GET FAMILIAR: LUPITA NYONG'O

  With only a few credits to her name, actress Lupita Nyong'o is already creating a name for herself in the film world. And with a role in Steve McQueen's highly anticipated "12 Years A Slave", which Nyong'o is expected to take home the New Hollywood Award at the 17th Annual Hollywood Film Awards, it seems as though this is just the beginning for the Kenyan actress. Bottom line: It's about time we all get familiar with Lupita Nyong'o.

GET FAMILIAR: SHEVA ALOMAR

Video-games are a great medium of storytelling, you can introduce exotic characters and locales and create a universe that allows others to fully immerse themselves into the story. One storyline that is very popular in gaming is that of a zombie outbreak/apocalypse, don't ask me why, and no series is more successful in that genre than Resident Evil.

GET FAMILIAR: JAHMIL XT QUBEKA

There hasn't been a film in African cinema that has created as much controversy or anticipation as Of Good Report, and filmmaker Jahmil XT Qubeka wouldn't have it any other way.

GET FAMILIAR: JIBA MOLEI ANDERSON

I love comic books, I don't think this comes to a surprise to anyone at this point. Comic books are so interesting to me because they are one of the few things that you can judge by it's cover, that's actually how I found out about Jiba Molei Anderson and his comic book "Horsemen".

GET FAMILIAR: GBENGA AKINNAGBE

Gbenga Akinnagbe, from HBO's The Wire fame, has found a new gig as Jeremiah Bello, a Nigerian drug lord, on the hit USA show Graceland. Though he's had plenty of notable roles over the years, I really enjoy this character that he is currently portraying. Bello is a cold-blooded, ruthless drug dealer who will kill his own right hand man just to prove a point (I'm serious), and honestly, I really like him. I know that he is the bad guy and will inevitably be taken down, but he just has a certain charm about him. 

THEY DAHOMEY

THE DAHOMEY AMAZONS

Girl Power. This phrase is pretty synonymous with one of my all-time favorite girl groups, the Spice Girls. However, in this instance girl power isn't just a  mantra; it's more so about actual power and  physical strength. No other group of women, in my opinion, have embodied power and physical strength like the Dahomey Amazons.

GET FAMILIAR: PHIONA MUTESI

I've always wanted to learn how to play chess. The mental aspect of the game has always intrigued me. If I had played chess as a kid, I probably would have been an OK player, but probably nowhere near the level of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess player.

GET FAMILIAR: UZOAMAKA MADUKA

Literary critics have proclaimed this era as, "the death of literary publications"; guess someone didn't tell that to The American Reader editor, Uzoamaka Maduka.

AFRICAN MARTIAL ARTS

When people think of Africa, the last thing that comes to mind is martial arts. However, Africa is actually home to many different martial art styles,and the one that I found to be most  interesting is Dambe. Dambe is a Nigerian martial art that resembles boxing, but with one caveat: the fighters wrap one hand with rope, and just box using that hand. What is really interesting is that the arm of the hand that isn't wrapped, is used to keep your opponent in reach.

GET FAMILIAR : YVONNE ORJI

We’ve all heard of the phrase “Triple Threat” used heavily in show business. Well, I would like to introduce to you the “Quadruple Threat”: talented comedienne, actress, writer and entrepreneur, Yvonne Orji.

GET FAMILIAR: ELIAICHI KIMARO

Filmmaker Eliaichi Kimaro has built a career being behind the lens, but now, her turn in front of the camera has cultivated one of her most thought-provoking and honest works to date.

GET FAMILIAR: JOSEPH BENJAMIN

Actor/model/musician Joseph Benjamin is the man to look out for in 2013. Having starred in a string of successful films, including Dark Side, Tango With Me, Mr. & Mrs., and Contract, Joseph is set to take the West African film world by storm.

GET FAMILIAR: SAM KODO

Growing up, I always had a fascination with robotics, maybe because I used to play Mega Man for hours as a kid. I never did anything with my interest, though; if I had, I might have ended up like Sam Kodo. Sam is a native of Togo and builds robots out of spare television parts. 

 What I find interesting is that he uses his old robots to make new ones; he's literally building upon what he has already done. Sam's ultimate goal is to, "make a completely independent robot, capable of interacting with his environment", and from what I've seen he is well on his way to making his dream a reality. 

Here is a video of Sam being interviewed for Reuters.

 

-DJ

GET FAMILIAR: FALKO STARR

Falko Starr is a street artist that has been heralded as "The Banksy of South Africa". His art carries the history and politics of South Africa, but in a fresh and imaginative way, that grabs your attention... whether you want it to or not. Falko's style is so colorful and bold that they belong in a museum, though I'm betting he wouldn't be too keen on that. Here is a video of his earlier pieces; truly an amazingly talented individual.

GET FAMILIAR: LETI GAMES

The video game industry is a  billion dollar juggernaut  and a global phenomenon  except for in Africa. There are major companies like EA who have a division in South Africa, but the amount of companies that are actually founded by Africans are slim to none. Fortunately, Leti Games is trying to change that. 

GET FAMILIAR: BROADWAY SERVES

I've always been a believer that one person can truly make a difference, but a group of people together? Well, that's a movement. I recently got to witness a movement that has the ability to make great things happen.

GET FAMILIAR: KUNLE AFOLAYAN

Hailed as the "Scorsese of Lagos",  Nigerian actor-turned-director Kunle Afolayan is at the top of his game. Having recently debuted his comedy, "Phone Swap", at the Film Africa 2012 Festival in London, Afolayan has set his sights on bringing Nollywood to Hollywood.

GET FAMILIAR: TCHICAYA MISSAMOU

     

Tchicaya Missamou is a former child soldier from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was recruited into the army at age 14 and served with them for 2 years, where he committed brutal acts of violence. Tchicaya was sent to his father in order to escape the life of a child soldier and,with the encouragement of his father, he joined the military. However, after his unit turned on him and burned down his home, he soon fled with his mother to America. While in America, he found work at a martial arts studio and was recruited into the US Marine Corps; he even served 6 months in Iraq. 

GET FAMILIAR : BATWING

Batwing is a recent addition to the the legendary DC Comics.

David Zavimbe is an African hero who was born in the fictional city of Tinasha, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was a child soldier that excelled in carrying out kill orders, but he soon grew tired of the life and escaped the army. He later becomes a police officer and fights the criminals that plague his city, as well as  corrupt policemen.

GET FAMILIAR: THE AFRICA CHANNEL

As a kid, it was rare for me to find any programs growing up that showed what life was like for people in Africa. The few programs I did see depicted the African experience as a tumultuous, dangerous, and poverty stricken existence, which begged the question, is this how people see Africa? Africa was in need of a serious image overhaul, but who would take on the responsibility of providing a more positive side to land that is often misrepresented? Enter, the Africa Channel.