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Letta Mbulu
Letta Mbulu (born 23 August 1942) is a South African jazz singer who has been active since the 1960s. Biography Born and raised in Soweto, South Africa, she has been active as a singer since the 1960s. While still a teenager she toured with the musical ''King Kong''Douglas Payne"Letta Mbulu" Douglaspayne.com — but left for the United States in 1964 due to Apartheid. In New York City, she connected with other South African exiles, including Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa, and went on to work with Cannonball Adderley, David Axelrod and Harry Belafonte. On screen, her singing can also be heard in ''Roots'', ''The Color Purple'' (1985), and the 1973 film ''A Warm December'',Craig HarrisArtist Biography AllMusic and she was a guest on a Season 6 episode of ''Soul Train''. Mbulu also provided the Swahili chant in Michael Jackson's single, " Liberian Girl". Producer Quincy Jones has said of her: "Mbulu is the roots lady, projecting a sophistication and warmth whi ...
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Soweto
Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a separate municipality, it is now incorporated in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, and one of the suburbs of Johannesburg. History George Harrison and George Walker are today credited as the men who discovered an outcrop of the Main Reef of gold on the farm Langlaagte in February 1886. The fledgling town of Johannesburg was laid out on a triangular wedge of "uitvalgrond" (area excluded when the farms were surveyed) named Randjeslaagte, situated between the farms Doornfontein to the east, Braamfontein to the west and Turffontein to the south. Within a decade of the discovery of gold in Johannesburg, 100,000 people flocked to this part of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek in search of riches. They were of many races and na ...
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Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album '' Calypso'' (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Belafonte is best known for his recordings of "The Banana Boat Song", with its signature "Day-O" lyric, " Jump in the Line", and " Jamaica Farewell". He has recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He has also starred in several films, including ''Carmen Jones'' (1954), '' Island in the Sun'' (1957), and ''Odds Against Tomorrow'' (1959). Belafonte considered the actor, singer and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. As he later recalled, "Paul Robes ...
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1942 Births
Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Emperor Septimius Severus and Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Caesar become Roman Consuls. * Battle of Issus: Septimius Severus marches with his army (12 legions) to Cilicia, and defeats Pescennius Niger, Roman governor of Syria. Pescennius retreats to Antioch, and is executed by Severus' troops. * Septimius Severus besieges Byzantium (194–196); the city walls suffer extensive damage. Asia * Battle of Yan Province: Warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu fight for control over Yan Province; the battle lasts for over 100 ...
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Order Of Ikhamanga
The Order of Ikhamanga is a South African honour. It was instituted on 30 November 2003 and is granted by the President of South Africa for achievements in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sports (which were initially recognised by the Order of the Baobab). The order has three classes: * Gold (OIG), for exceptional achievement, * Silver (OIS), for excellent achievement, * Bronze (OIB), for outstanding achievement. ''Ikhamanga'' is the Xhosa name for '' Strelitzia reginae'', a flower. Design The egg-shaped badge depicts a rising sun, a " Lydenburg head", two strelitzia flowers, a drum, three circles, and two roadways. The head represents the arts, the sun represents glory, the circles symbolise sport, and the roads represent the long road to excellence. The South African coat of arms is displayed on the reverse. The ribbon is gold with four cream-coloured lines inset from each edge and a pattern of recurring stylised dancing figures down the centre. All three ...
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South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in November of the previous year. The nominations are typically announced at the end of March. The winners receive a gold-plated statuette called a SAMA. The show has mostly been held at the Super Bowl in Sun City, with the exception of three years, and broadcast live on national broadcaster, SABC. The ceremony features live performances as once-off collaborations by a selection of nominees. Awards As of the 26th SAMAs, in 2020, there are a total of thirty categories awarded. These categories change from year to year to accommodate changes in music styles and changes in popularity of already existing genres. These genres include adult contemporary, Afrikaans, classical, dance, faith, jazz, Kwaito, Maskandi, pop, rap, reggae, RnB, rock, ...
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Caiphus Semenya
Caiphus Semenya (born 19 August 1939) is a South African composer and musician. He was born in Alexandra, Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa. He left South Africa for Los Angeles, California, United States, in the 1960s, together with his wife, singer Letta Mbulu. Among the artists with whom he worked are Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Hotep Galeta, Miriam Makeba, Lou Rawls, Nina Simone and Cannonball Adderley. Semenya also arranged the Swahili chant in the intro to Michael Jackson's " Liberian Girl" from the 1987 '' Bad'' album. Awards * 2015: South African Afro Music Awards * 2015: ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for Music * 1986: Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 1985 film ''The Color Purple''; shared the nomination with nine other composers. Discography *''The Very Best of Caiphus Semenya'' (Columbia, 1996) *''Woman Got a Right to Be'' (1996) *''Streams Today... Rivers Tomorrow'' (Munjale, 1984) *''Listen to the Wind'' (CBS, 1982) With Quincy Jones * ''Roots A ...
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Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores. He moved easily between musical genres, producing pop hit records for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s (including " It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between the jazz artists Frank Sinatra and Count Basie in the same time period. In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Eyes of Love" from the film '' Banning''. Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film ''In Cold Blood'', making him the ...
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Liberian Girl
"Liberian Girl" is the ninth single released from American singer Michael Jackson's 1987 album '' Bad''. The song was written as early as 1983 and was among those considered for the Jacksons' ''Victory'' album. It was reworked and rewritten for ''Bad''. The song was released as a single in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Although a commercial success (ranking the Top 15 in several countries), the song was never performed live by Michael Jackson during his Bad World Tour or later concerts. Critical reception ''The New York Times'' editor Jon Pareles wrote that a melody line from "Billie Jean" reappears in this song. ''Rolling Stone''s Davitt Sigerson praised the song: "'Liberian Girl' "is Michael's filler, which makes it richer, sexier, better than ''Thriller's'' forgettables" and he also described that it "glistens with gratitude for the existence of a loved one." In 2003, ''Q'' magazine ranked the song at number 1,001 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". Reac ...
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Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. He is the most awarded musician in history. The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records. He became a solo star with his 1979 album '' Off the Wall''. His music videos, incl ...
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Swahili Language
Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili has borrowed a number of words from foreign languages, particularly Arabic, but also words from Portuguese, English and German. Around forty percent of Swahili vocabulary consists of Arabic loanwords, including the name of the language ( , a plural adjectival form of an Arabic word meaning 'of the coast'). The loanwords date from the era of contact between Arab slave traders and the Bantu inhabitants of the east coast of Africa, which was also the time period when Swahili emerged as a lingua franca in the region. The number of Swahili speakers, be they native or second-language speakers, is estimated to be approximately 200 million. Due to concerted efforts by the government of Tanzania, Swahili is one of three official languages (th ...
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List Of Soul Train Episodes
This is a list of episodes for the musical variety show '' Soul Train'' that aired originally from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. The dates shown are original air dates, but some dates are approximate because in the 1970s, most syndication markets did not get the episodes at the same time, so the dates shown are the first airings of the episodes. This is also a list for the ''Best of Soul Train'' reruns that aired from 2006 until the show's cancellation in September 2008. The dates shown are the first airings of the episodes. Series overview __NOTOC__ Season 1 (1971–1972) ''Back to Series overview'' The first theme song was the 1962 recording of "Hot Potatoes", performed by King Curtis; the song used for the bumpers was "Familiar Footsteps" by Gene Chandler. Season 2 (1972–1973) ''Back to Series overview'' Season 3 (1973–1974) ''Back to Series overview'' Starting with episode 76, the show's theme was changed to "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", written ...
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AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan, he founded ''All Music Guide' ...
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