Not Your African Cliché

In the first half of this episode we discuss some of the themes we noticed in Naija Beta, the film made by Arthur, our guest in our previous episode. Amayo then gives us a recap of the talks she heard at TEDxMaitama, an independently organized TED event in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The TEDxMaitama talks referenced are by: Simi Fajemirokun; Aisha Augie-Kuta; Dr. Mairo Mandara; Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili; Dike Chukwumerije.

Resources

- Naija Beta Film - https://vimeo.com/ondemand/naijabeta

- Dike Chukwumerije's poem The Wall and the Bridge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFAFV6xDlCk

Episode mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode and theme music is Ayo by Femi Leye

The ladies of NYAC are back for season 3! On this episode, they talk with Ghanaian filmmaker, Arthur Musah (@pidgincinema) about his identity, experiences at MIT and in the US, transition from engineering to filmmaking and his two documentaries- NAIJA BETA and ONE DAY I TOO GO FLY. We also discuss the responsibility of turning a lens on African stories with (or without) the gaze of the West hovering over our shoulders. Find out more in the episode!

Resources:

- Watch NAIJA BETA here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/naijabeta

- https://thisisafrica.me/ghanaian-filmmaker-arthur-musah-tells-story-african-immigrant-students/

WWRLW:

- ShowDemCamp https://soundcloud.com/showdemmusic/sets/palm-wine-music-vol-1

- The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie

- Ekaabo Live by Femi Leye

- Call on Me by Adekunle Gold

- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

- On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

- Brave Confusion by Nakhane Touré

Episode mixed by Ifeyinwa Arinze. Theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

For this episode, we are sharing an interview we did with Memkoh, who is a Nigerian entrepreneur, personal stylist and friend of the podcast. We discussed the origin story of our podcast, how we met and gave advice on starting a podcast. In this interview, we also shared our favorite episodes and our hopes and plans for the future of NYAC.

Find Memkoh at www.memkoh.com and on IG: @memkoh

On this episode, the ladies of NYAC talk with the legendary Nigerian comedian Chioma Omeruah aka Chigul about humor. We discussed different theories on humor, the unique features of Nigerian comedy (Amayo believes Nigerians do it best), if living in other countries has affected our sense of humor, and of course comedians who go too far.

Find our guest Chigul on FB @Chugul and IG @theonlychigul

Also, find us on Twitter @nyacpodcast & on FB @Not Your African Cliche

Episode was mixed by Ifeyinwa, and theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

Part 2 of 2. We pick up where we left off last week. On this episode, our guests, Bablawo Ifakunle of Harlem (ifakunle.com) and Oluwo Familusi of Lagos (Twitter @familusiawo; Instagram @familusidamilare), two Priests of the Ifá Yoruba Traditional Religion, give us insight into what being an Ifá priest entails and what informs their morality. They dispel some misconceptions about their religion and teach us about some of the priesthood factions within the Ifá Yoruba Traditional Religion. The Ladies of NYAC discuss how our current religious practices are influenced by our culture, learn more about the proliferation of Ifá Yoruba Traditional Religion in the diaspora and how it’s transformed into religions such as Lucumí, Candomblé and Haitian Vodou. Of course, we ask our guests what they think of the resurgence of African Traditional Religious imagery, specifically Yoruba Traditional Religious imagery in pop culture thanks to Beyoncé’s Lemonade.

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Resources:

- http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/10/the-spirituality-of-africa/

- http://thegrio.com/2011/10/19/african-religions-gain-following-among-black-christians/

- http://www.npr.org/2013/08/25/215298340/ancient-african-religion-finds-roots-in-america

Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode and theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

Part 1 of 2. On this episode, we speak to Babalawo Ifakunle of Harlem and Oluwo Familusi of Lagos, two Priests of the Ifá Yoruba Traditional Religion. We discuss their backgrounds and journeys to priesthood, their thoughts on Nollywood’s portrayal of Traditional Religions, and ask if Ifá Yoruba Traditional Religion is in conflict with Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism). The Ladies of NYAC recount their first interactions with Traditional African Religious practices, examine ways in which our current cultural practices are intertwined with Traditional Religions (listen out for when Yeka and Ify realize that they are from the same ancestral home!), and ask our listeners: what does religion do for you and how does your identity come through, if at all, in the practice of that religion?

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Resources:

- http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/10/the-spirituality-of-africa/

- http://thegrio.com/2011/10/19/african-religions-gain-following-among-black-christians/

- http://www.npr.org/2013/08/25/215298340/ancient-african-religion-finds-roots-in-america

Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode and theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

On this episode we speak to African creatives who are: propagating an African interior design aesthetic that’s beyond Safari imagery and Animal prints (Nana from @BluePrintAfrica); fitting people with uniquely shaped feet with comfortable, made in Nigeria shoes (Chimsom from @Nsaata); using language to code emotions into something tangible (Ejiro aka @barelyanyhook).

We discuss the unique challenges African Creatives face, from lack of constant power in Nigeria, to poor shipping logistics and inconsistent customs control across the continent, to getting local artisans to keep deadlines.

Did you know that Nigeria is one of the largest exporters of unfinished leather? That Hermès carryon may have been a Nigerian cow in a previous life.

Let us know what you think of the special musical performances at the end ;)

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Resources:

- https://hbr.org/2016/07/why-african-entrepreneurship-is-booming

- http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2014/02/19/untapped-economy-africas-creative-sector

- http://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/music/the-rise-of-afrobeats.html

- http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-08-27-creativity-is-the-new-money

Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode and theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

On this episode, the ladies of NYAC take on the hot button topic of immigration. Joined by Satia (who was born & raised in Portugal by parents from Guinea Bissau and now lives in London) & Nnenda (who was born in Nigeria, spent her teen years in Italy & went to England for uni) we all share our stories of migration, qualms with expat vs immigrant labels, our issues with assimilation, and the benefits of both worlds.

Resources:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/the-not-quite-american-feeling-of-being-a-15-generation-immigrant

http://fusion.net/story/215708/nikita-redkar-first-generation-american-problems-essay/

http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2013/06/19/first-generation-alienation-in-tukwila/14050

http://thoughtcatalog.com/helina-daniel/2014/06/8-things-you-experience-as-a-first-generation-american/

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Episode mixed by Ifeyinwa Arinze. Theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

The latter part of 2016 was filled with dramatic elections taking place all over the world, some of them happening on our continent. The Ladies of NYAC chat with Jemila Abdulai (@jabdulai) from Ghana and Aisha Dabo (@mashanubian) from The Gambia about the recent elections in their respective countries. We examine the political histories of our countries, discuss the trials our democracies and elections face (low civic engagement, lack of civic education), and ask, what lessons can the rest of Africa learn from recent elections in Ghana and The Gambia?

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Resources

- http://mgafrica.com/article/2016-12-12-ghana-proves-that-peaceful-free-and-fair-elections-are-not-a-dream-in-africa

- http://circumspecte.com/2016/11/ghana-election-2016-democracy-silence/

- http://africasacountry.com/2016/11/all-you-need-to-know-about-ghanas-december-7-2016-elections/

- http://qz.com/876761/five-african-2017-elections-to-watch-rwanda-kenya-angola-liberia-and-drc/

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What we are reading/watching/listening to

- The Mail Empire’s Kurukan Fuga Charter (Text)

- Ghanaian Ministerial Appointments on myjoyonline.com/tv

- #WGHSMemories on Twitter

- Gospel Trap Music (Ahaa by Tim Godfrey; Gospel New Orleans Bounce Remix: https://open.spotify.com/album/0KfLpi39P3TQWr41Wg9NPH )

- Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (Book)

This episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode, and theme music "Ayo" is by Femi Leye

On this episode, the ladies of NYAC talk with Gbenga Olatunji, healthcare consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)about the healthcare system in Africa. The discussion covers everything from the gaps in the healthcare system to the ideal role of the government in the health sector.

Resources:

http://www.janssen-emea.com/sites/default/files/The%20Future%20of%20Healthcare%20in%20Africa.pdf

http://cerebrallemon.com/nigeria-loses-immunization-funding-support-from-gavi/

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Reading/Watching/Listening to:

- Atul Gawande's Complications (Book)

- J.Cole's High For Hours (Music)

- Kehlani (Music)

- Luvvie Ajayi’s I’m Judging You (Book)

- Cathy O'Neil's Weapons of Math Destruction(Book)

- Anderson Paak's Malibu (Music)

- NBC's This is Us (TV Show)

- ABC's The Bachelor (TV Show)

- Amazon Original Series: Good Girls Revolt (TV Show)

Episode mixed by Ifeyinwa Arinze. Theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye