Africa

Sherif Sissoko says it would have been one thing if his brother Ballaké’s car had been vandalized. But his musical instrument?

“He was traveling to India, to Israel, to China with this kora,” said Sissoko, who lives in Hartford and is also a musician. “It’s personal. It’s like a piece of yourself.”

Once a year, about 50 alumni of the University of Liberia Chorus come together to make music, reminisce, and raise money for the university’s music department. This year's performance is this weekend in New Haven.

A new education bill seeks to add African-American studies to the social studies curriculum in Connecticut public schools. High school students testifying before the legislature this week said loud and clear that Black history is more than just Rosa Parks, slavery and civil rights.

Samite Mulondo went from a refugee camp in Kenya to collaborating with Paul Simon. This year, the musician and Uganda native joined us in the studio to share his story and his music.

Nobody likes the termite. They get into the wood in our homes that can lead to infuriating and expensive repairs. What's to like.

It turns out, there's a lot to like about the termite; scientists study how termites build their "mounds" for clues to solving some of the world's most pressing problems, like mitigating the effects of drought, building colonies on Mars, and the creation of biofuels. 

The International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven hosts the premiere of a play called Requiem for an Electric Chair. It’s written and performed by Congolese actor Toto Kisaku who was granted asylum in the U.S. earlier this year. He lives now in Connecticut.

A Nigerian musician, who regularly performs for young prison inmates in his native country, will make his American debut early next month in Connecticut.

Samite Mulondo went from a refugee camp in Kenya to collaborating with Paul Simon. This hour, the musician and Uganda native joins us to share his story and his music.

Tunisia was the catalyst for the Arab Spring seven years ago. After historic municipal elections in this North African country, we ask—why has Tunisia succeeded in achieving democracy when others have failed?

Walt Disney’s hit film "Black Panther" broke new ground as the first mainstream superhero movie with a predominantly black cast and plenty of strong leading women. The film’s music also opens new doors: introducing authentic African sounds into an action-packed Marvel movie score. Central to those sounds is the talking drum from West Africa which can be heard sailing above many of the orchestral and choral arrangements.

Samite Mulondo went from a refugee camp in Kenya to collaborating with Paul Simon. This hour, the musician and Uganda native joins us in the studio to share his story and his music.

Voodoo is more than just a misunderstood religion, its practice draws on age-old beliefs, cultural elements, and folk traditions from a multitude of nations and ethnic groups.

Voodoo is more than just a misunderstood religion, its practice draws on age-old beliefs, cultural elements, and folk traditions from a multitude of nations and ethnic groups.

It's been a crazy week. (Of course, they're all crazy weeks.) As such, this week's crazy Nose tries to rapid-fire its way through as many crazy topics as possible in its crazy 49 minutes.

Some of the crazy possibilities:

The ensemble Cuatro Puntos sees music as a catalyst for change. The group, which is based in Connecticut, performs and teaches around the world. The ensemble often collaborates with members of local communities during performances.

Hobby Lobby recently paid a $3 million fee for illegally buying smuggled ancient Iraqi artifacts.

This hour: What is the relationship between collecting antiquities and the looting of them in countries that are experiencing violent conflicts and societal breakdown? Do Western museums and collections have a role to play in saving at-risk antiquities?

This hour: bridging West Africa’s communication gap. We hear how one Connecticut-based nonprofit is bringing community radio to Senegalese villages. It's something host Lucy Nalpathanchil reported on during her visit to the country late last month.