If you are like me your household chores have suffered across the holidays. (Not the holidays’ fault but my indulgence in an extra dose of Netflix – I am here to report that I have progressed from November’s Chinese Soap Opera, via -terrific- Korean historic fiction, Turkish fantasy -forgettable except for the footage on Istanbul which recalled wonderful memories- to a German horror movie. Yes, keep your reaction to yourself. I already live with enough raised eyebrows around here…. )

That said, the pile of ironing is waiting, and what better than to tackle it while listening to the sounds of another country that I will never see, but want to know more about.

The BBC has this terrific series called Documentary, and in one segment Alastair Leithead, the BBC’s Africa Correspondent, takes you on an epic adventure in sound across the Democratic Republic of Congo. He basically narrates his trip (I assume only possible because they plunged mega bucks on guards and guides and audio crew, quite frankly) but also records all the sounds during his journey. It is fascinating.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vm1jd 

Congo has, of course been in the news – if certain US government officials watched anything other than FOX they might even get ideas: another way to suppress voting by undesirable constituencies? Claim it is too dangerous for public health! Details here:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-congo-election/vote-delayed-in-three-congo-opposition-districts-wont-count-toward-presidential-result-idUSKCN1OP0J9

I am not kidding, either. The second worst outbreak in history of the dreaded Ebola disease has been used as justification by outgoing President Kabila and his cronies to decree that three opposition strongholds will not be allowed to vote until March – when swearing in of the newly elected president – the elections are this Sunday – will take place in January.

If you have not yet read or long forgotten (unlikely) Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible, it is your best introduction to the history of the Congo, in a novel that has some of the strongest character development in recent memory. It is a beautiful and deeply moving book that also makes you aware of struggles that have not appeared in our history books. Or at least not mine.

.http://mentalfloss.com/article/62832/13-things-you-may-not-know-about-poisonwood-bible

For music today it will be Grand Maitre Franco singing Attention Na Sida (he died of complications from Aids in the late 80s, 2 years after he recorded this). The origin of the epidemic was in 1920s Kinshasa, now Democratic Republic of Congo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=156&v=OkfYs2_r1y8

My photographs are of flamingos, my approximation of visiting the tropics…. The Democratic Republic of Congo houses 4 species of those strange birds.