SPOTLIGHT: OPPOSITE FIELD

There are a lot of things Africa is known for. Good food. Great music. A rich culture. Baseball...baseball? Okay, maybe not so much, but, if the players from the Rev. John Foundation Little League Team of Uganda  have their way, that'll all change.

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.

MUSIC MONDAY: ALEX BOYE

This week I thought I would get into the Halloween spirit, and the latest single from Alex Boyé's album, Africanized, is the perfect song for the occasion. "African Zombie" is one of those memorable songs that can easily get stuck in your head, and the video is funny and scary all at the same time. 

SPORTS SUNDAY: BASKETBALL

Asha and DJ's take on the upcoming basketball season and their picks of the week. Enjoy!

FASHION FRIDAY: EDWARD ENNINFUL

Edward Enninful

As the legendary W magazine celebrates its 40th anniversary, I thought this would be the perfect time to spotlight their fashion and style director, Edward Enninful.

Edward is originally from Ghana, and was raised in London.  He started his career as a model and at the age of 18, he was offered the position of fashion Director for i-D magazine, making him the youngest fashion director for an international publication. His success with i-D led to other opportunities with major fashion magazines: he became the contributing director for Vogue Italia, where he led the initiative  for the infamous "All Black Issue"; he was also a contributing fashion director for American Vogue, which is the most well-known and well respected fashion magazine and is considered to most people, like myself, to be the fashion bible!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: AFRIKA BAMBAATAA AND THE SOUL SONIC FORCE

Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. Looking for the Perfect Beat. How could I not? Enjoy!!!!

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.

GUESS...WHO'S AFRICAN?

Neill Blomkamp

Academy Award® nominated director. Advertisement writer. One of Forbes' most powerful African celebrities. Neill Blomkamp, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, brings a new flavor to CGI films. He uses a blend of documentary style film-making, with photo-realistic CGI. that captivates your imagination,  like in his most notable work District 9. Neill has also done various commercial ads for Nike, Citroen, and the Halo series. 

MUSIC MONDAY: ASA

Asa, meaning hawk in Yoruba, is my latest music obsession! The Nigerian singer-songwriter, born Bukola Elemide, has a neo-soul/pop vibe that sounds like the love child of Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu. With lyrics like, "You don't care about my point of view, if I die another will work for you", from her song "Jailer", it's obvious why BBC Music dubbed her "the 21st century Bob Marley." In many of her songs, Asa flawlessly goes back and forth between singing in English, and her native language, Yoruba. What I enjoy most about the singer is that even though she's already made a name for herself internationally by opening for Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend, she still keeps Africa close to her heart. 

SATURDAY WRAP-UP: CONGO WEEK

What better way to wrap-up Congo Week than with a Congo Tag?!

FASHION FRIDAY: CONGO STYLE

MOM and ASHA

Traditional Congolese clothing consists of a libaya (the top), and liputa (a wrap), note  when there are 2 wraps, it's called a maputa.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: DISASHI LUMUMBA-KASONGO

Disashi Koffi Lumumba-Kasongo.Congolese.Gym Class Heroes. MY SOUL. Nuff said. Enjoy!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

The Ali vs. Foreman fight is considered one of the greatest events in sports history. It's also one of the greatest events in Congolese history. One of the most poignant moments during the fight was when the crowd started chanting " Ali Bomaye!", which is Lingala for "Ali, kill him!". This phrase became a cultural phenomenon and  even spawned a song.

CONGOLESE CUISINE

Food is awesome. But you know whats more awesome? Congolese food!. if you don't know any Congolese people and want to taste our cuisine here are two popular dishes.

 Madesu (Beans)

· Red or white beans

· Oil

· Onions(diced)       

· Tomato paste

· Smoked Fish (optional)

First, you wash the beans and you put them in a pot to boil ,until they are tender. If you're using fish, you'll place the fish into water\; wash it; cut it into small pieces; and then place it in the same pot as the tenderized beans. Add oil, onion, and tomato paste .Make sure to lower the heat to simmer...unless you want to end up with burned madesu.

GET FAMILIAR: PETNA NDALIKO KATONDOLO & NARCISSE MBUNZAMA

Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, Petna Ndaliko Katondolo was verbally, emotionally, and physically abused by strangers, so-called “friends”, and even teachers  for his Congolese ancestry. Feeling like an outsider, Petna turned all his energy to the arts, which allowed him to seek refuge and gave him the ability to fully express himself. Recently, the filmmaker teamed up with the organization Yolé! Africa, which gives Congolese people a voice through film and music programs.

“When I see the resiliency of the Congolese people, I can see where my family learned an ethic of never giving up and believing in a brighter day despite living in the darkest depths of despair.”

                                                         -Petna  Ndaliko Katondolo                

BLOG ACTION DAY: CELL OUT PSA CONGO WEEK

TIME FOR ACTION!!!

MUSIC MONDAY: BEST OF CONGOLESE MUSIC

Any Congolese person, or any African for that matter, will tell you that one of the greatest things about Congo is the music! Artists such as Koffi Olomide, Fally Ipupa, and Papa Wemba are all internationally known. At the African Fashion Show last weekend, a majority of the music played was Congolese. We grew up dancing around the house listening to this music, and even now, we still have Koffi dance parties. Check out our special Congo Week playlist. 

Congolese music is the drug, Dosha is the dealer. Enjoy!

- ASHA

CONGO WEEK

Today is the launch day for  Breaking the Silence: Congo Week; this week is very special  for the Dosha Brand because we are CONGOLESE and love to celebrate our culture. So, in honor of this week-long event, we've decided to dedicate the posts this week to all things Congolese.  So check back each day to see the best that the Congo has to offer!


To kick things off, here's a video of The Dosha Brand doing the Congo Tag.  Enjoy!

FASHION FRIDAY: AFRICA FASHION WEEK L.A.

We recently had the honor of attending Africa Fashion Week L.A.'s mixer at the Zinc Lounge, located in The Shade Boutique Hotel, in Manhattan Beach, CA. This event  was the official kick-off to Africa Fashion Week L.A. (AFWLA). We had the chance to mingle with fellow bloggers, such as the lovely Jana'e Holmes, from the blog Naturally Curly Kinky; fashionistas, dapper gentlemen, film makers, such as the multi-talented Wanjiru M. Njendu; designers, like the amazing Uchechi Emenogu; and artists, such as Michelle Joan Papillion, whose hosting AFWLA at her gallery.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: THE WILD THORNBERRYS

Today's Throwback Thursday is a wild one. The Wild Thornberrys Movie, based on the popular Nickelodeon show, followed the titular family on their trek throughout Africa. The youngest daughter, Eliza, has the ability to communicate with animals and has many adventures with her pet chimp, Darwin. Enjoy!

AFRITOONS: BINO & FINO

There are many children's television programs, like Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego Go, that are seen by children all over the world. Unfortunately, they don't accurately reflect the daily lives of all children, like those in Africa. Enter Bino & Fino, an African-created cartoon show aimed to teach children important life lessons, African history, languages and culture. The creator, Adamu Waziri , wanted a show that could match the quality of Dora the Explorer and also give the children something to relate to. The series has gotten some pretty decent buzz, and 2 episodes aired in the UK on SKY TV. Enjoy this episode of Bino and Fino called "Bino's Cold". 

GET FAMILIAR: ESOSA EDOSOMWAN

Actress. Writer. Director. Advocate. These are just a few words used to describe former model –turned-actress, Esosa Edosomwan. 

Esosa's unique and daring approach to film-making first garnered her attention as a writer/director, when famed Hollywood producer/director Joel Schumacher selected her as the winner of MTV-U's 2007 filmmaker competition, for her show"Meet or Delete". Since then, Esosa's career has been on the proverbial roll: her film "50 Bucks in Argentina," was an official selection in the 2011 Cannes Film Short Corner; a MTV-U Film of the Week; she won Best Short at the Nigerian Entertainment Film Festival; numerous television, film, and theatre credits; and being listed as one of the"30 Most Intriguing Africans in New York" by Applause Africa.

MUSIC MONDAY: JUST A BAND

Kenyan quartet Just A Band  is, well, more than just a band. Daniel, "Blinky Bill", Jim and Mbithi are four artistic visionaries that combine electronica, jazz, hip-hop, and disco, to form their own eclectic sound. In an effortless fashion, Just A Band is able to sing sweet slow-tempo songs, such as "If I Could"  , and transition to the more electro-dance sounding songs, "BoogieDeeBweet", without missing a beat. 

FASHION FRIDAY: FASHION FOR A CAUSE

FEED 12 Classics, a collaboration between TOMS and FEED

Of course we're all familiar with the great contributions fashion labels TOMS and FEED have made to help those in need, especially in Africa. However, they aren't the only ones doing their part. There are some other notable brands who are using their label as a platform to help others:

Ethiopian Model/Actress Liya Kebede founded Lemlem, which not only preserves traditional Ethipoian weaving but also gives job stability to the local weavers whose livelihood was threatened when there was no longer demand for their goods. LemLem creates beautiful hand-made scarves, clothing and home goods.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: THE LION KING

Today's Throwback Thursday goes to the greatest Disney movie ever: The Lion King. This film deals with death, poor Mufasa; overcoming fear and adversity; all while maintaining a positive outlook on life. Enjoy!

GET FAMILIAR: HERMAN CHINERY-HESSE

He has been called the "Bill Gates of Africa", and for good reason. Herman Chinery-Hesse has been at the forefront of the technological revolution in Africa, for nearly 20 years. Born in Ireland to Ghanaian parents, Herman did his studies in America and then decided to start his software company in Ghana; he felt there were more opportunities there. While in Ghana,  Herman developed the idea for his company, SOFTtribe; the company is responsible for many of the countries services, such as Human Capital Management, which helps companies hire the right people and provide support for employees. He is currently trying to get investors from America to help launch a franchise that will help small entrepreneurs grow and also shake the misconceptions of Africa to the western world.

FRENCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Debuting back in 1986, the French International Film Festival celebrates the best and brightest of French cinema. 

The eight day festival,  held in Namur, Belgium, allows directors, producers, writers, and performers, who are involved in French-speaking cinema, the opportunity to showcase their films and offers several awards, including cash prizes for Best Film and Special Jury Award. 

Nabil Ayouch

MUSIC MONDAY: KARIM

West African singer-songwriter Karim is the latest YouTube sensation sweeping the nation. Born to a Guinean father and Congolese mother, this self proclaimed, "weird kid that sings," has a voice that rivals many of today's artists, including Usher, Ne-yo and Justin Bieber. Karim's most popular video on YouTube, Better Than Justin Bieber, has reached well over a million views. Not only does he cover songs from artists ranging from Taylor Swift to Blackstreet, Karim also writes and performs his own original music. His early Usher/Dream-esque song "The Right Way" is amazing and available here for free. The singer's latest mixtape drops later this month.