Pilgrimage to Africa for all of African descent

One not so absurd idea has been lingering in my mind for some time now, and it’s that of a once-in-a lifetime pilgrimage to Africa for all persons of African descent. I believe this would be a great opportunity for all to acknowledge their roots. Even hip-hop superstar Jay-Z – who visited the continent last year during his Water for Life Tour - was quoted as saying that “you have to go and understand what’s going on and embrace your people”. A pilgrimage would also be beneficial in that it could help see things in perspective and familiarize the pilgrims to the realities of Africa. You’ll agree with me that most Americans know very little about the Africa (no wonder it’s called the forgotten continent), fine but see, that ignorance is kind of hurtful coming from a Black American. I suppose being of the same skin color and all, lots of us Africans make the mistake of assuming that we share the same connection to the Motherland, but the truth is we do not always. I’ve had my share of silly questions as I am sure you did also (by the way we find that stuff on National Geographic equally f@%#ing amazing as did you! I mean I never knew there were so many pygmies running around the bushes in DR Congo for instance:-D). I suppose it’s like Bob Marley said “If you knew your history, you would know where you’re coming from” (from the song Buffalo Soldiers), and what’s better than a trip Home for a refresher course of history. It will be entirely a personal decision to do this but I hope that one day Black Americans (anybody of African descent really) see this once-in-a lifetime trip with the same religious importance that Muslims or Christians accord to the pilgrimage in their Holy Lands. I can’t wait to see some Black activist pushing this idea;-D.

Photo source: Africaspeaks.com

Ten Things every African in New York should do before death

After stumbling upon some ‘top ten things’ articles here and there (and some of them were pretty retarded), I’m taking it upon myself to write yet another one (yay, aren’t you thrilled you little buggers:-D), but this time putting it in the context of Africans living in NY, or the US (where applicable), heck you don’t even have to be African really, just possess common sense. The list that follows may seriously impact you and perhaps bring upon felicity (can you hear me laugh?) in your life, so go ahead and do those things because Papa Shongo said so…

10. Play the lottery, both the New York Lottery and the Green Card Lottery that is. Getting rich and a permanent resident card? Damn, talk about getting papers!

9. Work with your own social security card (get your ‘papiers’ straight damn it)

8. Tape your wallet to your forehead if you live in a ‘hot’ neighborhood. This is so the Police can clearly distinguish between your fake Fendi wallet and a gun. Failure to do this may result in your death (ironic considering the title of this post and all ).

7. Find a Senegalese restaurant and order thiebou djeun, seriously.

6. Go to 28th street and Broadway (you know, that ‘underground’ spot with top notch surveillance equipment and stuff) to shop for as many imported designer goods as possible (they got crazy deals on Diesel jeans! Some argue that those might be counterfeit but they’re just jealous :-/).

5. Get a second wife: Everybody’s doing it, well at least half of the West Africans in Harlem and the Bronx. Oh please don’t act like you don’t know…just kidding but you might to read this NY Times article on polygamy.

4. Start a business. If all else fails, open a West African hair salon, send one of the ladies working for you at the train station to harass future clientèle with chants of: “hair braiding miss?” There’s gotta be money in this, have you ever visited one those salons in Harlem? Constantly packed!

3. Invest in a property: that’s right; a house is always a good asset to have, anywhere in the universe (except maybe on Pluto).

2. Get an education: make sure you do this by your 50th birthday please. There’s just something not admirable about a dude driving a taxi cab or baby sitting for 30 years. Go to school and become an astronaut or something, prove to the world that you can be much more.

1. GO BACK! I’ll let you meditate on this one…

Forget milk…Got thiebou djeun?

If Senegal were known only for 4 things, they would probably be in my opinion (in no particular order): Youssou N’Dour, the lingua franca known as Wolof, the Gorée island and…thiebou djeun its main dish . This succulent dish is basically made of stuffed fish cooked with a rich assortment of vegetables- eggplants, carrots, cassavas and white cabbage and it is served with an exotic fried white rice. To use the words of Stewie Griffin, the sensation of eating this exotic dish would be comparable to “an orgy in your mouth” . I’ve been eating thiebou djeun for as long as I can remember, from my days in Abidjan, Libreville (damn these Senegalese are everywhere) and finally here in the Big Apple.

So where in the NYC can you sample this popular Senegalese dish? My default destination in Harlem used to be La Marmite, but apparently their lease had expired so they closed doors. Africa Kine in Little Senegal has now become the destination of choice for my friends and I. They feature a nice decor, good food and (don’t laugh) credit card processing, which is a first for an African restaurant in Harlem. The place is big enough to accommodate an entire village, so feel free to invite the family. Another spot I’ve discovered recently (following a funny story involving a restaurant only serving one item from their menu) is South Beach on the corner of 124th street and Lenox ave. Apparently the owner has named the place after his favorite vacation spot but come on! What does South Beach have to do with African food? In any case don’t be fooled by its name, the decor is enchanting, the food delicious (varies from African to Caribbean cuisine but i hear the place’s a juice bar as well) and the service is great, courtesy of Fatou and another waitress whose i can never remember (sorry darling). Another one of my favorite dishes that the places above also serve is grilled fish and attieke (from Ivory Coast) but this post is about thiebou djeun damn it! . Why don’t you come up to Harlem and satisfy your curiosity at those restaurants? I’m sure it’d be worth the trip…

Black Panther: The Movie

I’ve been very pleased lately with some ‘big screen’ adaptations of Marvel comic books superheroes, being a huge fan and all. My passion started when I was 8, living in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) at the time, and I’ve been hooked ever since (yes, even African kids in the poorest Third World ghettoes get to read that stuff too).

Hopefully you’ve heard the rumor that there’s chance for a Black Panther movie, and that Wesley Snipes’ company bought the rights to it (he’s slated to play the lead role also). First some background on our protagonist: in the Marvel Universe, the Black Panther who goes by the name of T’Challa, is the king of Wakanda, a fictional African state (remember Zamunda from Coming to America? Dude’s probably got his own money with his face on it too ). Exciting and all but damn, can they get somebody else to play the lead role? I must admit I’m a little annoyed at those American actors with fake African accents (Derek Luke in Catching Fire, I still give it to Forrest Whitaker though). It’s just doesn’t feel authentic to me is my point! It’s the equivalent of say…have Arnold Schwarzenegger play an American president (uh oh ). So why not get an African actor to play T’Challa? There are a few candidates out there and I came up with this short list:

1. Djimon Hounsou aka ‘Give us…us…FREE!!!’: I’m tired of seeing him in supporting roles, he’s a good act in his own right and deserves a lead role, in addition to his physique I think he’s the best candidate.
2. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje aka Mr. Eko from LOST, enough said
3. Chiwetel Ejiofor: wasn’t he kick-ass in Serenity?
4. Akon: ok…I know what you’re thinking but you have to admit, dude is every – freaking – where, might as well be in this movie right?
5. Dikembe Mutombo: I think he would make the dialogues fun.

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photo source: Marvel Directory

Cool Black Panther wallpaper here!