stopped by the akwa ibom state council for arts & culture a couple days ago to see what's good. akwa ibom's cultural dance troupe placed second at the abuja carnival this year and have been grabbing up awards all over the country. i met council director mrs. jessey ekpo, who says they would have gotten more awards if it weren't so political--the power sits in abuja and, frankly, they don't want akwa ibom outshining them.

i asked her why traditional dance isn't seen as much as it used to be, in those days when people would go from compound to compound performing for whatever people would dash them. she said that 'people don't dance for nothing' anymore, but are looking for ways to package and sell a product for revenue, particularly in the realm of tourism. i was both heartened and disheartened by that revelation--happy that folks are stepping up their game, but sad that i'll never see those good old days again.

the cultural troupe's latest music/dance project is about good governance in anticipation of the 2011 election. i was thrilled to hear the men's choir perform/practice a beautiful song about nigeria and akwa ibom. if not for their angelic voices, i probably would have tuned out all the propaganda about good roads, an international airport etc. (eish, that stuff weirds me out, makes me think of chairman mao.) the women performers i saw were a lot less thrilling and a lot more pop without the substance.

sorry no pictures, i wasn't allowed; all i've got is the building. and why don't they have a website? all i found was this listing. --AL.

They did excellent PR for the AKISAN Convention this year (see the clip below). If only the convention itself had been just as good. There were the cultural dances and food, the speeches and planning sessions. And so much pomp, or should I say pop, meaning that the lead attraction was a Michael Jackson impersonator (true story).

I must formally air my complaint about the omission of the Miss Akwa Ibom 2010 pageant. No contestants? Really? I saw about 50 young women who fit the bill. And the officials spent so much time talking and fundraising that the closing night gala had only 30 minutes of dancing. Boo.

I only hope that the incoming president makes good on his vow to improve 180 degrees next year (now what exactly does that mean?). Jokes for days! --AL.

I am secretly obsessed with Grace Jones. And openly obsessed with London. Which makes this new show, opening at the Vinyl Factory, the perfect fix.

I dig everything about Ms. Jones. She's stylish. Avant garde. Timeless. Autonomous. Androgynous. And I'm not just talking about her haircut and broad shoulders--she embodies a cultural androgyny that speaks volumes about the times in which we live.

Born in Jamaica. Moved to US at age 12. Became a model, actor, singer. Moved to London. In an interview from 1986, she speaks with an American accent. In an interview from last year, a British one with a slight Latin drawl. Physically, she is a shape-shifting chameleon, a different look and style for every season. And even Lady Gaga's copying her.

Admittedly, I would not want to be Grace Jones. (Well, let me think about that for a minute.) People who push against the grain, stay consistently out of step with the mainstream, are the trailblazers who yank the rest of us forward. In some ways, I've always fancied myself as that kind of person, but I'm far more skittish about the kind of fishbowl isolation that lifestyle brings. It's really easy to call oneself an artist or progressive or avant garde than to actually live that life. I don't follow Lady Gaga or pop culture much, but from what I can tell, she's more of an image than a reality. For goodness sake, she makes pop music.

But I certainly wouldn't mind channeling my inner Ms. Jones from time to time. When I want to be bold and fierce and fabulous and free from social constrictions. She might be a little cooky, a little crazy, but I'll take what she's having.

Interaction! Yes.

One of my college mates, Whoopi, is investigating the representation of Africa in global media, specifically Hollywood films. She has an online survey that you can take if:

you are aged between 18-35,
AND
have at least one tertiary (university) degree,
AND
fulfill at least one of the following criteria:

1. Have studied abroad from your country of origin for at least 6 months,
2. Have traveled extensively outside your country of origin during your lifetime,
3. Grew up in a multicultural, ethnic, and/or racial household,
4. Are a first generation immigrant (i.e. grew up in the Western world born of non-Western parents), or
5. Have dual/multiple citizenship including a passport from an African country.

Contact her for more info/questions at chungu@usc.edu.