Qunincy Jones: The 1969 Antibez Jazz Festival

Jazz à Juan, better known worldwide as the Antibes Jazz Festival is one of Europe’s grand old festivals. The festival owes a lot of its magic to the location in historic Juan-les-Pins. The balmy summer atmosphere and quality jazz is heightened by spectacular sunsets across the bay. Numerous people make this an annual visit, enjoying the south of France by day and the world of jazz at night. This year July 12-25, the festival will be celebrating 52 years of blue notes. The festival consistently hosts the best of American and French jazz. Date: July 01, 1969. Location: Antibez, France. Image: Pierre Fournier.

NIGERIA: Friday Papers, June 29, 2012

Independent Online: Nigerian police post attacked

Nigerian Tribune: US vs Boko Haram: The unstated military action

Nigerian Tribune: Pastor Runs Mad While Praying For Mad Man

Nigerian Tribune: Gunmen kill PDP Chieftain, Wife, Son in Plateau

The Guardian Nigeria: Tears As Rain, Flood Thrash Lagos

Los Angeles: St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Inside St Sophia's Orthodox Church in L.A.'s Greek Neighborhood

Little is known of the few Greek immigrants who came to Los Angeles prior to the 1890s. The majority were single males, working on the railroads, in mines and doing other labor-intensive work. Most remained bachelors, married non-Greeks or returned to Greece.

Many of the first Greeks became railroad workers on the transcontinental railroad that united the East to the West. Others were hired as miners and suffered many hardships while working the mines of Colorado and Utah before coming to Los Angeles. Greek seamen and fishermen with limited English were hired to work in the port and at other labor-intensive jobs that employed immigrants. The Los Angeles Gas and Electric Company was the first major industry to hire immigrant Greeks to dig ditches and lay lines across the Los Angeles area. The Alexandria Hotel became an early foothold for entry-level jobs where one could learn to bus tables, polish silver or wash dishes. As the young Greeks learned English, many went on to become waiters in such distinctive spots as the Brown Derby, the Ambassador Hotel, and the famous Coconut Grove nightclub. Some took these skills and opened their own restaurants and cafes.

Another group of early Greeks worked independently as bootblacks or trade peddlers of vegetables, fruits, candies, nuts and flowers. Many sold their fruits and vegetables near Alameda Street and were called the "Greek Fleet" by the locals. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week were the norm, as they gathered small nest eggs that allowed them to expand from vegetable carts to small grocery stores. In addition, smaller pastry and flower shops multiplied. Some Greeks moved from the urban area and started farms and citrus groves in Palomar, Huntington Park, San Gabriel, and San Fernando.

Like other immigrant groups, the "padrone" system came into being when a number of early pioneers sponsored some of their fellow patriots to come to Los Angeles and later work off the cost of their transportation. It was limited to a few in the agricultural, flower and farming trades. Although only small numbers of Greeks came to Los Angeles prior to 1900, by the beginning of the First World War, it is estimated that nearly 1000 Greeks, of whom 95 percent were male, made Los Angeles their home.

By the late 1890s, there was a small cluster of Greeks living in the Boyle Heights area, along with other immigrant groups including Russians, Syrians, Armenians, and East European Jews. The first known Greek owned grocery store in the area opened in 1896. Within a few years, several hundred Greeks settled in the area.

The influx of heavy Greek immigration and settlement in Los Angeles roughly corresponds to a chaotic time in Greek history. At the turn of the century Greece was involved in two Balkan wars, an economic crisis and the First World War. This period of domestic turmoil and international warfare created severe economic hardships in Greece. In addition, the Ottoman Empire no longer exempted Greeks from military service during the Balkan Wars, which resulted in an increased number of Greeks emigrating from areas of "unredeemed Greece" in the Ottoman territories.

The period of greatest immigration to America took place between the years 1900 to 1930 when over 350,000 Greeks arrived. Over 30,000 settled in New York and Chicago. The more adventurous Greeks continued by railroad to the West. By 1930, California Census data listed 10,457 "Greek people" in the state. Of these, some 6,488 resided in Los Angeles County. Church membership, however, listed no more than 1500 during the same time period.

As the threat of war in Greece loomed, many Greek immigrants were eager to help their beloved homeland. Before the United States entered the First World War and it appeared that Greece was in need, 140 Greeks in Los Angeles, formed the "Greek American Military Company of Volunteers," bought their own uniforms and began to train. Their goal was to prepare to return to Greece if war was declared in the Balkans. This regiment trained for two hours a day after work in Elysian Park. On the weekends additional training was held. On October 26, 1912, their diligence and preparedness was recognized when they marched in the local Preparedness Parade, on Fourth and Los Angeles Streets, and were awarded the grand prize.

Some of these men returned to Greece and fought bravely in the Balkan Wars. When the United States entered World War I, over 60,000 Greek males, representing 25 percent of all Greeks in America, enlisted in the U.S. Army. That was the record for all immigrant groups. Those men were told that serving in the U.S. Army would exempt them from their Greek military obligation as well as gaining them American citizenship. After the war, a few returned to Greece only to discover that the exemption held only for men naturalized before January 15, 1914. For the vast majority, however, their much-coveted American citizenship was granted.
Source: Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Oprah Winfrey To Appear In "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"

With all that media frenzy and speculations, it has now been confirmed that Oprah Winfrey will be appearing in an upcoming episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Talks are that after Oprahs heated confrontation with Khloe Kardashianin the talk show host interview, the talk show mogul agreed to appear on the Kardashians show.

Sonny Okosuns: Ozi di from the Mountain Top

The outbreak of war had obviously slowed down pub-crawlers and nightlife in Lagos; and, with Igbo performing artists - Zeal Onyia, Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, pop groups like the Attractions, Fractions and several other Igbo session men - who had fled Lagos back to the East, the entertainment industry of a highly themed vibes of Igbo casts disappeared and with constant blackouts as a result of the war, music and night life was minimized with Victor Olaiya, Bobby Benson, Roy Chicago and others of Yoruba origin who played occasionally.

READ FULL STORY FROM THE MUSIC BLOG

Nigeria: Lagos One Day Governor Meets Fashola

Ogbuefi emerged the 2012 winner of the State Secondary Schools Spelling Bee.

By Gbenro Adeoye, Daily Times

Lagos State 2012 One-Day Governor, Lilian Ogbuefi, on Monday, asked that a bus and a 250KVA generator be provided for her school.

During a visit to Governor Babatunde Fashola at the State Executive Chambers, 16-year-old Lilian said her demands would enhance learning at the State Senior Model College, Kankon, Badagry.

For winning this year's State Secondary Schools Spelling Bee competition, Lilian got the opportunity to be governor for one day, as is the tradition in Lagos.

Accompanied by some members of her cabinet, the One Day Governor commended Fashola for improving the state of education, transportation, security and road networks in the State.

She also commended the innovation that brought about the various academic competitions, adding that such programmes had impacted positively on the quality of education in the state.

“I can proudly say that Lagos public schools are the best and the students can shine any time anywhere,” she said

In his reaction, Fashola added that the resuscitation of such enhancing programmes as the Spelling Bee, had proved to be useful building blocks of character.

He said the fact that Lilian was a product of a public school showed how far state-owned schools had gone in competing with the private ones.

Fashola urged the One Day Governor to continue to develop herself, adding that many past winners of the competition had gone ahead to become outstanding students and leaders.

He said some of the past One Day Governors had graduated from the University with First Class honours and some others with Second Class honours.

Explaining the objective behind the One Day Governor concept, Fashola said it would connect young ones to governance.

He gave a commitment that the list of requirements made by the One Day Governor for her school would be worked upon.

Lilian was accompanied by her parents and other members of her cabinet which included the Deputy Governor, Ireti Ogedengbe; and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chibueze Jonathan.

Nigeria: Monday Papers, June 25, 2012

COMPILED BY AMBROSE EHIRIM

Business Day: "Nigeria is not Broke, says Jonathan"

Business Day: "Improving Nigeria’s business environment for increased investments."

Business Day: Concerns as 134m Nigerians live as tenants.

The Guardian Nigeria: PDP, ACN factions submit separate lists for Ogun council polls.

The Guardian Nigeria: Ebonyi women protest suspension of female legislator for alleged drunkenness, riding Keke NAPEP

The Guardian Nigeria: Death toll in Ghana’s explosion hits seven

BERNAMA: Euro Crisis A Threat To African Airlines

The Guardian Nigeria: NAFDAC may seek life jail for fake drugs’ dealers

The Vanguard Nigeria: Aregbesola plans to surpass Awolowo’s policy.

The Vanguard Nigeria: Security frustrates Sunday worship in Jos.

The Vanguard Nigeria: Reps ask ECOWAS to stop deportation of Nigerians from Ghana.

The Daily Sun: Attacks on Unongo, Shaahu’s homes, arson -Police.

Nigerian Tribune: Azazi/Bello ouster: Minister, presidential aides panic over imminent changes •2 cut short foreign trips; lobby for defence ministry begins.

Nigerian Tribune: Woman inserts 66 wraps of drugs in private part.

Nigerian Tribune: US designation of Boko Haram leaders: Nigeria’s sovereignty compromised.

The Punch: 700,000 Lagos houses to get new numbers.

The Punch: States evacuate ABU students, Army sends reinforcement.

The Punch: Keep off S’West, OPC warns Boko Haram.

The Punch: Far North, South lobby for defence portfolio.

South African photographer believes theft was hate crime

By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — It was a most unusual burglary. Thieves got in through the bathroom window and walked past the flat-screen TV, DVD player, expensive camera and a couple of brand-new cellphones. Instead, they took 20 external hard drives and some digital camera memory cards.

It didn't make sense to Zanele Muholi, an art photographer and activist, the victim of the April theft.

Unless …Something cold shifted inside her. Could this be another hate crime against lesbians?

The stolen hard drives, all hidden in different locations around her apartment, were the archive of five years of Muholi's extraordinary work photographing marginalized lesbians in many African countries.

"Seemingly they spent some time searching," Muholi says in a phone interview. "It seemed to be targeted. The content is a major part of my life."

Muholi, a lesbian whose work has been called "immoral" by a government minister, is convinced the theft was designed to suppress her "visual activism," as she calls it.

The 39-year-old is the only black South African artist selected to exhibit her work at the recent Documenta festival in Kassel, Germany, an exhibition featuring hundreds of international artists that is put on every five years. (The other South African chosen was prominent artist William Kentridge.)

Her work on lesbianism and womanhood confronts traditional patriarchal notions of African masculinity and is often perceived as threatening to men in the townships where her subjects live.

Muholi's five years of lost work is a unique record of the lives of black lesbians forced to live underground, in fear of being attacked for being "unnatural" or "un-African," stoned, beaten, even burned. Her photographs celebrate the love and life of black lesbians — and mourn the dead. Muholi documented the funeral of Noxolo Nogwaza, a lesbian raped and killed last year in Kwa-Thema, a township outside Johannesburg.

There's an epidemic of rapes of lesbians in South Africa, disturbingly dubbed "corrective rape," because a victim is told it is to teach her to be a "real woman." Beatings of lesbians, gays and transgender people are commonplace.

The attacks are a blight on South Africa's Constitution, a document that enshrines the right to same-sex marriage, but whose protection for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender is opposed by African traditionalists and fundamental Christians.

Richard Lee of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, an African nongovernmental organization promoting democracy, human rights and good governance, compares the loss of Muholi's work to the theft of a Picasso in Europe.

"There should have been a huge outcry by now. Government ministers and artists and academics and journalists should be shouting from their pulpits, because a unique part of South Africa's cultural heritage was stolen…," Lee writes on the organization's blog. "No one else has taken photos like this. No one else has documented this community with so much understanding and so much force and so much beauty."

After the robbery, Muholi's state is akin to mourning.

If you ask her how she is, she responds, heavily, "It's another day." She lies awake at night, and this or that beautiful image captured during her travels around Africa spins into her head.

"There were pivotal moments that I shared with people. I can't go back to those spaces.

"I am so shocked and traumatized and hurting."

But under the grief, the knowledge that someone has been in her apartment also leaves its trace of fear, given the violent homophobia common in South Africa.

"I don't feel comfortable in my apartment. I might be in danger. You never know when your time will come." Known for her courage, Muholi almost cringes, because she feels as if that's been stolen too. "I used to be brave. Now, I'm weak and I am scared."

Muholi's work has always been intensely political and confrontational. Even the white T-shirt she sometimes wears showing two black women kissing is enough to enrage many South Africans.

She says her motive in photographing lesbians is to give faces and voices to the disempowered communities in Africa, and support victims of hate crimes.

"We have to support them, because you never know, I might be next," she says. Among the stolen images were photographs taken at the funerals of lesbians gang-raped and slain because of their sexual orientation, or who killed themselves in despair.

In 2010, South Africa's then-minister for arts and culture, Lulu Xingwana, who was supposed to speak at an exhibition featuring Muholi's work, walked out, calling the images of black lesbians embracing "immoral, offensive and going against nation-building." Xingwana has since been promoted by the overtly traditionalist president, Jacob Zuma, to minister for women, children and people with disabilities.

Since the Xingwana walkout, South Africa's artistic freedom has come under pressure from politicians more than once, with the ANC calling for a debate on the limits of artistic freedom. In recent weeks, South Africa was convulsed by its fiercest debate on artistic freedom, after a male artist depicted Zuma (a polygamist with more than 20 children) with genitals exposed in a painting called "The Spear."

Supporters have set up a campaign to replace Muholi's equipment. But even if they did manage to raise the money, it wouldn't bring back the lost photographs. And even if she could retrace her steps in the different African countries, she wouldn't find the same images.

"Even if somebody sent me back there," she says, "I would not be able to capture those moments."

Jonathan: Boko Haram wants to topple government

PM News
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said Islamist group Boko Haram was seeking to destabilise the government and had continually changed its targets in an effort to do so.

“Terrorists all over the world have one common agenda: destabilising government,” he said during a question-and-answer session on national television before describing how the group had moved from targeting local rivals to government institutions and now churches.

Jonathan, who has come under heavy criticism in recent days over spiralling violence in the country’s north, described how the group had moved from targeting local rivals to government institutions and now churches.

He said earlier waves of attacks had not brought down the government, leading the group to target churches in Africa’s most populous nation, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

“Attacking churches is to instigate religious crisis,” Jonathan said. “They believe that when they attack a church, Christian youths will revolt against Muslim youths. They don’t care about who dies in the process.

“If it doesn’t work, the same Boko Haram will start attacking mosques to instigate Muslim youths to attack Christians. So they change their tactics.”

Jonathan however pledged that Nigeria would halt the violence. He said the government was open to dialogue if Boko Haram figures identified themselves and made clear demands.

The television appearance, in which the president took questions from a panel of journalists before fielding phone-in questions from ordinary Nigerians, featured some of his clearest statements yet on the Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed hundreds since 2009.

Most of his public comments have been limited to assurances that the violence will soon end, and the country’s main Christian body this week in a rare move directly and harshly criticised him over his response to the insurgency.

According to him, security is a global challenge now and most parts of the world are grappling with the problem and Nigeria is not an exception.

He said his government was prepared to dialogue with members of the sect and make them useful citizens, but expressed worries that they are “faceless.”

He appealed to Nigerians who have been able to contact the sect members to help inform them that government meant well and was ready for dialogue.

Jonathan denied that government was arresting children of Boko Haram members, but said some criminals also have their wives as criminals thus justifying why the security agents sometimes had to arrest wives of Boko Haram members.

The President, who also defended his trip to Brazil, said he had to continue to work for the progress of the country even in the face of such challenges, saying other presidents have always advised him not to stop the running of government because of Boko Haram insurgency.

He added that Boko Haram cannot stop the government from running as those in government would continue to travel for the progress of the country whether they struck or not.

The President, while reacting to insinuations that he was slow with his fight against corruption, said he was happy with the current EFCC and ICPC chairmen as they have consistently proven that they are up to the task.

Emphasising his trust for the current EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, Jonathan said he was the brain behind most of the successes recorded by Nuhu Ribadu as head of the anti-corruption agency.

He also said Lamorde investigated him as the Governor of Bayelsa State and as a result, he could vouch for him.

On the controversy surrounding his refusal to publicly declare his assets, the president said he places such issues as matters of principles, adding that he had warned his predecessor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua, not to allow the government start an issue by publishing their assets.

He said the country was dear to him and his cabinet, adding that he directed one of his Ministers, Olusegun Aganga, to contract a foreign firm to audit the NNPC, saying if he had something to hide or he wanted to protect someone, he would not do that.

He also justified his resolve to sanitise the oil sector with the appointment of Nuhu Ribadu to head a committee in the sector.

He absolved the presidency of any role in the sting operation that nailed Farouk Lawan in the alleged bribery case, adding that it was the journalists who broke the news of Farouk Lawan’s alleged involvement in the scam.

He said Nigerians have now taken to criticising him for every single thing that happens in the country.

He pleaded with Nigerians to give the administration some time, adding that this was the reason the government is encouraging the private sector to invest in electricity.

He said though there is high unemployment in the country, there is hope since the economy is growing. “We are happy the economy is growing and we would do our best to ensure that it grows.”

He said his government was planning to employ over 70,000 in its short term plan to reduce unemployment adding that his government believed in the growing of entrepreneurs.

On whether he will contest in 2015, he said it was too early to start talking about 2015 when had just spent one year in office.

President Jonathan said his relationship with the National Assembly was cordial, adding that he had no issues with being invited by the National Assembly.

He said he wished he could address the nation more often on the floor of the National Assembly as is the case in other countries.

On the Unilag name change, he said what he did was right, being the visitor to the university, adding that some people are fanatical about names.

He also decried the large scale crude oil theft going on the Niger Delta and vowed that it would be stopped.

Additional reports by Eromosele Ebhomele

Nigeria says it needs new anti-terrorism tactics

(Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday he sacked his defence minister and national security adviser last week because the government needed new anti-terrorism tactics.

Militant Islamist sect Boko Haram has been fighting an insurgency against Jonathan's government since he entered office over a year ago. Several military crackdowns and a state of emergency have failed to stem the violence.

The presidency issued a statement on Friday saying Jonathan's two top security chiefs had been dismissed but did not give a reason why.

"We think some new persons have to come in to change tactics in our fight against terrorism.... It's not that they were not working but just that we need to change tactics," Jonathan said in a meeting with reporters aired on state television on Sunday.

Boko Haram, which is based in the remote northeast, has rapidly overtaken militants in the oil-producing southern Niger Delta as the country's biggest security threat.

Niger Delta militants gave up arms in return for training and stipends in a 2009 amnesty but brief efforts to hold a dialogue with Boko Haram earlier this year failed.

"Boko Haram has no face and government will not dialogue with a faceless people. They must come out and tell us why they are doing what they are doing," said Jonathan.

Gun and bomb attacks blamed on Boko Haram have killed hundreds since the movement started its uprising more than two years ago.

It is fighting to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria - a country nearly evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks on churches have intensified this month, sparking deadly religious violence in northern Kaduna state.

(Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Ralph Gowling)

Sect member dies, prison break frees 40 in Nigeria

By Haruna Umar and Bashir Adigun, Associated Press

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — A top radical Islamist sect member blamed for a deadly Christmas Day church bombing in Nigeria has been killed by security forces, says the sect, which demonstrated in a prison break Sunday that his death has not affected its ability to keep fighting.

A statement attributed to the Boko Haram sect and obtained Sunday by The Associated Press said the group is happy about Habibu Bama's "martyrdom."

Bama, a former soldier, died after sustaining injuries from a gun battle between security forces and the sect in the northeastern city of Damaturu earlier this week, Nigeria's State Security Service said.

The battle occurred from Monday to Tuesday as authorities fought back against the sect that struck six churches, five primary schools, a police station and a police outpost, authorities said.

Bama had been declared wanted in connection with the Dec. 25 bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in the town of Madalla, just outside of the capital, Abuja, killing at least 44 people.

Officials also believe he was involved in a federal police headquarters bombing last June and the United Nations headquarters suicide car bombing in Abuja last August that killed 25 people.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for all three attacks last year. It is also held responsible for more than 620 deaths this year alone, according to an AP count.

The Nigerian government has failed to corral the growing sectarian violence, leading President Goodluck Jonathan Friday to fire the West African nation's security adviser and defense minister.

Security forces in Damaturu were still reeling from days of sustained sect attacks when Boko Haram raided a police station early Sunday, freeing 40 suspected sect members, said Yobe State Commissioner of police Patrick Egbuniwe.

He said one inmate was killed in the ensuing gun battle, and a prison warden was wounded.

The sect has launched several prison breaks in the past.

A prison break in the central Nigerian town of Koton-Karifi in Kogi state freed 119 inmates in February. It mirrored a massive prison break in the northeastern city of Bauchi in September 2010 when Boko Haram freed about 700 inmates.

Nigeria's prisons remain overcrowded and understaffed, with the majority of those imprisoned waiting for years for trials that likely will never come. A 2007 study by Amnesty International called the system "appalling," with children remaining locked up with their parents and guards routinely bribed by inmates. Despite pledges by the government to reform the system, it remains largely the same today.

Associated Press writer Bashir Adigun contributed to this report from Abuja, Nigeria