84th birthday of Emmanuel Obiechina

(Born 20 September 1933, Nkpo, Biafra)

Pioneering and distinguished scholar of the historic *Onicha market literature genre and versatile literary critic and one of the leading Igbo intellectuals who defends Igbo people resolutely during the Igbo genocide (phases I-III, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970) by Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain in which 3.1 million Igbo or 25 per cent of the population are murdered by the genocidists; this is the foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa
*(river port city in Biafra Oshimiri Delta)

(Charles Mingus Sextet – with Eric Dolphy, Cornell University 1964, “Meditations” [personnel: Mingus, bass; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Dolphy, flute, bass clarinet; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded: live, Cornell University, 18 March 1964]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

209th or 210th birthday of Solomon Northup

(Born 10 July 1807/1808, Minerva, Essex county, New York, US)

African American violinist, farmer and landowner, kidnapped and enslaved in 1841 whilst visiting Washington, DC, for a music performance mission; regains his freedom in 1853 and becomes an influential campaign speaker for the African American freedom movement in the US’s northeast, publishes 12 Years a Slave (1853), the classic of his experience – basis of the feature, award-winning 2013 film directed by Steve McQueen in which Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Solomon Northup

(Charles Mingus Sextet – with Eric Dolphy, Cornell University 1964, “Meditations” [personnel: Mingus, bass; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Dolphy, flute, bass clarinet; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded: live, Cornell University, 18 March 1964]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe