XMAS KARAOKE AFRICAN STREAM STYLE!

I bet many of you have different versions of some of your favorite Christmas jingles. African Stream’s Miss Phyll put some vocals to the test just to find out how well do Kenyans know their Christmas jingles for a chance to win some personalized merchandise.

Merry Christmas from the African Stream team and blessings in the new year!

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PLO: WE NEED ECONOMIC CLUB WHERE WE CALL SHOTS

Here’s another snippet from our exclusive round-table with Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba - where we put it to him that talk of Africans coming together and engaging with the rest of the world from a position of unity and strength is all well and good, but ignores the practical reality that the West, in particular the US, keeps throwing economic traps in our way, so that some kind of radical overthrow of the current financial system might be what’s really in order. He agrees that our homegrown economic institutions have been hijacked, but still advocates that an African rival to the likes of the IMF and World Bank is what’s needed - and recommends some excellent reading while he’s at it! Give this clip a play and share your insights and reactions in the comments.

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THE TRUTH ABOUT LIBYA

As Libya today celebrates 72 years since its independence from Italy, it is important to remember how this once uniquely thriving African country ended up in its current turbulence.

Libya, a land of ancient civilisations and vast stretches of Sahara Desert landscape, enjoyed the best fortunes in Africa after nationalising natural resources, such as oil. This was all before factional violence, competing governments and external interventions were engineered after the 2011 NATO-led bombardment. That led to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi being overthrown and killed that year.

Listen to Rizza Islam of the Nation of Islam making a compelling argument in a 2020 interview on the hip-hop broadcasting network Revolt on the very insidious reason for destroying the once most prosperous country in Africa, Libya.

Continued….Western governments and media have smeared former leader Muammar Gaddafi as a monster, but the prosperity he delivered to Libya was on the verge of going continental.

They say money is the root of all evil, so it’s not hard to imagine what happens when you have plans to disrupt the global financial order.

It is usually curtains after that, and there is no better example than in Libya.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Video Credit: Revolt

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PLO LUMUMBA: ‘BIBLE USED & ABUSED’

Around half of Africans are Christian. But whatever your faith or views on religion, Christianity has been used to justify many things that have profoundly hurt Africans. Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba reminds us that - in the wrong hands - the Bible was used to enslave and segregate us.

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A MOTHER'S JOY

There’s so much grim news about these days it’s easy to lose sight of the good things in life. This viral video of an Ethiopian mother and her son is a ray of light. It shows the moment he surprises her as she boards a plane to fly home - revealing that he’s the pilot of the flight! She’d been working hard for years as a domestic worker in Lebanon and putting everything she could spare aside to get him through pilot school. And now it’s all paid off and he’s realised his - their - dream. Tell us why African mothers are the best in the comments!

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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL- AFRICAN STREAM'S HIDDEN ‘TALENTS’

Our team of journalists and editors at the Nairobi Office not only deliver breaking news with precision but also possess hidden ‘talents’ that could give even the most skilled circus performers a run for their money!

When we're not chasing headlines, you might find us expertly honing these, er, talents… from comedy to singing love ballads and even knitting, we sure know how to play just as hard as we work!

(Warning, our biggest talent might be making your cringe!)

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas from African Stream!

UGANDA’S WORLD-FAMOUS GHETTO DANCERS

Back in September of 2023, African Stream was on the ground in Uganda, Kampala, with Kavuma Dauda, a youth dance teacher who mentors children out of Ugandan ghettos, teaches them to dance, makes them internet sensations and, with the funds generated, finances their education, food and shelter.

When we ran the story earlier this year, we had a lot of requests from our audience asking us to show the talented kids and what they can do in a separate video.

So here it is.

Enjoy.

Merry Christmas from everyone at African Stream, and happy New Year.

ETHIOPIA'S ROCK CHURCHES: AFRICAN CIVILISATION ON DISPLAY

The Lalibela churches in Ethiopia are a complex of religious buildings that were skillfully carved out of stone in the 12th century. The churches are not only architectural marvels that have stood the test of time. They also serve as a clapback to racists, who often say colonialism and slavery brought 'civilisation' to Africa. Outstanding African civilisations, such as Lalibela, show this theory has no legs to stand on.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AFRO-JESUS!

Many assume Christianity in Africa was a purely Western missionary import. However, as Ethiopian Christian Orthodox history shows, the religion was on the continent as early as the 4th century AD. It was heavily influenced by local Ethiopian culture. Depictions of figures such as Jesus and the apostles show them with dark skin and giant afros - very different from the blond-haired, blue-eyed figure many associate Jesus with. The Ethiopian Bible is also among the oldest, and contains 81 books, 15 more than the King James’ 66.

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'SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR AFRICANS'

Speaking from the heart, this guy gives French commuters a quick lesson about respect. He demands France stops looking down on Africans and passionately states it's Africa that's supporting France, not the other way around. His message, from February last year, gets applause on the metro. And the activist warns France is about to 'miss the train of history' if it doesn't change its attitude. Does his speech resonate with you?

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DISTURBING THE DEAD? OPENING OF 2,600-YR-OLD MUMMY DIVIDES NET

A viral clip of Egyptian authorities opening up a 2,600-year-old coffin has drawn heated reactions three years after it was first posted.

The video, posted in 2020 by New Zealand's ambassador to Egypt, shows a group of Egyptian officials flanked by curious onlookers prying open a mummy - in a scene that commenters have slammed as 'chaotic and disrespectful.'

The reactions illustrate Africans' reverence for the dead and their concern for how the dead are treated.

And it reminds one of the 'curse of the pharaohs,' alleged to be cast on anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian, especially a pharaoh.

Continued….This legend gained currency in the 1920s after the mysterious deaths of the team that opened Tutankhamun's tomb. While the deaths were attributed to scientific reasons, such as fungal infections, they inspired horror films and rumours of the curse, which persist to this day.

What do you think about opening up ancient tombs? Let us know in the comments.

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TO BE FRANC, IT'S FINANCIAL REPRESSION

A financial weapon of repression against former colonies? We look at the CFA franc in Africa 78 years after it was introduced, and why it might be high time to ditch it.

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JON STEWART ON U.S. SYSTEMIC RACISM

In case you’re after a quick summary of America’s racist history towards Blacks, Jon Stewart doesn’t do a bad job. During a minute-long blast, he points out a few home truths that got his guest back-pedalling.

This clip is from The Problem with Jon Stewart, a show that aired on Apple TV last year. Funnily enough, the programme was scrapped two months ago over ‘creative differences’ between Apple and Stewart.

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