Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, December 19, 2008
A statue at The School of Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Author: Jane Musoke-Nteyafas
Publisher: Cook Communications
feminine, describing the African woman's beauty with a passion. Such is her description, "In the beginning, God populated the earth with black women and he made them a rich embellishing combination of all colours and shades. They were beautiful rainbow complexions of coffee, cocoa, ebony, chocolate…” she writes on and on, "and the Devil came along and created skin lighteners…"Butterflies of the Nile by Jane Musoke-Nteyafas, is drawn from a poem by the same title. The poem is an artistic praise of African beauty. To all African women, I dedicate the poem.
Despite the beauty the African women are endowed with, it is strange but uncommon how the natives of Africa, especially the men who live in exotic lands, have alienated many things African and embellish themselves in exotic tastes. Muhwezi, in Prom Night, passes for one of such alienated blokes. He is a Ugandan born, Canadian bred chap who does not appreciate his Ugandan born Canadian girlfriend Aisha. Despite her breathtaking beauty, which is a wish for many men, Muhwezi does not appreciate such African beauty.
Aisha is authentically beautiful. She however, puts on make-up and uses lots of beauty enhancing elements to appease Muhwezi. The chap does not still appreciate. In his drunken stupor, he abuses her instead.
She writes of deep love and affection in Nakimera's Love. Nakimera and Rwomushana, both from Uganda but live abroad, meet in an online chatting site. Though, they live continent apart, they fall deep in love such that Nakimera does not object to his suggestion of going to England to stay with him. Nakimera's Love is a tender love story of the African love, which brings together Nakimera and Rwomushana. Through Nakimera, Rwomushana appreciates how beautiful women from his home country are.
Modernity has brought with it myriad make-ups, which most women use to appear 'beautiful'. The Face presents such a scenario. Katrice an African woman, though beautiful in her natural way, uses a lot of make up to fake artificial beauty, which unfortunately, she cannot attain. She had the body and features which though she disliked, presented her as more beautiful than one would ever think. After adorning the make-ups, she appears quite ugly and is abandoned by her boyfriend.
However, her second boyfriend dissuades her, just like her mother did sometime back, to stop using make-ups as they exaggerate her looks and make her appear ugly. Once, when she decides to rid herself of all make-ups, her authentic African beauty stuns her boyfriend. He vows to keep by her side forever.
Jane Musoke-Nteyefas is potently feministic, championing the rights and place of women in the modern society. In her simplicity, she writes strongly and passionately of the beauty of African women, love and relationships. The themes run through the plays, poems and short stories, with a touch of biblical allusion, thrown in some stories. She writes to heal he distorted stereotypes and misconceptions attached to African beauty. It is powerfully written, passionately moving, truly sensitive and ecstatically moving.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
LEADERSHIP is a sacrifice. It is a role that carries with it numerous responsibilities and duties as it involves leading a community or group of people.
The book, dedicated to Yvonne Namaganda the late Budo Junior pupil and a selfless young leader who laid down her life in service of others, is a dissection of the subtle roles and responsibilities that student leaders confront. Thursday, July 10, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
Thursday, 10 July 2008 12:21 UK
Rushdie also won the Booker of Bookers award in 1993
Sir Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children has won the Best of the Booker prize, as voted for by the public.
The 1981 book beat five other former Booker winners shortlisted from the prize's 40-year history.
Sir Salman, who was unable to attend the London ceremony as he is currently on tour in the US, sent his thanks via a pre-recorded message.
It is the third Booker award for the author, who was also the winner of the Booker of Bookers in 1993.
"Marvellous news - I'm absolutely delighted and would like to thank all those readers around the world who voted for Midnight's Children," the author said.
'Readers have spoken'
His sons, Zafar and Milan, were in attendance at the award ceremony at London's South Bank Centre to receive the custom-made trophy.
"It's a wonderful alternative to have my real children accepting the prize on behalf of my imaginary children," Sir Salman said.
When voting closed at 1200 BST on 8 July, 7,801 people had voted via online and text, with 36% voting for Midnight's Children.
Peter Carey, Pat Barker, JM Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer and JG Farrell were also shortlisted for the prize.
The shortlist was chosen by a panel of experts including novelist and critic Victoria Glendinning and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup.
"The readers have spoken - in their thousands. And we do believe that they have made the right choice," Glendinning said.
She added that Midnight's Children had won by a "quite a large margin".
The Booker Prize, which was first awarded in 1969, has spawned 41 winners because it was shared between two authors in 1974 and 1992.
