ads

Publications

Hervé Yamguen: Creating in Africa, Staying Rooted and Passing It On

Hervé Yamguen: Creating in Africa, Staying Rooted and Passing It On

In this interview, Initiative Africa speaks with Hervé Yamguen, Cameroonian artist and co-founder of Cercle Kapsiki, about artistic creation in Africa, access to art, and the development of a strong cultural ecosystem on the continent. From his early days in Douala to his international career, he reflects on his decision to continue creating from Cameroon, the importance of bringing art into local communities, and the need for African artists to remain connected to their cultures and roots. He also shares his vision of transmission, identity, and the role art can play in reshaping our relationship with cities, the living world, and the preservation of nature. Journalist: Asha Sumputh

Mounia Aram, Entrepreneur and International Animation Professional

Mounia Aram, Entrepreneur and International Animation Professional

Mounia Aram was born in Casablanca and grew up in Trappes, on the outskirts of Paris. She studied Oriental languages, then took her first job in Japanese animation in San Francisco, in 2003. Since then she has worked across more than twenty countries, between Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In 2019 she founded Mounia Aram Company to carry African content and talent to international markets.

Fania Niang – “Empreintes” (Footprints): producing her music, connecting Africa and the diaspora

Fania Niang – “Empreintes” (Footprints): producing her music, connecting Africa and the diaspora

With Empreintes, her fifth album, Fania Niang presents an intimate and socially engaged body of work, recorded in Dakar and self-produced for the first time in her career. In this interview, she reflects on her journey between Africa, Europe and the United States, the challenges of independent production, and the musical connection she built with Senegalese musicians who have transcended cultural boundaries. She also shares her perspective on today’s African music scene, the dialogue between diaspora artists and the continent, and her desire to give back by sharing knowledge, experience and creative vision. A powerful conversation about music as memory, identity and transmission. Journalist: Laurence Soustras

CLAYROCKSU, leading female Nigerian rock singer

CLAYROCKSU, leading female Nigerian rock singer

She grew up singing in church and ended up fronting Nigeria’s rock scene. In this exclusive interview, Clayrocksu opens up about what it means to be a rock artist and a woman in a country dominated by Afrobeats. From her early days mixing Igbo and English lyrics, to building a community of Afro-rock musicians, she shares how music became a form of rebellion, healing, and identity. Between faith, family, and fire, her voice carries a message for all the misfits who refuse to fit in. Journalist: Sharafa

Kerfalla Camara: From the asphalt to the stage, the circus as hope in Guinea

Kerfalla Camara: From the asphalt to the stage, the circus as hope in Guinea

Making circus a lever for education and social change. Born in the streets and trained in the circus, Kerfalla Camara is now the head of Circus Baobab, Guinea's first circus company, which has become a benchmark in West Africa. In this exclusive interview, he discusses: - The rebirth of Circus Baobab, a socially engaged circus - The fight to provide education to out-of-school children - The Guinean cultural roots in each show - The courage to tackle taboo subjects, such as female genital mutilation, in their latest creation, Yongoyely A powerful account of art as a tool for emancipation and social transformation. Journalist: Alexandra Vépierre

The Artist Who Made a Difference

The Artist Who Made a Difference

From his first exhibition in 1995 to over 30 solo shows across Europe and North America, Ethiopian painter Fikru Gebremariam has carved out a singular path. His latest collection — exhibited at the Alliance Ethio-Française in Addis Ababa — marks a bold new chapter: an embrace of abstract expressionism rooted in African soil. In this portrait, Fikru reflects on his artistic evolution, his rejection of labels, and the subconscious forces that shape his work. Art historians, curators and fellow artists explore how his life, heritage, and travels converge on canvas. Journalist: Tefera Ghedamu

Loader