This is Beirut

Funk Legend George Clinton Brings Psychedelic Energy to Paris Gallery

This is Beirut, 01/11 14:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

At 84, George Clinton is a funk legend, ubiquitous hip-hop sample source, father of psychedelic Afrofuturism — and now, a painter with a show opening in Paris. Through it all, the self-taught American artist, the force behind the celebrated groups Parliament and Funkadelic, has hewed to his signature vision: “Gotta have that funk.” A life ...

Swiss Town Returns Sacred Artefacts to South Africa

This is Beirut, 29/10 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Culture Art Artefacts Switzerland Africa Neuchâtel

The Swiss town of Neuchâtel on Tuesday handed over to South Africa three artefacts that had spent more than a century in one of its museums. The set of 30 divining bones in a woven basket, a bull's foot bone used as an amulet, and a walking staff were purchased by Swiss missionary and ethnographer Henri-Alexandre Junod. The items came from the ...

Gabon Forest Cave Unlocks Secrets of Human Origins

This is Beirut, 06/08 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Heritage Archeology Culture Gabon Africa

In Gabon's sprawling forest, archaeologists dig for ancient clues that could unlock the secrets of how prehistoric humans lived and interacted within the changing landscape of Central Africa. Two billion years ago, the eastern Gabonese region of Lastourville was covered by a vast ocean. But that has long given way to dense forest and dolomite ...

Eclipse of the Century: Encounter with Darkness on August 2, 2027

Bélinda Ibrahim, 02/08 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Middle East Africa Lebanon Solar Eclipse World

On August 2, 2027, a narrow band of totality will stretch from southern Spain to the southern Arabian Peninsula, offering a dramatic celestial display already dubbed “the eclipse of the century.” It is set to be one of the most spectacular astronomical events of the 21st century. The eclipse will begin over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after ...

Ivory Coast Bets Big on Cinema to Rival Nollywood

This is Beirut, 18/07 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Africa Culture Art Films Ivory Coast

In the lush forests north of Abidjan, technicians were busy filming on the set of Le Testament (The Will), a comedy co-production between Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Under a large tree, village elders gathered to discuss the death of a wealthy local cocoa planter. In the film, his children return to their native village and bicker over ...

From YouTube to Afrobeats: Theodort’s Rise to the Stage

This is Beirut, 13/07 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music Festival Culture Art France Africa

Once a YouTube kid known for his musical parodies, Theodort has transformed into a rising singer and rapper. His debut album, released in 2024 and infused with afrobeats and amapiano sounds, is now lighting up festival stages across France this summer. “Performing on stage feels a bit like doing theater. Every show is different, even if it’s ...

Ivory Coast’s Abidjan Dreams of Becoming the Capital of African Cinema

Lyne Sammouri, 04/07 11:25 - Reading : less than a minute

cinema ivory coast abidjan africa nollywood

Ivory Coast is ramping up film production in a bid to become a major player in African cinema. With growing investment, youthful talent and rising international interest, Abidjan is positioning itself as a future hub for the continent’s film industry despite challenges.

Russia Steps out from Shadows in Africa with State Paramilitary

This is Beirut, 20/06 10:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Russia Africa Kremlin

With the rise of a paramilitary force that analysts say is controlled by the Kremlin, Russia is openly expanding its state military footprint in Africa, after years of distancing itself from mercenaries deployed on the continent to support pro-Russian rulers. Russia is using the Africa Corps force to increase its influence in particular in ...

The African Man vs. the European Man

Amine Jules Iskandar, 15/06 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Africa Europe Humans Man

Our planet has been home to various species of the Homo genus, with fossil evidence dating back around 2.8 million years. Among these, two species stand out as the closest relatives to modern humans: the European Homo neanderthalensis and the African Homo sapiens. About 660,000 years ago, two branches of the Homo genus diverged from a common ...

UN Raises Alarm as 36 Million Face Hunger in West and Central Africa

This is Beirut, 09/05 16:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

World Food Programme Africa United Nations

The UN World Food Programme sounded the alarm on Friday over escalating hunger in West and Central Africa as needs reach "record levels." More than 36 million people are struggling to meet their food needs, a number that could rise to 52 million people during the lean season between harvests this summer, the agency said in a ...

Trump Considers Gutting US Diplomatic Footprint in Africa

This is Beirut, 20/04 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Africa US State Department Donald Trump

The United States would drastically reduce its diplomatic footprint in Africa and eliminate State Department offices focused on climate change, democracy, and human rights, according to a White House order under consideration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that The New York Times, which first reported the existence of the draft order, had ...

Matthieu Chedid Revives 'Lamomali' with a Joyful Pulse

This is Beirut, 19/04 10:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music France Lebanon Africa Matthieu Chedid

Sequels? Not really his thing. “Stuff like Rocky II freaks me out, the idea of repeating the same thing.” And yet, eight years after blending voices and sounds from Mali into a groundbreaking choral album, -M- is back at the helm of a new Lamomali. “At first, I wasn’t into it at all. I thought doing a pale imitation would’ve been a ...

Africa