Author: Douglas McLennan

Congolese Music Has Been Adopted By All Of Africa (But Wow, The Political Problems…)

“Music is probably Congo’s most influential export, though nowhere near as lucrative as copper or gold. Whereas in the West the country’s name inspires pictures of child soldiers fighting bloody battles, in most of Africa it is associated with “rumba Lingala” (Lingala is the language of the Kinshasa street). This upbeat music has become genuinely pan-African in the 60 years since Congolese musicians were first inspired by Cubans.”

Mark Greif Worries About The Problems Of Trying To Have A “Life Of The Mind” In Today’s Culture

“The reality is, for our generation, if you care about the life of the mind, you’re just going to have to keep doing it, and who knows where you’ll be doing it? Is it going to be as an adjunct? On a tenure track? At Gotham Writers Workshop? As a journalist? As long as you can keep it going in your own head without going mad, you’ve got something.”

Presidential Libraries As Political Monuments

“The collections are of value to historians, but can self-aggrandizing presentations even be considered drafts of history? They are really ante-historical. Or anti-historical. They resemble the self-tributes that royalty once erected. Former presidents create monuments celebrating their own excellence, and the results are managed in perpetuity by the National Archives.”

Walker Art Center Artistic Director Fionn Meade Resigns

“Meade had served since March 2015 as the Walker’s artistic director, a newly created role at the museum. Prior to that, he had served for ten months as the Walker’s senior curator of cross-disciplinary platforms, another newly created role. He effectively took over as chief curator after Darsie Alexander left the institution to become director of New York’s Katonah Art Museum.”

Toronto Symphony Launches National Project To Make A Case For Canadian Composers

“The list of partners includes virtually every major and many minor orchestras, with commissioned composers including Andrew Balfour, Chan Ka Nin, Kevin Lau, Nicole Lizée and John Rea among others. The orchestras themselves have been invited to choose the composers with whom they would like to work, with the TSO agreeing to perform the full complement of fanfares.”