Nomad_Africa_Edition12

In recent years, chaotic Dakar, with Cape Town, have
become symbols of something new. African designers rooted
in tradition but creating something new - on their own terms.
A growing middle class also creates an African market.
Young proud designers stay and create in their own
countries.
and can now invest heavily worldwide.
"i like to use the amazing prints we have
in Senegal. But in a new way. i felt that
slim shoes could work for a larger audience,"
she says.
From the outset, she wanted everything
produced locally. But it turned out difficult,
the local shoemakers could not deliver.
"if i were to grow, i had to go outside
Senegal. Here you could make 100 pairs
of shoes in six months. i found a very
professional manufacturer in Fes, Morocco,
who can make 1000 pairs in a
month", she says.
all fabrics and production of bags take
place in Dakar. The interest in stores in
New york, Paris and other european
countries means she is constantly on the
road.
When we meet she is on her way to indonesia.
"The internet has changed the lives of
many africans and especially if you are
an entrepreneur and want to sell clothes,
photos, art or music. i see it as a revolution",
says aissatou Sene.
in recent years, chaotic Dakar, with cape
Town, have become symbols of something
new. african designers rooted in
tradition but creating something new -
on their own terms.
a growing middle class also creates an
african market. young proud designers
stay and create in their own countries.
as rapper Didier awadi says: "cultural activists
affect more than political activists."
New taxi ride takes us to a new neighbourhood
and yet another wrong address.
But there is always somebody
who walks with us the last bit.
in a villa area in ouakam, one of the most
famous faces of new african design,
Selly rabe Kane, has her showroom,
slash home, slash venue, slash workplace.
She took the world by storm with her
colourful surrealistic clothes. Famous
artists Beyonce and rihanna loved it. in
2019, new products she has created with
furniture giant iKea will be launched.
She sees no difference between fashion
design, art, film or other cultural expressions.
"To me, fashion became a way of expressing.
But i'm interested in all kinds of
media, right now i'm working with virtual
reality," says Selly rabe Kane.
Meeting her in her showroom is also
very Dakarish.
We have booked time for interview and
photography, but when we get there,
the entire place fills with a cNN team.
The team is making a feature about
world-famous Dakar hip-hop group
Daara J Family, a k a Faada Freddy and
Ndongo D.
People come and go and of course, you
have talk to everyone. a clear picture of
how the creative revolution evolved in
Dakar.
Most people know each other and help
each other to individual success.
"absolutely. We have all worked together
in art collectives, i joined one
called les Petites Pierres, we helped
each other to move on. To me, the most
interesting is young people in Dakar now
express themselves from their deep
roots in africa.They do not need to move
to a Western country to be accepted as
designers and artists," says Selly rabe
Kane.
She moved to Paris to become a lawyer.
But she neither liked France nor the professional
choice.
"France was heavy for me. Most people
i met were so predictable and i wanted
to develop, so i had to come home
again. Here in Dakar, everything happens
by accident and that's how i want to live,"
she says.
New scary taxi ride home to young photographer
Sidy Mohamed Kandji. or actually,
he works as an aD at an
advertising agency and has photography
as a hobby.
"My dream is to be able to live on photography,
but i also love my work. We'll
see what happens,” he says.
everything began when he started taking
pictures of hip-hop artists. The artists
loved his pictures and ordered covers for
cDs and made him a sort of head photographer
at concerts.
But Sidy wanted to develop and started
with fashion photo and landed in documentary
photo. During violent political
unrest in 2012, he was amid the masses.
"i was pretty scared. i´m not a press photographer
and ran among the protesters
and it was sometimes violent," he says.
The pictures later ended in a book and
allowed him to continue with the documentary
photo.
He travelled to ethiopia and followed a
religious group and for four years he was
involved in a photo book project about
a Sufi group in rasta hair called Baye Fall.
"They live simple lives and differ a lot
from other Muslim groups. it has been as
exciting to follow them as to hear everyone
else's comments about them," he
says.
He has also taken many close-ups portraits
of friends and completely unknown
people in Dakar.
"it can be difficult to take pictures of ordinary
people. Most people think anyone
taking pictures would sell them for
big money abroad," says Sidy Mohamed
Kandji.
Next stop, we negotiate with taxi drivers
who are not so excited about driving to
the district of Hann Maristes. We meet
young artist and world-citizen Papi, alias
Mamadou Wane.
He grew up in Mali, ethiopia, rwanda
38 | www.nomadafricamag.com | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | Issue 12