77th birthday of Ama Ata Aidoo

(Born 23 March 1942, Saltpond, Ghana)

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe 

DISTINGUISHED poet, playwright, novelist, academic

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Oceanic beloved” [personnel: Coltrane, harp;  Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

*****Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is the author of African Literature in Defence of History: An essay on Chinua Achebe (2001) and Readings from Reading: Essays on African History, Genocide, Literature (2011)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

95th birthday of Ruby Dee

(Born 27 October 1922, Cleveland, Ohio, US)

CELEBRATED award-winning actress and freedom proponent who continues to work till her 90th birthday – with signature film performances which include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Edge of a City (1957), The Raisin in the Sun (1961), Gone are the Days (1963), The Incident (1967), Peyton Place (television: 1968-1969), Roots – The Next Generation (television: 1979), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (television: 1979), With Ossie and Ruby! (television: 1980-1982), Go Tell It on the Mountain (television: 1985), Do the Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991), Their Eyes were watching God (television: 2005), American Gangster (2007)

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Lovely sky boat” [personnel: Coltrane, harp;  Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

66th birthday of Catherine Acholonu

(Born 26 October 1951, Orlu, Biafra)

PROLIFIC and indefatigable scholar on Igbo origins and civilisation and relationship with neighbouring states and peoples and rest of the world

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Turiya and Ramakrishna” [personnel: Coltrane, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Ben Riley, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 26 January 1970]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

102nd birthday of Margaret Abigail Walker

(Born 7 July 1915, Birmingham, Al, US)

Poet, novelist, academic, immensely influential figure in the development of African American letters, author of the 1942 classic For My People, a volume of poetry that focuses on African American history, Jubilee (1966), a family historical novel, and an array of other published studies

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Lovely sky boat” [personnel: Coltrane, harp;  Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

88th birthday of Mariama Bâ

(Born 17 April 1929, Dakar, Sénégal)

Novelist and influential intellectual, author of the seminal So Long a Letter (1981)

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “I want to see you” [personnel: Coltrane, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

77th birthday of Ama Ata Aidoo

(Born 23 March 1940, Saltpond, Ghana)

 Distinguished poet, novelist, playwright, academic

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Lovely sky boat” [personnel: Coltrane, harp;  Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

94th birthday of Ruby Dee

(Born 27 October 1922, Cleveland, Ohio, US)

Celebrated award-winning actress and freedom proponent who continues to work till her 90th birthday – with signature film performances which include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Edge of a City (1957), The Raisin in the Sun (1961), Gone are the Days (1963), The Incident (1967), Peyton Place (television: 1968-1969), Roots – The Next Generation (television: 1979), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (television: 1979), With Ossie and Ruby! (television: 1980-1982), Go Tell It on the Mountain (television: 1985), Do the Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991), Their Eyes were watching God (television: 2005), American Gangster (2007)

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Lovely sky boat” [personnel: Coltrane, harp;  Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 6 June 1968]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

65th birthday of Catherine Acholonu

(Born 26 October 1951, Orlu, Biafra)

Prolific and indefatigable scholar on Igbo origins and civilisation and relationship with neighbouring states and peoples and rest of the world

(Alice Coltrane Trio, “Turiya and Ramakrishna” [personnel: Coltrane, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Ben Riley, drums; recorded: Coltrane home studio, Dix Hills, New York, US, 26 January 1970]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe