ANNA LUKINDO: MBUNIFU MAVAZI NA MITINDO ANAYEKUZA JINA LA WANAWAKE WA KITANZANIA LONDON

Hebu turudi nyuma miaka 30.

Tanzania ndiyo imemaliza vita kumwondoa Jemadari Idi Amin Dada ; maisha magumu maana serikali imetumia mabilioni ya shilingi kununua silaha kujenga jeshi imara kuwasaidia Waganda. Bidhaa adimu madukani. Hata chakula kinacholimwa nchini (mathalan unga) kazi kukipata. Utata.

 Licha ya kitatange na mahangaiko maelfu ya wakimbizi wamekaribishwa nchini toka  Afrika Kusini, Angola, Namibia na hiyo Uganda yenyewe. Kisiasa Watanzania waungwana sababu ya uongozi wa Mwalimu Nyerere aliyeujua wajibu wake wa kijadi kwa Waafrika wenzetu.  Ni kipindi hiki ndipo miye na wenzangu watatu tulipounda bendi ya mseto wa fasihi na muziki tukaiita “House of Africa.” Ilikuwa vigumu kumpata mwanamke maana enzi hizo jamii yetu iliwabeza kina dada waliofanya sanaa.
Imetolewa pia safu ya "Kalamu toka London" kila Jumapili, gazeti la Mwananchi:

Waliitwa mabahaluu, wavuta bangi, machangu doa; kuimba jukwaani hakukuwa na heshima wala ajira kama walivyo Kizazi Kipya leo...Wakati sisi tukihangaika, Anna Lukindo alikuwa akionyesha mavazi hoteli ya Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam siku za wikiendi. Kikazi aliajiriwa na kampuni ya kusanifu nyumba barabara ya Mkwepu. Bado mdogo ana miaka 19, lakini mchapa kazi ile mbaya.

Anna Lukindo akiwa kazini. Anayevalishwa ni mwanamitindo, mpiga picha na mwanabloga, Jestina George . Picha na See Li.

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A TRIANGLE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS SPELLING BURNING ISSUES OF OUR TIMES

Recent days have been clouded with intense news of death, destruction and sadness. It is even strengthening the resolve of some of those who always moan that they hate watching news; that news is always bleak, dark and horrible. Truth is news is human reality...

  This week a triangle of three major catastrophes form an axis between East Africa, Norway and London. The Norway corner is the most upsetting and surprising as it came out of the blue on Friday 22^nd through the madness and determination of a white guy with very extreme views as those espoused by Al Queda and the like but from a different perspective.  Day after was death of the talented London musician Amy Winehouse while East Africa continue to loom in a famine that rekindle memories of the 1984 Ethiopian starvation. Are these awful events new? Hardly.

Amy Winehouse in action in 2007 (pic from Wikipedia)

A few months ago Japan experienced a terrible earthquake while freedom demonstrations erupted in the Middle East. Endless episodes; as continuous as our rotating earth. Nonstop.

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BLOG LA “MWANAMKE NA NYUMBA” MFANO WA UANDISHI UNAOANGALIA MAHUSIANO NYETI YA MTANZANIA...

Uandishi wa mablogu wahitaji tarakilishi. Tarakilishi ni neno fasaha la Kiswahili linaloimanisha Kompyuta. Na hiki si chombo tu cha kuandikia. Huendesha simu za mkononi; taa zinazoongoza magari barabarani, mitambo ya ndege, mahospitali, runinga, nk. Dunia ya leo inaongozwa na tarakilishi. Hili ni bado somo jipya Tanzania. Kidunia mtandao kama tunavyoujua una miaka 15 ingawa sayansi hii ya kihabari imekuwepo kwa takribani miaka 30. Awali ilitumiwa na watu wachache hasa wanajeshi na majasusi kulinda matakwa ya serikali mbalimbali.

Rosemary Mizizi, blog lake Mwanamke na Nyumba linazungumzia mahusiano nyeti kati ya wanawake na wanaume  kwa undani sana katika jamii ya Tanzania leo.
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MP CHEYO INTERVIEW AND A REMINDER OF WHAT 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE IS ALL ABOUT

Up coming UK based media organisation, Urban Pulse, beamed an exclusive interview with Member of Parliament Mr. John Momose Cheyo, last week. Formed two years ago in Reading (a few miles from London) Urban Pulse is run by young British educated Tanzanians:  Frank Eyembe, Nocha Sebe and Baraka Baraka.

Their light hearted but in depth half hour chat was done by another London based Tanzanian  photographer, model and blogger, Jestina George and can be viewed  on You Tube.  Jestina is also presenter for Africans in London TV ...

As part of a group of Tanzanian MP’s in the highly publicised trip to the UK to sort out money from BAE systems, Mr Cheyo represents Bariadi East.

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GAZETI MAARUFU NA ZEE KUSHINDA YOTE DUNIANI LILIVYOTINGISHA SERIKALI NA MAISHA UINGEREZA...

Habari zilizotanda Uingereza majuma mawili yaliyopita zimehusu gazeti maarufu la News Of The World. Lilifungwa wiki jana baada ya  mashtaka ya uhalifu. News of the World ilikuwa ikipata habari kwa kuingilia barua pepe na simu za watu maarufu ili kuwaiba. Miongoni mwa waliokuwa wakifanyiwa wizi huo ni Malkia Elisabeth, mwanae Prince Charles, Waziri Mkuu wa zamani Gordon Brown, viongozi mbalimbali na wacheza mpira mashuhuri. Mwishoni  gazeti liliwaudhi wananchi zaidi ilipofahamika lilikuwa limekita makucha yake kusikiliza habari za watu waliouliwa au kufa. Kati yao ni wasichana watatu waliouliwa kinyama Milly Dowler, Jessica Chapman, Holly  Wells na ndugu za waliofariki Julai 2005 kutokana na mabomu ya magaidi  mjini London.

Suala la  kutafuta habari hata za maiti lilikuwa kilele cha uhalifu na gazeti lilifungwa na mwenyekiti wake Rupert Murdoch.

Mzee Murdoch na mkewe mzawa wa China,Wendi Deng, aliyezaliwa mwaka 1968...
Picha ya Gettys...
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POWER AND ROT OF MEDIA: LESSONS FROM LONDON’S NEWS OF THE WORLD

I have met individuals who do not watch television or read newspapers. Others say media is a waste of time; that it is propaganda by those who own the world; control our minds and sell us stuff we don’t like.

Some say they admire former President Nyerere for delaying television in Tanzania.  For young people born post 1990, television is obvious but not us who grew up under Ujamaa and experienced television late.

A few days ago an old school mate visiting London touched on the same subject:

“Remember when we first saw television in Nairobi in 1971? At that time we hated Ujamaa and Nyerere. Now looking back the old man was right. How can a peasant living in a village thatch without enough food and electricity afford a television set?”

Yes. Arguments against television vary.

Powerful billionaire media chief, Rupert Mudoch

SOMO KUTOKA MAISHA NA KIFO CHA MWANAMUZIKI GIL SCOTT-HERON

Je, pana faida gani kusikiliza habari za Mmarekani mweusi Gil Scott- Heron aliyefariki mwezi uliopita? Sidhani wapo Watanzania wengi seuze Waafrika waliomjua msanii huyu aliyetoa albam 15 za muziki na vitabu vitano; vitatu vya mashairi na riwaya mbili alizochapa akiwa bado shuleni. Gil Scott- Heron alipofariki Ijumaa Mei 27 akiwa na umri wa miaka 62, alibeba taji la mwasisi wa muziki wa Hip Hop na “Bob Dylan Mweusi.”

Gil Scott-Heron akitumbuiza na bendi yake "Amnesia Express" ukumbi wa Jazz Cafe, London mwaka 1999. Picha na F Macha

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HOW MISTREATMENT OF “WAZEE” DEMONSTRATES A VANISHING TRADITION AMONGST RICH SOCIETIES

While in Africa the issue of age is sacred; in most developed countries it is considered “just a number”, if we may paraphrase a common Mzungu expression. To demonstrate a growing cultural trend many celebrities are nowadays applying anti aging substances such as Botox treatment and creams to look younger.

Botulinum Toxin is a potent neuro toxin which may affect and even poison nerve cells. In past twenty years Botox or Dysport, (its commercial name) has been used cosmetically.  When you look at the faces of some celebrities who have taken these very expensive treatments you sense their smile is no longer natural; their facial muscles have been altered.

In December 2009, former Miss Argentina, Solange Magnano died due to a “gluteoplasty” procedure to change her buttocks. Early this year a 20 year old black British student died after receiving silicone injections to enlarge her buttocks.
The whole Botox phenomenon is connected to age psychology.

Presenter, Miriam O'Reilly who won £150,000 against age discrimination, pic by Roland Hoskins.
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HAS NEOCOLONIALISM CONTRIBUTED IN MAKING US DISTRUST OUR LEADERS WHETHER GOOD OR BAD?

All languages and cultures have proverbs about leadership. One from Madagascar says: “When leaders are wise, so are the people.”  

Good leadership is the most needed element in Africa today. Not only are our leaders mistrusted, they are either despots or total fools; a nice one is considered manna from heaven. Think of those who resigned peacefully like Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Mandela who represent African substance, humility, joy, wisdom.

A demo against Arms trade. Pic courtsey of Haki Ngowi Blog

During these past 500 years, history has seen our mysterious, rich continent being turned into a lucrative playing ground for foreign powers. Mandela’s South Africa was under whites for 400 years. Back then only ten percent of the population ruled 80% majority non whites. When Madiba left jail twenty years ago, we expected sweet revenge. It had happened in Mozambique in 1975, so why not? However, being the unique leader that he was and surrounded by spiritual geniuses like Bishop Desmond Tutu, he chose truth and reconciliation. Mandela aimed to heal rather than antagonise the four centuries scar.