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Showcasing my beloved Ghana through its adornments
My recent trip to my beloved Ghana moved me to start thinking about other vehicles through which I can showcase this beautiful land: adornments. I came across cowrie shells. “Cowrie” is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails. The cowrie was the shell most widely used worldwide as shell money. For a long time, the cowrie coexisted with many other forms of currency across West Africa: silver coins, gold dust, salt bars, brass and copper rods and horse-shoe shaped manillas, cloth currencies, and beads. By the 18th century, the cowrie had become the currency of...
A Visit to Ghana and Chance the Rapper’s FREE Black Star Line Festival was the healing tonic I needed to beat the Canadian Winter Blues
Global Unity in all its forms is seldom achieved, but Music is the sweet force that gently disarms all sides to lay down their guard and simply ..listen and dance. As a middle-aged man, a Ghanaian Canadian music enthusiast, and a singer, a visit to Ghana was the healing tonic I needed. An escape from the wintery, very unmusical, and discordant snowstorm-filled wails back in Canada to sunshine, heat, and the throbbing polyrhythms of Mother Africa!My daughter traveling with me to Ghana alerted me to the FREE Black Star Line Festival, hosted by Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa, with...
One Woman’s Path to Bringing the World to Africa—and Africa to the World
Institutional Memory: One Woman's Path to Bringing the World to Africa—and Africa to the World Oforiatta-Ayim says that her idea for ANO was born when she visited the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she studied Russian culture in the early 2000s. I went to the museum as often as possible with my free student pass. The Hermitage is an encyclopedic museum covering the world's cultures, past and present. What struck me first that day—and then again and again—was the lack of context around displays of historical African masks and sculptures and the exclusion of Africa among the Western and Eastern...
10 African Home decor ideas to bring Africa's ambiance into your home
Modern Afro-inspired style has dramatically increased its visibility, especially in the luxury interior design industry. African-inspired home decor accessories are becoming progressively more in demand. The African decor trend embraces nature's raw materials, which reflect Africa's harsh climate. In contrast, textiles with motifs of plants and animals reflect the country's natural beauty. African style decor is characterized by many different colors and textures in fabrics, carvings, and artworks, which makes it easy to integrate them into any interior style. It is important to remember that modern African-inspired style is not about overcrowding one's house or apartment with masks, baskets, and...
African fair trade home decor as a wedding gift
Wedding Gifts- Home decor, art pieces, and practical utensils: we have fair trade wedding gifts. African home decor as a wedding gift is a lovely way to show respect and appreciation for a bride and groom. Traditional marriage in Ghana, West Africa, is not just the union of the couple and immediate family; it is about uniting groups of people. Extensive background checks are done by the families of the bride and groom. Before the customary marriage rites are undertaken in Ghana, there is a "knocking" ceremony called "knocking on the door" or 'kokoo ko.' The groom, together with...