Happy New Year!

Leonard Dillon - One Step Forward (1992)

Reggae legend Leonard Dillon was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica on December 9, 1942. After relocating to Kingston in 1963, he was befriended by Peter Tosh, who in turn introduced him to the legendary producer Coxsone Dodd; with Tosh and his fellow Wailers singing harmony, Dodd cut four of Dillon's songs -- among them the hit "Ice Water" -- released in 1965 under the name Jack Sparrow.

Soon after he formed the Ethiopans with Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris, one of the seminal groups of the Rock Steady era and a major force in Jamaican music until Taylor's death in 1975. Reeling from the tragedy, Dillon retreated to Port Antonio for two years, finally resurfacing to reform the Ethiopans for a session with producer Niney the Observer later released as "Slave Call". He later recorded as a solo act as well, yielding the 1999 retrospective "On the Road Again".

Tracklist:

1 The Name Of The Game (Is Survival) 3:26
2 (Cool It) Amigo 3:02
3 On The Road Again 3:42
4 One Step Forward (And Two Steps Back) 3:19
5 Love You, Little Lover 3:10
6 In Day, Mi Dey 2:29
7 Feed The Fire (Fan The Flame) 3:18
8 Woman Of Babylon 3:10
9 Done I' Done 3:45
10 You Are My First Love 3:29
11 You Got The Dough 2:58
12 Train To Skaville 2:52
13 Dead Prophesy 3:29
14 No Bad Woman 2:43
15 The Whip 3:01
16 I'm Ready 3:00


Leonard Dillon - One Step Forward (1992)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Ape, Beck & Brinkmann - Regenbogenland (1982)

Ape, Beck & Brikmann were founded in 1979 by Fred Ape, Klaus Beck and Peter Brinkmann together with the sound engineer Klaus-Werner Wollnowski. The group quickly became one of the flagships of the German alternative folk rock scene. Their political lyrics were mainly written by Fred Ape.

With over 100,000 sold copies, their song "Rauchzeichen" (1979), based on the "Prophecy of the Cree", became a secret hit in the growing alternative scene. Nowadays, it is one of the best knows songs focusing on ecological problems, and is published in germen school books. 

All the activities of the 1980s West German left wing and alternative scene were accompanied by the music of  bands like Ton Steine Scherben, Cochise and - of course - Ape, Beck & Brinkmann: The demonstrations against nuclear power plants, against the "Startbahn West" in Frankfurt, against the "Volkszählung" ("census") in 1983 and for women´s emancipation.

 
Now, nearly 40 years later, these songs may sound utopian and naive. But why should we not hope that war and hunger will be abolished at some point? And not so much has changed since these days and there is still a lot to do to show solidarity and enjoy life. We are not alone.

The Album "Regenbogenland" was released in 1982 on the Folk Freak Label.

Tracklist:

1. Regenbogenland 4:12
2. Indianersee 3:21
3. Das Haus 3:43
4. Der Schlag 2:07
5. Das letzte Paradies 2:09
6. Endlich ein Liebeslied 4:06
7. Wir sind noch wahre Pioniere 3:33
8. Global 2001 3:25
9. Auf der Flucht erschossen 3:07
10. Wounded Knee 4:10
11. Startbahn 4:26


Ape, Beck & Brinkmann - Regenbogenland (1982)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

The Mamas And The Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966)

In the spring of 1966, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" represented a genuinely new sound, as fresh to listeners as the songs on "Meet the Beatles" had seemed two years earlier. Released just as "California Dreaming" was ascending the charts by leaps and bounds, it was the product of months of rehearsal in the Virgin Islands and John Phillips' discovery of what one could do to build a polished recorded sound in the studio - it embraced folk-rock, pop/rock, pop, and soul, and also reflected the kind of care that acts like the Beatles were putting into their records at the time. "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'" are familiar enough to anyone who's ever listened to the radio, and "Go Where You Wanna Go" isn't far behind, in this version or the very similar rendition by the Fifth Dimension. But the rest is mighty compelling even to casual listeners, including the ethereal "Got a Feelin'," the rocking "Straight Shooter" and "Somebody Groovy," the jaunty, torch song-style version of "I Call Your Name," and the prettiest versions of "Do You Wanna Dance" and "Spanish Harlem" that anyone ever recorded.

If the material here has a certain glow that the Mamas & the Papas' subsequent LPs lacked, that may be due in part to the extensive rehearsal and the exhilaration of their first experience in the studio, but also a result of the fact that it was recorded before the members' personal conflicts began interfering with their ability to work together. The work was all spontaneous and unforced here, as opposed to the emotional complications that had to be overcome before their next sessions.

Tracklist:

"Monday, Monday" (John Phillips) – 3:28
"Straight Shooter" (J. Phillips) – 2:58
"Got a Feelin'" (J. Phillips, Denny Doherty) – 2:53
"I Call Your Name" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 2:38
"Do You Wanna Dance" (Bobby Freeman) – 3:00
"Go Where You Wanna Go" (J. Phillips) – 2:29 Side two
"California Dreamin'" (J. Phillips, Michelle Phillips) – 2:42
"Spanish Harlem" (Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector) – 3:22
"Somebody Groovy" (J. Phillips) - 3:16
"Hey Girl" (J. Phillips, M. Phillips) – 2:30
"You Baby" (Steve Barri, P. F. Sloan) – 2:22
"The 'In' Crowd" (Billy Page) – 3:12

The Mamas And The Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Asian Dub Foundation - Naxalite - Culture Move EP (1998)

Asian Dub Foundation formed in 1993 as an outgrowth of the documentary Identical Beat, a film shot at London's Farringdon Community Music House, the site of a series of summer workshops designed to teach Asian children the essentials of music technology. In charge of the workshops were tutor Aniruddha Das and youth worker John Pandit, also a noted DJ; with one of their students, a 15-year-old Bengali rapper named Deedar Zaman, they soon formed a sound system that they called the Asian Dub Foundation. After each adopted an alias -- bassist/tabla player Das became Dr. Das, Pandit became Pandit G, and Zaman became Master D -- they gradually evolved into a working band with the 1994 addition of former Higher Intelligence Agency guitarist Steve Chandra Savale, an innovative performer known for tuning his strings to one note like a sitar, turning up the distortion unit, and playing his instrument with a knife, earning him the nickname "Chandrasonic." Emerging in the midst of considerable anti-Asian violence throughout Britain, the Foundation's early demos landed them a contract with Nation Records, and they recorded their debut EP, Conscious, in 1994.

Channeling influences ranging from punk to ambient music to Bengali folk songs, Asian Dub Foundation quickly gained a strong fan base not only among clubgoers but also among the anti-fascist movement, who applauded the group's vocal stand against racism.

Here´s their EP "Naxalaite - Culture Move" from 1998.

Tracklist:
01. Naxalite (Main Mix)
02. Culture Move (Pusher Sound Mix)
03. Free Satpal Ram (Russell Simmins Remix)
04. Culture Move (Urban Decay Remix)
05. Culture Move (Silver Haze Mix)



Asian Dub Foundation - Naxalite - Culture Move EP (1998)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Peggy Seeger - Early In Spring (1962)

The half-sister of Pete Seeger and the widow of Ewan MacColl, singer/songwriter Peggy Seeger continued her family's long history of championing and preserving traditional music, most notably emerging as a seminal figure in the British folk song revival of the 1960s. Peggy Seeger is considered by many to be the female folksinger, responsible for the continuous upswing of folk music popularity. It is a fitting title, considering Peggy was living and breathing folk music since before she was born.

She plays banjo and sings on this 1962 Topic Label EP. The four songs are 'courting songs'.

Tracklist:

A1. Madam I Have Come To Court You
A2. When I Was In My Prime
B1. So Early, Early In The Spring
B2. The Chickens They Are Crowing

Peggy Seeger - Early In Spring (1962)
(ca. 170 kbps, cover art included)

Angèle Durand - Lieder der Claire Waldoff (1980)

The husky-voiced Belgian pop singer and actress Angèle Durand sings on this album some of Claire Waldoff´s "greatest hits".  Durand's tribute to Claire Waldoff, the famous lesbian cabaret performer of Berlin, was recorded in 1980.

Angèle Durand , civil Angèle Caroline Liliane Josette Marie-José DeGeest (* 23 October 1925 in Antwerp , Belgium , † 22 December 2001 in Augsburg ) was a Belgian singer and actress. She was married from 1958 to 1961 with producer Nile Nobah. Later she had a long-time relationship with the entertainer Lou van Burg.

Claire Waldoff was a star on the stage of the great cabarets and variety shows between 1907 and 1935, not only in Berlin. Their songs were sung in the streets or whistled by garbage carters and millionaires. "Hermann heeßt er", "Wer schmeißt denn da mit Lehm?" or "Das war sein Miljöh" knew every child.

Angèle Durand - Lieder der Claire Waldoff (1980)
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Sun Ra - United World In Outer Space (1975)

Decades before his time, political and musical revolutionary, Sun Ra, developed a new plane of cultural existence where black people were all-powerful beings from outer space, sending their intergalactic message through jazz music.

Recorded live in 1975 at Cleveland's legendary jazz club, the Smiling Dog Saloon, when Sun Ra and his Arkestra descended on the city for a week-long residency. You can imagine how the uninitiated's jaw must have dropped when Ra and his 15 musicians marched out onto the stage decked in glittery space costumes, playing percussion instruments and chanting. This high quality live performance is top-shelf Ra playing a kind of spaced out world music with hints of disco. Ra sings, plays the Moog, piano and organ, while everyone else plays alternately some kind of percussion or reed instrument, sings, dances, and claps hands. Check out his other-worldly version of Duke Ellington's 'Sophisticated Lady', featuring John Gilmore on sax, and his extended Moog solo!


Tracklist:

A1 Astro Nation (Of The United World In Outer Space) 11:01
A2 Enlightenment 2:10
A3 Friendly Galaxy 12:49
B1 Theme Of The Stargazers / The Satellites Are Spinning 2:32
B2 Synthesizer Solo 8:34
B3 Sophisticated Lady 14:09


Sun Ra - United World In Outer Space (1975)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Nina Simone - Nina´s Choice (Colpix, 1963)

The now-legendary Nina Simone began her recording career in 1959, after briefly studying classical piano at Juilliard and performing at an Atlantic City nightclub where the club's owner allegedly ordered her to sing as she played.

Simone specializes in the eclectic, and her personal variety of musical magic is without equal. With her androgynous, deeply burnished vocals and her extraordinary, classically influenced piano technique, Simone refashions any song to fit her own fiercely artistic vision. Always cutting edge, her sound has influenced and continues to influence other artists.

NINA'S CHOICE is a fine 1963 compilation of favorite tracks that Simone selected from her five prior albums on the Colpix label. Every song is a stunner. The insanely quirky "Rags and Old Iron" sounds like something off a Tom Waits album. The strange, slow tango of "Just Say I Love Him" features the brilliantly haunting guitar work of Al Shackman, Simone's longtime guitarist. Also included here is a rollicking version of the traditional "Little Liza Jane," a highpoint of Simone's appearance at Newport in 1960. This thoughtfully selected compilation is well worth owning.

Tracklist:

A1	Trouble In Mind
A2	Memphis In June
A3	Cotton Eyed Joe
A4	Work Song
A5	Forbidden Fruit
B1	Little Liza Jane
B2	Rags And Old Iron
B3	You Can Have Him
B4	Just Say I Love Him

Nina Simone - Nina´s Choice (Colpix, 1963)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Dresden Theaterplatz, 19. November 1989

The Monday demonstrations in East Germany in 1989 to 1991 (German: Montagsdemonstrationen) were a series of peaceful political protests against the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) that took place every Monday evening. Because the church played a big role in them, the Monday demonstrations are also sometimes called the Religious Protest. The protests that occurred between 1989 and 1991 can be separated into five cycles. The Monday demonstrations started in Leipzig and were spontaneous, meaning that the demonstrations were not planned beforehand.

These two CDs are featuring the complete and restaured recordings from the demonstration on November, 19, 1989, in Dresden on the "Theaterplatz" against the GDR governement.

Dresden, Theaterplatz, 19. November 1989

(320 kbps, small front cover included)

Helmut Eisel & JEM - Klezm´n Soul

From the world of mathematics to the realm of music, from Germany to Israel, from classic to Klezmer, the journey of Helmut Eisel through the Clarinet Klezmer is quite unique.

Born In Germany in 1955 he graduated in Mathematics in 1985 and began to work as business consultant.

Those days Giora Feidman, the famous clarinet Klezmer player, was conducting masters classes in Germany and Helmut Eisel began to take part to them.

Soon he became Giora Feidman's assistant and then he was at a crossroad, having to choose between a business career or a full time job playing clarinet. Fortunately for us he chose the musical career and since then, he dedicated himself entirely to music. Since 1993 he is conducting workshops "Klezmer Improvisation" in Germany and each summer in Tsfat (Safed-Israel) at Clarinet and Klezmer in Galilee's Seminars and Masters Classes.

Helmut Eisel founded several orchestras and ensembles, a clarinet quartet,"Helmut Eisel Clarinet Funtet", a duo "Clarinet Stories", a solo program, a quintet "Helmut Eisel and Band", and his trio, "Helmut Eisel and JEM" (JEM are the initials of the three founders of the group Herbert Jagst, Helmut Eisel und Michael Marx; Jagst, the double bass player deceased in 2000, Stefan Engelmann took over his place) .

He is also performing with Marina Baranova, a classical Ukrainian pianist, and they are playing masterpieces by Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Bela Bartok together with traditional Klezmer melodies. The chemistry between Helmut and Marina is absolute, their virtuosity is phenomenal still full of sensibility, emotion and expressiveness.This exceptional chamber music duo program is called "Impromptu".

During one of the Clarinet and Klezmer in the Galilee workshops Helmut jammed with some talented youg musicians and together they founded the "Klezmer All Star Clarinet Gang" (David Orlowsky Clarinet, Avi Avital Mandolin, Michal Beit Halachmi Bass Clarinet, Moran Katz Clarinet, Stefan Engelmann Bass...).

Helmut is performing all around Germany and Europe as well as in Israel where he has been awarded by The Israel Music Society for his contribution to the Klezmer music.

Helmut Eisel is also a composer, he wrote film scores, theater music and appeared on numerous radio and TV shows. He composed a symphonic fairy tale "Naftule and the King" for symphonic orchestra and Klezmer trio.

He played together with Giora Feidman an original composition dedicated to the musicians murdered during the Holocaust at Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem.

Each of his performances is quite unique, his ability to invent and to improvize is infinite, always imagining new incredible sounds, new harmonies, new paths to emotion, stirring the soul, reaching the inner voice. His fingers are running on the clarinet, the air is blowing through the mouthpiece, from silence, almost inaudible pianissimo to a roaring fortissimo, from altissimo to lower register, the audience is ecstatic, deeply moved by the power of his music.

Tracklist:

1.	Blindroter Chor Und Wirtshaust Chter	3:28
2.	Bulja, Bulja	4:07
3.	Jonny And Chris Awake	5:21
4.	Uv' Yom Hashabbat	3:54
5.	Cousins Jump Suite: Prelude/The Big And The Quick/Waltz Of The Princes	8:11
6.	Black Curly Kids	4:16
7.	The Ballad Of A Lonesome Maestro	4:08
8.	The King Of The Sitz	4:31
9.	Moritz	3:46
10.	Beyond The Blue	3:44

Helmut Eisel & JEM - Klezm´n Soul
(256 kbps, cover art included

Oliver Tuku Mutukudzi - Ziwere MuKobenhavn

Oliver Tuku Mutukudzi is from Zimbabwe and with his unique Tuku beat has created his own brand of popular music. The music represents for the people of his country the ritual campfire around which the words of life are talked about. This has been lost in the transfer of the population into the urban centers.

In his music he has melded Mbira, traditional mystical Shona music usually played on a thumb piano, with Mbaqanga, the South African stew made up of township jive, Jit, and other traditional elements. His brew is unique, combining the rural Mbira rhythms with the high-energy urban Mbaqanga.

The result is a dance album with punch but without synthesized drum machines. He utilizes the Bantu African structure of interlocking patterns, thus creating a unified sound collage that is mesmerizing. This is how the Tuku beat becomes a dancing image of the life and spirit of the township. Trance and ecstasy overtake the dancer and he or she is one with the community ritual. The music unites the bush with the city and thus ameliorates the alienation from the roots of culture, a very important matter.

His lead vocals, sung in Shona and English, tell the event he's describing and the response of the chorus confirm and enhance what has been sung. Listen to him sing "Kusaziva," which means "Ignorance," and "Hear Me Lord." It is a circle of song, of community, and mystical unity in the round. A truly mystical album with that South African danceable drive underpinning it all. Recommended.    


Oliver Tuku Mutukudzi - Ziwere MuKobenhavn 
(256 kbps, cover art included)   

The Members - 1980 - The Choice Is Yours (1980)

Formed in Surrey, England, in the summer of 1977, the Members were among the new wave of British bands jumping on the punk bandwagon. The band -- composed of Nicky Tesco (vocals), Jean-Marie Carroll (guitar), Gary Baker(guitar), Adrian Lillywhite (drums), and Chris Payne (bass) -- was among the first to successfully blend reggae rhythms with punk's attitude and aggression. Stiff Records saw some promise in the band and signed them early in 1978, releasing their first single, "Solitary Confinement." The success of the single led to their signing with Virgin Records in 1979. Their Virgin debut single, "Sound of the Suburbs," made it into the British Top 20 but subsequent singles failed to match its success. After replacing Baker with Nigel Bennett, they recorded their first LP, "At the Chelsea Nightclub", which also made a brief appearance in the lower reaches of the U.K. charts.

Around this time, the 2-Tone movement was stealing much of their limelight and their popularity began to fade. After one more album for Virgin in 1980, "1980 -  The Choice Is Yours", they were dropped by the label. After a brief layoff, they returned in 1982 with "Uprhythm, Downbeat" (released in 1983 in the U.K. as "Going West"), broadening their sound with horns and a more serious attitude. "Working Girl" from the album became a cult classic in the U.S. through MTV exposure, but mainstream acceptance eluded them on both sides of the Atlantic. The band called it quits the following year. Carroll became a film composer, noted for working with Julien Temple, and in 2008, an incarnation of the band toured around the world, including Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight Festival. The Members also returned to recording, with a lineup that included Carroll, Payne, Bennett, and drummer Nick Cash. Tesco, having bowed out due to health problems, was replaced by the Damned's Rat Scabies. The band recorded two albums, 2012's "InGrrLand" and 2016's "One Law".

"1980 - The Choice Is Yours" is The Members' second album, released in 1980.

Tracklist:

The Ayatollah Harmony 2:45
Goodbye To The Job 2:25
Physical Love 3:20
Romance 3:12
Brian Was 3:28
Flying Again 3:27
Normal People 3:25
Police Car 3:50
Clean Men 3:57
Muzak Machine 2:48
Gang War 5:27

The Members - 1980: The Choice Is Yours (1980)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Asian Dub Foundation - R.A.F.I.

On "R.A.F.I.", the Asian Dub Foundation further refines their sound, honing their blend of miscellaneous styles -- ragga, jungle, dub, rock, hip-hop, rap -- to a consistent aesthetic characterizing each of the songs and the album as a whole.

Yet with this newfound consistency, part of the experimental ideology that fueled their breakthrough album, "R.A.F.I.", has been polished in favor of the evolved sound. If this album is less daring with its application of influence, it also benefits from this very lack of daringness by staying true to a common sound: fractured drum'n'bass rhythms, deep dub basslines, dancehall reggae rapping, revolutionary ideology, and rock accessibility. This album won't lead anyone to call them the next Rage Against the Machine, but it will satisfy anyone with a hunger for the group's truly patented sound.

Tracklist:

Assassin 4:13
Change 3:07
Black White 3:34
Buzzing 5:35
Free Satpal Ram 4:24
Modern Apprentice 4:55
Operation Eagle Lie 4:17
Hypocrite 4:29
Naxalite 4:56
Loot 5:07
Dub Mentality 4:26
Culture Move 4:30
Real Areas For Investigation 4:22


Asian Dub Foundation - R.A.F.I.
(320 kbps, cover art included)       

Billie Holiday - Velvet Mood (1956)

Velvet Mood (subtitled Songs by Billie Holiday) (MGC 713) is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, released in 1956 on Clef Records.

The music was recorded over the course of two sessions in Los Angeles, two days apart, which had also resulted in all the material for her previous album "Music for Torching" (MGC 669) .

Tracklist:                           

A1	Prelude To A Kiss	5:30
A2	When Your Lover Has Gone	4:53
A3	Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone	4:16
A4	Nice Work If You Can Get It	3:47
B1	I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues	5:47
B2	What's New	4:13
B3	I Hadn't Anyone Till You	4:00
B4	Everything I Have Is Yours	4:27

Billie Holiday - Velvet Mood (1956)
(256 kbps, cover art included)

Alberto Mizrahi - Die Stimme der Synagoge (Andor Izsák, Gerhard Dickel, Chor Peter und Paul)

Today we remember the anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany and Austria on 9 to 10 November 1938, also known as "Novemberpogrome", "Reichskristallnacht", "Reichspogromnacht" or "Pogromnacht" in German.

During the "Progromnacht" on 9 to 10 November 1938, in a coordinated attack on Jewish people and their property, 99 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked. This was done by the Hitler Youth, Gestapo, SS and SA.

The world of Jewish music is one of great diversity. Speaking of it nowadays, we tend to think of the instrumental music of east European Jewish folk musicians, the klezmorim. Recently different forms of Jewish folk music and Israeli folklore have become very popular. The eastern Jewish culture created its own world of musical expression with its Yiddish folklore. The great longing of people n the ghettos of Rusia expressed itself in these songs.

But it is not only folk musical tradition to which we can look back. There existed also a classical liturgical Jewish culture whose art and form was characteristic of Jewish religious life in central and eastern Europe. With the Holocaust, knowledge of the rich musical life which shaped Jewish liturgy in both family and synagogue disappeared almost completely from public awareness. Very few today know of the European synagogue music in bloom in the 19th and early 20th century.

This album features synagogue music with the cantor Alberto Mizrahi, Chicago.


Tracklist:

1. Mah Tovu (Wie schön sind...)

2. Mismor Lesodo (Psalm zum Dankopfer)

3. Vajehi Binsoa (Wenn die Lade aufbrach)

4. Ani Ma Amin (Ich glaube)

5. Enosch, K'chozir Jomow (Des Menschen Tage sind wie Gras)

6. El Male Rachamim (Herr voller Barmherzigkeit)

7. Kaddisch (Heilig)

8. Uwenucho Jomar (Und wenn sie sich niederließ, sprach er)

9. Adon Olom (Herr der Welt (Adon)

10. Halalujoh (Lobet den Herren)

Alberto Mizrahi - Die Stimme der Synagoge
(256 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Geliebt - Verjagt - Ermordet - Jüdische Künstler und ihre Hits der 20er & 30er Jahre

Tomorrow will be the  80th anniversary of the anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany and Austria on 9 to 10 November 1938, also known as "Novemberpogrome",
"Reichskristallnacht", "Reichspogromnacht" or "Pogromnacht" in German.

In the 1920s, most German Jews were fully integrated into German society as German citizens. They served in the German army and navy and contributed to every field of German science, business and culture. Conditions began to change after the election of the Nazi party on January 30, 1933 and the assumption of power by Adolf Hitler after the Reichstag fire. From its inception, Hitler's regime moved quickly to introduce anti-Jewish policies. The 500,000 Jews in Germany, who accounted for only 0.76% of the overall population, were singled out by the Nazi propaganda machine as an enemy within who were responsible for Germany's defeat in the First World War, and for her subsequent economic difficulties, such as the 1920s hyperinflation and Great Depression. Beginning in 1933, the German government enacted a series of anti-Jewish laws restricting the rights of German Jews to earn a living, to enjoy full citizenship and to educate themselves, including the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, which forbade Jews from working in the civil service. The subsequent 1935 Nuremberg Laws stripped German Jews of their citizenship and forbade Jews from marrying non-Jewish Germans.

The result of these laws was the exclusion of Jews from German social and political life. Many sought asylum abroad; thousands did manage to leave, but as Chaim Weizmann wrote in 1936, "The world seemed to be divided into two parts — those places where the Jews could not live and those where they could not enter." In an attempt to provide help an international conference was held on July 6, 1938 to address the issue of Jewish and Gypsy immigration to other countries. By the time the conference was held, more than 250,000 Jews had fled Germany and Austria, which had been annexed by Germany in March 1938. However, more than 300,000 German and Austrian Jews were still seeking shelter from oppression. As the number of Jews and Gypsies wanting to leave grew, the restrictions against them also grew with many countries tightening their rules for admission.

By 1938, Germany had entered a new radical phase in anti-Semitic activity. Some historians believe that the Nazi government had been contemplating a planned outbreak of violence against the Jews and were waiting for an appropriate provocation; there is evidence of this planning dating to 1937. The Zionist leadership in Palestine wrote in February 1938 that according to "a very reliable private source – one which can be traced back to the highest echelons of the SS leadership" there was "an intention to carry out a genuine and dramatic pogrom in Germany on a large scale in the near future."

During the "Progromnacht" on 9 to 10 November 1938, in a coordinated attack on Jewish people and their property, 99 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked. This was done by the Hitler Youth, Gestapo, SS and SA.

At the time of Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Jewish musicians were perhaps Germany's and Austria's most important living cultural assets. There was hardly a note of popular music that did not rely on Jewish artists for either the tunes or the words, and often both. Jewish musicians were equally active in the established and avant garde music scenes.

»Loved, chased away and murdered« is a CD with popular hits by Jewish artists that was brought out by the "Foundation Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe" (www.stiftung-denkmal.de). It features well-known german interpreters from the 1920s and 30s, including the Comedian Harmonists with their rendition of "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" and Richard Tauber singing "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz". It recalls the memory of 20 Jewish artists murdered or forced to emigrate after the National Socialist takeover of power.

Geliebt - Verjagt - Ermordet
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Alfred Döblin - November 1918 - Eine deutsche Revolution (epub) - 100th Anniversary of November Revolution

November 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the "November Revolution" and the end of the First World War. The end of the war and the creation of the first German parliamentary democracy are decisive historical events whose effects extend right up to the present time.

Alfred Döblin's "November 1918" is, confusingly, a four-volume trilogy -- the second part published in two separate volumes, and under separate titles -- which is often mistaken for a trilogy consisting only of three volumes, and not including this first one.

The work, as Döblin intended it, consists of:
I. Bürger und Soldaten 1918
II.1 Verratenes Volk (English: A People Betrayed)
II.2 Heimkehr der Fronttruppen (English: The Troops Return)
III. Karl und Rosa (English: Karl and Rosa)

"Bürger und Soldaten 1918" was first published (by Amsterdam-based Querido Verlag) in 1939; none of the other volumes were published until the 'complete' trilogy was published in 1949-50 -- but it was not complete. Due to concerns about the portrayal of the Alsatian question in "Bürger und Soldaten 1918", that volume was not included; rather, a 'Vorspiel' ('Prelude') summarizing the book was included at the beginning of "Verratenes Volk", and only volumes II.1, II.2, and III were published (as the three-book set, 'November 1918'). A complete edition was never published during Döblin's lifetime, and with the limited reach and availability of (the existing only in its pre-war edition) "Bürger und Soldaten 1918", the truncated November 1918-trilogy was the only accessible version for almost three decades.

Only in 1978 was the full four-volume version published in German, without the (now redundant) second-volume 'Vorspiel', and it has been re-issued several times since (with and without the recapping 'Vorspiel').

Completing the confusion, only part -- parts II.1 and II.2 (published together as "A People Betrayed") and part III (published as "Karl and Rosa") -- of "November 1918" has been translated (by the great John E. Woods) into and published in English (in 1983) -- three volumes published in two fat books. But not only does this version omit "Bürger und Soldaten 1918" as a whole, it doesn't even offer the ("Bürger und Soldaten 1918"-)summarizing-'Vorspiel' .....

So "Bürger und Soldaten 1918" remains untranslated, the trilogy incomplete in English -- for now (while complete four-volume translations into French and Spanish are available). Sadly, even what there is -- the two Woods-translated volumes -- look to be long out of print and hard to find. The 2018 centenary would have been a fine occasion to get out a new, complete edition, but, alas, it's a bit late for that ..... (What are English-speaking readers missing ? Well, in the TLS review (26/12/1986) of the two Woods-translated volumes, S.S.Prawer insists about "November 1918" as a whole that its: "reputation is bound to increase over the years until it rivals that of Döblin's earlier novel Berlin Alexanderplatz in its readers' affection and esteem".)

Alfred Döblin's "November 1918" is subtitled: 'Eine deutsche Revolution' -- 'A German Revolution'. November, 1918 was not only the month when the First World War ended, but it also saw the abdication of the Emperor and the establishment of a German republic; the 'Novemberrevolution' and continuing domestic political turmoil lasted well beyond that month; with the last of the four volumes in Döblin's trilogy titled "Karl und Rosa" (as in Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg), it's obvious that the story won't be limited to November and readers can see where this (eventually) will be heading.

If the work as a whole is about the November Revolution, "Bürger und Soldaten 1918" ('Citizens and Soldiers') is still very much focused on the period of transition in the immediate aftermath of the war. Döblin sets much of the novel in Alsace (where he was stationed as a military doctor, at war's end). It opens on Sunday, 10 November: the emperor had abdicated the day before, and the war is essentially over, the ceasefire to take effect the next day. While the novel also moves elsewhere, including following many of the German soldiers and wounded as they return home, the focus is on Alsace, as the novel covers the two or so weeks until the French can re-assume control over the region that had been under German rule since 1871.

No doubt, Döblin sets much of the action here because this is where he experienced the end of the war, but Alsace's unusual position -- long a middle-land that identified with both France and Germany --, and its brief between-states status in the days covered in this novel are also already one variation on the larger concept of revolution. Briefly, Alsace is not not under the control of distant authorities -- in Berlin or Paris -- but experiments with local rule; the 'Republic of Alsace-Lorraine' barely has chance to catch hold, but for ten days or so revolution, in many variations, bubbles over the region. The experimentation is brought to a quick conclusion, of course, with the reëstablishment of (an old) order, when the French march in and reässert their primacy. But it's enough, for a start: this focus on Alsace, on revolution in miniature (but also part of the spreading larger whole), is an effective opening frame for the novel-series -- probably more so than if Döblin had begun the action more centrally, in Berlin or elsewhere.

"Bürger und Soldaten 1918" is not as documentary as, say, John Dos Passos' U.S.A.-trilogy, but does utilize some historical material in the narrative proper. Among the more remarkable revelations of the novel is how widespread the availability of newspapers was, even at this time: there are frequent references to and quotes from a variety of newspapers, and even if the news is occasionally a day old, it travels fast: the general atmosphere is not unlike that surrounding contemporary social media (complete with overheated opinions from every fringe). Döblin also presents some material from speeches and pronouncements from historical figures, a few of whom also take the stage here -- notably the prominent nationalist Maurice Barrès. But Döblin also allows himself literary license: the heated speech Barrès gives in claiming Strasburg near the novel's conclusion is based on published statements, but appears to be well-embellished by Döblin.

The (larger) German Revolution as it is happening does touch upon events in Alsace during this time as well, and Döblin utilizes some of this. So, for example, Döblin summarizes the events that led to to the Sailors' revolt in Wilhelmshaven (a refusal to participate in a suicidal last gasp attack) -- and brings a contingent of those revolutionary sailors to Alsace, too (as did actually happen: 'They wanted to save Alsace from the French'). Much that happens in Germany proper, however -- such as the collapse of the monarchy, and the political infighting in the establishment of a new government -- is only incidentally mentioned and discussed -- for example, via newspaper articles sharing the news.

The example of Alsace allows Döblin to operate on a smaller scale. His enormous, varied cast offers a wide variety of examples of 'revolution', and shifting roles for everyone from the military to business people to parents (would-be and actual). New possibilities show themselves -- even if only some can be taken; indeed, one of the first scenes shows that the end of war isn't a complete respite from the horrors, with one of the patients at the military hospital dying.

There are no real central characters in "Bürger und Soldaten 1918"; rather, Döblin presents an assortment of stories and scenes, occasionally returning to specific characters as the days go by, but not specifically closely following any of them. Among the more prominent recurring ones are patients at the military hospital, the still recovering teacher, Dr.Friedrich Becker, and young Lieutenant Maus, who are among those transported back to Berlin (where Becker's mother collapses at his unannounced and unexpected appearance on her doorstep). The intellectual Becker feels broken by the war -- not just physically -- and is also caught up in its irresolution: not only the experience of having been through it continues to weigh on him (and others), but fundamental conflicts (in the political sphere) remain to be dealt with. Yet Döblin avoids placing, much less keeping, Becker front and center in the novel; he is more than one among many, but the focus is elsewhere most of the time.

Other stories and episodes range from the young widow eager just to enjoy life again and swept away by the possibility of simply dancing (much to the chagrin of the judgmental cleric accompanying her), to another character wondering about his situation under future French rule; his daughter (the nurse in Becker and Maus' orbit) reminds him that he is fluent in French, but he notes:

Sprechen, Hilde. Aber denken, nein.
[I can speak it, Hilde. But I can't think in it.]

Small side stories range from the arrival of the Americans in cute little Luxembourg to, in another Maurice Barrès scene, some ragging on perceived-as-to-Germanophilic Nobel laureate Romain Rolland, Barrès (gleefully ?) maintaining:

Rolland ist durch den Krieg widerlegt. Sein ganzes Werk hat Bankrott gemacht.
[Rolland has been refuted by the war. His entire work has been bankrupted.]

"Bürger und Soldaten 1918" is a sometimes dizzying kaleidoscopic depiction of a tumultuous twelve days or so. Anchored neither completely in place nor specific persons, it can feel unmoored -- but even this is presumably Döblin's intention, very much a reflection of the times and events. It's perhaps more noticeable here because, remarkably, so much of what Döblin describes suggests normalcy. Of course, there are excesses -- people grab what they can get, and things do get physical (and more); there is a shocking sexual violation -- but in his personal focus Döblin often shows the fundamentally simple and human, and life turns out to be very everyday even in these times. So also, despite the political and economic turmoil, society -- and the economy -- is functioning adequately (including that enormous and really quite remarkable newspaper output).

In its focus on Alsace -- even as some of the action moves elsewhere -- Döblin gives himself a convenient (time-)frame for his novel and, with the French take-over, a certain closure. But "Bürger und Soldaten 1918" reads very much like a beginning, and it's clear there is (and should be) more to come, in these stories -- those of Becker, Maus, Hilde, among others -- and with the larger political and historical turmoil. "Bürger und Soldaten 1918" suggests some of the possibilities of revolution -- without it really standing much of a chance there, in Alsace --; the much larger German experiment is just beginning to really unfold.

- M.A.Orthofer, 23 February 2018


Alfred Döblin - November 1918 - Eine deutsche Revolution (epub, German language)
I. Bürger und Soldaten 1918
II.1 Verratenes Volk
II.2 Heimkehr der Fronttruppen
III. Karl und Rosa

Sun Ra - Jazz By Sun Ra (1956)

This essential title is also available under the moniker of "Sun Song" (1956). Regardless of name, this long-player contains some of Sun Ra's most complex, yet accessible efforts. Ra had been an active performer since the late 1940s, recording with his various combos or "Arkestra(s)" as Ra dubbed them. Since this was the first widely distributed platter that the artist cut, it is often erroneously referred to as his debut.

The tracks were documented by then-unknown Tom Wilson. If the name rings a bell, it may be because Wilson would go on to produce such rock luminaries as Frank Zappa, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and the Velvet Underground, among others.

Ra's highly arithmetical approach to bop was initially discounted by noted jazz critic Nat Hentoff as "repetitious," with phrases "built merely on riffs with little development." In retrospect, however, it is obvious there is much more going on here. Among the musical innovations woven into the up-tempo "Brainville" and "Transition," are advanced time signatures coupled with harmonic scales based on Ra's mathematical equations. Not to be missed is the lush elegance within the delicate, if not intricate arrangements heard on "Possession," as well as the equally involved "Sun Song" - both of which take on an air of sophistication in their deceptive simplicity.

Ra's original LP jacket comments can be found within the liner notes of the Sun Song compact disc. This is noteworthy as one of the rare occasions that Sun Ra sought to explain not only his influences, but his methods of composition and modes of execution as well. As referred to above, "Jazz by Sun Ra" is arguably the most accessible work in the Sun Ra catalog, as well as one of the most thoroughly and repeatedly listenable.         

Tracklist:

1. "Brainville" (Sun Ra) 4:29
2. "Call for all Demons" (Sun Ra) 4:30
3. "Transition" (Sun Ra) 3:40
4. "Possession" (Harry Revel) 5:00
5. "Street Named Hell" (Sun Ra) 3:55
6. "Lullaby for Realville" (Richard Evans) 4:40
7. "Future" (Sun Ra) 3:15
8. "Swing a Little Taste" (Sun Ra) 4:25
9. "New Horizons" (Sun Ra) 3:05
10. "Fall off the Log" (Sun Ra) 4:00
11. "Sun Song" (Sun Ra) 3:40

Sun Ra - Jazz By Sun Ra (1956)
(256 kbps, cover art included)     

VA - Damals in der DDR

On Oct. 3, 1990, West Germany and East Germany officially became one nation after 45 years of postwar division.

Germany had been split into four zones in 1945 following the surrender of the Nazi regime to the Allied Powers. Initially, the United States, Britain, France and Soviet Union each governed one of these zones. The Allies intended to run Germany like a single country, but as the Soviet Union and the West grew apart due to ideological differences, the country was split into West Germany and East Germany.

East Germany closed its borders to the West in 1952, and in 1961, erected a wall through the city of Berlin - and in the process forming East Berlin and West Berlin - to prevent East Germans from escaping to West Germany. The wall became a symbol of the division between the free-market West and the communist East.

In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc countries began to crumble economically. In August 1989, communist Hungary opened its East German border, giving East Germans a new route to the West. That November, East and West Berliners began tearing down the Berlin Wall in celebration.

The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the beginning of the end of East Germany. West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl soon began negotiations with East German officials to return Germany to a single nation. The two countries signed a treaty on Aug. 31, 1990. Berlin was chosen as the capital of the new Germany, Mr. Kohl was made its chancellor, and October 3rd became a national German holiday.

Ideas of a socialist ‘third way’ were an attempt to preserve what were rightly seen as the more progressive elements of East Germany. But there was no force, no party, which could concretely show how these aims could be won. The result was growing support for unification which was seized upon by the then West German chancellor Kohl.

The East German revolution changed the world. It closed the chapter of stalinism but, unfortunately, the way it unfolded meant that it was capitalism rather than socialism that profited.

The compilation "Damals in der DDR" ("Back in the GDR") tells the history of the GDR in three sections (1949 - 1960, 1961 - 1975, 1976 - 1990). The three cds are something between an educational audiobook and an entertaining album: music, comments, radio and tv-spots and a good portion of satire give an insight into the history and the changing daily life in the GDR. With a laughing and a weeping eye you can learn about the political, economic, social and cultural situation in the GDR. Highly recommended!

VA - Damals in der DDR 1
VA - Damals in der DDR 2
VA - Damals in der DDR 3
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Quilapayun - Cantata Américas

"Quilapayún" (Spanish pronunciation: [kilapaˈʝun]) are an instrumental and vocal folk music group from Chile and among the longest lasting and most influential exponents of the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Song) movement. Quilapayún originated in 1965 when Julio Numhauser, and the brothers Julio Carrasco and Eduardo Carrasco formed a folk music trio which they simply called "the three bearded men" (viz. Quila-Payún in the mapuche language). The group became inseparable with the revolution that occurred in the popular music of the country under the Popular Unity Government of Salvador Allende.

In 1966 Patricio Castillo joined the group and they began performing and winning notoriety for their Andean music. That same year the group met Víctor Jara and at their request he became Quilapayún's musical director. The group also backed Jara on his solo albums. After three years they assumed different paths and Eduardo Carrasco became the group's musical leadership.

Since its formation and during its forty year long history - both in Chile and during its lengthy period of exile in France - the group has seen modifications to its personnel lineup, to the subject and content of its work, and controversy regarding irreconcilable differences with the current and former group director; which has led each to maintain a distinctive - yet equally impressive - Quilapayún ensemble: one in Chile (named Quilapayún-Histórico) and one in France (named Quilapayún-France).

Quilapayun - Cantata Américas

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly - The Original Folkways Recordings

Few independent labels have had the long and enduring impact that Folkways Records has had. Founded in 1948 by Moses Asch and Marian Distler, the label issued an astounding 2,168 titles (which ranged across genres from American folk to spoken word, world music and all points in-between) before Asch's death in 1986, at which time maintenance of the catalog fell to the Smithsonian.

Under the umbrella of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, each of those titles has remained continually in print and available. Asch also licensed tracks to other independents, including the material found in this brief collection, which combines nine tracks by Woody Guthrie (several of them with Cisco Houston and one with Sonny Terry helping out), ten by Pete Seeger and two by Leadbelly (one with Terry and another with Josh White on board) into what amounts to a sampler of three of the most important influences (actually six, if you count Terry, Houston and White, which one should) on the folk revival of the late '50s and early '60s.     

Tracklist:

1. Brown Eyes
2. Jack Hammer Blues
3. John Henry
4. House Of The Rising Sun
5. Little Black Train
6. Who's Goin To Shoe Your Pretty Feet
7. Bed On The Floor
8. Danville Girl, No. 2
9. Ride Old Point
10. Michael, Row The Boat
11. Big Rock Candy Mountain
12. I've Been Working On The Railroad
13. Down In The Valley
14. Blue Tail Fly
15. Black Is The Color
16. Boll Weevil
17. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho
18. Fox
19. Casey Jones
20. How Long
21. I'v Got A Pretty Flower

Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly - The Original Folkways Recordings
(256 kbps, cover art included)
    

Erich Kästner - Die Schule der Diktatoren

The play "Die Schule der Diktatoren" by Erich Kästner had its premiere in 1957 and was honoured by the "Georg-Büchner-Preis".

Kästner was a German satirist, poet and novelist, whose military experiences made him pacifist after World War I and opponent of totalitarian systems.

During the post-World War II years, Kästner was an active participant in the Munich cabaret "Die Schaubude" (from 1951 "Die kleine Freiheit").
In his play "DIE SCHULE DER DIKTATOREN" (1949) about a training school for dictator-doubles Kästner reflected his experiences during wartime and unmasked inhumanity in the form of comedy.

Erich Kästner - Die Schule der Diktatoren (new link)
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Walter Benjamin - Gesammelte Schriften (7 Bände)

Walter Benjamin, (born July 15, 1892, Berlin, Ger.—died Sept. 27?, 1940, near Port-Bou, Spain), man of letters and aesthetician, now considered to have been the most important German literary critic in the first half of the 20th century.

Born into a prosperous Jewish family, Benjamin studied philosophy in Berlin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Munich, and Bern. He settled in Berlin in 1920 and worked thereafter as a literary critic and translator. His halfhearted pursuit of an academic career was cut short when the University of Frankfurt rejected his brilliant but unconventional doctoral thesis, Ursprung des deutschen Trauerspiels (1928; The Origin of German Tragic Drama). Benjamin eventually settled in Paris after leaving Germany in 1933 upon the Nazis’ rise to power. He continued to write essays and reviews for literary journals, but upon the fall of France to the Germans in 1940 he fled southward with the hope of escaping to the United States via Spain. Informed by the chief of police at the town of Port-Bou on the Franco-Spanish border that he would be turned over to the Gestapo, Benjamin committed suicide.

Collected works in german language (pdf):

Band I: Abhandlungen. 3 Teilbände
Band II: Aufsätze, Essays, Vorträge. 3 Teilbände
Band III: Kritiken und Rezensionen
Band IV: Kleine Prosa. Baudelaire-Übertragungen. 2 Teilbände
Band V: Das Passagen-Werk. 2 Teilbände
Band VI: Fragmente vermischten Inhalts. Autobiographische Schriften
Band VII: Nachträge. 2 Teilbände

Collettivo Del Contropotere – L'Estate Dei Poveri (1976)

 

This italian agitprop album was produced by a group of the Italian anarchy movement. It was sold to finance Radio Popolare Massa, the radio station of the Italian libertarian communist movement in Massa, Tuscany. It was released in 1976 and never published on cd.

Tracks
01. Il nostro Maggio … 03:27
02. Vi canteremo la favola … 02:56
03. Anche lo stato … 02:30
04. Andare avanti sempre … 02:38
05. Ma non riusciranno … 02:40
06. Coi comunisti nel governo … 02:01
07. Rondinella pellegrina … 02:44
08. E allora canta ghitarra … 05:34
09. Nella fotografia grande … 04:03
10. Se da diecimila anni … 04:35
11. Avanza senza sosta … 02:23
12. Dove nel Maggio splendono … 02:44
Total time: 38:08

Musicians
Angelo: voce, percussioni, kurù
Mauro: voce, chitarra, flauti, triangolo
Michele: voce, chitarra, flaluti, percussioni
Riccardo: voce, chitarra, percussioni

Collettivo Del Contropotere – L'Estate Dei Poveri (1976)
(ca. 256 kbps, cover art included)

Asian Dub Foundation - Facts And Fictions (1995)

Asian Dub Foundation's album debut finds the band with their chops fully intact, even at this early date. Dr. Das' rapping flow is speedy and intricate, though continually inflected in the same ways (very reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha).

The production and programming, by Steve Chandrasonic and Dr. Das, is the real highlight here, incorporating traditional Indian percussion and instruments, but constantly name-checking contemporary dance styles like bhangra and ragga jungle. The haunting vocals that open "Rebel Warrior" make it a highlight, while Chandra's deep drum programs provide continual thrills.               


Tracklist:

1. "Witness" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Sun-J, Delbert Tailor, Thorpe, Zaman) – 4:50
2. "PKNB" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale) – 6:27
3. "Jericho" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale) – 7:02
4. "Rebel Warrior" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale) – 6:27
5. "Journey" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Zaman) – 7:06
6. "Strong Culture" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Steve Chandra Savale, Uddin, Zaman) – 6:44
7. "TH9" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Thorpe, Zaman) – 5:25
8. "Tu Meri" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Thorpe) – 4:57
9. "Debris" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Zaman) – 4:18
10. "Box" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale, Zaman) – 6:09
11. "Thacid 9 (Dub Version)" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale) – 5:32
12. "Return To Jericho (Dub Version)" (Chandrasonic, Aniruddha Das, Pandit G, Steve Chandra Savale) – 4:26

Asian Dub Foundation - Facts And Fictions (1995)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Egon Erwin Kisch - Erinnerungen an den rasenden Reporter

On March 31, 1948, Egon Erwin Kisch, a german-speaking Czech journalist and novelist, died in Prague, Czech Republic.

Egon Erwin Kisch was "der rasende Reporter" ("the raging reporter"), a journalist whose interest in marginalized parts of society and the world outside Europe endeared him to a large number of readers. He became a figurehead in the fight against fascism. Later generations of journalists regarded his documentaries as exemplary and pioneering. He is admired to this day for the high literary quality of his journalitic work.

Kisch was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and began his journalistic career as a reporter for a local German language newspaper in 1906. His early work is characterised by an interest in crime and the lives of the poor of Prague, taking Jan Neruda, Emile Zola and Charles Dickens's Sketches by Boz as his models. He deserted from the army in World War I in October 1918 as the war came to an end and played a leading role in the left-wing revolution in Vienna in November of that year. Although the revolution failed, in 1919, Kisch joined the Communist party, a political allegiance he maintained for the rest of his life.
Between 1921 and 1930 Kisch, though a citizen of Czechoslovakia, lived primarily in Berlin, where his work found a new and appreciative audience. In books of collected journalism such as "Der rasende Reporter" (1924), he cultivated the image of a witty, gritty, daring reporter always on the move, a cigarette clamped doggedly between his lips. His work and his public persona found an echo in the artistic movement of "Neue Sachlichkeit", a major strand in the culture of the Weimar Republic.
On February 28 1933, the day after the Reichstag Fire, Kisch was one of many prominent opponents of Nazism to be arrested. He was briefly imprisoned in Spandau, but as a Czechoslovakian citizen, was expelled from Germany. His works were banned and burnt in Germany, but he continued to write for the Czech and émigré German press, bearing witness to the horrors of the Nazi takeover.
In 1937 and 1938, Kisch took part in Spanish Civil War. He travelled across the country speaking in the Republican cause and his reports from the front line were widely published.

Following the "Munich Agreement" of 1938 and the subsequent Nazi occupation of Bohemia six months later, Kisch was unable to return to the country of his birth. Once war broke out, Paris, which he had made his main home since 1933, also became too dangerous for an outspoken Jewish communist whose native land no longer existed. In late 1939, Kisch and his wife Gisela, sailed for New York where, once again, he was initially denied entry. He eventually landed at Ellis Island on December 28, but as he only had a transit visa moved onto Mexico in 1940.
He remained in Mexico for the next five years, one of a circle of European communist refugees, notable among them Anna Seghers and Ludwig Renn.

Kisch died two years after his return to Prague, shortly after the Communist party seized complete power. There are contradictory reports of his attitude - as a German-speaking Jew - to the party in this period as it began to develop the anti-semitism which culminated in the "Prague Trials" of 1952 and supported the expulsion of most of Czechoslovakia's ethnic Germans.
To remember his great work, here is "Erinnerungen an den rasenden Reporter", a wonderful feature in german language about Egon Erwin Kisch.

Egon Erwin Kisch - Erinnerungen an den rasenden Reporter
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Brothers Four - Greenfields

"Washington state's Brothers Four mined much the same territory as other commercial folk bands of the revival in the late '50s, such as the Kingston Trio.

The formula was similar -- good harmonies, simple instrumentation, and good songs that more or less fell under the folk banner. Most of the ten tracks here are very familiar -- the title cut, "If I Had a Hammer," "Rock Island Line," and others. It's certainly pleasant in a nostalgic way, but hardly likely to get any pulses beating faster. Like other bands, they were the white-bread face of folk, relatively bland and making sure there was no threatening edge in their music.

What that boils down to is that it's fun, but unless you're avid about the period, it's unlikely to be played often -- once might be quite ample for many. But it's hard not to be moved just a little by their update of the old jug band favorite "Walk Right In." And given the budget price, it might be worth the investment for those odd times when you want a stroll down the byways of American folk nostalgia."   - allmusic.com      

Brothers Four - Greenfields    
(320 kbps, front cover included)

The SWAPO Singers – One Namibia One Nation (SWAPO Freedom Songs)

Like South Africa’s ANC, Namibia’s liberation organisation SWAPO has from time to time put together agit-prop bands or choirs, to bolster the morale of the troops or attract overseas media attention.

One generation of the SWAPO Singers came to Western attention in the mid-80s, when Jerry Dammers and Robert Wyatt respectively produced and collaborated on "Wind Of Change", which also featured Onyeka.   

DIAL AFRICA wrote about this album:
"The 1980s were the time, when the countries of southern Africa were fighting for freedom. In Namibia SWAPO organised not only this struggle but also a lot of support in Europe. One document was this LP here which led to a very pop(ular) version of a song called "Wind of Change"."

Tracklist:

A1	Afrika (Africa) Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	3:10
A2	Odi Wena Vorster (Warning Vorster Get Out Of Namibia) Vocals [Sung By] – Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Jackson Kaujewa	1:30
A3	Va Nambia Va Kwetu (Fellow Namibians) Vocals [Sung By] – Albertina Heita, Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Freida Kaurimuje, Jackson Kaujewa, Martha Elieser, Nick Nambahu, Sackey Schikwambi	1:55
A4	The Wind Of Change Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	2:30
A5	Shilongno Shetu (My Country) Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	3:40
A6	Twanana Swapo Yeti (We Are United In Swapo) Vocals [Sung By] – Albertina Heita, Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Freida Kaurimuje, Jackson Kaujewa, Martha Elieser, Nick Nambahu, Sackey Schikwambi	2:05
B1	Mwene Kala Pamwe Na Afrika (God Bless Africa) Vocals [Sung By] – Albertina Heita, Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Jackson Kaujewa, Martha Elieser	2:10
B2	Ti Mamasa Ta Gegaisera Mo=gao (I Want To See My Mother) Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	2:30
B3	Tunana Ko Ngutukiro (Lead Us To Freedom) Vocals [Sung By] – Albertina Heita, Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Freida Kaurimuje, Jackson Kaujewa, Martha Elieser, Nick Nambahu, Sackey Schikwambi	2:00
B4	We Are The Soldiers Of Swapo Vocals [Sung By] – Albertina Heita, Martha Elieser	1:55
B5	Give Me Back Namibia Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	2:45
B6	Power To The People Vocals [Sung By] – Dan-Hafeni Haipinge, Jackson Kaujewa	3:10
B7	Afrika (Africa) Vocals [Sung By] – Jackson Kaujewa	3:10

The SWAPO Singers - One Namibia One Nation (SWAPO Freedom Songs)
(320 kbps, cover art included)