Do you want to be a part of the ‘I.Am.Eclectik’ movement??

You can contribute to showcasing Africa’s diversity, creativity and talent in 3 ways!

• Send us a photo diary! Which city are you in? What did you see? What did you do? Show us!
• Write about a pressing issue or topic in less than 400 words.
• Get vocal or get writing! Send us your poetry in video or written form!

To Create. To Inspire. To Spread Soul. Be a part of the movement by emailing: info@eclectik-city.com!!

 

Alvin Kathembe

Johannesburg/Nairobi

Poet, Student Pilot, budding philosopher

URL: http://www.writerscafe.org/TMA

Twitter:@ThatManVizzle

Four Easy Steps to Success – For Dummies

A Poem by Alvin L. Kathembe

Karen Lucas (KAZ)

Singer/ TV Personality/Philanthropist

Nairobi, Kenya

Project: Kenyan Woman

Karen Lucas is both a friend and a personality I admire for many reasons; her relentless ambition, her positive aura and enormous talent. She is known to millions of Africans as Kaz from the hit TV reality show ‘Project Fame’, however she got her big break at the age of 14 when she won an impromptu rap battle at a Coolio concert in Nairobi.

Now Kaz is using her influence on society to effect positive change by launching an initiative aimed at empowering women in Kenya and around Africa.

‘Kenyan woman is a project has been inspired by personal experiences of women who have gone through extarordinarily difficult life experiences and yet have been able to take on those challenges and go on’.
‘The aim of the documentary is to inspire hope and let women know that no matter what problems they may be facing at any given time, there is always a way out’.

Kenyan Woman premieres this Friday, July 6th. Check out the trailer below!

 Ally Rehmtullah (Age 26)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

URL:  http://www.allyzdesigns.com / http://www.facebook.com/allyrehmtullah

Twitter: @AllyRehmtullah

After a late-night photo shoot my friend and also acclaimed Tanzanian fashion designer, still found time to send me a summarized photo diary of his star-studded fashionable life!

This is the story of Ally Rehmtullah-a driven 26-year old who has taken his collections to the catwalks of Paris, London and fashion events across Africa. There is no sign of him slowing down any time soon!

Check it out below!

FULL ARTICLE »

 

At what point does it all end? Life, Love, Peace, Music, Education, Experience…The River Nile The thought of everything that life holds is extremely overwhelming-all the factors that go into a full 24 hour day.

If you’re religious or superstitious you are probably thinking about all the near-misses; bad wishes, bad thoughts, karma, walking under that ladder. If you are an empathetic person you are thinking about the myriad of injustices that go on in the world today-pollution, desertification, child labour, money laundering and all the evil concieved by the Human race.

FULL ARTICLE »

Tandi Kathembe

Radio host/Aspiring writer

Tanzania

BRIGHT PINK TOES

I had pretty feet once
Flawless, smooth and unlined
And I loved to show them off
Like trophies of a life without hardship

Now I cover them up
To hide accumulated scars
Unwanted blemishes that carry stories
Stories of effort, toil and injury

Tonight, I paint my toes bright pink
Representing hope, faith and prayer
The light that will one day illuminate my dark existence
Pink, against a backdrop of black and brown

I wish that one day I will love my scars
The imperfections that define my life
Knowing that the journey is finally over
And let the peace of the Lord wash over me

GAME ARENA

FUNKY’S, MASAKI, DAR ES SALAAM

TEL: +255 788 176 766

Business Hours: Weekdays  2pm-7pm, Weekends 10am-10pm

 URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GAME-Arena/133716016745537

Located in the food court at Funky’s is every (BIG AND LITTLE) boys dream-35 monitors, every Xbox game you ever wanted to play, with the option of up to four players to set off just enough competition to get your adrenaline pumping!

I’m talking about Game Arena! This relatively new establishment is run by Steve Swai, an entrepreneur who just relocated from England and since its official opening in January of this year, it has been a hit with the kids who frequent Funky’s. I have tried my hand at video games a few times and I know enough not to play too often because I couldn’t deal with an addiction like that at this point in my life, however, it is very easy to picture Game Arena as a major success in the few months to come.

I visited Game Arena on a quiet, Monday afternoon to interview Steve about his business and what the future looks like.

 

How did you come up with this idea?

‘I have a son and I would take him and his cousins out on most weekends and realized there are not many places to go or activities we can do together. I’d take them to the beach, out to eat but one ting for sure, is that and every boy loves their PSP’s and Playstation games so I put two and two together and Game Arena was born. For Tshs. 5000 an hour kids can come and play whatever Xbox game they want.’

What are the main attractions?

XBox games. We have everything from football games, Modern Warfare and car-racing games. The most popular though, are Modern Warfare 3, Fifa 12 and Star Wars. FULL ARTICLE »

 

I once asked my friend Kate if she had a blog, after following her on Twitter for some time, to which she replied, ‘I have a hot one!’

It seems only natural for a young, African with such passion for life and a wealth of knowledge to document the one thing she loves most-Africa.

I wasn’t disappointed by this Tumblr blog bursting with colour and information on everything from magazine spreads to vintage pictures and music from Africa or inspired by Africa! It is quite the journey! I fear you might get lost in it, so do spare a bit of time to dive into katebomz.tumblr.com

Compiled by T.Soul

 

Akbar Thabeet

Communications Student/Photographer

Twitter: @iamfrsh183

‘Everyone can hold a camera but not everyone has an eye for photography’- Words spoken by the one guy that can turn even the most basic idea into a work of visual art. You’ve definitely spotted the cool, calm and collected Akbar Thabeet; a constant feature in all the hotspots, either partying or watching you party from behind the lens of a Canon 5D Mark II.

I met Akbar to discuss photography and the future. He’s currently on a break from studying for a Communications degree and during this time he has earned himself a name as a much sought-after photographer, booking photo shoots with various personalities and individuals around Tanzania.

How did you start?

‘I got my first camera when I was 17. I just like taking pictures. People got to see my work and from there more and more people asked if I could photograph them.’

‘I don’t consider myself a professional photographer. There are people I think are better than me but I don’t feel I have gotten to that level’.

FULL ARTICLE »

 Adam Issara

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Twitter: @AdamIssara

My mind…

 

In my mind,
A mind of dreams,
Ambition and intrigue,
An imagination that has no bounds or borders,
I see a world,
Where we all abide by God’s orders,
A world where no problem exist,
And every fear vanishes,
With the morning mist,
A touch of heaven on this earth,
A world unlike today’s,
Sculpted and molded by ideals,
Belief, faith, trust and love,
A world I feel can never be real,
For I know this world can never heal,
And so this heavenly world remains
But in the echoing thoughts of a boy dreaming mind.