Africa is a continent, not a country. Within there are over three thousand ethnicities. Whenever you see straight line on a map, it's a mistake. That doesn't even take into account nomadic people.
America ammuses itself to death in its own media bubble. African countries have journalists and observers of the local culture; our media deems them unreliable or uninteresting; so we see and hear little. Even if we had that, you have to put your feet on the ground, open your eyes and ears, smell the smells, and feel the weather. Listen and ask open-ended questions. Listen to people's dreams.
One outstanding example of Portlanders doing the work is Chris Kirkley, DJ Sahel Sounds. He has traveled that region collecting music people carry on their feature phones. He did a great show collecting posters on the Azawad independence movement people make in the graphics editors on those phones for the Portland Museum of Modern Art. He did a remake of the Film Purple Rain with local actors and musicians. See it, you can find it in the African Films collection at PCC Cascade.
The Portland Art Museum has done a good job the last few years updating its mojo. An example is a new show sampling African Fashion.
The curator gives a talk this afternoon. She is Christine Checinska, joining us from the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK. Details are https://portlandartmuseum.org/event/making-africa-fashion/. You can reserve a ticket from that link that includes museum admission to see the show. At the Portland Art Museum in the Masonic Temple Building ballroom 1219 SW Park 2PM-3:30
