Posts tagged with ‘books’

Poster for the new book by Kenyan political cartoonist Patrick Gathara.

Poster for the new book by Kenyan political cartoonist Patrick Gathara.

A follow-up post on raï. The book above is available in its entirety at Google Books. It can also be bought at Amazon: Raï music is often called the voice of the voiceless in Algeria, a society currently swept by tragic conflict. Raï is the voice of Algerian men, young men caught between generations and classes, in political strife, and in economic inequality. The musicians do use Western instruments, but the music itself mixes Algerian popular songs and rhythms with the beat of American disco, Egyptian modalities, Moroccan wedding tunes, and the songs of Julio Iglesias. The study, in its innovative approach to music as a template of society, helps the reader understand the two major movements among today’s Algerian youth: one toward the mosque and the other toward the West. More from the Wikipedia page on raï in the 1980s: In the 1980s, raï began its period of greatest popularity. Previously the Algerian government had opposed raï because of its sexually and culturally risqué topics, such as alcohol and consumerism, two subjects that were contrary to the traditional Islamic culture. The fundamentalist leaning government also disliked the freedom afforded to women in raï, both in performing raï and in participating in the raï scene by dancing publicly, especially with men, at concerts or in clubs. In 1985, Algerian Colonel Snoussi joined with French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, to convince the Algerian state to accept raï. He succeeded in getting the government to return passports to raï musicians and allow raï to be recorded and performed in Algeria, with government sponsorship, claiming it as a part of Algerian cultural heritage. In 1986, the first state-sanctioned raï festival was held in Algeria, and a festival was also held in Bobigny, France.

A follow-up post on raï. The book above is available in its entirety at Google Books. It can also be bought at Amazon:

Raï music is often called the voice of the voiceless in Algeria, a society currently swept by tragic conflict. Raï is the voice of Algerian men, young men caught between generations and classes, in political strife, and in economic inequality.

The musicians do use Western instruments, but the music itself mixes Algerian popular songs and rhythms with the beat of American disco, Egyptian modalities, Moroccan wedding tunes, and the songs of Julio Iglesias. The study, in its innovative approach to music as a template of society, helps the reader understand the two major movements among today’s Algerian youth: one toward the mosque and the other toward the West.

More from the Wikipedia page on raï in the 1980s:

In the 1980s, raï began its period of greatest popularity. Previously the Algerian government had opposed raï because of its sexually and culturally risqué topics, such as alcohol and consumerism, two subjects that were contrary to the traditional Islamic culture. The fundamentalist leaning government also disliked the freedom afforded to women in raï, both in performing raï and in participating in the raï scene by dancing publicly, especially with men, at concerts or in clubs.

In 1985, Algerian Colonel Snoussi joined with French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, to convince the Algerian state to accept raï. He succeeded in getting the government to return passports to raï musicians and allow raï to be recorded and performed in Algeria, with government sponsorship, claiming it as a part of Algerian cultural heritage. In 1986, the first state-sanctioned raï festival was held in Algeria, and a festival was also held in Bobigny, France.

This is the cover of La chinafrique, the new book by French journalists Michel Beuret and Serge Michel. It features the photographs of Paolo Woods, whose work I mentioned yesterday. Of his subject matter Woods says: “For the 500,000 Chinese who have emigrated there is the promise of a 21st century Wild West. Some have struck gold and run large conglomerates that span whole regions of Africa, others are still selling their cheap goods on the burning hot roadsides of the poorest countries in the world.” Mr. Wood (pictured above) arrived in Nigeria from Shanghai in the 1970s. Today he owns over a dozen factories as well as restaurants, hotels and catering companies. He employs over 1600 workers. “He is an adviser to the President and has obtained the title of chief and the authorization to use police cars as his own.” In the above image the Nigerian gentleman holding the umbrella is actually a policeman. They are standing in front of “544 villas built at record speed on the Lekki peninsula near the headquarters of the Chevron oil company.”

This is the cover of La chinafrique, the new book by French journalists Michel Beuret and Serge Michel. It features the photographs of Paolo Woods, whose work I mentioned yesterday. Of his subject matter Woods says:

“For the 500,000 Chinese who have emigrated there is the promise of a 21st century Wild West. Some have struck gold and run large conglomerates that span whole regions of Africa, others are still selling their cheap goods on the burning hot roadsides of the poorest countries in the world.”

Mr. Wood (pictured above) arrived in Nigeria from Shanghai in the 1970s. Today he owns over a dozen factories as well as restaurants, hotels and catering companies. He employs over 1600 workers.

“He is an adviser to the President and has obtained the title of chief and the authorization to use police cars as his own.”

In the above image the Nigerian gentleman holding the umbrella is actually a policeman. They are standing in front of “544 villas built at record speed on the Lekki peninsula near the headquarters of the Chevron oil company.”

In Ethiopia, where aid constitutes more than 90% of the government budget, a mere 2% of the country’s population has access to mobile phones. (The African country average is around 30%.) Might it not be preferable for the government to earn money by selling its mobile phone license, thereby generating much-needed development income and also providing its citizens with telephone service that could, in turn, spur economic activity?
Why Foreign Aid Is Hurting Africa, Wall Street Journal, by Dambisa Moyo, author of Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa.
“This is the scene at a huge book warehouse whose contents are being given away after they were abandoned. Strewn across the floor are thousands of volumes. Many are a little dog-eared or have yellowing pages. But since they are free, who’s complaining?” “Bibliophiles have travelled from far and wide to the old Bookbarn site on an industrial estate in Brislington, Bristol. Yesterday, Porsches and BMWs were parked alongside vans outside as the scavengers carried out their finds in crates and on trolleys.” H/T to @pamvhv

“This is the scene at a huge book warehouse whose contents are being given away after they were abandoned. Strewn across the floor are thousands of volumes. Many are a little dog-eared or have yellowing pages. But since they are free, who’s complaining?”

“Bibliophiles have travelled from far and wide to the old Bookbarn site on an industrial estate in Brislington, Bristol. Yesterday, Porsches and BMWs were parked alongside vans outside as the scavengers carried out their finds in crates and on trolleys.” H/T to @pamvhv

I won’t have time to to participate in Seth Godin’s citizen reviewer contest, but I hope to read Jacqueline Novogratz’s new book some time later this year.

I won’t have time to to participate in Seth Godin’s citizen reviewer contest, but I hope to read Jacqueline Novogratz’s new book some time later this year.