In exile, he imagined a different Africa in his music, while being exposed to new realities abroad.
Articles on Duke Ellington
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He embodied a special brand of multiple identities and belief systems, and took them to the world.
Zulu spirituality and the legacy of the ancestors, personal and musical, are the concerns of the saxophonist and composer.
From spirituals about the trials of slavery to the fight for civil rights and the modern rhythms of swing music, Duke Ellington told a story about black life that was both beautiful and complex.
It took ages for one of African jazz’s hidden masterpieces to be reissued. Still today, four decades later, 1976’s ‘African Songbird’ tells volumes about the politics of the time.
Top contributors
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Professor of American History, University of California, Los Angeles
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Assistant Professor of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Associate Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Associate of the Gordon Institute for Business Science, University of Pretoria
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Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Stellenbosch University