Saturday 3 November 2007
Mile High Blues
So I finally set foot at home in the UK just before 4pm today, after more than 12hrs of travel chaos. This is how it all started; my flight from Dakar to Paris should have left Leopold Senghor airport in Dakar at 11.50, but after sitting on the plane for close to 30mins after that time, it was clear that it would be a long night. The captain eventually said the ground engineering crew were trying to fix the emergency lighting in the cabins - Aviation regulations, or at least Air France's, dictate that flights only go ahead if all the saftety checklists are successfully conducted. Emergency cabin lighting is considered to be one of those saftey core fundamentals. No lights, No flight, No action, at least for the next four hours. We eventually all got back on the plane after 3am in the morning, and made our way to Paris. All were exhausted and the lack of interest in the in-flight entertainment testified to that. There was no way I was going to catch my connecting flight from Paris to London. So a very tired and knackered Rolake arrives at CDG and gets put on a 1pm flight to London, with assurances from the Air France client services guy that my luggage would be transferred unto the right plane accordingly. Ah!!! As if!! I got to LHR alright, but my luggage didn't. During the week I had been boasting to acquaintances in Dakar, that I had never had to endure the hassle of losing baggage on any of my travels. Guess everyone has their time.
Friday 2 November 2007
Wednesday in Dakar
The Blind Couple from Mali - Amadou and Mariam certainly wowed the crowd on Wednesday night. There's no point in me given a long-winded critique of the show. Despite being at the very back, having the last row of seats meant we could actually stand on our chairs and watch le spectacle without getting on any one's nerves. The crowd were really swinging to the Afro-Blues beats coming from the band, and Amadou's electric - or should I say rock - guitar riffs were north meets south, country meets blues, kora meets gospel organ - sensational. I think I really enjoyed the songs in their native Bambara, though the songs in French like Je Pense a toi certainly got the crowd going. My next buy is their Dimanche a Bamako (Sunday in Bamako) CD, an apparently sensational collaboration with Manu Chao!!
Sunday 28 October 2007
Golden Celebrations in the Gold Coast
This post should ideally have gone up in March 2007, shortly after I returned from Accra. But it's never too late to tell good news. Read on......
Africa's Biggest Street Party in 2007
Take a stroll down 'Oxford Street' in the bustling Osu district of Ghana's capital Accra, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the colours red, yellow and green were Ghanaian. Well actually many other African countries' flags feature these colours in numerous combinations, but what sets the Ghanaian drape apart is the black star at the centre. My research trip to West Africa's, and indeed Africa's, rising 'Black Star' could not have been more timely because it fell during the country's 50th independence anniversary celebration. Ghana has much to celebrate, and part of my mission on this research trip was to find out why, though the sheer hospitality of Ghanaians meant I occasionally forgot I was on a business trip!
Ghana is conspicuous in a region haunted by instability and conflict. With a post-independence history as turbulent as many of its neighbours, President John Kufuor's government has managed to re-ignite international business interest in the country through a rigorous programme of reform. The numbers of African American visitors (some in search of their ancestral roots) for instance testify to Ghana's appeal to the unexposed tourist. Ghana may not be the Maldives, but it certainly offers its fair share of relaxation and leisure in the Cape Coast and beyond. The continued boom in real estate, and array of construction works dotted all around Accra city speak of a vibrant economy and untapped potential. Traffic lights that work and are obeyed, clean streets and miles of paved roads can often be taken for granted here in the West, but you only need to catch a one-hour (and a bit) flight west of Ghana, over Togo and Benin to sub-Saharan Africa's most populous city (you do the guess work) and you'll understand why people like myself appreciate Accra a lot!!!
William, the driver of the car hire company I 'patronised' (African talk), was my one reliable source of non-stop political and social commentary on Ghana. His lament on the enormous amounts of money - an estimated US$20m - spent on the Golden Jubilee celebrations, as we drove past queues of workers waiting to board public transport or 'tro tros' home snapped me back to the reality of everyday life for ordinary Africans. In a sense Kwame Nkrumah's struggle for Ghana's independence, which eventually bore fruit in 1957 and paved the way for the rest of the continent, continues to be replicated in a struggle for economic emancipation among those on the fringes of society in Ghana today. In fact, there's a running joke that in his independence speech Nkrumah delivered his punch line as 'Ghana is free to suffer' rather than 'Ghana is free forever'. Granted, Ghana is not where it should be, particularly when compared with the likes of Asian economies such as Malaysia, which had a comparable GDP to Ghana back in the 1960s. However, Ghana is not where it used to be. Almost 40 years or so ago, food shortages, high inflation rates, a rapidly depreciating cedi (local currency) and political uncertainty threatened to wreak havoc on the fragile economy.
Throughout my ten days in the country, I spoke to entrepreneurs, journalists, students, and politicians in a bid to gauge the tide of opinion on Ghana@50. Politicians on the government side were naturally optimistic. However, having a power cut in the middle of my 'investment environment' conversation (Analysts, I am sure you know those ones) with one of them, in the foyer of Parliament House for that matter, made me feel slightly embarrassed on his behalf and didn't help his investment pitch. The energy crisis was perhaps the loudest undercurrent in conversations I had for the entire duration of my trip. The government did almost make true its promise of uninterrupted electricity in the lead up to and shortly after the 6 March anniversary celebrations. From what I heard the blackouts had been much worse recently. However, despite these shortcomings, many Ghanaians remain proud of their country, and the air of patriotism and flag-flying about the place make the flying of St George's cross or the Union Jack in England during a World Cup look like a garden party in comparison.
As a West African I felt completely at home in Accra, that is until I came across a passer-by with a T-shirt that read '4-1'. I was later told the shirt depicted Ghana's scorching defeat of the Nigerian football team in an international friendly that broke a 15-year jinx of Ghanaian losses to Nigeria. So much for Nkrumah's Pan-Africanist vision!!! Anyway, I accept defeat gracefully, and will gladly say that the Black Star of Africa is fast rising. With plans for an offshore financial services sector in the making, the construction of West Africa's largest shopping mall by SA investors, and the planned redenomination of the cedi (so you don't have to hire a truck to carry around the local equivalent of £100!!!!), I can only hope that the momentum of change in the country continues once the celebrations are over.
Africa's Biggest Street Party in 2007
Take a stroll down 'Oxford Street' in the bustling Osu district of Ghana's capital Accra, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the colours red, yellow and green were Ghanaian. Well actually many other African countries' flags feature these colours in numerous combinations, but what sets the Ghanaian drape apart is the black star at the centre. My research trip to West Africa's, and indeed Africa's, rising 'Black Star' could not have been more timely because it fell during the country's 50th independence anniversary celebration. Ghana has much to celebrate, and part of my mission on this research trip was to find out why, though the sheer hospitality of Ghanaians meant I occasionally forgot I was on a business trip!
Ghana is conspicuous in a region haunted by instability and conflict. With a post-independence history as turbulent as many of its neighbours, President John Kufuor's government has managed to re-ignite international business interest in the country through a rigorous programme of reform. The numbers of African American visitors (some in search of their ancestral roots) for instance testify to Ghana's appeal to the unexposed tourist. Ghana may not be the Maldives, but it certainly offers its fair share of relaxation and leisure in the Cape Coast and beyond. The continued boom in real estate, and array of construction works dotted all around Accra city speak of a vibrant economy and untapped potential. Traffic lights that work and are obeyed, clean streets and miles of paved roads can often be taken for granted here in the West, but you only need to catch a one-hour (and a bit) flight west of Ghana, over Togo and Benin to sub-Saharan Africa's most populous city (you do the guess work) and you'll understand why people like myself appreciate Accra a lot!!!
William, the driver of the car hire company I 'patronised' (African talk), was my one reliable source of non-stop political and social commentary on Ghana. His lament on the enormous amounts of money - an estimated US$20m - spent on the Golden Jubilee celebrations, as we drove past queues of workers waiting to board public transport or 'tro tros' home snapped me back to the reality of everyday life for ordinary Africans. In a sense Kwame Nkrumah's struggle for Ghana's independence, which eventually bore fruit in 1957 and paved the way for the rest of the continent, continues to be replicated in a struggle for economic emancipation among those on the fringes of society in Ghana today. In fact, there's a running joke that in his independence speech Nkrumah delivered his punch line as 'Ghana is free to suffer' rather than 'Ghana is free forever'. Granted, Ghana is not where it should be, particularly when compared with the likes of Asian economies such as Malaysia, which had a comparable GDP to Ghana back in the 1960s. However, Ghana is not where it used to be. Almost 40 years or so ago, food shortages, high inflation rates, a rapidly depreciating cedi (local currency) and political uncertainty threatened to wreak havoc on the fragile economy.
Throughout my ten days in the country, I spoke to entrepreneurs, journalists, students, and politicians in a bid to gauge the tide of opinion on Ghana@50. Politicians on the government side were naturally optimistic. However, having a power cut in the middle of my 'investment environment' conversation (Analysts, I am sure you know those ones) with one of them, in the foyer of Parliament House for that matter, made me feel slightly embarrassed on his behalf and didn't help his investment pitch. The energy crisis was perhaps the loudest undercurrent in conversations I had for the entire duration of my trip. The government did almost make true its promise of uninterrupted electricity in the lead up to and shortly after the 6 March anniversary celebrations. From what I heard the blackouts had been much worse recently. However, despite these shortcomings, many Ghanaians remain proud of their country, and the air of patriotism and flag-flying about the place make the flying of St George's cross or the Union Jack in England during a World Cup look like a garden party in comparison.
As a West African I felt completely at home in Accra, that is until I came across a passer-by with a T-shirt that read '4-1'. I was later told the shirt depicted Ghana's scorching defeat of the Nigerian football team in an international friendly that broke a 15-year jinx of Ghanaian losses to Nigeria. So much for Nkrumah's Pan-Africanist vision!!! Anyway, I accept defeat gracefully, and will gladly say that the Black Star of Africa is fast rising. With plans for an offshore financial services sector in the making, the construction of West Africa's largest shopping mall by SA investors, and the planned redenomination of the cedi (so you don't have to hire a truck to carry around the local equivalent of £100!!!!), I can only hope that the momentum of change in the country continues once the celebrations are over.
Orchestra Baobab
Cuban meets Wolof Griot meets Son meets Mandinga musical traditions. It's hard to describe what exactly Orchestra Baobab (OB) is. But hey you don't really need to, 'cause the music and rhythms move you. I had been due to see this eccentric band with colleagues in London at the end of November as part of several attractions at the London Jazz Festival, but let's just say I got lucky in Dakar. They were playing at Just4U, one of the coolest hangout spots in Dakar on Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop. Clearly I had been away from Dakar too long, after a very desperate taxi man convinced me to pay CFA3,000 for the ride from Sofitel Teranga to Just4U, and I was in no mood for haggling. At least I saw OB for free. Well those who know me, know I like music in almost any form it comes, and my one criteria for good music is if I can dance to it. I certainly could to the OB set, but in this case, I preferred to sit back and watch the crowd - average age there was about 35 I suppose - dance the night away. Funny I managed to pay CFA1,500 on the way back to the Teranga (meaning 'hospitality' in Wolof). Truly Made in Dakar.
Made in Dakar, is, by the way, the name of the October 2007 album release by OB on World Circuit Records.
Made in Dakar, is, by the way, the name of the October 2007 album release by OB on World Circuit Records.
Saturday 27 October 2007
Dakar 2004, Dakar 2007 Same buzz
It feels soooo go to be back in Dakar, but this time in a lot more comfort and luxury, and this time not going to the loo in a bucket next to the kitchen - I invented that idea when the toilet in our Dakar flat in Liberté II broke down. Now, driving down from Dakar's airport with Djemme the wonderful and cheerful Crisis Group driver, I, somewhat, nostalgically remember my days as a Crisis Group intern in the office in Mermoz! Madame Sonko's wild Senegalese dishes (local dish Thieboudien and her curry dish were my favs) and Candida's calm and collected personna.!
So it's only day two of my research trip to Senegal as CR's West Africa Analyst, but I'm already loving it. No matter how hard you work in this city, no matter how many official meetings you organise, coming to Dakar never feels like work. Senegal is just plain beauty, pure and simple. L'ambiance is second to none in the entire West Africa sub-region, and the African music scene doesn't get much better than this. But I won't spoil it for the reader, will bid my time and describe every single experience as it happens, watch this space. It's saturday, and I'm off to Just4U tonight one of the most exciting hang-out spots in Dakar....more later
So it's only day two of my research trip to Senegal as CR's West Africa Analyst, but I'm already loving it. No matter how hard you work in this city, no matter how many official meetings you organise, coming to Dakar never feels like work. Senegal is just plain beauty, pure and simple. L'ambiance is second to none in the entire West Africa sub-region, and the African music scene doesn't get much better than this. But I won't spoil it for the reader, will bid my time and describe every single experience as it happens, watch this space. It's saturday, and I'm off to Just4U tonight one of the most exciting hang-out spots in Dakar....more later
Sékou Touré's Ghost in Conakry
So after months of non-activity on 'Analyse this', I pick off again this time in West Africa, Conkary, downtown. In this 36km long city, everything is close - the people, the cars, the stray dogs, and the heat, more uncomfortably, Guinean men, who won't believe me when I tell them I am 'Nigeriane'. Yes French-speaking, with an 'ane' not 'enne' as in landlocked Niger. I've now lost count of the number of times I've had to convince Conakry-ians that I am not Peul or Malinké or Soussou but Yoruba. Is it that hard to find a tall, French-speaking, female Nigerian travelling on her own in a West African country? Meanwhile N'Fally's - my dedicated and loyal 'chauffeur' - decision to keep calling me Madame is even more unerving, as he could very well pass from my grandpa, though his driving skills leave much to be desired. As for this little long and tired city, I am still struggling to pin-point whether it has a character or not.
Every other country that I have been to in West Africa - Senegal, Benin, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria - has that 'mph', that special something that defines it, Senegal's bustling music scene, the utter chaos of Lagos, or the cool calm beaches of Freetown, and the implausible 'cake-bread' of Ghana (yes, only in Ghana). As for Conakry, the only conclusion that I could come to was that the country had not quite shaken off the ghost of the past, Sékou Touré (first president turned dictator). Peharps the the recent political unrest which triggered what Guineans now widely term 'le changement' was the definitive sign that Guineans weren't going to standby and watch the country slide down that path again, a path all together associated with Touré's repressive government and state machinery. Camp Boiro, where many of that regime's victims were tortured and killed is a living edifice of that dark period in Guinea's history. Conakry you could say, was still struggling to find its character. It needs time and patience.
Hotspots : Le Petit Bateau, Indochine
Every other country that I have been to in West Africa - Senegal, Benin, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria - has that 'mph', that special something that defines it, Senegal's bustling music scene, the utter chaos of Lagos, or the cool calm beaches of Freetown, and the implausible 'cake-bread' of Ghana (yes, only in Ghana). As for Conakry, the only conclusion that I could come to was that the country had not quite shaken off the ghost of the past, Sékou Touré (first president turned dictator). Peharps the the recent political unrest which triggered what Guineans now widely term 'le changement' was the definitive sign that Guineans weren't going to standby and watch the country slide down that path again, a path all together associated with Touré's repressive government and state machinery. Camp Boiro, where many of that regime's victims were tortured and killed is a living edifice of that dark period in Guinea's history. Conakry you could say, was still struggling to find its character. It needs time and patience.
Hotspots : Le Petit Bateau, Indochine
Wednesday 2 May 2007
Sous-Chefs and Free Lunches
There's no such thing as free lunch!!!!!! Period. Well at least, that's what I thought when one client - after a long and thorough conversation on Lord Treisman, Gleneagles, G8 and Africa - offered to buy me lunch in order to continue our conversation, in-depth.
Tonight's 'Africa by the River' event, was probably the most interesting event I have had to speak at within my company's walls. Every one seemed interested, intrigued, appalled, confused all at once. Some who posed questions, did so intelligently, others may have done so to prove or disprove a point or several points. My knees had been shaking uncontrollably only a few minutes into the talk, and having my CEO positioned almost entirely opposite me, made me all the more conscious about it.
Tonight's 'Africa by the River' event, was probably the most interesting event I have had to speak at within my company's walls. Every one seemed interested, intrigued, appalled, confused all at once. Some who posed questions, did so intelligently, others may have done so to prove or disprove a point or several points. My knees had been shaking uncontrollably only a few minutes into the talk, and having my CEO positioned almost entirely opposite me, made me all the more conscious about it.
Squawk Box Blues
Ok, so, today was my second TV news station appearance, commenting on insecurity in the Niger delta! I had been on the same program about two weeks before, but at a much more holier hour than today's appearance - the cab picked me up from Croydon at 05.40am in the morning! My interviewer, CNBC Squawk box europe news anchor, Geoff Cutmore, seemed like he'd been doing this since he was a mere foetus in the womb, but frankly the words that emanated from my lipstick -coated lips were miles apart from the thoughts in my head, i.e. thoughts of my bed, and how it would be so nice to still be in la la land.
Now I am set to make another appearance this evening to my company's very own clients, and talk about much the same, how I think Nigeria's President-elect Yar'dua is set to change (or not) the country's political destiny, and blubber on and on, as I have always done.
I am still thinking of the punch line though. Every presentation or speech must have one, though I am not sure a contrived joke about the 'Poverty' Holding Company of Nigeria (really Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) ), will go down well with such a 'sophisticated' audience who may have heard it all before. Anyway it will all be over soon, and I can look forward to a day off tomorrow, doing my hair, some shopping, and an evening out to see one of West Africa's most talented musicians, Mali's one and only SALIF KEITA........
Now I am set to make another appearance this evening to my company's very own clients, and talk about much the same, how I think Nigeria's President-elect Yar'dua is set to change (or not) the country's political destiny, and blubber on and on, as I have always done.
I am still thinking of the punch line though. Every presentation or speech must have one, though I am not sure a contrived joke about the 'Poverty' Holding Company of Nigeria (really Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) ), will go down well with such a 'sophisticated' audience who may have heard it all before. Anyway it will all be over soon, and I can look forward to a day off tomorrow, doing my hair, some shopping, and an evening out to see one of West Africa's most talented musicians, Mali's one and only SALIF KEITA........
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