by phil | Jan 27, 2012 | N. Africa, W. Africa
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is underway. I’m in Bamako where dusty roadside TVs are being co-opted by crowds eager to see Mali advance. This is Africa’s largest tournament and whether or not you care about the sport, it’s hard not to appreciate...
by phil | Jan 19, 2012 | Mali, Music
I’ll have a more substantial post up in the next week. For now.. As of two weeks ago, I didn’t know whether or not I would be attending festival in the desert. Security concerns and cost weighed heavily. But a week or so before the festival, I found myself...
by phil | Jan 5, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire
1. In this part of the Yopougon neighborhood of Abidjan, a row of houses backs up to a sandy tree-filled corridor where you’ll find 4 twenty-something Ivorians playing monopoly. The properties are all Parisian landmarks. Gare de Lyon costs $125 in monopoly...
by phil | Dec 6, 2011 | Camels, Ghana
This post is a warm-up. I have a lot more to say about what I experienced last week. A more substantial post to come on the How to Draw Camels blog in the near future. Northeast of Accra, close to Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world, there is a town...
by phil | Nov 28, 2011 | Ghana
Mosque minarets of Newtown, Accra at dusk The air of Accra clots around the door. Part salted sea breeze, part sweetened tropical smokiness, part diesel exhaust, burning refuse and dry palm leaves. The dead air of an airplane cabin is gone. I told myself I would study...
by phil | Oct 11, 2011 | W. Africa
Dance never meant anything to me. I spent most of my life doing the drunken two step, with stiff hips and arrhythmic gyrations. In other words, looking like an idiot. But a few steps of coupé-décalé rewired my brain and now dance is important to me. Dance is important...
