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Performance Poet Sekou Sundiata.

Performance poet Sekou Sundiata. Often he performs with his music ensemble, "Dadahdoodahda." A Village Voice critic wrote of Sundiata, ". . . like Billie Holiday, Sundiata surprises with images and tumbling phrases that blend with subtle rhythmic variations. Dadahdoodahda provided enough familiar riffs and melodies to fill a dance floor. . . With boy next door charm and trickster wit, Sundiata leaves your skull intact, but repositions it to square the glitter of false prophets with the voices in your head." Sundiata's work includes the performance piece, "The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop." His latest "The Mystery of Love," is currently making its world premiere at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia.

22:49
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Other segments from the episode on May 11, 1994

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, May 11, 1994: Interview with Sekou Sundiata; Interview with Mario Vargas Llosa; Review of Boz Scaggs's album "Some Change."
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15:54

Peru's Eminent Novelist and Former Presidential Candidate Mario Vargas Llosa

Peru's eminent novelist and former presidential candidate Mario Vargas Llosa. Llosa is the author of many books including "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter," (which was made into a movie, based on his own relationship with his 32-year old aunt, who he married at the age of 19), "The Storyteller," and "In Praise of the Stepmother." A London Times writer says of Llosa's novels that they are "among the finest coming out of Latin America." Llosa lived for many years in Europe.

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29:32

Performance poet Sekou Sundiata

He is one of New York's most notable spoken-word artists. He blends lyrics of urban dwelling with music. Born in Harlem, Sundiata is a professor of English literature at The New School for Social Research. He's released CDs of spoken word including The Blue Oneness of Dreams and Urban Music. This week, Sundiata premieres his new one-man show blessing the boats. It's about the year his kidney failed, he went into dialysis and then had a kidney transplant.

Interview
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15:38

Performance poet Sekou Sundiata

Performance poet Sekou Sundiata. He is one of New York's notable spoken word artists, blending lyrics of urban dwelling with music. Born in Harlem, he is a professor of English Literature at The New School for Social Research. He's released several CDs of his work, including The Blue Oneness of Dreams and Urban Music. He's published a new journal (in pamphlet form), Heart: Human Equity Through Art.

Interview

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