Songs based on Yeats

Amazon.com: Sailing to Byzantium: Christine Tobin: MP3 Downloads amazon.com/Sailing-to-Byz… Music based on Yeats's #poetry
— Rethabile Masilo (@RethabileESL) October 22, 2012

Happy birthday, Dizzy!

The trumpet pioneer of bop, Dizzy was one of a small group of people who defined an entire generation of music. That style featured his furious playing, alternating between infectiously simple and complex high speed phrases.

He began studying the playing of Roy Eldridge. In 1937 he moved to New York and became a session player. In 1940 he met Charlie Parker in Kansas City. They developed bebop playing in after-hours jam sessions with Kenny Clarke, Thelonious Monk and Max Roach.

His first bebop recording was in 1944 with Coleman Hawkins. A year later he recorded with Parker. Some of his famous compositions include 'Salt Peanuts', 'Woody 'N You' and 'Shaw Nuff'. [source]

Gillespie described be-bop as music with a different accent, " ... on the up beat. Instead of OO-bah, it's oo-BAH. Different chords too." [source]

They're not particular about whether you're playing a flatted fifth or a ruptured 129th as long as they can dance to it. [source]

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was born on 21 October 1917. Happy birthday to him.

Rustum Kozain's "Stars of Stone"

Text and sound
LINK: Badilisha Poetry Exchange » Radio » Rustum Kozain

Derek Walcott: Conversation

Derek Walcott in conversation with Glyn Maxwell on Vimeo vimeo.com/50762238
— Rethabile Masilo (@RethabileESL) October 8, 2012

Pindrop Press Shop

Pindrop Press » Pindrop Shop pindroppress.com/?page_id=382 Yay! Books! #poetry #books #pindroppress
— Rethabile Masilo (@RethabileESL) October 8, 2012

Happy Birthday, Desmond!

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
~Desmond Tutu

“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”
~Desmond Tutu

“When Jesus said, 'I, if I am lifted up, will draw...' Did he say, 'I will draw some'? 'I will draw some, and tough luck for the others'? He said, 'I, if I be lifted up, will draw all.' All! All! All! – Black, white, yellow; rich, poor; clever, not so clever; beautiful, not so beautiful. All! All! It is radical. All! Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Bush – all! All! All are to be held in this incredible embrace. Gay, lesbian, so-called 'straight;' all! All! All are to be held in the incredible embrace of the love that won't let us go..”
~Desmond Tutu

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on 7 October 1931. Happy birthday to him. In the photo he is reacting to testimony on Apartheid presented during a Truth and Reconciliation session in his native South Africa. He chaired the committee and in 1999 was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize for his work there.

He has recently drawn fire for criticising some of Israel's actions against Palestinians.

Impossible Flying

Rethabile Masilo: Featured Poet « The Poetry Shed

Tonight, I go to bed

with images of Maria Concepcion in my head,
and Walcott beckoning from the edge of the sea
with honey dripping from the tips of his fingers.
Today the stars are bright in my eyes because
they're right, the sea is calm with satisfaction.
Across the bay, black women swagger
to the beat of calypso, signalling me to come
with obscene, half-incredible signs.
...

Continue the poem: Rethabile Masilo: Featured Poet « The Poetry Shed