African music film month heats up as Busara kicks off

The weekend festivities begin with a Zanzibari legend - on Thursday 12 Feb, as AfriDocs presents As Old As My Tongue, a moving documentary about Zanzibar’s iconic Bi Kidude. To bring the spirit of Busara to your screen Busara - More Than a Festival will also be screened on Thursday evening. The music continues over the weekend with a feast of music movies including profiles of Bob Marley, Salif Keita, Abdullah Ibrahim, Cesária Évora, Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi and Serge Kakudji, among others.

All weeknight screenings are at 8pm (GMT+2) and weekend screenings start at 4pm (GMT+2) on DStv ED Channel 190 & GoTV.

Thursday, 12 February 2015:

• As Old as my Tongue - Andy Jones | Zanzibar | 2006 | 66 mins |

A portrait of Bi Kidude, a living legend on her home island of Zanzibar. She has beguiled audiences around the world on her wide and varied travels. Filmed over three years in Zanzibar and on tour with Bi Kidude.

Screened with Busara – More Than A Festival 25’

Saturday, 14 February 2015:

• Salif Keita, A Man with a Message - Jean-Pierre Limosin | Mali | 1996 | 52 min |

We join Salif Keita in Bamako to learn about his sources of inspiration - his family, the intermarriage of musical influences, and his affirmation of African identity.

• Réve Kakudji - Ibbe Daniëls, Koen Vidal| DRC | 2013 | 64 min |

The moment Serge Kakudji saw an opera singer for the very first time as a young boy on Congolese television, he immediately fell in love with opera music. He decided to become a celebrated countertenor. Despite the many doubts of his family, he is determined to make it to the top of the classical opera world.

• Marley - Kevin Macdonald | Jamaica | 2012 | 139 min |

Bob Marley's universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. This is definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international super-stardom.

• Afripedia Kenya - Teddy Goitom | Kenya | 2014 | 28 min |

Afripedia is about the generation of Africa’s rising creative talents. In Nairobi, the urban culture scene and its leading personalities and stars lead us to a filmmaker, a visual artist and an Afro-futuris­tic pop band.

• Homegrown: HipLife in Ghana - Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi | Ghana | 2008 | 58 min |

West Africa has a long-standing tradition of traveling storytellers known as Griots, who combine poetry, music, and oral history. In Ghana, a group of young Africans are continuing this legacy and here Hip-Hop music has merged with High-Life, the traditional music of West Africa, and this fusion has led to the birth of a new musical genre called HipLife.

Sunday, 15 February 2015:

• Cesária Évora, Morna Blues - Anais Prosaic & Eric Mulet | Cape Verde | 1996 | 52 min |

At once generous and secretive, swaying to the rhythms of the waves, this film is made in the image of Cesária Évora, the unchallenged queen of the morna, the Cape-Verdean blues.

• Omar Sosa: Out of Africa - Olivier Taieb | Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi | 2010 | 52 min |

An intimate musical trip with the multiple Grammy-nominated Cuban composer, pianist and bandleader through East Africa. Omar Sosa, influenced by traditional Afro-Cuban music, records a song with a local musician in each country in this epic road movie.

• Shanda - John & Louise Riber | Zimbabwe | 2004 | 70 min |

A documentary about the life and music of Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe. Tuku and his band ‘The Black Spirits’ are captured performing at a most remarkable time of their long history together, and the energy of their music and dance explodes from the screen as Tuku sings the songs that mean most to him, in the places closest to his heart.

• Sarabah - Maria Luisa Gambale, Gloria Bremer & Steven Lawrence | Senegal | 2010 | 59 min |

Sister Fa is a trailblazing Senegalese singer and activist on the rise. The first successful female rapper in Dakar's fiercely competitive hip hop scene, Sister Fa fights to stop the practise of female genital cutting.

• Abdullah Ibrahim: A Struggle for Love - Ciro Capperlari | South Africa | 2005 | 58 min |

He is a pianist, composer, Duke Ellington's spiritual and real-life successor, an icon of African music, the living personification of the kind of jazz tradition that is conscious of its roots - in short: he is one of the greatest living jazz musicians. Winner Adolf Grimme Award 2005, Nominee Rose d'Or.

• Fonko – new music from Angola and Ghana - Lamin Daniel Jadama & Lars Lovén | Angola, Ghana | 2014 | 59min |

Ghana and Angola are two of the fastest growing economies in the world, as well as two countries in midst of a musical revolution. Azonto and kuduro are club music styles based on traditional rhythms and have become a means of expressing identity for an entire generation. Narrated by Neneh Cherry.

AfriDocs screens every Tuesday at 8pm (GMT+2) on DStv ED Channel 190 & GoTV across sub-Saharan Africa. Visit www.afridocs.net or www.facebook.com/AfriDocs to stay up to date with screening schedules, media interviews, twitter chats and more!