Sunday, May 03, 2009

Humor in Africa - Fred Halla (Tanzania)

1- What do you know about the history of humor in your country?It has been there for ages, as we have the rock drawings, so it was there before us.Seems to be the oldest rock Art of all.
2- Has it ancestral roots or is it just a contemporary formula of European importation of facing reality? It has ancestral root, may be when it comes to tools are European Importation. The ideas remain African.
3- Are there many cartoonists in your country? YES
If yes, what are their names?
Ali Masoud ‘KIPANYA”, King Kinya,Fred Halla, Chris Shola, Abdallah Masoud, Popa Matumula, Mussa Ngarango, Haji abeid, Noah Yongolo, Cloudy Chatanda, James Gayo, Danniel Mzena, Fadhil Mohamed, Adam Lutta, Abdul King O, Francis Bonda, Oscar Makoye, Sammi Mwamkinga, Nassoro Mjusi, Robert Mwampembwa, Ibra Washokera, Sagawala, David Chikoko, Ms. Zaituni Sayeedea, Simon Regis, Ahmed Viriyala, Supa Deo, Chris Katembo
Do you have their contacts?YES
4- Are there any Humor Festivals in your country?NO
5- Is there any specialized humoristic press in your country? YES
If yes, whar rae the names of the newspapers? SANI, Is the other press publishing cartoons?ALMOST EVERY NEWSPAPER
6- Why did you decide to dedicate yourself to this art? PASSION AND WAY OF COMMUNICATING MY IDEA
7- Who are your local masters? ALI MASOUD ‘KIPANYA’(www.kipanya.co.tz)
Which are your international references?The late MacNeil
8- Do you think that in your graphic style there is a special African influence? A LOT
9- Can African Culture influence your way of creating humor? VERY MUCH AS WE TRANSFORM OUR WAY OF LIFE TO LAUGH AND JOKE ABOUT AUTHORITY
10- What is your definition of humor? COMMUNICATING THROUGH SATIRICAL APROACH
Which is the role of cartoon in the contemporary society?IT HELPS ON TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITY POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND CULTURALLY.
11- Do you think that your political opinions influence your cartoons? YES
12- How does your country see graphic humor? AS TOOL OF COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT
13- How do the politicians react? THEY DON’T LIKE TO BE DRAWN, HOWEVER SOME ENJOYS.
Is there any official censorship? YES, FROM GOVERNMENT THROUGH EDITORS
Are there any governmental or private persecutions? YES, SOMETIMES
14- Further to political problems, are there any ethnic, religious or social problems for that censorship? RELIGIOUS YES,
15- Are the ethnic issues an obstacle for a democratic laugh? NOT REALLY
And what about the religious ones? DEPENDS ON THE ANGLE.
16- Have you ever been persecuted or went to prison? NOT YET
17- Do you believe that humor can help with the democratization of the world? IT DOES
18- What do you think about the relationship between Africa and Europe? ONE SIDED, WHERE AFRICA THINK IT NEEDS HELP FROM WEST, WHILE WEST SEE THE POTENTIAL THAT AFRICA HAS FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT, IT’S A CONFUSION TO ME.
North and South? SOUTH ARE DEPENDANTS
19- Can humor be a helpful instrument in that relationship?YES, WE DID A LOT, BUT DEPENDS ON THE PARTICULAR COUNTRY AS NOT ALL COUNTRIES LIKE HUMOR.
An instrument to allow us to know better each one of us? YES
Or do you believe that it should be done in more serious ways, through other forms of art? IT WORKS ON ITS OWN HOWEVER OTHER ARTFORMS CAN STILL WORK ON THEIR DIRECTION.
20- If you succeed to laugh with everybody, can Peace be an universal reality? NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.IF THE WORLD COULD LAUGH AT ONCE, WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE AT LEAST.
Name: Fred Halla
Birth Date: 22nd May 1975
Place of Birth: Songea
Nationality: Tanzanian
Sex: Male
Marital Status: Single
Language: Fluent in Kiswahili and English
Profession: Visual Artist
Computer Literacy: Introduction to PC and Windows software applications
Contacts: P.O Box 5260, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tel: +255 754 263 810,
Email: fredhalla@yahoo.com
Websites: www.artshost.org/rafiki
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
2002 -2005 Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Dar es Salaam
1996- 1998 Advanced Level education at Jitegemee High School in Dar es Salaam.
COURSES/ TRAINING.
2001 Illustration course by Children’s Book Project for Tanzania
1999 Book Illustration Course by Ministry of Education and Culture in collaboration with SIDA.
WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS ATTENDED
2008 Ngoma International Artists workshops in Uganda
2007 Rafiki Regional Workshop in Dare s salaam
2004 Illustrators Workshop organized by The British Council - Dar es Salaam.
2004 Website Designing Workshop organized Rafiki Art Trust in Dar es Salaam
2002 Advanced Cartoonists Workshop organized by The British Council
Dar es Salaam.
2001 Workshop on Primary Education Development Program (PEDP), awareness creation and development of Information, Education and Communication Material (IEC) organized by Ministry of Education and Culture.
EXPERIENCE
2005 to date Chairperson Rafiki Art Trust
2004 Coordinator for Regional Mural Painting Workshop by Rafiki Art Trust.
2001 Displaying designer for Embassy of Japan exhibition “East African Leading Cartoonists”.
EXHIBITIONS
2008 Group exhibition on the South African Heritage Cultural Week in Tanzania at Alliance
2007 Group exhibition at British Council Tanzania
2007 Group exhibition at Nyumba ya Sanaa by Rafiki Art Trust
2003 Online exhibition on “Romanian Great Comedian, Writer, Poetry” (Calgiale Caricatures) organized by Eastern Europe Cartoonists Rights Network.
2003 On line exhibition ‘bongotoons website’ at Virtual Museum of Contemporary African Art in Netherlands organized by Africaserver Foundation in Netherlands. (www.vmcaa.nl/bongotoons).
2002 On line exhibition on “XXI Century Great Personalities” in Romania organized by Eastern Europe Cartoonists Right Network.
2002- World Press Freedom Day (Open air exhibition) organized by Popular Association of Cartoonists in Tanzania.
2002- Public exhibition on National Census awareness (an open air) organized by Popular Association for Cartoonists in Tanzania.
2001- “Election 2000” at Nyumba ya Sanaa organized by Wasanii Art Gallery.
2000- East African Leading Cartoonists (WITTY BLACK LINES) held in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, organized by Embassy of Japan.
2000- Water color Paintings at the embassy of Finland organized by Fine Artist Association of Tanzania (FAAT).
AWARDS:
2008: The Winner of International Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur Award 2008 (IYVAE 08) in Tanzania.

// posted by humorgrafe @ 12:13 PM
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