Chic African Culture Blog

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

African Culture is World Heritage

Appreciate Africa through African art, food, proverb sayings, folklore, biographies, spirituality and African living history.

Iconic Black Hairstyle Photographer

Legendary Black Hairstyle Photographer

Black hair photographer Ojeikere was an internationally celebrated African black hair photographer.






The natural hair revolution began with the legendary black hairstyle photographer Johnson Donatus Aihumekeokhai Ojeikere also known as J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere born in Nigeria Africa in 1930. 


Natural hair revolutionists power of black women began with African legendary black hairstyle photographer 'Okhai Ojeikere. He highlighted modern and traditional African perspectives of the art of hair design. Each African hairstyle had its own uniqueness giving a glimpse into the talented camera of a legendary Nigerian photographer. 


Ojeikere was a black hair photographer who is known for his work with unique hairstyles found in Nigeria. Ojeikere was raised in a small town in rural southwestern Nigeria.

The unique artistry of African hair has a long storied tradition
He lived and worked in Lagos, Nigeria. At the age of nineteen, JD Okhai Ojeikere buys a modest camera from a neighbor who taught him the basics of photography. His talent was noticed by the West Africa Publicity for which he worked full-time from 1963 to 1975 when he set up his studio "Foto Ojeikere." 

JD Okhai Ojeikere began working on his Hairstyle series in the late 1960s after he joined the Nigerian Arts Council and began documenting the country's culture. Forty years, he continued across Nigeria photographing hairstyles. Ojeikere photography of hairstyles of Nigerian women in everyday life, on the street, in the office, at parties leaves a heritage of anthropological, ethnographic and documentary legacy.  

For Ojeikere, this was a never-ending project as hairstyles evolve with fashion: "All thesis hairstyles are ephemeral. I want my photographs to be noteworthy traces of Nigeria. I always wanted to record times of beauty, knowledge of times. Art is life. Without art, life would be frozen."


This iconic photographer passed away on Sunday, February 2, 2014.




Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

This Week’s Best Posts and Pages

Nature Holds Many Secrets | Hurricanes, Angry African Ancestors

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Eastern coasts of Caribbean, United States, and South America, are in danger of being blasted by hurricanes wind and rain during hurricane season from June through November. But, why? The scientific reason why is because of Africa’s Sahara desert dust storms and the transition of thunderstorms off the west coast of Africa. The waters in the North Atlantic Ocean are typically at their warmest while the Sahara is at its hottest from July through October, so the chances of a hurricane are highest during these months. African legend, the paths hurricanes follow. Hurricanes are gigantic weather systems using convection, the movement of hot and cold air, to create dangerous storms. They are rotating heat engines powered by the warmth of tropical waters having three main parts, the eye, the eyewall, and rainbands. Hurricanes cannot form just anywhere in the world due to the need for hot and humid air. They normally form close to the equator and move west or northwest. Hurrica
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What is the difference between ugali and fufu

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How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
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South African Beef Curry Recipe

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Perfect South African Apricot Beef Curry Recipe South African beef curry recipe is a South African food recipe to share around the world while learning about South Africa rainbow nation food history and favorite recipes of Black African, Colored mixed race ancestry, White, and Indian. South African Beef Curry Recipe When it comes to quick and satisfying slow cooker crockpot meals South African Apricot Beef Curry recipe is at the top of the African food dinner recipe list. Use your slow cooker for this simple South African Apricot Beef Curry recipe, it is full of apricot jam, spices and tender beef to serve with rice and grilled bread. How to Make Perfect South African Apricot Beef Curry Recipe Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture By Chic African Culture African food recipe South Africa food is one of the most diverse on the African continent. South African apricot beef curry is an easy delicious slow cooker dinner recipe to make on a weeknight. South Afr
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How to make sweet Nigerian Agege bread

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Pronounced ah-gay-gay agege bread is century old sweet tasting bread very popular with Hausa people in the West African country of Nigeria. Traditional Agege bread is not sold as sliced bread.  Agege is a district in the Ikeja Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. The name Agege bread was created by a Jamaican immigrant, Alhaji Ayokunnu in the town of Agege. His Agege bread was a popular street food for people on the go therefore he opened up a full-time Bakery to where he was providing bread to different stores.  Bread is not an indigenous food to Africans. Agege bread is popular because that's where the first bakery opened up selling this new style of African food on the street to busy Nigerians.    Agege bread is a delicious bread with a very soft center, sweet taste with crunchy crust. Traditional Agege bread is not sold as sliced bread. You can substitute coconut oil for the butter for a different version of Agege bread. Agege bread was created by Alhaji Ayokunnu How to m
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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet are dedicated to discovering, collecting and sharing African history and heritage celebrating 14 years of service in 2021. Share and support in the pride of being part of an important cultural and educational resource.


Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

Chic African Culture

Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com

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