Chimurenga, a pan African platform of writing, art and politics founded by Ntone Edjabe in 2002. Drawing together a myriad voices from across Africa and the diaspora, Chimurenga takes many forms operating as an innovative platform for free ideas and political reflection about Africa by Africans. Outputs include a journal of culture, art and politics of the same name (Chimurenga Magazine); a quarterly broadsheet called The Chronic; The Chimurenga Library – an online resource of collected independent pan-African periodicals and personal books; the African Cities Reader – a biennial publication of urban life, Africa-style; and the Pan African Space Station (PASS) – an online radio station and pop-up studio.
The aim of these projects is not just to produce new knowledge, but rather to express the intensities of our world, to capture those forces and to take action. This has required a stretching of the boundaries, for unless we push form and content beyond what exists, then we merely reproduce the original form – the colonized form, if you will. It requires not only a new set of questions, but its own set of tools; new practices and methodologies that allow us to engage the lines of flight, of fragility, the precariousness, as well as joy, creativity and beauty that defines contemporary African life.
As Fela puts it, simply: who no know go know.
An incomplete roll call: Ramps, Scratch, Fransch, Frantz, Zimology, Wright, Roy, Tosh, Roach, Shahrzad, Armah, Nortje, Meshell, Lee, Ali, Hani, Busi, Buchi, Kippie, (the cry of) Winnie, Mongezi (“You ain’t gonna know me”), (King) Tubby, (Ken) Bugul, BigYouth, Badu-ism, Baldwin, Bili, Brathwaite, (Bra) Willie, (Bra) Wally, Kwani?, Kwaninis, Nina, Kalonji, Dyani, D-Money, Jimi, Djibril, Nkoli, LKJ, PBS, BNB (vol1), BOP, POC, TP OK Jazz, PE, Miles (sometimes), MAW, Matthews, Mazrui, Matigari, Metronome, Mapfumo, Mwalimu, Mongo, Zao, Shado, Ukooflani Maumau, Seithlamo, Chico, Ko-Shun, Okot p’, Gil-Scott, Ra, Akomfrah’s BAFC, Galeano, (General’s) Politburo, (Real) Rozano, Yambo, Yes & No, Neo, Dumile, Dudu, Douleur, Zeke, Zoe, Achille, Mashile, Micere, Okigbo, Biko, Betty D, Bessie H, Bessie S, Olu, Anikulapo, Sobukwe, The Leninist Czar, Wole, Were-Were, Desiree, Sangare, Ray, Lorde, Letta, Vera, Wenge Musica (4×4 bcbg), Mingus, Mos, Fani-Kayode, Onsulade, Seun, Sandile, Neg’Marrons, G-Force Reagon, Tuff Gong, Banton, Kiemute, Liyenkula, Kouakou, Fong Kong Bantu Soundsystem, Skeem, Labou-Tansi, Zackie, Tsitsi, Pakhati and the other 50, The other Dumisane – “If am the other who are you?”, (The) Artist, Tate, Taban, Govan, Ousmane, Tabane, (Neogy’s) Transition-ers, (Botsotso) Jesters, Staffriders, Glendora, Walker, (the other) Trevor, Themba at the House of Truth, Brenda, Bonga, Donga, Amandla, Almicar, Sedar, Spivak, Lady Saw, Samora, Tchicaya, Fodeba, Makeba, Marechera, Malangatana, Binyavanga, Chimamanda, (the hand of) Maradona, Sankara, Rakim, Rose, Manfila, Nah-ee-lah, Mafika, Fiel dos Santos, Marcos, hooks, Abdullah (no, Dollar), Mboya, Chinua, Gza, Tuma, Lumumba’s speech, La Guma, Tutuola, Midnight Children, Midnight Marauders, Said, Taiwa, Thandiswa, Appiah, Basquiat, Boukaka, A luta, Kalakuta, Union & Lutte, Ujamaa, Amandla (redux), Intifada, Chimurenga…in no particular order…
Current Chimurenga partners include Pro Helvetia – Johannesburg, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Heinrich Boll Foundation