'For much of Africa the 20th century was overshadowed by the experience of colonial rule, with politcal independence arriving for most people only in the last 50 years. The Short Century is a broad survey of cultural life in Africa from the independence movements through the post-colonial era to the end of apartheid in 1994. Expansive, wide-ranging and illustrated, this book studies achievements in all areas of the performing and fine arts, photography, literature, theatre, architecture, music and film. "The Short Century" includes the works of over 50 artists from the paintings of Mancona and Sekoto during the '50s, through the drawings and theatre projects of William Kentridge up to the installations and video works of Kay Hassan and Oladele A. Bamgboye. The great writers of the continent - Soyinka, Senghor and Cesaire amongst others - Africa's filmmakers, architects and musicians, all of whom left their mark on the process of decolonization, are studied here in depth. Renowned historians and cultural philosophers discuss the background of developments and analyze the ideological strategies employed by Western colonial powers to preserve their grip on African countries and peoples. A chapter on photojournalism supplemented by a detailed chronology of events and political movements presents the main stages of Africa's political history. A comprehensive anthology in the appendix contains some 30 historical documents, such as essays, speeches and political manifestos, shedding light on the key issues of the period.' - from book flap.
Access level

Onsite

editor
Location code
REF.ENO
Language

English

Publication/Creation date

2001

No of pages

496

ISBN / ISSN

9783791325026

No of copies

1

Content type

anthology

Chapter headings

The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa 1945-1994 - Okwui ENWEZOR

The Surreptitious Speech - Valentin Y. MUDIMBE

Beyond Settler and Native as Political Identities: Overcoming the Political Legacy of Colonialism - Mahmood MAMDANI

ART

Modern African Art - Chika OKEKE

Independence and Liberations Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 - Marilyn MARTIN

A Moment of Hope: Developments in Nigeria before the First Military Coup - Ulli BEIER

CLOTH/POSTERS

Colonial Pretense and African Resistance, or Subversion Subverted: Commemorative Textiles in Sub-Saharan Africa - John PICTON

PHOTOGRAPHY

Postcoloniality, Performance, and Photographic Portraiture - Lauri FIRSTENBERG

ARCHITECTURE

City and Citizenship - Rory BESTER

The Ambiguous Modernisms of African Cites - Gwendolyn WRIGHT

Architecture and Nationalism in Africa, 1945-1994 - Nnamdi ELLEH

MUSIC

Independence, Highlife, Liberations Wars: Lagos 1950's and 1960's

THEATER/LITERATURE

Theater and the Performance of the Nation in Africa - John CONTEH-MORGAN

The Anatomy of Resistance in South African Theater - Maishe MAPONYA

Interview with Chinua Achebe - Obiora UDECHUKWU

The Weapon of Culture: Negritude Literature and the Making of Neocolonial Africa - Chinweizu IBEKWE

FILM

The Modernity of African Cinema - Mark NASH

African Cinema and Decolonization - Manthia DIAWARA

ANTHOLOGY

Pan-Africanism

Pan-Arabism

Liberation Movements

African Socialism

Discursive Spaces

Concepts / Debates / Contestations

Manifestos and Resolutions

The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa 1945-1994
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The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa 1945-1994

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