirgendwo in Africa (Nowhere in Africa)
  • Out of Africa (USA)
  • An outpost of progress
  • La petite vendeuse de soleil (Senegal) ****
  • Pièces d'identités (Belgium/DRC) ***
  • Prime Time South Africa
  • Quartier Mozart (Cameroon) ***
  • The Roof of Africa
  • Rostov-Luanda (Angola) ***
  • Saaraba (Senegal)
  • Sango Malo (Cameroon) ***
  • Sarafina (South Africa, USA) ***
  • Shaka Zulu
  • The Silent Killer: AIDS in South Africa
  • The snows of Kilimanjaro (USA)
  • South Africa: The greatest journeys on earth
  • South Africa
  • South Africa & Lesotho - The Rough Guide
  • Taafe Fanga (Mali) ***
  • Tableau Feraille (Senegal)
  • O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno (Cape Verde) ***
  • Three Tales from Senegal (Le Franc, Fary L'Anesse, Picc Mi) ***
  • Toivo Child of Hope (Namibia)
  • Touki Bouki (Senegal) ****
  • Udju Azul di Yonta (Guinea Bissau)
  • La vie est belle (DR Congo) ***
  • La vie sur terre (Mali) ****
  • Voices of Sarafina (South Africa, USA)
  • Wend Kuuni (Burkina Faso)
  • When the stars meet the sea (Madagascar) ***
  • Yeelen (Mali)
  • You Africa (Senegal)
  • Zan Boko (Burkina Faso)

Musicians and Music Groups

  • Also see the Putumayo World Music home page.
  • Ali Farka Touré - Mali
  • Alpha Blondy - Côte d'Ivoire
  • Amampondo - South Africa
  • Angelique Kidjo - Benin
  • Aster Aweke - Ethiopia
  • Baaba Maal - Senegal
  • Badar Ali Khan - Algeria?
  • Bachir Attar - Algeria?
  • Cesaria Evora - Cape Verde
  • Cheikh L? - Senegal
  • D'Gary - Madagascar
  • Dalom Kids - South Africa
  • Djur Djura - Algeria
  • Ebenezer Obey - Nigeria
  • Eyuphuro - Mozambique
  • Fela Anakulapo Kuti - Nigeria
  • Franco - DR Congo
  • Geoffrey Oryema - Tanzania?
  • Gigi Gregory - Namibia
  • Habib Koit? and Bamada - Mali
  • Hamza el Din - Egypt
  • Henri Dikongué - Cameroon
  • Hugh Masekela - South Africa
  • Idir - Algeria
  • Ismael L? - Mali
  • Jackson Kaujeua - Namibia
  • Johnny Clegg and Juluka - South Africa
  • Kagera Stars - Tanzania
  • Kanda Bongo Man - DR Congo
  • Kassav - DR Congo
  • Khaled - Algeria
  • King Sunny Adé - Nigeria
  • Kukia Ahmadi Kagera Stars - Tanzania
  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo - South Africa
  • Loketo - Tanzania
  • Lucky Dube - South Africa
  • Majek Fashek - Nigeria
  • Malathini and the Mahotella Queens - South Africa
  • Mamadou Diabate - Mali
  • Manu Dibango - Cameroon
  • Maryam Mursal - Somalia
  • Maua - Tanzania
  • Miriam Makeba - South Africa
  • Mwazakhe Mbuli - South Africa
  • Mwinjuma Mumini - Tanzania
  • Nabilophone - Morocco
  • Najat Aatabu - Morocco
  • Night Spirit Masters - Morocco
  • Ntate Modise - South Africa
  • Oliver Mtukudzi - Zimbabwe
  • Om Kolthoum - Egypt
  • Oumou Sangar? - Mali
  • O'Yaba - South Africa
  • Papa Wemba - DR Congo
  • P?p? Kall? - DR Congo
  • Phili Tabane - South Africa
  • Pieter Augab - Namibia
  • Ras Sheehama - Namibia
  • Red Star Kagera - Tanzania
  • Reho Combo - Namibia
  • Remmy Ongala - Tanzania
  • Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca - DR Congo
  • Rossy - Madagascar
  • Saida - Tanzania
  • Salif Keita - Mali
  • Samite - Uganda
  • Sam Mangwana - DR Congo
  • Sammy Massamba - DR Congo
  • Sarafina soundtrack - South Africa/USA
  • Sawt al Haouz - Morocco
  • Selaelo Selota - South Africa
  • Seleshe Demassae - Ethiopia
  • Splash - South Africa
  • Skylarks - South Africa
  • Soul Brothers - South Africa
  • Splash - South Africa
  • Tabu Rey (Rochereau) - Congo
  • T?tes Brul?es - Cameroon
  • Thomas Mapfumo - Zimbabwe
  • Toure Kunda - Senegal
  • Wasis Diop - Senegal
  • Youssou N'Dour - Senegal
  • Yvonne Chaka Chaka - South Africa
  • Zap Mama - DR Congo
  • Zulu Spear - South Africa