Sarah Lubala is a Congolese-born poet, who relocated to South Africa. Her debut collection, 'A History of Disappearance' traces her experience as a Congolese-born immigrant. It is a beautifully written collection of poetry addressing displacement , mental illness, memory, pain, violence, sexual violence.

In this episode, Sarah Lubala reads excerpts from her essay entitled 'First Country'. She touches on the longing for her mother country, the Democratic Republic of Congo; the genocide in Congo; Congolese women's reproductive rights, and her love for the women in her life.

First aired on éist.

Authentically Plastic is a dazzling Ugandan DJ, producer and the co-founder of the queer collective ANTI-MASS. 

In this episode we discuss their very first album, 'Raw space', which was released on the label Hakuna Kulala; a label run by Rey Sapienz and the founders of the label Nyege Nyege Tapes.

'Raw Space' is an interesting, intricate, innovative album, at time disorienting. 

Authentically Plastic offers a glimpse into Kampala's electronic music scene and arts scene - community-driven infrastructures, Hakuna Kulala's founder Rey Sapienz, Nyege Nyege Festival.

They share a candid account of their artistic journey in a context where the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act ushered in homophobic and transphobic assaults - a celebration of East African music, and queer joy.

Labdi Ommes is a brilliant multidisciplinary artist from Kenya. Her practice includes composing, singing-songwriting, visual art, sound installations. Last year, she released her latest EP, Pakruok.

" Pakruok is about self-praise. This EP is a confirmation and appreciation of oneself. The music takes on a satirical stance and Labdi addresses different societal issues."

In Kenya, she currently stands as one of the very few women who plays the orutu professionally, alongside Omwa Owbara. The orutu is a single-stringed fiddle originating from Kenya ( Luo people). 

In this episode Labdi Ommes reflects on her artistic journey - from the challenges she's faced as an orutu player in a patriarchal society, to claiming back the instrument, to preserving the Luo culture. We discuss her notable works including Unganisha, and the music score for award-winning National Geographic Society's documentary Nkashi: Race for the Okavango. 

Nkashi: Race for the Okavango was created by the National Geographic Society's Impact Story Lab, in close collaboration with Batswana filmmakers and local production company, Parable Motion. The film score features tracks by Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers' Composers Lab.The Lab includes musicians from around the African continent - Labdi Ommes, Thato Kavinja, Prince Bogosi, Ania Safa, Patrick Sainton, Neil.

With thanks to Pragna Parksotam-Kok for permitting the use of tracks composed by Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers' Composers Lab

The programme explores the unprecedented recording of griotte Aby Ngana Diop, who performed taasu over mbalax music ( "taasu is a form of oral poetry spoken to the rhythmic accompaniment of sabar and tama drums [...]It is a rhythmically declaimed speech in call-and-response with a small chorus of female vocalists'' Patricia Tang for Awesome Tapes From Africa).

She released her only album in 1994 in Senegal, which Awesome Tapes From Africa distributed in 2014." The combination of Diop and her backup vocalists with their powerful taasu, along with the driving, complex rhythms of the sabar and tama drums, mixed with key elements of mbalax (such as the syncopated, polyphonic marimba sounds played on the Yamaha DX7 keyboard) was something the Senegalese public had never heard before" P.Tang

Guests:

Marame Gueye is Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora literatures in the department of English at East Carolina in Greenville, NC.
Her research interests include African women’s art, African oral literatures, translation and immigration studies. Her articles have appeared in Research in African Literatures, African Studies Review, the Journal of Pan African Studies.
ABA DIOP is a Senegalese master sabar percussionist, vocalist and composer who comes from a lineage of griots ( griot: musicians, oral historians, poets, storytellers) . Aba Diop & the Yermande Family is a music ensemble that consists of Aba Diop (sabar, vocals), Noumoucounda Cissoko (kora, vocals), Samba Ndokh (tama), and Jason Hosier (electric guitar).
Amadou Bator Dieng is the founder of  Kirinapost, a pan-African newspaper. He worked as a correspondent for Pan African Music( PAM) in Dakar, Senegal. PAM is an online music magazine in both French and English, dedicated to promoting music from the African continent and diaspora.

" Black and Irish, Navigating Racism in Ireland" examines how institutional racism affects Black Irish, Mixed-Race Irish and African migrants within the industrial care system, the direct provision system and the education system.

Assistant Professor of Black Studies Dr. Philomena will give an in-depth look at her childhood in the Irish industrial school system to depict race relations in the 1960s and 1970s and how they affected the construction of Mixed- race women’s identity. We also discuss the recent introduction of Black Studies in Ireland’s curriculum.

We delve into the impact of encounters with racism on Mia O’Neill, who took her own life in 2019. Her mother, Aisling O’Neill, shares an emotional testimony as she sheds light on the trauma inherent to racism. She reflects on the role of the education system to foster a better understanding of race and racism.

We talk to Bukky Adebowale, born in Ireland, President of the student life at Maynooth University); Sandrine Ndahiro, PhD student in African Literature originally from Kenya; Cameroon-born artist Alicia Raye, who spent her teenage years in Direct Provision centers. They share personal stories to explain how racism and discrimination is prevalent in their daily interactions in colleges and universities.

We meet Black Irish teacher Alex Mbowua, activist Myriam Poizat (Youth Against Racism and Inequality), Adult learner advocate and Africa-Ireland Network’s founder Joy-Tendai Kangere to give an overview of the education system: curriculum, income disparity, lack of opportunities.

The Policy Officer for the Irish Network Against Racism, Patricia Munatsi, shares her determination to call for a national action plan against racism.

Credits: “Black and Irish, Navigating Racism in Ireland” was produced by Caroline Mudingo Dipanda and was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

Dr Philomena Mullen discusses her investigation into the identity construction of women of mixed African-Irish descent, with white Irish mothers and African fathers, who grew up in the Irish institutional care system. This crucial research explores how racial /ethnic identities are shaped by Irish society and how we read racialisation in White Irish culture.

- The Association of Mixed Race Irish

https://www.mixedraceirish.ie/

Additional music is composed by Microgramme.

'' We Are Starzz", Angel Bat Dawid.

A look at a popular subcultural movement in 90’s Ireland - fanzines. Representing perspectives and groups which were often missing from mainstream arts and media, fanzines like ‘Protest’ offer an insightful glimpse into this time. ‘Fanzines: Alternative Stories of the 90’s’ will take a deep dive into these alternative narratives and see how they provide a unique view of this time. 

Contributors: Siobhan Bardsley, Sean Fitzgerald, Victoria Chan, Tamasin MacCarthy Morrogh, Morty McCarthy. 

Fanzines: Alternative Stories of the 90’s was produced by Caroline B.Mudingo Dipanda and funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland under the Sound and Vision Scheme