"World Party" - MIMI MAGAZINE

"WORLD PARTY" 

by black lily

Question. What do an Aussie erotic-pop artist, a Rwandan hip hop connoisseur and a British independent filmmaker have in common? Well, they are all members of Society HAE (SHAE), an online collective of artists described as a “point of convergence for the creative community across the globe.” Across the globe is right. Founded in May of 2009 by a forward-thinking Brooklyn boutique owner named Ngozi Odita, Society HAE features members from more of the world’s major metropolises than you can shake a map at. We’re talking Paris, London, Tokyo, Madrid, Amsterdam, Toronto and New York - just for starters.  And, in addition to the usual bubbling cauldrons of creativity, some of the talent finding its way to this unique virtual community is originating from far less obvious locales - Romania, The United Arab Emirates, Montego Bay and The Philippines.  To be sure,  the very strength  of Society HAE is built on its’ wildly diverse mix of ethnicities and nationalities, boasting a virtual populace more colorful than a pocketful of jelly beans.  And, most exciting for those with a cultural sweet-tooth, is the small but growing contingent of members from across the continent of Africa, members that are helping to transform outdated notions of what Mother Africa has to offer - what she looks  like, what she sounds like and  who she is.  

Negrita works in development in Kigali, Rwanda, although most of her free time is spent on her creative pursuits (writing, doing event promotion, management and PR).  She’s funny, smart, sassy, creative, bold, tech-savvy and super plugged into any and everything that’s going on in the world of pop culture. In short - she’s today’s African woman, and anyone with a mouse, a keyboard and internet access can get an eye-opening glimpse into her world. Through her creative blog posts, photos and the cutting-edge African music videos she shares with “friends,” Negrita showcases the very best of contemporary Afropolitan life, offering up a alternative perspective on the “breathtaking, dynamic land” she calls home.  But, if this uber-hip, attitudinal Rwandan  is looking forward, she’s also looking back, and her love of home, country and Mother Africa is blatantly clear, even in posts which touch upon a more painful history.  In her virtual musings, she has shared  intimate memories of marching in anti-apartheid protests as a teenager and profiled provocative artists like iyaDedE, a singer and survivor of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. 

Voices like Negrita’s are just what is needed on an international scale to begin shifting antiquated perceptions. Even in today’s post World Cup environment, when you ask most non-Africans about the continent, they’ll probably say a few words about Mandela and then proceed to paint a portrait of a land full of mud huts, gazelles and loin cloths. Blame it on the Lion King or on too many National Geographic documentaries, but non-Africans are definitely still clinging to old and misguided about the continent. It can be completely frustrating to informed, stylish, contemporary young Africans like Negrita. “Common Western misconceptions of the continent are usually based on pervasive images in the media,” the worldly young woman laments. “…the focus is placed on war, poverty, disease, famine, desperation.” And, if this is true of Africa, in general, it even more so of the notions which persist about  Negrita’s home country.....

Read the full story in MIMI Magazine here:

http://mimimagazine.com/2011/volume7issue1/Lifestyle___World_Party_...

check out more of my stories/articles/work here:

http://www.blacklilywrites.com/