Africa Live this week: 21-27 February 2022

Tay GrinCopyright: Tay Grin

Tay Grin is a hip-hop artist with a strong connection to Malawian musical traditions. He has won national awards and has his own record label.

He calls his sound Nyau music, and he's known in Malawi as the “Nyau King”.

"My sound originates from the soil. It's a fusion of modern day sounds and drums. I'm from a tribe called the Chewa, and when I'm performing on stage I have my traditional drummers. Even our dancing is a fusion of traditional and modern day dance."

Tay Grin explains that they use specific Nyau drums that have to be warmed up over a fire to thicken the hide.

"This gives them a quality that doesn't sound like any other drum you've ever heard. It's a very spiritual sound. When you watch the set it's a portrayal of who we are as a people."

His biggest song is called Chipapapa featuring 2Baba from Nigeria.

"Chipapapa comes from a game that we used to play as kids and I turned it into a song that everyone can enjoy. It became a huge hit because it resonates with both the younger and older generations.

Tay Grin grew up listening to many different artists in his household.

"My mum used to love Kwassa Kwassa so I grew up listening to Kofi Olomide, Papa Wemba and Pepe Kalle."

Ironically he dropped out of music classes when he was in high school because he was getting bad grades.

"Fast forward a few years and here I am. Music is a thing that I do every day."

Tay Grin has a close relationship with his mother: "She has always supported me from the beginning. She even made an appearance in one of my music videos."

His mother worked with the United Nations and when she retired from the UN and returned to Malawi she became a cabinet minister.

"Watching my mum in all these leadership roles has sharpened my skills and I hope that one day I can look back and say I've also done great things."

Tay Grin has also run for political office himself, but came second.

"I care passionately about the development of my nation. There is a possibility that I might go back, but I think music is the focus now, and there's a lot more that needs to happen in terms of developing the music industry back home and getting Malawi on the map internationally."

He says he has many exciting projects on the way with his third album dropping this year, and a new song on its way celebrating the Chewa king.

"I'm proudly showcasing my culture to the world".

You can hear my full interview with Tay Grin this weekend on This Is Africa on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team this week until Monday morning, when we'll be back at bbc.com/africalive.

There will be an automated news feed until then. You can also get the latest news from our website and listen to the Africa Today podcast.

Here's a reminder of Friday's wise words:

Quote Message: Where you leave in peace you will most likely return." from A Luganda proverb from Uganda sent by Ann in East Sussex, the UK

Where you leave in peace you will most likely return."

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this shot of a camel race in Sudan, one of our favourites from this week's gallery of the best photographs from around the continent:

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Taking his cue from Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, one of our fictional presidents - Olushambles - decides he wants a new presidential car.

But Kibarkingmad is dubious - and thinks air travel is the answer.

Listen to the latest from the veteran leaders:

A live audio chat has been taking place on Twitter for Nigerian students caught up in the conflict in Ukraine.

During the Twitter Space, advice was shared - mainly warning that people should not travel alone.

People shared their experiences in different parts of the country a day after Russian troops invaded.

Numbers were shared of Nigerian contacts in Poland, and other neighbouring countries, if people managed to cross borders. Rawlings Onyi, a Nigerian in Poland, has been posting the information on his Twitter feed.

There have been some reports that Nigerians were being denied entry into Poland.

One person, whose Twitter profile says she is based in Poland, told the forum she was at the Poland-Ukraine border and Nigerians were being allowed in, though some said those with expired documents had been turned back.

“So there's a long queue but a lot of students have been able to get into Poland from the border,” she said.

She has since tweeted with further advice, saying Nigerians at the border should ask for a humanitarian visa:

An estimated 4,000 Nigerians are studying in Ukraine.

More on the Ukraine crisis:

• How the invasion will affect Africa

@lucienbodoCopyright: @lucienbodo

Police in Cameroon have arrested a teacher after a video emerged online allegedly showing him brutally beating a nine-year-old boy.

The incident is suspected to have taken place at a primary school in Doula, Cameroon's economic capital.

The video has been widely shared on social networks causing a wave of indignation.

It shows a totally naked boy being held by his arms and feet by four other children, while a man hits him with a rubber hose and then a machete.

According to an eyewitness, the pupil was punished for failing to give a reason for his absence from school for a few days.

A police investigation is under way.

Corporal punishment is outlawed in Cameroon, but some schools still use it.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Nigerian kidnapping kingpin Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, widely known as "Evans”, has been sentenced to life in prison.

A judge in Lagos also sentenced two co-defendants to life for abducting businessman Donatus Dunu in 2017.

The CEO of a pharmaceuticals firm was held for nearly three months before managing to escape and telling police about his ordeal. This enabled officers to catch Evans and his gang.

An employee of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd told the court in 2018 that he had paid a ransom of about $260,000 (£195,000) to the kidnappers for the release of his boss - but he had not been freed.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi said the men showed no remorse for their crimes.

“I believe a lesson must be taught,” he was quoted as saying when handing down the sentence

For several years, gangs nationwide have been kidnapping both rich and poor people - and sometimes killing abductees whose families fail to pay, and often demanding more money once a first ransom has been paid.

More on Nigeria's kidnapping crisis:

• EYEWITNESS: 'I was kidnapped and now only travel by train'
• ANALYSIS: Outrage at Nigeria's brazen bandit attacks
• EXPLAINER: Why schoolchildren are being abducted in Nigeria
• BACKGROUND: How a $30m scheme failed to stop kidnappings

OBNCopyright: OBN

Two Ethiopian students have scored 100% in their university entrance exams - and are being lauded online.

Sifan Fita got her top marks for maths and Koket Tesfaye in physics - a difficult feat that is rarely achieved.

“I knew the maths exam was a more difficult than other subjects, so I invested my time wisely and studied hard,” Ms Sifan, who comes from western Oromia and plans to study software engineering, told the BBC.

Her school head, Abebe Zewdie, told the BBC the mark was arguably the highest ever attained by a female student in the exams.

Mr Koket has plans to study construction engineering.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Kenya plans to buy electricity from Ethiopia mega River Nile dam that began generating power for the first time last weekend.

Ethiopia hopes to generate about $1bn (£746m) in annual revenue from electricity exports to neighbouring countries and beyond.

A new agreement was reached between the two neighbours earlier this month. It is not yet clear how much power Kenya is signing up for and at what cost.

Kenyan Energy Minister Monica Juma said this move would be key to powering the country’s economic growth.

The first turbine at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) has begun generating 375 megawatts (MW) of power.

Ethiopia started building the $4bn dam in its northern highlands, from where 85% of the Nile's waters flow, in 2011.

When the reservoir behind the dam has filled it is expected to generate more than 5,000 MW of electricity by 2024.

This will more than double Ethiopia’s current electricity output.

However, the dam has long been a source of contention between Ethiopia and downstream countries Sudan and Egypt.

They see the dam as a threat to their water security because of their high dependence on the River Nile.

More on the mega dam:

• River Nile dam: Why Ethiopia can't stop it being filled

MSFCopyright: MSF

Armed men in northern Cameroon have kidnapped five people working for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), local officials say.

The abduction of the French medical charity employees took place during an attack in Cameroon's Far North region that lies between Nigeria to the west and Chad to the east.

Militant Islamist groups are known to operate in the area but local officials say there is no evidence of a jihadist attack.

Those abducted are three aid workers of Chadian, Senegalese and French-Ivorian nationality, as well as two Cameroonian security guards.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Ukraine’s honorary consul in Guinea has been suspended for “gross negligence” for urging the junta to make clear its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Charles Amara Sossoadouno, a Guinean citizen, had made the call on social media in the hours after the invasion began on Thursday.

Guinea’s Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyaté said the decision to suspend him was taken at a later crisis meeting about the conflict, where the situation for around 800 Guineans living in Ukraine was also discussed.

He said Col Mamady Doumbouya, Guinea’s interim president, wanted all necessary measures to be taken to support them.

No more was said about the conflict.

Like Mali and Burkina Faso, Guinea had been suspended from the West African body Ecowas following a military takeover, which took place last September.

Col Doumbouya has since set up a transitional government, promising to hand over to civilian rule.