Abbey Road Studios in London. This is where The Beatles produced some of their classic records. It's a long way from the Cape Town townships where Pumeza Matshikiza grew up, but this is where the South African soprano is recording her debut album.
South African opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza talks about blending different sounds, styles and ideas in her music.
South African opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza talks to CNN's Rosie Tomkins about her musical education.
South African opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza talks to CNN's Rosie Tomkins about making her first album.
Margaret Kenyatta, the wife of Pres. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, is leading an online campaign to protect elephants.
Africa is in the middle of an amazing demographic shift. Our continent is the only one where the size of the younger generation is rising significantly.
Hollywood actress Charlize Theron talks about her roots and helping fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
South African actress Charlize Theron talks about preventing the spread of HIV in her native country.
At 19 years old she was spotted by a talent agent while engaging in a shouting match with a bank teller in Los Angeles. Since then Charlize Theron has powerfully demonstrated an almost chameleon-like ability to assume the roles she takes on.
Actress Charlize Theron on her bond with South Africa and preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa.
Actress Charlize Theron talks about embracing the unknown after her career as a ballet dancer didn't work out.
Global Fund advocate Charlize Theron sits on a workshop aiming to change perceptions about the disease in South Africa.
The Princess talks about the African Arts and Fashion Initiative which helps young people interested in those fields.
CNN's Zain Verjee speaks with Princess Fifi Ejindu about her career in architecture and the strength of African women.
Meet Princess Fifi Ejindu, a Nigerian descendent of royalty who has done pioneering work in architecture and business.
If you're reading this somewhere in Africa, then perhaps you should thank Nii Quaynor.
Ghanaian internet pioneer Nii Quaynor discusses the future of Internet industries across Africa.
Mention DR Congo, Sub-Saharan Africa's largest country, and what comes to mind? Probably conflict minerals, proxy wars, the rape capital of the world, or the trigger for the 19th century "Scramble for Africa."
Patricia Mawa, Host & Managing Editor at Silvertrust Media, describes her incredible journey from rags to riches.
Nigerian native Patricia Mawa and Ugandan born Moses Mawa are on a mission to highlight positive stories from Africa.
Patricia and Moses Mawa on their awards gala which celebrates achievements made by people of African descent.
Patricia and Moses Mawa describe their incredible journey, from humble beginnings to building their media business.
Aya is a child of war who fled Syria and is living in a refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.
South African jockey S'manga Khumalo talks about overcoming his humble beginnings and plans for the future.
South African jockey S'manga Khumalo discusses his love for horse racing and those who helped groom him for success.
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse meets S'manga Khumalo, the first black jockey to win South Africa's Durban July.
From the moment she steps onto the stage, lighting up the concert hall with her radiant smile and striking flowing dress, to the very last notes of her energy-filled show, which finds everyone at their feet, it's easy to see why Fatoumata Diawara feels right at home while performing.
African Voices meets singer and actor Fatoumata Diawara whose love for music brought her back to her home country.
Malian actress and singer Fatoumata Diawara talks about rejecting cultural traditions in favor of her career.
Singer Fatoumata Diawara on sharing her story with the world after rejecting an arranged marriage in her home country.
In this period of gloomy economic forecasts, Africa's rise has become a widely discussed international policy topic. The sweeping optimism about Africa's economic prospects has been reinforced by 2013 projections that the continent will grow faster than the world average.
Kenyan conservationist Calestous Juma explains how Africa can benefit on being a latecomer in the area of biotechnology.
Kenyan conservationist Calestous Juma explains how genetic engineering doesn't have to threaten small-scale farmers.
Zain Verjee meets Kenyan conservationist Calestous Juma who explains how agricultural innovation can empower Africans.
Inside a brightly painted Mogadishu clinic, Salim (not her real name) sits alongside her seven-year-old son, waiting for a check up. Opposite them, a health professional listens to their nightmarish ordeal.
It's hard for me to choose the greatest African films of the 21st century as the genres and styles of African cinema have evolved in a big way over the past 20 years or so. Movie makers are now showing a more vibrant Africa than the Francophone filmmakers did before them.
Fartuun Adan talks to Nima Elbagir about the challenges faced by Somalia's internally displaced drought victims.
Sister Somalia co-founder Fartuun Adan talks to CNN about the events that inspired her to help victims of sexual assault.
In 2013 'Sister Somalia' co-founder Fartuun Adan was honored at the International Women of Courage Awards.
For centuries, the lush national parks of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania have been called home by the Maasai, one of Africa's most culturally district tribes.
It is one of the iconic modern cinema scenes: Mena Suvari, as Angela in Oscar-winning "American Beauty," stretches her arms wide as she basks in a sea of floating rose petals during one of Lester's (Kevin Spacey) frequent fantasies.
As the world celebrates the long-awaited addition to the British royal family, it is worth taking some time to reflect on the women around the world for whom childbirth is not such a joyous, beautiful and celebrated occasion.
Maasai elder, Martin Saning'o Karioni has dedicated his life's work to help his people adapt to a changing world.
Maasai elder, Martin Saning'o Karioni explains the Massai connection to the Tanzanian land and it's allure to developers.
Maasai elder, Martin Saning'o Karioni discusses how his plan for gender equality is vital to a sustainable future
When Ahmed Jama decided to leave behind the successful restaurant he'd started in London to open a new one in one of the world's most dangerous cities, his hometown of Mogadishu, reactions ranged from surprise to scorn to straightforward questioning of his sanity.
Migrant workers, mainly women, from South Asia need more protection. CNN's Jim Boulden reports.
Ahmed Jama remembers a deadly attack inside his first restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Chef Ahmed Jama explains why he chose to open his first Somali restaurant in one of the capital's most dangerous zones.
Ahmed Jama on leaving the comforts of London to open a restaurant in Mogadishu.
Last week, President Obama came to my country, Tanzania. President Kikwete and our people received him with great pride, but it is unlikely Obama heard anything about our government's plan to give a great chunk of land that has been the Maasai tribe's home for millennia, to a hunting company from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Peace Anyiam-Osigwe on the uphill battle she faced in creating the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005.
Peace Anyiam-Osigwe tells Vladimir Duthiers Nigeria's film industry needs more funding in order to do well in the West.
Filmmaker Peace Anyiam-Osigwe on giving the African continent a voice on the big screen.
Eight-year-old Tineyi takes my hand and leads me into her mud-thatched hut in my home village of Matau in rural Zimbabwe. There, in a dark corner of the room, is a wooden bookshelf. Carefully crafted by her father, it protects her word-filled treasures from the smoky fire inside the small hut where her mother cooks. I smile, knowing that her father has recognized the value these books will bring to his little bookworm -- a life ahead of her with limitless opportunities.
Zimbabwean scholar Tererai Trent on breaking the cycle of uneducated women in her family and helping others.
Zimbabwean Tererai Trent on how education helped her realize her dreams and survive an abusive relationship.
Tererai Trent wasn't allowed to go to school as a child, but that only made her desire for knowledge stronger.
There's a plaque affixed to the wall inside the lounge room of the downtown Cairo studio where Bassem Youssef films "Al Bernameg" ("The Program"), the Arab world's most watched TV show.
Satirist Bassem Youssef talks about tackling serious issues in post-revolutionary Egypt with comedy.
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef takes us behind the scenes of his popular program "Al Bernameg."
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef talks about to CNN about his interest in politics.
Tired of seeing developed nations take the lion's share of profits from his countrymen's coffee crop, Ugandan businessman Andrew Rugasira decided back in 2003 that it was time for a new business arrangement.
Good African Coffee CEO Andrew Rugasira reflects on writing about his business experience in "A Good African Story."
CNN's Ayesha Durgahee meets Andrew Rugasira, a social entrepreneur empowering coffee farmers in western Uganda.
Good African Coffee CEO Andrew Rugasira invites African Voices into a coffee factory in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
At just 21 years old, Yityish Aynaw has gone on a remarkable life journey from a little girl playing barefoot in an Ethiopian village to an Israeli beauty queen who's ready to shine on the world stage.
A Kenyan-born designer is taking African art to America's Deep South -- and finding his way into the pages of U.S. fashion glossies.
The first Miss Israel of African descent talks about giving back and helping the country's Ethiopian community.
Ethiopian-born Miss Israel Yityish Aynaw reflects on her move to the Holy Land and connecting with Judaism.
CNN's Sara Sidner meets Ethiopian-born Yityish Aynaw, the first woman of African descent to win the Miss Israel pageant.
When change comes, it comes all of a sudden, leaving only a remembrance of the past, a previous present, as its memorial.
Ozwald Boateng, fashion designer and co-founder of Made in Africa Foundation, hosted a spectacular gala event celebrating Africa.
He was just a young boy -- long before he became one of Africa's all-time football greats and racked up trophies in Europe's top competitions -- when Abedi Ayew first heard people comparing him with arguably the game's best player -- Brazil's Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pele.
Ghanaian football legend Abedi "Pele" Ayew invites us into his home and opens up about his incredible career.
Born an albino, Josephat Torner has overcome discrimination and stigmatism in his country, Tanzania.
Josephat Torner talks about climbing Africa's tallest mountain in an effort to prove that albinos can achieve greatness.
Josephat Torner on challenging false perceptions about albinism in Tanzania -- as highlighted in a new documentary.
Ghanaian football legend Abedi "Pele" Ayew on coaching young players to become successful members of society.
Ghanaian football legend Abedi "Pele" Ayew talks about making tough career decisions and giving back to his supporters.
It was another December afternoon back in 2000, spent like hundreds of others combing the rocky hills of the Dikika region, when Ethiopian scientist Zeray Alemseged heard one of his assistants nearby calling him.
Ethiopian-born Zeray Alemseged on his work as Director and Curator of Anthropology at the California Academy of Science.
Zeray Alemseged talks about how family life has enhanced his research.
Paleoanthropologist Zeray Alemseged on becoming a hero in the world of science and supporting fellow African scientists.
Zain Verjee speaks with author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the inspiration behind her book "Half of a Yellow Sun."
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on receiving praise from her inspiration, legendary Nigerian storyteller Chinua Achebe.
CNN's Zain Verjee meets Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who talks about what inspires her work and making an impact back home.
Carefully maneuvering around a jumble of slippery rocks, Josephat Torner slowly steps inside a cluster of dark caves in northeast Tanzania.
Dressed in a pink uniform, midwife Esther Madudu shuffles past rows of beds to check on the five babies she delivered the night before inside a small health center in rural eastern Uganda.
Ugandan midwife Esther Madudu recalls a traumatic experience that caused her to make a life-changing decision.
Esther Madudu gives African Voices a tour inside the maternity clinic where she works in rural eastern Uganda.
African Voices meets Esther Madudu, who is fronting a pan-African campaign ensuring women have access to midwives.
Having just quit a highly lucrative job with tech giant Microsoft in the United States, where he'd made millions working as a program manager, Patrick Awuah would wake up once in a while wondering if he'd done the right thing.
As the founder of Ghana's Ashesi University, Patrick Awuah wants to find and develop Africa's next problem solvers.
Patrick Awuah reflects on moving back to Africa to start Ashesi University in Ghana.
Ashesi University founder Patrick Awuah talks about making education more accessible in Ghana.
At just 31 years old, and already heading a vast business empire he built from scratch, Ashish Thakkar has been referred to by some as Africa's youngest billionaire. But this is a label the Ugandan entrepreneur doesn't want to associate himself with.
Mara founder Ashish J. Thakkar reveals how he identifies excellent investment opportunities.
Ashish J. Thakkar reflects on his journey from selling computers to becoming one of Africa's top business entrepreneurs.
When Chinua Achebe, the father of modern African literature, passed away recently, the world noticed. There was an Achebe quote in particular that was repeated many times by various people, from CNN writers to friends in remote villages in Africa.
CNN's Ayesha Durgahee gets to know one of Africa's most successful and engaging entrepreneurs, Ashish J. Thakkar.
Standing by a poster depicting in full detail the complex union of muscles that make up the human body, David Sengeh works on a custom-made prosthetic leg inside MIT's Media Lab.
On a recent medical volunteer trip I was introduced to an elderly woman on the surgical wards. She had a growing tumor that had deformed her face and was threatening her life. For three months she was told a set of special equipment was needed to perform her surgery. As she waited for this equipment, her tumor grew larger and compromised her vision in one eye.
So finally, Madonna's honeymoon with Malawi has ended with a spat. Malawi's minister of education accused Madonna of "bullying officials" and exaggerating the extent of her charity in the country.
Witnessing brutal amputations during Sierra Leone's civil war led MIT student David Sengeh to pursue a bionics career.
Ph.D. student David Sengeh talks about giving back while challenging how Sierra Leone is perceived in the West.
Sierra Leone PhD student David Sengeh reflects on introducing the Microsoft founder during a student lecture at Harvard.
On his sixth birthday, at the height of World War II, Albie Sachs received a congratulatory postcard from his father with a rather unusual wish inscribed on it: "May you grow up to be a soldier in the fight for liberation," read the card.
Justice Sachs says the South African constitution validates a life spent fighting for liberation.
Albie Sachs helped forge South Africa's constitution after losing an arm in a car bomb attack during the apartheid era.
Retired justice Albie Sachs gives a tour of the heavily symbolic Constitutional Court building in Johannesburg
Surgeon Kofi Boahene explains how he rebuilt Iraq War veteran Michael Fletcher's face after an horrific accident.
Ghanaian facial reconstructive surgeon Kofi Boahene leads medical teams on missions across the globe.
Facial reconstructive surgeon Dr. Kofi Boahene shares his journey from childhood in Ghana to the U.S.
He is one of Nollywood's most popular film directors, hailing from a famous family of movie stars that have shaped Nigeria's entertainment industry for decades.
When Charity Agbameva went into labor last year there were complications. Realizing she needed medical attention, she traveled from Nigeria, where she was living, to a hospital in Keta, in the Volta Region of her native Ghana.
Jeta Amata reveals why he first rejected the idea of pursuing a career in filmmaking.
CNN's Isha Sesay meets Jeta Amata who is committed to telling African stories to a global audience.
Nigerian filmmaker Jeta Amata talks about working with Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke in his 2012 film "Black November."
Lawyer and human rights activist Seodi White has long been an outspoken campaigner for gender justice in Malawi, a country where half its women are married before the age of 18.
Malawian lawyer Seodi White talks about how spreading human rights literacy helps fight child marriage.
Women's rights activist Seodi White discusses a Malawian tradition forcing new widows to engage in unprotected sex.
Robyn Curnow meets Seodi White who wants to stop young girls from giving up on an education and marrying too early.
Is the world ready for an African pope? Zain Verjee crunches the number behind CNN's informal survey.
The Senegalese-American rapper talks about his countless business venture, including a South African diamond mine.
She ventured where few before her had dared, taking on a decades-long business monopoly and overcoming gender stereotypes to become a major player in her country's lucrative drinks industry.
Thousands of Africans have expressed their hopes that the next pope will be the first from their continent -- with a majority believing it would mean the Catholic Church becoming more conservative.
Senegalese-American rapper Akon reveals some of his biggest career regrets.
CNN's Isha Sesay meets Senegalese-American multi-platinum selling artist, producer and entrepreneur Akon.
Nine of the 10 countries with the world's highest rates of child marriage are in Africa: Niger, Chad and Central African Republic, Guinea, Mozambique, Mali, Burkina Faso and South Sudan, and Malawi.
Military intervention in Mali has been swift -- it took only a few months for foreign forces to step in to start helping the population.
Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council was meant to represent the beginning of a "world church" in the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church is still predominantly Eurocentric in her teachings, structures, and personnel.
Keroche Breweries head Tabitha Karanja discusses surviving as a start-up in Kenya's harsh business environment.
Tabitha Karanja discusses how female business leaders are changing beliefs about women's roles.
African Voices meets Tabitha Karanja, the head of the first Kenyan-owned beer manufacturer, Keroche Breweries.
It is now more than 20 years since pro-democracy grassroots organizations led struggles that eventually resulted in the overthrow of long-serving authoritarian regimes in many countries in Africa.
Kenya's most critical and complex election in its 50th year since independence kicks off on March 4, next Monday.
It might be many miles away from the usual sporting capitals of the world, but when it comes to long-distance running there's one tiny place that's setting the pace.
Coach Sentayehu Eshetu reveals how challenging running conditions help groom top athletes.
From going to the moon to the explosion of the civil rights movement, the swinging 1960s was an era of conquering new heights and sweeping change. So when Newton Jibunoh had to return back home to Nigeria in 1966, after completing his studies in London, the young engineer thought it was also time for him to blaze new trails.
Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria, was asked last week at the celebration of Black History Month in Toronto if he thought that the time was ripe for an African pope. His answer attracted much cheering from the crowd of over 500 Catholics of African descent.
Africa has always been a continent of contrasts. And the latest findings from an amazing team of international researchers show that when it comes to providing our children with the best chances in life, Africa once more presents a very mixed picture.
When it comes to getting ready for a show, fast-rising South African comedian Trevor Noah has it all figured out.
Every year, more than 200,000 African children are born with sickle-cell anemia -- around 150,000 of those in Nigeria.
Now that President Obama has taken a public stand on the warlords and militia gangs tyrannizing DR Congo, there is a sense that the next chapter in the human tragedy that has been raging there over the past decade and half is about to be written -- or so we can hope.
When Peggielene Bartels went to bed on a summer night in 2008, she was an ordinary administrative assistant living in a modest one-bedroom condo just outside Washington D.C.
On the pitch, he is known as a combative defender whose marauding runs down the left flank have helped him establish himself as one of football's most enterprising fullbacks.
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