Sneak Peak At The Next Issue Of MIMI

((  Written By: Staff Writer  ))  We're busy gearing up for the release of the next issue of MIMI, which will feature the "tribal chic with a Brazilian flavor" fashion line, Ashanti Brazil created by designer Annabel Kwateng.  Here's a sneak peak at what we have in store ...

From The Archives: VLISCO's Funky Grooves Collection

(( Written By: Staff Writer  )) VLISCO's Funky Grooves collection may have been released last spring, we can't get enough of the collection that was "inspired by global urban culture and couture craftsmanship." The Funky Grooves collection is a melting pot of ideas, using new colours to update Vlisco’s heritage designs, and classic Vlisco techniques.  Raw, geometric lines, traditional wrap shapes, bold metallic studs and edgy industrial hues come together to create a modern vibe.  See more below.

Cesaria Evora's Final Songs: Mãe Carinhosa

((  Written By: Staff Writer  ))  When the unparalleled Cesaria Evora passed away on December 17, 2011, no one initially thought of turning the treasure trove of her unreleased songs into an album.  However, the strength and feeling expressed in tributes to the singer (an audience of six thousand at a special event at the Rio Loco festival in Toulouse and three sellout dates at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris) showed just how loyal her fans were, and not to mention, how missed she was.

Mãe Carinhosa, set for release on March 15, reflects the "barefoot diva's" character: strong, poignant, dense, rich, eclectic and loyal.  When not touring intensively, she was recording. Without meaning to, Evora collected a small store of unreleased tracks from her work in the studio.  With many of the tracks nearly complete, it was more a matter of finding a unified, harmonious whole from pieces sometimes recorded decades apart.

With exquisite instrumentation behind her, Evora’s voice on Mãe Carinhosa sounds as fresh and melancholy, as sweet and heartfelt as ever. With songs by Evora’s favorite songwriters and with cameo appearances by musicians like Manu Dibango (who plays marimba on “Esperança”), Mãe Carinhosa draws on Evora’s love for mornas (the lush “Dor di Sodade”) and rollicking coladeras (“Tchon da Franca”), for wry lyrics (the almost goofy but instructive culinary mix up in “Cmê Catchôrr”) and deep emotion (the touching “Mãe Carinhosa”). The result captures Evora’s many facets, from the earthy and ribald to the sorrowful yet passionate.

Watch Nollywood Movies On American Cable Networks Starting February 1st

((  Press Release  ))  A welcomed innovation in the entertainment industry is here, as Nollywood movies will now be available on major cable television networks in the U.S. courtesy of Brandcast Media, Inc. Nollywood, the leader in the African movie industry, is currently the third-largest producer of feature films in the world, ranking only behind Hollywood in the United States and India's Bollywood as number two. Viewers of Time Warner, Cox, partners and affiliate cable television networks will now be able to watch Nollywood movies On-Demand starting February 1st, 2013. This will be a boon to millions of cable subscribers of various cultural orientations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

With the addition of Nollywood movies to Cable TV content, Brandcast Media, Inc. aims to generate crossover appeal through the exposure of this unique content to over 40 million North American homes. The movies are carefully selected high quality titles that will end the usual buyer's remorse viewers experience with some Nollywood movies they purchase without preview. There will be no endless parts, just one complete uninterrupted movie viewing experience. With Cable, Nollywood fans that usually watch the movies online will have no concerns about Internet speed or buffering, just when the viewer is being captivated by the movie. About 80% of the movies to be shown on ‘Nollywood Hits’ have never been seen.

Some of the high quality productions to be featured on Nollywood Hits On Demand include ‘Somewhere in Africa’, ‘Mind Games’, ‘Unwanted Guest’, ‘Married But Living Single,’ etc., and will feature notable actors in the Nollywood Industry such as Genevieve Nnaji, Van Vicker, Funke Akindele, Majid Michel, Joke Silva, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, Yvonne Nelson, and so many more.

We Love ... Alek Wek For Benetton

((  Written By: Nani Hapa  )) Proving that she's as fabulous today as she was when she first started her career in 1995, Sudanese model Alek Wek is flawless in Benetton's SS 13 campaign to support the UNHATE Foundation.  The UNHATE Foundation, which is founded by the Benetton Group, seeks to contribute to the creation of a new culture against hate, building on Benetton’s underpinning values.