neoncobra.blogspot.com/2006/12/a … kings.html
These are REALLY worth a look.
The Obi of Nnewi looks like he’s wearing a Chinese outfit ;=)
I thought you meant African Monarchs…
Vay -
Great link.
In the '80’s I had a couple of contracts in Cameroon. I was able to travel outside the coastal city and visit a few tribal areas. I met some of the types pictured here and was very impressed. These were true African tribal leaders whose words could mean life or death to their subjects. Or who got the chickens that were found outside the village.
Good pictures of a way most will never know exists.
Interesting. I had heard only about Goodwill Zwelethini, the Zulu king. Not listed are King Mswati III of Swaziland and the Ashanti king Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II.
No pics of the Fon of Bafut. He fired my imagination as a child no end in Gerry Durrell’s animal collection stories.
I heard that the plot of “The Lion King” was inspired (apart from that anime) by the relationship between (Zulu king) Goodwill Zwilethini and (Inkatha Freedom Party founder) Mangosutho Buthalezi.
I see several basic “looks” represented.
(a) Hollywood Africa. You know–leopard skins, shields, grass skirts, that sort of thing. All that’s missing are bones through noses. (Hapi IV? But what’s he happy for?)
(b) “Son of the Desert.” Mouth covered by cloth, in order to look more mysterious, like the Shadow of pulp fiction fame. E.g. Bouba Abdoulay of Cameroon.
© “Fat Albert.” Remember that Chinese campaign against “bare-bellied masters” awhile back?
(d) Prince Hall Masonry meets the Nation of Islam. (The fraternal lodge look.) E.g., Olowo of Owo.
Kuba is in a class all his own. This is what Pancho Villa must have looked like at Mardi Gras.
Abdulbakr Sidiq seems to have trouble staying awake.
Oni of Ife is sitting pretty–very seductive, as if just waiting for a strong man to sweep him off his feet. Probably not Egekbian of Benin, who has man-tits and wears women’s clothing…
And did anybody notice Bert and Ernie lurking in the background of the Fumban/ Mfon monarch’s entourage?
I saw that movie too! (There were an original and five remakes, believe it or not.) And I too, was intrigued by “fuzzy wuzzy” which I associated with the children’s rhyme, but Kiping wrote a poem using it to refer to these guys (Sudanese Mahdist cavalry).
Do you know anything about the term? Is it Arabic? (Maybe a play on “Ghazi”?) I tried to write something about them for wikipedia, in hopes of further enlightenment:
Mswati and his Swazi’s are still cowering in the hills at the mere mention of the name Zulu. They still scare their children of stories about Shaka. As such they were anavailable for all and any photo shoots. 
King Goodwill Zwelethini rocks. Not sure if you folks know or not, but the whole dressing up in leopard skins is just for ceremonial rites (like the annual reed dance featuring hundreds of young bare breasted virgin Zulu maidens). The rest of the time ole Goodwill can be found at his country estate clothed in the finest suits or being chauffered around in a Mercedes.
That, and the bare breasted maidens proves one thing without a doubt. It’s good to be King…
[quote]Mswati picks 13th bride-to-be
31/01/2005 22:13 - (SA)
Protests against Swazi king
Swazi king buys R3.5m car
Swazi king takes teen bride
Teen bride takes Aids test
Despot claim upsets Swazi king
Swazis demand end of monarchy
Swazi govt ‘violated rights’
Swazi queens revolt
$600 000 birthday bash for king
Mswati wants $14m for palaces
Mbabane - Swaziland’s King Mswati III has picked a 17-year-old schoolgirl as his new fiancée and she will be introduced to the public as his 13th bride-to-be once she passes an HIV test, said royal sources on Monday.
Less than five months after picking 16-year-old Nothando Dube as his 12th bride-to-be, the 36-year-old Mswati has now chosen Colile Nosiphe Magagula, known as Titi, as his next fiancée.
She will be “unveiled” once she passes an HIV test and once she gets royal blessings from the Queen Mother Ntombi Thwala of Swaziland, where close to 40% of the population is living with HIV and Aids.
The “unveiling” means that she will be officially introduced to the public as his fiancée.
“There is a lady that is currently undergoing certain rituals that include an HIV test and if she passes that test she would be unveiled,” a royal source said.
Swaziland has the world’s highest per-capita rate of HIV infection at 38.8% in the kingdom of 1.1 million people, according to United Nations estimates.
Mswati has 11 official wives and two fiancées, including Magagula, and 24 children. [/quote]
whoa!
[quote=“Screaming Jesus”]I heard that the plot of “The Lion King” was inspired (apart from that anime) by the relationship between (Zulu king) Goodwill Zwilethini and (Inkatha Freedom Party founder) Mangosutho Buthalezi.
I see several basic “looks” represented.
(a) Hollywood Africa. You know–leopard skins, shields, grass skirts, that sort of thing. All that’s missing are bones through noses. (Hapi IV? But what’s he happy for?)
quote]
Leopard skins were traditionally only worn by chiefs ore kings in the isiNtu-speaking areas of Africa.
Some of the older photos are more dignified:
Nkosi Myango kaSandile
[quote][quote=“bismarck”]Mswati and his Swazi’s are still cowering in the hills at the mere mention of the name Zulu. They still scare their children of stories about Shaka. As such they were anavailable for all and any photo shoots. 
[/quote]
Mswati is too busy with his 13 wives and 24 kids for photo shoots.
news24.com/News24/Africa/New … 71,00.html[/quote]
Hey, even in the mountains, it’s still good to be king.