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Off the coast of northern Kenya is the island of Lamu—Kenya’s oldest town and one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. Listed by UNESCO as a prestigious world heritage site, Lamu offers visitors the hypnotic experience of entering another world. With 300 exquisite, specially commissioned photographs, the volume opens a window onto the island’s enchanting and inspiring architecture, interiors, crafts, and traditions.
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2 reviews
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Made for Western Tourists not Cultural Anthropolists
28 Feb 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just in case there is confusion, this book is not a cultural anthropological or art historical study. It is purely a tourguide for Westerners with lots of money and are looking for the next "exotic" hot spot. This stance is clear because with the Foreword featuring a picture of an Omani Arab who is the Minister of Tourism.
As a result, the book lacks a scholarly eye in discussing Lamu's culture, history, and art. The book does have some decent photos (though could be better) of places and things particular to Lamu and a few selected sites in other neighboring Swahili cities. However, 90% of everything discussed is attributed to Indian or Arabian invention and brought to the Swahili coast. In some cases there were some appropriation of these Asian goods but the alterations remained minor and more or less insignificant. This attitude toward Africa, and the Swahili in particular, is historically Western. Though contemporary scholarship has debunked the idea that the Swahili are essentially a product of Asian colonization it still remains strong in the minds of many. It is the idea that Africa--especially when accepted signs of civilization are exhibited--is not capable of initiating civilization but only of receiving it and adding a slight alteration or two. This is the comfortable view of this marvelous civilization that the book clearly wants to side with in order to attract visitors who are invested in Caucasiancentrism and are not interested in visiting places were their Caucasian-centric world view is challenged. In this case Caucasian-centric is the idea that Caucasians (Europeans, West Asiatics, or North Indians) are the necessary ingredient to explain any non-primitive aspect visible in an African society.
Interesting enough, the writers--George and Lorna Abungu--are themselves African. Some would assume that they cannot be so Caucasian-centric but less we forget, the most Caucasian-centric people are often not Caucasians themselves, but the peoples whose minds they have enslaved. The Swahili merchants of the 19th-century were among the most notorious anti-African people and enslaved millions of other Africans to sell to West Asia and India. Thus, being African does not mean one is free of anti-Africanism. Perhaps the Abungus were not thinking to belittle Africa purposely but seek to Asianize everything Swahili because they believe this will give Swahili culture value...not realizing that very mindset belittles Africa.
Overall, the book is very poorly written and few of the photos are anything you couldn't see elsewhere on the web. But if you're thinking of visiting or have visited, it would be a decent coffee table book so that visitors may ask you if you've been.
For lacking representation of indigenous African aspects of Swahili cultural in Lamu, for over-Asianizing everything, for only being interested in things with Asian counterparts, and for being overpriced I give this a 2.
As a result, the book lacks a scholarly eye in discussing Lamu's culture, history, and art. The book does have some decent photos (though could be better) of places and things particular to Lamu and a few selected sites in other neighboring Swahili cities. However, 90% of everything discussed is attributed to Indian or Arabian invention and brought to the Swahili coast. In some cases there were some appropriation of these Asian goods but the alterations remained minor and more or less insignificant. This attitude toward Africa, and the Swahili in particular, is historically Western. Though contemporary scholarship has debunked the idea that the Swahili are essentially a product of Asian colonization it still remains strong in the minds of many. It is the idea that Africa--especially when accepted signs of civilization are exhibited--is not capable of initiating civilization but only of receiving it and adding a slight alteration or two. This is the comfortable view of this marvelous civilization that the book clearly wants to side with in order to attract visitors who are invested in Caucasiancentrism and are not interested in visiting places were their Caucasian-centric world view is challenged. In this case Caucasian-centric is the idea that Caucasians (Europeans, West Asiatics, or North Indians) are the necessary ingredient to explain any non-primitive aspect visible in an African society.
Interesting enough, the writers--George and Lorna Abungu--are themselves African. Some would assume that they cannot be so Caucasian-centric but less we forget, the most Caucasian-centric people are often not Caucasians themselves, but the peoples whose minds they have enslaved. The Swahili merchants of the 19th-century were among the most notorious anti-African people and enslaved millions of other Africans to sell to West Asia and India. Thus, being African does not mean one is free of anti-Africanism. Perhaps the Abungus were not thinking to belittle Africa purposely but seek to Asianize everything Swahili because they believe this will give Swahili culture value...not realizing that very mindset belittles Africa.
Overall, the book is very poorly written and few of the photos are anything you couldn't see elsewhere on the web. But if you're thinking of visiting or have visited, it would be a decent coffee table book so that visitors may ask you if you've been.
For lacking representation of indigenous African aspects of Swahili cultural in Lamu, for over-Asianizing everything, for only being interested in things with Asian counterparts, and for being overpriced I give this a 2.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Worth the price
12 Feb 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Beautiful photographs. Nice combination of photos from the past to the present.
My only complaint would be that there are too many "staged" photos, such as multiple images of henna designs. It's still a beautiful look at Lamu through the eyes of visiting photographers.
My only complaint would be that there are too many "staged" photos, such as multiple images of henna designs. It's still a beautiful look at Lamu through the eyes of visiting photographers.
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