Probably my favorite development blog is that of Chris Blattman, a Yale professor who focuses mostly on Africa and offers a good mix of commentary on current events, academic research, and anecdotes drawn from his own experiences.
Yesterday Blattman commented on the peculiar celebrity status of soft rock crooner Michael Bolton in the war torn African countries of Liberia and Uganda, noting also that in northern Uganda, "Bolton is easily eclipsed by Dolly Parton and Bette Midler."
Although I'm sure I've been forced to listen to my share of those three artists over the years, none of them would have been on my list of "noteworthy random Western singers you hear a lot of in Africa". Off the top of my head, my list would probably begin with Celine Dion, Lionel Richie (esp "stuck on you"), and the Scorpions (huge in Madagascar!), although I'm sure I'm neglecting some important ones here.
Then there's the curious phenomenon of this song, which also happens to be the current ring tone on my cell phone.
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1 comment:
You forgot about West Life (and Poland!).
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