199th birthday of Martin Delany

(Born 6 May 1815, Charles Town, Va, US)

Influential African nationalist, activist abolitionist of African enslavement, physician, writer

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The world celebrates Father of African Literature – Brown University, Thursday 1 May 2014-Saturday 3 May 2014

https://brown.edu/conference/achebe-colloquium/colloquium-schedule

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“Open letter to Duke”

(Duke Ellington) 

In this week that the world celebrates the 115th birthday anniversary of Duke Ellington (29 April 1899, Washington DC, US), one of the preeminent composers of the 20th century, pianist and bandleader, bassist Charles Mingus, himself a distinguished composer, writes an “Open Letter to Duke” (personnel: Mingus, bass; Willie Dennis, trombone; Shafi Hadi, alto saxophone; Booker Ervin, tenor saxophone; Horace  Parlan, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York, US, 12 May 1959)

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97th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald

(Born 25 April 1917, Newport News, Virginia, US)

Celebrated vocalist with a phenomenal vocal range and an illustrious recording career spanning six decades

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Lest we forget – Intellectuals in defence of the people during the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Flora Nwapa, Louis Mbanefo, Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo, Michael Echeruo, Ifeagwu Eke, SJ Cookey, Sam Mbakwe, Janet Mokelu, Obiora Udechukwu, Uche Chukwumerije, Kalu Ezera, Philip Efiong, Ignatius Kogbara, Alvan Ikoku, Celestine Okwu, Benedict Obumselu, Donatus Nwoga, NU Akpan, Adiele Afigbo, Michael Okpara, Chukwuka Okonjo, Akanu Ibiam, CC Mojekwu, Okoko Ndem, Agwu Okpanku, Tim Onwuatuegwu, Chudi Sokei, Pol Ndu, Ben Gbulie, Chuks Ihekaibeya, Conrad Nwawo, Dennis Osadebe, Osita Osadebe, Chuba Okadigbo,  Okechukwu Ikejiani, Winifred Anuku, Anthony Modebe, Alex Nwokedi, Zeal Onyia, Chukwuedo Nwokolo, Pius Okigbo, Godian Ezekwe, Felix Oragwu, Ogbogu Kalu, Kevin Echeruo, Emmanuel Obiechina, Uche Okeke, Chukwuma Azuonye, Onuora Nzekwu, Chukuemeka Ike, Eddie Okonta, Cyprian Ekwensi, Nkem Nwankwo, John Munonye, Gabriel Okara, Onwuka Dike, Eni Njoku, Okechukwu Mezu, William Achukwu

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77th birthday of Joe Henderson

(Born 24 April 1937, Lima, Ohio, US)

Distinguished tenor saxophonist, one of the leading lights of the instrument in the jazz repertoire underscored so classically with his The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vols. I & II (1985)

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67th birthday of Ifi Amadiume

(Born 23 April 1947, Kaduna, Nigeria)

Poet and anthropologist, one of the theorists in the early circle of scholars that embarks on the study and transformation of the epistemology of Igbo Women’s Studies inaugurated in the 1960s-1970s by novelist Flora Nwapa and sociologist Kamene Okonjo, author of Male Daughters, Female Husbands (1987), the seminal text that examines the historic dual-gender complementarity and consequential socioeconomic dynamism of pre-(European)conquest Igboland

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