As London begins to ease lockdown restrictions, and the capital slowly opens up again, TFL (Transport for London) is encouraging us to find new ways of travelling if London is to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
StreetSpace for London Campaign
Returnees before The Year of Return: A trip down Brazil Lane, Accra Ghana
Taking a trip down memory lane to when I lead a guided tour through Jamestown and Otublohum with a few international friends who took me up on the offer to learn more about what remains of the Tabom community (descendants of Afro-Brazilian returnees) in Accra, Ghana. The Year of Return was perhaps Ghana's biggest PR... Continue Reading →
Brazil’s Black Queer Scene is a Beautiful Act of Resistance… Meet Afrobapho
Brazil's Black Queer scene is a beautiful act of resistance... See for yourself - meet the Afrobapho collective!
Black Lives Matter: If It Ain’t Global and Intersectional – What Are We Fighting For?
I don't think any of us could have envisioned 2020 the way it has paned out. A global pandemic (COVID-19) brought the world to a standstill, while the Black Lives Matter protests march through our cities demanding an end to police brutality and systematic racism. The brutal killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a police... Continue Reading →
Tabom in Accra for the ‘The Year of Return’…
2019 has been dubbed 'The Year of Return' by Ghana's Tourism Board who's campaign to acknowledge 400 years since the first Trans-Atlantic slave ships left its shores for North America (Virginia), has attracted the Black Diaspora - particularly those from North America, to visit Ghana. The Year of Return is particularly symbolic in my journey... Continue Reading →
A Night in Wadi Rum: My Spiritual Encounter with the Desert
Is it's possible to have more than one spirit place?... That place where your soul feels completely as one with your mind and body. It's as if you're on familiar territory; perhaps from a previous encounter, perhaps from a previous life... That feeling usually comes to me when I'm by the sea and was especially... Continue Reading →
Black English: “connect the Black English-speaking world to our community – Nordeste de Amaralina”
If you've ever visited Brazil, there's one thing you would have noticed - hardly anyone speaks English, or at least it can feel that way at times. If it comes as a surprise, shock or irritation - it's time to recognise your 'English as a first language' privilege... Need a guilt-free way to use that privilege... Continue Reading →
How Kai Got Her #MoJo Back in Brazil!
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is one of my all-time favourite films! On many levels I can relate to Stella (played by the amazing Angela Bassett); a forty-something, highly successful corporate black woman from San Francisco who is persuaded by her friend to take a well deserved, first-class vacation to Jamaica in an attempt... Continue Reading →
Tabom no Brasil: Reflections of the Malê Revolt in Bahia 184 Years Later
Finding my roots in Brazil Part of understanding who my Tabom ancestors were, and subsequently who I am, includes unravelling the past events which lead to them fleeing Brazil for their freedom back to West Africa... To be back in Bahia, in 2019 - The Year of Return - on the date of the... Continue Reading →
Why this Body Positive Brazilian model prefers to be called ‘Gorda’ – Fat
"First of all, I need to say the word fat is alright. I prefer to be called fat..." As fat phobia continues to marginalise and discriminate, this body positive Brazilian model and influencer tells why it's ok to call her fat. Meet Bianca Guirgel...Watch the short video interview 👇🏾https://youtu.be/du-M-AwI86w Bianca wears: Aline Vito dress and Boutique de... Continue Reading →
Mombasa Music Jam: “Haifai/ You Cheated”
Fridays are great for so many reasons - the start of the weekend and also an opportunity to #FlashbackFriday and share some amazing moments I might have missed out on sharing on this blog... Take this 'Another Travelmakerkai Experience' in Mombasa, Kenya for example. Let's flash back to January 2017, I happened to have... Continue Reading →
15 People You Should Know Redefining African Culture in the World
Africa Day is an annual commemoration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, now known as the African Union) founded on the 25th May 1963. It's day to put Africa at the forefront of our conscious, and celebrate the successes of African Unity in the struggle against colonialism. Despite all that's going on in a... Continue Reading →
My Soho Times magazine launch!
It's been a busy few month - hence no recent travel updates! Believe it or not, I've managed to stay put in London without having itchy feet to get on a plane... And that's because I'm launching a magazine to showcase the most dynamic part of London - Soho! Remember when I was back from... Continue Reading →
Bahamas Emergency Response: Documenting the aftermath of hurricane Dorian with DoGoodFilms
I'm once again re-united with DoGoodFilms since our recent trip to Jordan earlier this summer to document the #NoLostGeneration Tech Summit in Amman, after which we went on to create a pilot of Around the World and Black. This re-union however is on much more emotional grounds - documenting the aftermath of hurricane Dorian -... Continue Reading →
Travelmaking Kai & Shay’s Day Out at Somerset House, London
My niece Shay is my special guest blogger, sharing her experience at "Get Up Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers!" in her own words... With the help of her friend (a cartoon character I created), TravelmakingKai!
