Africa

Jazz critic Francis Davis says John Carter's new album, Dance of the Love Ghosts, is both experimental and structurally sound; each "electrifying" track needs to be heard in its entirety.

The fiction writer sought adventure, so he followed the Equator around the world. His new book describes the different cultures, colonial vestiges, and natural phenomena of his various stops -- many of which the locals described as the "middle of nowhere."

The British author and travel writer recently passed away. His acclaimed books include Songlines, a semi-fictional account of the myths that structure the lives of Australia's aborigines, and the travel book In Patagonia.

Roberts helped popularize what is now called world music. His interest, particularly in African music, developed while he worked for a news agency in Kenya. Roberts was surprised to discover American influences in some of the songs he recorded, which led him to reject any notion of a pure, national music.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the new collection of essays by veteran Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, called The Soccer Game.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has the first of a two part review of several current saxophone quartets, a configuration that's risen in popularity lately.

Book critic John Leonard reviews two collections of essays about Africa; "African Silences" by Peter Matthiessan and "Maneaters Motel" by Denis Boyles.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews some current books on African music. His big recommendation is "Sweet Mother: Modern African Music," by Wolfgang Bender (published by University of Chicago Press).

One of Africa's greatest novelists, Nuruddin Farah (New-ru-DEAN Fair-ah). He was born in what is now known as the Somalian Republic. He writes in English, and his work has been widely praised for its treatment of women. His books include, "From A Crooked Rib," "A Naked Needle," and a trilogy, "Variations on an African Dictatorship." For a long time Farah was living in exile because of a death sentence placed against him for his writing. It has since been lifted.

Until the mid 1870s, most of Africa remained untouched by slave traders and explorers. And then, in a little over three decades of conquest, Western European countries carved up and colonized all of Africa. Thomas Pakenham ("packin-em") has written "The Scramble for Africa" (Random House), a comprehensive account of this period where the white man invaded the Dark Continent.

Writer Eddy L. Harris. Like many African Americans, Harris felt a kinship to the continent of his ancestors. He went to Africa, traveled throughout the continent, and came away feeling disillusioned and feeling that he was not an African at heart after all. He's written about his journey in the new book, "Native Stranger" (published by Simon and Schuster). Harris' earlier book was the critically acclaimed "Mississippi Solo."

World music critic Milo Miles reviews a new collection of vintage African rumbas on the French label "African." It's part of their "Merveilles du Passe" series.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Monnew," a novel by West African writer Amadou Kourouma. It imagines the history and politics of a fictional country based on Kourouma's native Ivory Coast.

New York Times journalist Jane Perlez has been covering Africa since 1988 and has been credited with recognizing stories before the rest of the media. She was reporting on the trouble in Somalia, and the threat of famine a year ago, long before it became the focus of world attention.

Journalist Raymond Bonner criticizes the World Wildlife Fund for what he believes is an unnuanced approach to the protection of endangered species in Africa. He believes that the needs of the people living in impoverished areas need to be taken into consideratio. Later, Terry talks to Ginette Hemley of the WWF for her organization's perspective.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews music by the women's a capella group, Zap Mama.

New York Times reporter John Darnton. This past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, Darnton published a series of articles in the Times about the current state of Africa. He was the Times' Africa correspondent in the 70s. This 3-part series is his return to see how conditions have changed. He reports that living standards have declined far below the rest of the world, with most African countries in economic turmoil, replete with famine, war and drought. He says the World Bank has become the new superpower of Africa with the post-cold war pullout of the U.S. and Russia.

Richburg is the Hong Kong bureau chief for the "Washington Post," the paper's former Africa bureau chief, and has won awards for his reporting, including being selected as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In his new book "Out of America," he reflects on his three years experience in Africa and questions the connections made between the identity of African-Americans and their African roots.

The United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa talks about the current state of the AIDS crisis there. He recently returned from a tour of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, where he was investigating links between hunger and AIDS. He is the former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and was the Canadian ambassador to the U.N. from 1984-1988.

Journalist and historian Martin Meredith has written extensively on Africa and its recent history. His new book is The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair.