Program 04-05-02-A

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To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio

Ten years ago, South African singer and activist Vusi Mahalesela had the thrill of his life. He sang at Nelson Mandela's inauguration. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the music and politics of South Africa - ten years after the end of apartheid.

SEGMENT 1:

South African singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela talks with Steve Paulson about his experiences singing political music during the time of Apartheid, and remembers the glorious day of Nelson Mandela's Inauguration as President. And we hear lots of Mahlasela's music. His new album is "The Voice." Also, Etienne Van Heerdon is one of South Africa's leading Afrikaans writers. He tells Steve Paulson that many of his fellow writers are obsessed with his country's history and that they could always say things in fiction that they could never get away with in journalism. And he reminds Steve that there have always been Black speakers of Afrikaans and he was not wiling to cede his language to the racists. Van Heerdon's latest novel is "The Long Silence of Mario Salviati."

SEGMENT 2:

Paul Theroux lived and taught in Africa throughout much of the 1960s. He returned recently and describes the journey in his book "Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town." Theroux reads from the book and tells Jim Fleming that although Africa is corrupt and decrepit, he was happy there. He says foreign aid as currently practiced doesn't work and we should try something else.

SEGMENT 3:

Joseph Lekuton was born in Kenya to a tribe of Maasai nomads. Later, he came to America and eventually got a master's in educational policy from Harvard. He tells Anne Strainchamps about walking vast distances and killing lions with a spear when he was growing up in Africa, and why he still goes back to visit his family in Kenya every summer and herd cattle. His book is "Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna."

Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-05-02-A.

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Books:

• Joseph Lemasolai-Lekuton & Herman Viola, Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna (National Geographic)
  
• Paul Theroux, Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town (Mariner Books)
  
• Etienne Van Heerden, The Long Silence of Mario Salviati: a novel (Harper Collins)

Music:

• Vusi Mahlasela:
  -"When You Come Back"
  -"Red Song"
  -"Weeping"
  -"A Prayer For Our Time"
  all on "The Voice" CD
  ATO Records
• Vusia Mahlasela's "Mayibuye"
  on "Amandla" soundtrack
  ATO Records
• After Van Heerdon:
  Bona with "Poeira"
  on "Kaxexe" CD
  Times Square Records
• After Theroux:
  Oumou Sangare with "Diaraby Nene"
  on "Oumou" CD
  World Circuit/Nonesuch
• After Lekuton:
  Oliver Mtukdzi with "Ndima Ndapedza"
  on "Putamayo Presents Africa"
  Putamayo World Music

Distribution dates:

week of 05/02/2004 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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