Bono, Boubacar Doumbia - two artists connect in the spirit of AfricaNow!
Tuesday, January 24 2012
Bono is famous for his rich voice filling sold out arenas across the globe. Boubacar Doumbia is famous, less so perhaps, for his richly hued textiles transfixing people’s eyes, and the full texture only all natural cotton offers.
Boubacar Doumbia shows Bono how to decorate bogolan textile from Mali.
The two artists met in Segou, Mali, in January with hopes of spreading the word about Doumbia’s products – less well known than Bono’s rock group, U2.
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Meetings like this are the essence of AfricaNow!, the Trade Hub-managed brand that is connecting people to African producers – to source from Africa with confidence.
Don’t miss AfricaNow! Jan. 28 to Feb. 2 in the lobby of the Handmade section of the New York International Gift Fair and at Ambiente, Europe’s largest home décor and fashion accessories trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, Feb. 10-14, in Building 10, First Floor, C80.
On a recent hazy Harmattan day in Segou, buyer and designer Harper Poe sat down with Doumbia, too. His company, Atelier N’domo, is a Trade Hub-assisted home décor exporter. They looked at Doumbia’s textiles, made of handspun cotton and dyed and colored using traditional techniques that have endured for centuries, and they talked business.
Normally, a work-a-day business meeting is about as memorable or exciting as a piece of toast. But when a meeting connects people separated by several time zones, several thousands of miles and several degrees of experience and familiarity, they are as precious as one of Doumbia’s textiles.
Poe developed five new designs that she will unveil at the New York International Gift Fair at the end of this month. Having already used her design business, Proud Mary, to bring South American textiles to the U.S. market, the AfricaNow! network is now introducing her to producers of quality textiles producers in West Africa.
Harper Poe of Proud Mary shares a laugh with Boubacar Doumbia.
Fifteen importers will display AfricaNow! logos on their booths at the show in New York, for example. Swahili Imports is one.
“For my company, it’s been wonderful because I know how to tap into it,” said Leslie Mittelburg of Swahili Imports, an established member of the AfricaNow! network. “I can get assistance – I’m part of the program. It’s been an extremely useful tool and I’ll continue to use it.”
The connections work both ways. With help from AfricaNow!, buyers meet producers in West Africa, too, like Poe in Mali.
“To interact with the artisans is truly amazing – to sit down and be a part of the process and learn from them,” Poe said. “I could not have done this without the AfricaNow! program. They set up the trip for me, arranged meetings with artisans and introduced me to more artisans than I thought existed.
“It’s been an amazing and rewarding trip. The outcome will be just as rewarding.”
Indigo textiles from Cooperative Djiguiyaso in Mali, which is comprised of over at the New York International Gift Fair and Ambiente, Europe's largest home decor and fashion accessories trade show.
Elizabeth Howitt of Eco-Brazil/Echo-the-World has had similarly rewarding experience, using the AfricaNow! network to stay connected to producers.
“AfricaNow! has really been a bridge for me in finding new companies and helping me work with these vendors,” Howitt said. “It’s very helpful to have that support on the ground in Africa – and having a producer understand my needs as a buyer.”
The AfricaNow! network is not limited to connecting buyers and producers. Product development initiatives involving leading West African designers have inspired new collections from artisans of exceptional talent, reports the USAID Trade Hub Home Décor & Fashion Accessories Advisor Elaine Bellezza. The AfricaNow! company showcase presents a variety of the products coming forth.
“Few can resist the appeal of the products – they are fresh, exciting, innovative and, yes, fabulous,” said Bellezza. “At this year’s New York International Gift Fair, AfricaNow! will continue to connect buyers to the producers behind these exquisite products.”
This year AfricaNow! will feature a resource center as well as showcasing 15 import companies.
Bellezza also worked with Doumbia on stunning collections to be presented at the Ambiente tradeshow in Frankfurt, which will feature products from Ghana, Mali and Senegal.
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