Rwandan genocide through Helen Wilson’s eyes

The saying ‘it is never too late to start’ applies well to Helen Wilson. In her late thirties, she picked up a paintbrush and started communicating with the world how she knew best – using brush strokes on a canvas. Helen Wilson is a black/dual heritage, working class, self-taught, artist whose passion lies in speaking for the voiceless. Her work unlike many artists addresses social and cultural injustices across the world.

It is this passion that led her to pick up a paint brush. Images of the Rwandan genocide broadcast on TV in 1994 compelled Helen to learn more about the situation so that she could educate her children whilst raising awareness of the tragedy that went untold.

An image of a child lying on a mass grave

With limited funding, Helen travelled to Rwanda in 2002 where she met survivors and visited massacre sites. On her return to the UK, she transferred her experiences on large-scale oil paintings which tell a powerful story of personal dignity, courage and survival. She also managed to maintain the beauty of Rwanda and its people with her vibrant colours.

We had a chance to marvel at the power behind her painting skills and her underlying profoundness by visiting her exhibition at the Butetown History & Art Centre at the Bay. Entitled Making Sense: A Rwandan Story, Helen is showing Cardiff the Rwandan genocide and its aftermath through her eyes.

The exhibition is running until the 16th January 2011 and is worth seeing if you have some time.

Stalled sales at Xquisite Africa

On the 12th of September at exactly 12 o’clock in the afternoon, Ms Janet Symmons of Xquisite Africa, a quirky well stocked African shop situated on City road, was frantically called by a friend to witness what had happened to her store in the early mornings. Fire broke out at 4 a.m. due to an electrical fault caused by the freezer. Unable to get in touch with her, the fire brigade did the best they could to salvage what was left, leaving her to pick up the pieces later.

Degree of damage to Xquisite Africa Picture:Bibiana Iraki

Originally from Ghana, Ms Symmons migrated to the UK in 1980 and opened the store 24 years later when she realised that there was a need for Africans in Cardiff with regards to buying hair, food, and beauty products.

The African community had only just started to grow and a lot of people began to complain about the long and expensive trips they made to London or Manchester in order to get African produce and products. Ms Symmons opened Xquisite Africa to cater to those needs once she got a suitable location on city road- one that grew to be the focal point of Africans in Cardiff.

“This was the first major African shop to open in Cardiff” she said. “I started small and humble with a stall at the student union, then at Splott market and finally Xquisite Africa.”

The way the store came to be is what makes Ms Symmons popular among the African community. There was only around five Ghanaians and a couple of Nigerian students in the 1980s. Ingeniously, when Ms Symmons realised that the African population was steadily increasing, she kept a record of all her customers and details of what they expected from an African store. Keeping track of the growing African community and maintaining good relationships with her customers is what drew us all to this shop. “I have formed a lot of relationships with majority of the African community in Cardiff since I started” she said.

To her and many Africans in town, the space was more than just a shop. It created opportunities for people to meet and catch up whilst doing their shopping. Mrs Jebet Okafor a loyal customer and friend to Ms Symmons shared her sentiments. “Life in Cardiff is completely different to that in Africa” she said. “Catching up with friends back home was not difficult. We didn’t work so much so we had time for each other” she exclaimed.

Ms symmons: "We will have our rendevous back soon" Picture:Bibiana Iraki

The closure of the shop is set to affect many Africans as this was the only store that stocked a wide variety of African produce and products. She is however holding sales on weekends to clear the remaining stock that was unaffected by the fire. “We intend to open in February of 2011” she told us. “And this time round, we will be bigger and better.”

The passion and excitement in Ms Symmons voice is contagious. Her heart is undoubtedly African, her warmth that of our African mothers which feel you up with words of wisdom spoken with conviction.

She urged all her customers to be patient with her and promises a grand opening in February. “We will have drums, dancing and African music that will inject colour and life into City road” she said. “I intend to open an African social club that we all desperately need” she added. “One that can allow our children to learn about where they have come from.” After talking to her, Cardiff should expect more than just a shop this time round. Xquisite Africa is going all out and bringing Africa to the heart of Cardiff.

Ms Symmons is also popular in the larger Cardiff community as the woman who led the campaign for Ama Sumani in 2008, a terminally ill Ghanaian woman who was deported to Ghana regardless of her condition and lack of funds to sustain kidney dialysis and cancer care in Accra.

East African Swagga

East Africa is not just about Safaris, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the indigenous Masai tribe, or the Primates of Uganda and Rwanda. Neither is it only about the war in Darfur, hunger in Somalia or disease as depicted by the media. Cardiff got a chance to see the other side of East Africa thanks to DJ Peter and his crew.

On the 5^th of November, as Indians were celebrating Diwali , East Africans gathered at Pure night club off St. Mary street to show what their youth’s culture was all about – through music.

From Genge, an expressive, poetic type of music that is equivalent to hip-hop, and which originated from one of the poorest areas of Kenya – the term Genge is slung for a ‘group of people’ and was birthed by a gang of young men whose creativity quickly spread throughout East Africa opening doors for a lot of the oppressed youth in that part of the country.

To Bongo flava, a genre developed in the 90’s from the capital of Tanzania known as Dar-es-salaam. This is also Tanzania’s version of hip-hop, with intonations from the more traditional styles such as taarab and dansi. Like Genge, Bongo flava became a popular sound in neighbouring Kenya and Uganda.

Also representing were the beats of Uganda, also known as Lugaflow, which originated from students of Makerere University, one of East Africa’s leading institutions. The Ugandan hip-hop scene also began in the early to mid 90’s and infested the rest of East Africa, like its counterparts Genge and Bongo flava.

There was also some Kwaito from South Africa, Nigerian music, a fair share of hip-hop and RnB, dancehall and funky house which created a perfect mix and provided an environment where everyone could relax,enjoy and feel at home whilst experiencing the beats of East Africa.

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From this event, it was clear that hardships faced by the urban youth is similar in all parts of the world. Genge, Bongo flava and Lugaflow were a cultural movement started by the East African youth in the 90’s , and influenced by the American hip-hop scene. Just like hip-hop in America, and Grime in the UK, the youth of East Africa used music to express themselves and create ways out of difficult situations . For many, it has afforded them with financial opportunities that their parents could never dream of.

It was without a doubt a memorable night, and a breath of fresh air from the usual hip-hop and RnB scene in Cardiff. If you missed it, be sure to catch the next session in December when Kenya and Tanzania will be celebrating their independence. Further details will be revealed on the events page so look out for that.