TINEKE VAN DER EECKEN
CAFÉ D’AFRIQUE
“Take a journey with the author deep into the heart of Africa during a rough time. She speaks about the political events and how they affected her, and what led up to her opening her own business there. The ereader has great links to cultural music recordings inserted. This is a great memoir, exciting, scary, and uplifting at times.”
– Tania Ramos, Writing Apocalypse –
“This is an inspiring account of a young woman's growth from idealism to pragmatism. The determination and values are unwavering, the goals are continually adjusted. The truth is not put aside for the sake of a storyline. Buy your daughters a copy today. The CD is easy listening and contagious.”
– Josephine Clarke –
ABOUT CAFÉ D’AFRIQUE
When Tineke Van der Eecken first arrives in Africa as part of an international aid program, she brings with her a mix of childhood dreams and Western preconceived ideas. 'I came to Africa in high heels,' she writes. But when she moves to Zambia, Tineke falls in love - in a completely new way - with the country and its culture.
Now she dreams of setting up a 'cultural restaurant' where locals and tourists alike can sample authentic Zambian cuisine, music and dance. Her dream comes true, but can it last? In the attempt to meet the expected challenges, Tineke must come through unexpected tests and trials that take her not only beyond borders, but also past boundaries. She wonders if what matters may not be the success of her venture so much as the person she is becoming ...
Set against a shifting backdrop of social, political and cultural life in Zambia, this part-memoir, part-travelogue, part-coming-of-age story is a celebration of friendship, not just with people, but with a country.
THE MUSIC OF CAFÉ D’AFRIQUE
This new edition of the book includes The Music of Café d'Afrique, a compilation CD with recordings of original by Brian Zanji, Maureen Lilanda and Chilu Lemba. The book comes in two versions, one in paperback, and one with a jacketed hard cover.
The CD can be either ordered for inclusion (hard cover books only), or downloaded here. The book and CD will appeal to all those who dream of going to Africa, and to those who have been.
You can listen to the music of Café d'Afrique in the music player below or by clicking on this soundcloud link.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tineke Van der Eecken is a Belgian-born Australian writer with a background in social sciences and a strong interest in art and culture. She is the author of Traverse, a travel memoir that navigates the reader through the landscape of Madagascar on the one side and her marriage on the other.
Apart from Traverse, she also published Café d’Afrique in 2012, a memoir about her cultural restaurant in Zambia. Her first collection of poems 'A Place To Land' was published by Mulla Mulla Press in 2022.
Her poetry and non-fiction are published in Australia, Europe and in the UK. Tineke lives in Perth.
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