Singing Our Unsung Heroes


Book Description

This book collates thematic reflections on Cameroon music exalting Manu Dibango, one of the first-generation Cameroonian musicians, who bowed to Covid-19 on 24 March 2020. Granted his enormous contribution to Cameroon, African and world music, one would have expected that scholarly books and encyclopaedia of recognition would be written in his honour prior to his demise. However, that was not the case. Like many other musicians in Cameroon, seemingly nothing substantial has been written about Manu Dibango and his music, with the exception, paradoxically, of his autobiography, Three Kilos of Coffee. What exists on this towering and humble giant of Cameroonian and African superstardom is scanty and mostly in the form of grey literature. We must learn to immortalise our artists and popular intellectuals beyond their entertainment value and the photo opportunities that we have with them in their lifetime. The inspiration for this book was drawn from the conviction that one of the best ways of honouring and valorising Manu Dibango would be by taking the cue from his music and then collecting essays generally on music, its role and impact in Cameroon, Africa and beyond.




An Unsung Hero


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The story of the remarkable Tom Crean who ran away to sea aged 15 and played a memorable role in Antarctic exploration. He spent more time in the unexplored Antarctic than Scott or Shackleton, and outlived both. Among the last to see Scott alive, Crean was in the search party that found the frozen body. An unforgettable story of triumph over unparalleled hardship and deprivation.




Still Singing 'Yma o Hyd'


Book Description

Dafydd Iwan rose to fame with his 1960s protest songs and has been performing ever since. Welsh football’s recent adoption of his anthem 'Yma o Hyd' (Still Here) has twice taken it to No.1 in the iTunes charts. This autobiography explains more about the man, his music and his political activism.




Program Manager


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The Sequel


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In his English grandmother's apartment in Berlin's "Old West" the writer heard Neville Chamberlain's voice coming through the radio, telling the world," Peace in Our Time." Walking with his cousin York along the fashionable "Tauentzienstrasse" the morning after "Crystal Night," York kept him from picking up some jewelry intending to put it back in a store's broken display: "Don't you see the 'SA' men? You don't want to mess with those guys." At the railroad station of the Olympic village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen he was part of a contingent welcoming Rudolf Hess, not long before Hitler's deputy flew to Scotland. During the writer's stay in a boarding school, the "Gauleiter" came to "visit." An upperclassman had pasted a Hitler stamp on the wall, his idea for the recommended Hitler portrait. He and his aunt Lindy were in a review theater on Berlin's "Kurfuerstendamm," when a news bulletin came through that an attempt had been made on the "Fuehrer's" life. But to the author and his friends Lunceford and Basie records were more important, and so was their poker club. Most wars cannot be comprehended in isolation. The Second World War is a prime example.The author goes back to the First World War and its origins. His father, whose diplomatic career began in 1914 in Japan and America, provided essential information, particularly about Americas entry into the war.The first war cast a very dark shadow across the entire twentieth century and, it is beginning to look like it, the time beyond. Among its immediate consequences was the emergence of extremist parties, leading in Germany to the Hitler government and the critical "Empowerment Law." Even so, there were several opportunities of avoiding the worst, and when the second war did brake out, it was as if it had been preordained.




Congressional Record


Book Description

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)




Between Hisses


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My Singing Teachers


Book Description

A sweeping look at American song written by one our greatest singers offers memorable portraits of Nat "King" Cole, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, and many, many more before concluding with Torme's own invaluable reflections of the art of singing. 32 illustrations.




Time Steps


Book Description

A poignant and revealing memoir from legendary entertainer and Tony award-winning actress Donna McKechnie, star of A Chorus Line and Broadway mainstay for decades. Donna McKechnie began her love affair with dance as a child in Detroit. At fifteen, she ran away from home to join a touring dance troupe, and in 1961, she was cast in the Broadway smash hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She soon won acclaim as Michael Bennett's show-stopping muse in Promises, Promises and Company. In 1975, with her Tony-winning performance in Michael Bennett's masterpiece, A Chorus Line, McKechnie vaulted to stardom as a unique Broadway "triple threat" who could do it all—dance, sing, and act. Moving among the circles of artists, dancers, and musicians who inspired and challenged her in myriad ways, McKechnie writes about the trajectory of her career as it intertwined with and influenced her personal life and the lives of those around her. Recounting her dazzling career, McKechnie also reveals the dark side of fame: from her parents' troubled relationship to a searing account of her own marriage to Michael Bennett and her inspiring triumphs over depression and the rheumatoid arthritis that nearly ended her career. With affectionate reminiscences of Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Stephen Sondheim, Fred Astaire, and many other well-known friends, McKechnie exhibits all the warmth, sensitivity, and verve that have endeared her to legions of fans over the years. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes, Time Steps is a candid, funny, and deeply personal memoir by a vivacious woman with an indomitable spirit and an illustrious, memorable career.




Why Our Schools Need the Arts


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