More sites on Jeremiah Gyang (and writing from Duluth)

After I posted the youtube video featuring Jeremiah Gyang a few days ago, I googled some more and found his myspace account where you can hear, "Na Ba Ka," one of my favourite songs. You can also hear clips from and purchase his album "Na Ba Ka," at CD Baby. (I ordered it, and hopefully when I get back to my apt. I'll find it waiting in the mail for me. If I have any trouble with it, I'll update here.) There is also an interview with him at Gbedu.com.

I'm writing from Atlanta (Duluth) for a week and a half vacation with my grandmother, my visiting parents and one of my sisters. This is my dearest home in America--the place I relax the best. It's nice to avoid my email for a few days... but I made myself check tonight before we go out of town to see my other sister tomorrow. {-; I probably won't post a lot in the next week... I'll be back.

UPDATE: 10 June 2007. I returned to find the cd, in excellent condition, in the mail box. I highly recommend CD Baby!

Kaina Allah - sg7 plus ft Jeremiah Gyang

I have been searching for months for anything on Youtube that has Jeremiah Gyang. I finally found one. This is "Kauna Allah" by Sagt. featuring Jeremiah Gyang, the one with the amazing voice who starts singing around timecode 1:04 and continues as the chorus throughout the piece. Jeremiah Gyang is a Christian from Jos who sings in Hausa, and the few songs I've found by him on mix cds are the most addictive and have the most mind-blowingly beautiful harmonies of any other musicians I know of anywhere. Period. Anything else I find on Youtube will go on this blog immediately! (Sorry for the scratchy beginning on this.)

Jean-Pierre Bekolo: Les Saignantes (extraits)

a trailer for Les Saignantes--see link to my review below...
(there is adult content)

Les Saignantes directed by Jean-Pierre Bekolo

I have just posted on my other blog my review of controversial Cameroonian director Jean-Pierre Bekolo's provocative 2005 film Les Saignantes, which won the 2007 Silver Stallion at FESPACO film festival.

The film has upset and wowed critics on both sides of the Atlantic and is revolutionary in it's departure from likeness to any other African film I've seen. I argue that in its focus on urban spirituality and the "ultra-modern" it has more in common with Nigerian video films than it does "traditional African cinema."

Photo Credit: Bekolo Films

Second degree down, one more to go...

master of toilet repair...

Meltdown

Ok, I am about to have a nervous breakdown and am for the first time in my life considering taking an incomplete in a class. If anyone writes me or is waiting for an answer from me on this blog or email, please don't be offended if you don't hear from me in a couple of weeks... Just need to get these three long papers and four short papers written in the next two weeks. (AAarrgghhhh!!!!) If I can just make it through this, I will be officially done with all of my required coursework, although I'll probably take another couple classes next semester to maintain fulltime enrollment while TA-ing. This is my official notice of withdrawal from the blogsphere for at least two weeks--if not three. If you see me roaming about making comments, feel free to take me to task

La Vie Sur Terre

I've just posted a review of La Vie Sur Terre (Life on Earth) a 1998 film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, the Malian director of the controversial new film Bamako, on my other blog.

For more on the film see this from California Newsreel.

Texture