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INSIDE AFRICA

African Art and Culture

Aired June 26, 2005 - 12:30:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUMI MAKGABO, HOST (voice-over): It's one of the world's oldest surviving art forms, and now Africa's rock art is shedding new light on the continent.

We'll journey to Mali and one of West Africa's most treasured and historic sites, the cliff villages of Bandiagara.

Egypt's other fortunes: The pilgrimage through the splendors of Greek, Roman and Islamic legacies.

And they're fast becoming a signature of South Africa's performers -- musicals, and we share the sights and sounds as they take on the world.

That's all ahead on INSIDE AFRICA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: Hello and welcome to the program. I'm Tumi Makgabo.

This week, we take a journey across the continent, looking at the importance of art, beginning with Africa's rock art. It's one of the world's oldest surviving art forms, predating writing by tens of thousand of years. Studies of ancient rock paintings show how Africans interpret their surroundings. As Susana Gargiulo reports, this is shedding new light on the continent's past, proving that it's richer and more complex than we thought.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSANA GARGIULO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Go back nearly 30,000 years, and you will find our ancestors carving painting and molding their visions of the world and beyond into the rocky surfaces of Africa.

As a photographer, David Coulson has spent years documenting the art.

DAVID COULSON, TRUST FOR AFRICAN ROCK ART: We estimate that the number of sites in Africa is well over a million. You know, it's probably closer to 5 million, and if you think that each site could have thousands and thousands of images, you get some idea of the enormous extent of this art, you know. It is - it is quite extraordinary.

GARGIULO: Equally extraordinary, experts say, is how closely their thoughts and struggles mirrored those of humanity today.

GEORGE ABUNGU, KENYA CULTURAL CENTER: They were trying to express their cognitive system; they were trying to look at the - the concept of reality. They were looking at issues that were depictions of abstract kind of arts. And all this together really represents the way they looked at their whole environment.

GARGIULO: What these ancient artists didn't know is that their work might one day shed new light on Africa's past as one far more rich and complex than previously thought.

COULSON: It is the way in which African history might be rewritten from now on.

GARGIULO: It is a history that rightfully belongs to Africa, but one the continent has not always owned.

AMOLO NG'WENO, TARA COO: Partially it is because of the textbooks, at least of old, where - which gave the idea that humanity originated in Eastern Africa, and then somehow civilization arose in the fertile crescent or in Europe, and came to Africa in the last 500 years.

GARGIULO: At present, this record of ancient history is slowly falling prey to vandalism, theft, tourism and ignorance. To protect it, Coulson co-founded TARA, the Trust for African Rock Art, in 1996.

COULSON: Rock art in Africa, is, theoretically anyway, protected by law. But in the -- there is so much ignorance about it, its existence and its importance, that doesn't carry, you know, very much weight very often.

GARGIULO: TARA is currently digitizing some 20,000 photographic images of African rock art that it plans to make available to scholars worldwide. In addition, the group has enlisted the help of giants, such as Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: The rock art of Africa makes up one of the oldest and most extensive records on Earth of human thought. It is time for Africa's leaders to take a new and more active role. We must save this cultural heritage before it is too late.

GARGIULO: Susana Gargiulo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: Another archeologist's dream is the Bandiagara escarpments in Mali. It's located in a region lost in the mist of time, where the cultural heritage is still a thriving presence to the Dogon people. Recently, I took a trip to see the amazing sites in the cliff dwellings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO (voice-over): A breathtaking landscape down the plateau on a narrow road that leads to the village of Teli, in what is known here as Dogon country. It's located in the heart of Bandiagara, some 200 kilometers from Mali's capital, Bamako. Here, you'll find villages that are literally built into the side of the mountain.

(on camera): It's all part of the Bandiagara escarpment. It stretches for about 150 kilometers. There are 100 villages stretched out throughout the area, and this one is located approximately 50 meters above the ground.

(voice-over): The cliff villages, as they're often called, remain a wonder to all who come here. They're both fascinating and beautiful, the front of the cliff strewn with open caves and tiny houses etched into the rock face. The people who inhabited this area, the Dogons, chose the mountain because of the security it can provide.

LASSANA CISSE, BANDIAGARA CULTURAL CTR. (through translator): The region was constantly at war, so when the Dogon ancestors fled their original homeland to the west, they chose to live up here, hoping that would keep invading armies away.

MAKGABO: Many of the cliff villages are no longer occupied. In Teli, once most of the people had converted to Islam, they abandoned their mountainside homes for the plains below, because many of the practices did not conform to Islamic beliefs. The last dwellers here left the cliffs in the `80s.

But the houses above say so much about their history and culture, the villagers stayed nearby, and today proudly display their former homes to the many tourists who visit this area each year.

The Dogons did not only leave on the mountainside, they also buried their dead here, in the caves about 20 meters above the actual living area. And although these homes are now abandoned, the animists in the village below still lay their loved ones to rest up in the mountain.

CISSE (through translator): They use ropes attached to the cliff to climb up to the burial site, just like their ancestors did. And this practice is more common in some of the Dogon villages where they still are largely animists.

MAKGABO: There are other intriguing facts about life in the cliff villages. Here, our guide shows us the home of the spiritual leader, or hogan, who is confined to these quarters from the time he was appointed until he died. From here, he gave advice to help cure the sick, although no one, even his family, was allowed to see him.

The way of life in many of the new Dogon villages continues to change with time. Here in Teli, for example, there is now also a Catholic church. So as they cast down the old history of their cliff-dwelling ancestors, they seem determined to ensure that that heritage will stand the test of time. And they welcome all down this narrow path to get a glimpse of a life that was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: And still to come on the program, a look at Egypt's hidden treasures, and how South African performers are bringing the spirit of the past to life. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MAKGABO: Welcome back. Africa's unique cultures have left an impression on the rest of the world. In the north, images of pyramids, pharaohs and mummies take us to Egypt. Discoveries of historic symbols are happening every day, but the focus on the pharaohs and mummies have left other aspects of Egypt's rich culture nearly untouched. But as Sylvia Smith reports, that may soon change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVIA SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The real foundation of Egyptian civilization - the Nile River. And the resourceful people who inhabit its fertile shores. Each area has its own heritage and way of life, often expressed through music. And in Washington, a new initiative - using music to put cultures other than that of the pharaohs center stage.

Five days of events to show Americans Egypt in a different light.

DR. BRIGITTE BOULAD-KIESLER, ORGANIZER, EGYPT'S OTHER PASTS: We have succeeded in bringing alive culture to Egypt of today through the layers of its past. And more than that, people are curious to know more. And this is I think in itself, is a first step toward maybe a bigger success.

SMITH: The fact is, these symbols of a tremendous culture that the vast majority of tourists come to see are merely the tip of the iceberg.

ZAHI HAWASS, SUPREME COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES: You know, we discovered in Egypt until today only 30 percent of our monuments. Still, there is 70 percent is under the ground, and this is why I always say that almost every day, there is a major discovery happened, important things -- really comes by, and the sand of Egypt reveals lots of secrets.

SMITH: Even harder to believe that our fascination with King Tut and all things pharaonic is not much more than 100 years old.

MOUSTAPHA EL ABBADI, PROFESSOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY: With Arab supremacy, and Egypt became Arab and Islamic to a great extent, it eclipsed all previous past, including the pharaonic, for a long period, until 19th century.

SMITH: As pharaonic Egypt was rediscovered in front of the world's eyes, people were so dazzled by the glitter that they forgot everything else.

FEKRI HASSAN, PROFESSOR OF ARCHAELOGY: There was so much emphasis on the treasures and the gold and the idea of discovery itself, the adventure. That played into a change in the intellectual climate in Europe and nature of European civilization itself, with an increasing emphasis on materiality and goods, and with consumerism. And the way it will establish your status by acquiring goods and by luxury consumption.

So, gold and treasures became a fascinating subject for the public, and they were not able, I think, from the glitter of the gold to be able to see the hidden meanings of Egyptian civilization, which are more subtle, but are far more important to us in dealing with everyday problems, I mean, dealing with very (INAUDIBLE) issues of death, survival, poverty, disease.

SMITH: Even with fresh discoveries about the pharaohs being made on an almost daily basis, Egypt has decided to put the spotlight on the other cultures that have contributed to the long, rich and varied history of the country.

And the hope? That visitors will understand contemporary Egypt better. And to arouse curiosity to see more of the country when on a trip to Egypt.

Inevitably, Egypt will continue to be associated with all things pharaonic, so strong are the images in our minds. But if this initiative is successful, it will encourage us to dig a little deeper and think a little longer about Egypt's other pasts.

For CNN's "Inside Africa," I'm Sylvia Smith in Aswan, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: Next, to South Africa, where the sights and sounds of rhythmic dances, pulsating drums and the stamping of the feet make up an inherent part of the country's musicals. Paul Tilsley tells us how these extraordinary performances are also one of South Africa's most successful exports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL TILSLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a scene so common at Johannesburg International Airport that fellow passengers hardly bother to take a look -- the cast of yet another South African musical whooping their way to an overseas departure gate. Even the 33 singers and dancers of Vibrating Africa are fairly blase about this leave-taking. For the fourth year in a row, the company is off for a six-week European season. This tour, like the last three, is sold out.

TSHIDI WILDEMAN, PERFORMER: We have been around and seen great cultures, with -- and concerts, you know, people's atmospheres, and we really like to go out there and sing. You know, get to the real world and love, and get to know, actually, like other people, cultures, and get to know what other people's lives are all about.

TILSLEY: Nothing blase about this, a special Johannesburg performance involving both casts of "Umoja." The 60 company members recently returned from four years of overseas touring. Tonight's show is to thank loved ones for their understanding before one cast jets off again. This time, to Canada, while the other dances its way around the world, ending up later this year in Las Vegas.

(on camera): Shows like "Umoja" are a good expression of the African soul, and just for the audience. Most of the cast members are from South Africa's townships known for high unemployment. For these young men and women to perform overseas, it represents true upliftment and job creation.

SIBUSISO XOLO, UMOJA CAST MEMBER: In truth, I'm very excited. Since it should be my first time going abroad. And it's making a lot of difference in my life.

TILSLEY: The all-female cast of another musical, "African Mamas," preparing for their second long tour of Europe. They showed in rehearsal how they've taken numbers like Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down" and given them a uniquely African feel.

Then, there's African Footprint - after five years, it's still touring the world with two different companies. When Footprint started, Alfred Pakhati was a penniless township young star, and now .

ALFRED PAKHATI, AFRICAN FOOTPRING DANCE CAPTAIN: I've managed to achieve a lot of the basic things, you know, of living, like, you know, achieving a house, having a house. That's a big achievement, I would say, as a young peasant. And also managed to buy - buy a car and have got a family now, happily married with - with her, and I've got two kids.

TILSLEY: So, tonight, don't be surprised if the show playing in your town is from South Africa. The musical, it appears, is one of South Africa's most successful exports, achieving in the case of "Umoja" every performer's dream - to dance literally on Broadway.

Paul Tilsley, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: And still ahead, we'll be taking a look at your letters. And contemporary myths and legends. You don't want to miss that either.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MAKGABO: Again now, we're always asking you to e-mail us your thoughts and comments about the stories you see on the program, and this week we're going to take the opportunity to share some of your thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO (voice-over): After years of requests, the world's wealthiest countries finally capitulated to calls for the debt of some of the world's poorest countries to be cancelled. Many of you, including James Darko in Germany want to offer "congratulations to the NGOs, pressure groups, Bono, Paul Boateng MP, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, for making it possible for the poor nations in Africa and elsewhere to be relieved of their debt burden."

Although Mansur Yakubu agrees, he also wanted to sound a note of caution to the European leaders. "Africa's problem is the leadership, who are there to serve themselves and not the people. The Western democracy that we want to emulate has transparency as one of its values, but in the democratic package they want to export to Africa, there is no transparency." He suggests, "a mechanism in Africa that will check the vampirism and ensure transparency."

Of course, we would be remiss not to point out that there is disagreement. Lawrence Esho in Belgium seems unimpressed. His gripe was about the aid the continent receives. "I think aid to Africa will not help at all. It was nice to watch India say during the tsunami disaster, `we want no aid, we have adequate capacity.'"

And if like Odizie Ajike in Dublin, you would like the names of the African countries whose debts were promised to be relieved -- well, Odizie, they include Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

And Okoli (ph) in Lagos applauds the exclusion of Nigeria, because he says: "Nigeria's government is doing nothing for the people and the country itself."

And I simply could not resist this from Edward Ojejinmi, "I only want to commend your facelift. It's wonderful," he says.

Well, Edward, I wasn't sure whether to be worried by that comment or not, but seeing as I've not had a facelift, I decided to take it as a compliment and say thanks.

Please do you keep those letters coming. The address once again, insideafrica@cnn.com.

And finally this week, our focus on African culture ends with myths. All cultures have them, stories that explain why the world is the way it is, and Africa's myths and legends come into form of art. Sometimes these crafty works are the only surviving record of what particular cultures believed and what they valued.

But as Camille Wright Felton reports, not only is this art admired, it's significantly adding to our understanding of the myth.

FEMI OKE, CNN ANCHOR: And the show was going so well until it had to be interrupted. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, our viewers of INSIDE AFRICA, this is Tumi Makgabo's last show. Now, we've been given permission to do her a farewell celebration, as long as it was tasteful and not overt the top. So I have no idea what I'm doing here.

But instead of going to Egypt, Tumi, we are going to be going down memory lane. Are you ready for this?

MAKGABO: Oh, no. I don't know. Am I?

OKE: Tumi Makgabo, 2000-2005, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: Hello and welcome to the program. I'm Tumi Makgabo in Johannesburg, South Africa .

OKE (voice-over): Tumi Makgabo joined the CNN anchor team in the summer of 2000. In the early days of INSIDE AFRICA, she was but a twinkle in Jim Clancy's eye.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tumi Makgabo joins us now with a look at some of the other stories that are making news inside Africa -- Tumi.

MAKGABO: Thanks, Jim. We begin on the Comoros Islands, where a military committee in breakaway Anjouan seized power during the week.

OKE: Nice French accent, Tumi! And it came in handy when the INSIDE AFRICA team hit the road to Timbuktu and Mali, and visited Senegal.

Everywhere this anchor travels, she's known for her professionalism.

MAKGABO: (INAUDIBLE) INSIDE AFRICA.

OKE (on camera): You're watching INSIDE AFRICA.

(voice-over): A typical viewer e-mail goes something like this: "You are excellent, you are a beautiful woman." But she's no pushover, as this guest found out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wish you could be a little bit more specific as to what kind of charges that are being leveled against us.

MAKGABO: OK. You rape women. You burn down villages. You force people to fight for you regardless of what they think or say. You kill people for what seems to be no apparent reason. You loot villages. You - all of these are very specific allegations made against you.

OKE: Of course, there are always those INSIDE AFRICA guests who like to argue back.

MAKGABO: It's only recently become more apparent, this particular administration's interest in African affairs and involvement in what's going on in the country .

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, can I stop you there for a second?

MAKGABO: Please do.

BUSH: That's not true.

OKE: There is no truth to the rumor that our genial anchor is being deported after that exchange.

The real reason Tumi Makgabo is heading back to Johannesburg is contained in these pictures.

Yes, the hair dressers of Atlanta have sent her packing, as she's exhausted all the hair styles in the United States.

And finally, an answer to questions many have asked over the years. Yes, she is from South Africa. And yes, she's married.

MAKGABO: All right, Mr. President, I'm afraid that's where I'm going to have to leave it.

BUSH: Thank you very much for coming.

MAKGABO: And that's our look INSIDE AFRICA for this week. I'm Tumi Makgabo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAKGABO: You guys set me up so badly!

OKE: I come bearing gifts.

MAKGABO: Yeah, I think you need one too.

OKE: We have to ask you, what is the highlight of -- looking back over five years at CNN, INSIDE AFRICA, what's the highlight for you?

MAKGABO: You know, I think that the work. There has been so much to learn work-wise, but I think without doubt, it's the friends that I've made. You.

OKE: Great answer.

MAKGABO: And you know, so many people who've really become wonderful good friends, and I think that's going to be hard. I'm going to miss them.

OKE: And of course.

MAKGABO: And I'm going to cry.

OKE: . you'll be handing the job over to somebody who is brilliant and talented and.

MAKGABO: Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah.

OKE: . beautiful and gorgeous.

MAKGABO: No, that's not what I heard.

OKE: Jonathan Mann isn't available, so -- so would you like to make the announcement?

MAKGABO: Yes, yes. In fact, Femi Oke is going to be the new host of the program. I'm thrilled. I think it's going to be wonderful, and I think that she's only going to take the show from what it is to even better heights. I'm looking forward to watching you.

OKE: Be afraid.

MAKGABO: Be very afraid.

OKE: (INAUDIBLE).

END

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