Africa’s unique sounds and musical traditions have been attracting global attention and love since the 1930s but seem to be scaling new heights this century. Gail Collins surveys the scene.
At the helm of a fashion brand that boasts powerful designs in bold purples, cobalt and orange, Sakia Lekouzou is a rising star who has modernized raffia fabric, which hails from the villages of her native Republic of Congo. Drawing inspiration from sources as wide-ranging as a neighbor’s hairstyle and the war in Ukraine, and now at work on a forthcoming collaboration with Paris-based brand XULY.Bët, Lekouzou has set her sights high: She aims to share Congolese culture with the international community.