Word: africa
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...overhear mobile-phone conversations that begin like this: "Ambassador! Of course I'll give the document back ... " Or you might meet close-cropped, burly Americans carrying khaki rucksacks labeled "U.S." who mumble about going "someplace in country." As Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi observes, "The Horn of Africa is a very volatile area. There are many, many intelligence organizations here." On Sept. 11, the spies just might get a night off when Ethiopia, which runs by a modified version of the Julian calendar, will celebrate the new millennium's arrival more than seven years after the rest of the world...
...Much of west Africa's rich musical heritage is born out of the "griots" tradition - a caste of wandering musicians who use music to tell oral history, a bit like bards in medieval Europe. Modern-day griots also use rhythm and rhyme to help raise local awareness of issues like HIV-AIDS, a tradition which has been usurped by a new generation of young musicians. "I don't want to just play music, I have a mission to wake up African people," explains Kane...
...legendary Festival in the Desert. The annual event has attained something of iconic status in the eyes of African music connoisseurs. Set in the dunes of the Sahara, several hours' drive from the nearest town of Timbuktu, the festival attracts an array of world-music talent, both from Africa and beyond. Kane was asked to perform five days before the festival began in 2004 - not even enough time to put his name on the flyers - but his set caused a stir amongst the assembled critics. After being snapped up by a U.K.-based record label, Kane went from the Sahara...
...unlike in the West where pop music is defined almost purely in terms of its entertainment value, in Africa it's common for even the most popular artists to discuss the continent's weighty social problems in their songs. For Kane, the musical is most definitely the political. "For me it's very important to talk about African problems, we need new leadership," Kane says. "If I'm to be a revolutionary it will not be to kill people - music will be my arms...
...normal life. Survivor Karen Dyer, featured in your report, is a wonderful role model for all young people. She has shown that one can survive cancer and live a normal life thereafter. The only difference between Karen's story and my own? Mine takes place in South Africa. Timothy Wallace, ERMELO, SOUTH AFRICA...