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Bitaclan

@bitaclan

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Telling the stories of everyday Africans, at home and across the diaspora. Heritage honored, culture celebrated.
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Before Benin had an established national cinema, Pascal Abikanlou was already using film to document and examine the country’s cultural identity.

Under the Sign of Voodoo (Sous le signe du vaudou), released in 1974, follows a young man who neglects ritual offerings to the Vodoun deities and faces consequences that send him from his village to the city in search of a solution.

Made during a period of political and social transformation, the film places Vodoun spirituality alongside a rapidly changing society, bringing rural traditions, urbanisation, and questions of modernity into the same frame.

Abikanlou’s film is also an important piece of cinematic history: the Cinémathèque française identifies it as the first feature-length fiction film in the history of Beninese cinema. Originally made in 1974, it was restored and digitised decades later from the only surviving 35mm print, allowing a new generation to encounter a landmark of Beninese cinema.

Video Source: @bricsflix

#bitaclan #souslesigneduvaudou #benincinema #africancinema #filmhistory by @bitaclan

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3 days ago

Born on this day in 1938, Fela Kuti remains one of the most influential figures in the history of African music.

Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, on 15 October 1938, Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti developed Afrobeat, bringing together West African musical traditions with jazz, funk and other influences to create a sound that was unmistakably his own.

But Fela’s music was never only about the sound. His songs confronted corruption, military rule, inequality and political repression, while his performances at the Shrine became an important part of Lagos’ cultural and political life.

His music travelled far beyond Nigeria, influencing generations of musicians and helping establish Afrobeat as a major part of the global history of African popular music.

Fela died in Lagos on 2 August 1997, aged 58. Today, his music continues to be performed, studied and reinterpreted around the world.

In Remembrance of Fela Kuti.

#bitaclan #felakuti #afrobeat #nigerianmusic #africanmusic by @bitaclan

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4 days ago

A glimpse into the Ndjoub, a traditional dance of Senegal.
Performed through coordinated movement, music and percussion, the dance brings people together through a shared performance rooted in community and cultural tradition.

The dancers’ footwork, gestures and formations are part of a wider Senegalese dance culture in which music and movement accompany celebrations, gatherings and important social occasions.

These performances preserve not only particular movements and musical forms, but also ways of gathering and participating that have been passed between generations.

#bitaclan #senegal #ndjoub #africandance #africanculture by @bitaclan

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5 days ago

There was a particular ease to Osita Osadebe’s highlife. His songs could fill a dance floor while quietly offering advice about life, relationships, money, community and the choices people make.

Born in Atani, Anambra State, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe became one of the most important figures in Igbo highlife. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he developed a sound shaped by Igbo musical traditions, Afro-Cuban influences, guitar-led arrangements and an unhurried style that became closely associated with his music.

Much of Osadebe’s writing drew from Igbo proverbs and everyday experiences. His songs often carried observations about human behaviour and the realities of living, allowing his music to function as both entertainment and social commentary.

His 1984 classic “Osondi Owendi” remains one of the best-known examples of this approach, turning a familiar Igbo proverb into a song that travelled far beyond its original context.

Osadebe died in 2007, but his music continues to be heard, sampled, referenced and rediscovered by new generations. His recordings remain an important part of Nigeria’s musical history and of the story of Igbo highlife.

What is your favourite Osita Osadebe song?

#bitaclan #ositaosadebe #igbohighlife #nigerianmusic #africanmusic by @bitaclan

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7 days ago

Timbuktu (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako is the story of a desert family and a city whose ordinary life is taken over by armed militants. It’s quiet, beautiful and devastating, and the image on our cover says it all: one woman, arms wide, standing in front of their truck. 🟢⚫

Kidane, a cattle herder, lives in the dunes with his wife Satima, daughter Toya and young herder Issan. When a fisherman kills his favourite cow, a confrontation ends in an accidental death, and Kidane must face the militants’ new courts. 🐄

In the city, music, football, smoking and even laughter are banned. Women are forced under new rules. Yet people resist: a woman sings anyway, and boys play football with no ball at all. 🎶

Sissako filmed in Mauritania because Timbuktu was too dangerous, drawing partly on the 2012 killing of an unmarried couple by militants. It premiered in competition at Cannes. 🎬

Timbuktu shows what is lost when ideology and violence control a community. Our music, games and laughter are not small things. They are resistance. ✊🏾

#Bitaclan #Mali #AfricanCinema #FilmHistory #PanAfrican by @bitaclan

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10 days ago

For this week’s Words of Wisdom, Umar Muhammed Ameer (@vantage00_ ) speaks on creative conviction, trusting your vision, and the discipline of continuing to create even when the work feels unseen.

The reflection focuses on creating for yourself rather than waiting for immediate understanding or validation, while making the most of the tools available to you. Through persistence and a willingness to push your current gear to its limits, the work can continue to grow and eventually find the people who need to see it.

#bitaclan #wordsofwisdom #africanartists #creativepractice by @bitaclan

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11 days ago

In 1974, music was already part of the everyday life of Kinshasa.

Orchestre Symba, one of the bands active in the city's popular music scene during the 1970s. Working within the Congolese rumba tradition, the group recorded for labels including Pathé Marconi and EMI. Their recordings from 1974 included Kipuiu and Pensées Funèbres.

Orchestre Symba was also part of the wider musical network that shaped Kinshasa's music scene. Madilu System, who would later become known for his work with TPOK Jazz, began his professional career with the band in 1969 before moving on to other important groups in the city.

These images were filmed around Zaire 74, the landmark music festival held in Kinshasa alongside the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The festival brought musicians from across Africa and the African diaspora to the city, but this footage offers a more local view of that moment: a band performing in the streets of the city that shaped its sound.

The footage appears in Soul Power (2008), Jeff Levy-Hinte's documentary drawn from the extensive material filmed around Zaire 74.

Kinshasa was not only hosting a major international festival. It was already a musical capital, with its own bands, audiences and sounds.

Video Source: @jazzisdead

#bitaclan #zaire74 #kinshasa #congoleserumba #africanmusic by @bitaclan

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12 days ago

The Nok civilization produced some of the earliest known terracotta sculptures in sub-Saharan Africa, leaving behind a remarkable artistic tradition in what is now central Nigeria.

Dating from around 1500 BCE to 500 CE, the Nok terracottas are known for their expressive forms, distinctive features, and technical sophistication. These sculptures continue to provide important insights into the history, creativity, and cultural life of one of West Africa’s earliest societies.

Over the decades, however, many Nok works were removed through illegal excavation and trafficking, finding their way into museums, galleries, and private collections across the world. Their dispersal continues to raise important questions about provenance, preservation, and the protection of cultural heritage.

The story of the Nok terracottas is therefore not only about ancient art. It is also about archaeology, memory, and the ongoing effort to preserve and reconnect with one of Africa’s oldest artistic traditions.

What do you think should happen to cultural objects removed from their places of origin? Share your thoughts below.

#bitaclan #nok #nigerianhistory #africanheritage #archaeology by @bitaclan

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14 days ago

On 2 October 1958, Guinea became independent from French colonial rule.

Just days earlier, Guineans had rejected the proposed French Community in a historic referendum, choosing sovereignty instead. Ahmed Sékou Touré became the country’s first President, and Guinea entered independence as the first French-speaking sub-Saharan African territory to gain independence from France.

Today, Guinea marks 68 years of independence.

Happy Independence Day, Guinea. 🇬🇳

#bitaclan #Guinea #GuineaIndependence #AfricanHistory #WestAfrica by @bitaclan

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17 days ago

Kotto Bass, born Nyamsi Theodore Auger, was one of the distinctive voices and bass players of Cameroonian popular music in the 1980s and 1990s.

A gifted bassist, singer, arranger and studio musician, he worked at Sam Fan Thomas’s Makassi Studio before becoming conductor of the Makassi Band Corporation (MBC). His music brought together elements of Makossa and Congolese rumba, while his ability to sing in Lingala helped distinguish his recordings.

His breakthrough came with his 1993 recording of “Ponce Pilate,” a Congolese song originally associated with Tabu Ley Rochereau. In 1996, he released his first solo album, Edith Ndol’a Ngo, which became a major success in Cameroon and neighbouring countries.

Kotto Bass died in Douala on 20 November 1996, aged 33, just as his career was reaching a wider audience. His recordings, particularly Edith Ndol’a Ngo, remain part of the musical history of Cameroon.

#bitaclan #kottobass #cameroonmusic #makossa #africanmusic by @bitaclan

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17 days ago

On 1 October 1960, Nigeria became an independent and sovereign nation after decades of British colonial rule.

Independence established Nigeria as a federal state with a parliamentary system of government. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa became the country’s first Prime Minister, while Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe served as Governor-General and head of state. At the time, the country was organised into three regions: Northern, Western and Eastern.

Three years later, on 1 October 1963, Nigeria became a republic, with Azikiwe becoming its first President.

Independence Day is therefore not only a date to remember, but an important point in understanding how the Nigerian state was formed and how its political structure developed in the years that followed.

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria. 🇳🇬

#bitaclan #Nigeria #IndependenceDay #NigerianHistory #AfricanHistory History taken in Nigeria by @bitaclan

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18 days ago

Kiba, also known as Dinaka, is a traditional performance of the Pedi people of South Africa, bringing together dance, music, singing, and coordinated group movement.

The performance is closely associated with the use of dinaka, traditional reed pipes played together to create its distinctive musical sound. Dancers move in formation alongside the music and singing, with footwork and coordinated movements forming an important part of the performance.

Kiba is not simply a dance performed for an audience. It brings together music, movement, dress, instruments, and community, and continues to serve as an expression of Pedi cultural identity.

A tradition carried through generations, Kiba remains part of the cultural life and public celebrations of Pedi communities today.

Have you seen Kiba or Dinaka performed before?

#bitaclan #kiba #dinaka #pedi #southafrica africanculture traditionaldance by @bitaclan

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19 days ago