Africa
Mount Nyamulagira stands in Virunga Park—a 3,000 square mile National Park in eastern Congo known for its incredible biodiversity that includes rare birds, mammals and critically endangered mountain gorillas. The volcano began erupting November 6, 2011 and could continue for the next several months. The Park is taking advantage of… Read the rest
An interview with climber and writer Majka Burhardt
Many Americans—maybe even most of us—begin our mornings with a steaming cup of coffee. That wonderfully dark warm beverage helps to kick start your day and put a little bounce in your step. But if you’re like me, you probably haven’t put… Read the rest
In Accra, Ghana, a group of Bikelordz reign. They are a group of young men who have an uncanny set of bike skills that seem to fuse BMX style with acrobatics. What’s more, the Bikelordz are using their talents to make a living–treating the fun and games as daily work.… Read the rest
The documentary film One Revolution… Read the rest follows Chris Waddell as he attempts to become the first paraplegic to climb Mount Kilimanjaro using his own human power. In other words, he attempts to reach the roof of Africa by way of his arms alone, without being pulled, pushed or carried. With the
The transformational power of bicycles is the subject of a new film by brothers Jacob & Isaac Seigel-Boettner. “With My Own Two Wheels” takes us on a ride through the developing world to see how these simple mechanical devices are changing peoples’ lives. Though here in the U.S. we take… Read the rest
It’s not often that you listen to an album that aims to take the listener from Africa to New York, from start to finish. This one, Hammock House: Africa Caribe… Read the rest promises to do just that, in its two-disc set mixed by DJ and Producer Joaquin “Joe” Claussell.
The record itself
This Saturday, April 30th, Julian Monroe Fisher–an anthropologist, ethnographical documentary filmmaker, explorer and writer–will begin his solo walk across the African continent. Fisher will begin on the west coast of Africa in Lobito, Angola and will eventually end on the eastern coast in Pemba, Mozambique.
To date, Fisher has made… Read the rest
SMOD, the Malian-based trio, represents a new genre of world music. The group plays a combination of rap, folk and traditional Malian styles while singing powerful lyrics about African politics and corruption. As NPR put it on their ‘5 African Artists to Watch‘ section, “This young group’s self-titled debut … Read the rest
A South African man by the name of Pieta Ncube was riding to work last Tuesday near the town of Brits when a leopard began to follow him, ready to attack. Ncube says he used the triangular shape of his mountain bike frame to trap the leopard’s two front legs,… Read the rest
Sitting at my desk on another gray-hued Monday, I discovered the new Afro-beat album from Chopteeth, and immediately–at first without noticing–began tapping my foot on the carpet. What’s more, the music from this recently released album actually had the effect of raising my spirits, and with that, Chopteeth Live… Read the rest became
Filmmakers, fashionistas and philanthropists pulled it together in Portland to benefit elephants in danger of extinction due to the illegal ivory trade. The Go Wild Night of Fashion event raised money and awareness for a media and research partnership that aims to document the DNA of pachyderms picked off by… Read the rest
Rainy Season Blues is the most recent recording of Lobi Traoré, a well-known and widely respected guitarist, singer and songwriter from Mali. But his newest album, Rainy Season Blues, … Read the restwhich was released at the end of this September, is also the last vestige of the man Afropop Worldwide described as
Veteran kayaker Hendri Coetzee, 35, is presumed dead after being attacked and pulled from his kayak by a crocodile on the Lukuga River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Coetzee was leading the Eddie Bauer-sponsored First Ascent kayak team; a partnership that was formed based on Coetzee’s experience within… Read the rest
Former tennis star Martina Navratilova, 54, is taking on a challenge that’s a little outside of her court. This week, she’s making the over 19,000-foot climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Of course, she’s staying true to the sport that made her famous–she’ll be carrying her racquet and a few balls to… Read the rest
