Category Archives: South Africa

Listeners Request’s

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Gareth Patterson
Trump by Steve Brodner for Time
Andras Fox & Sui Zhen

When the killing of Cecil the lion made headlines, Norman B immediately contacted Gareth Patterson, the acclaimed authority on African wildlife. The resulting interview received numerous compliments, and generated a flood of requests to hear it again. Speaking from his home in South Africa, Gareth explains the truth about the luring of lions like Cecil, to be killed by trophy hunters and the fate of African wildlife. Gareth is a remarkable raconteur and his passion for the animals he knows so well makes for compelling listening. “We’re down to fifteen to twenty-thousand lions left on earth. To lose six hundred to seven hundred primarily male lions every year, purely because there are rich overseas people who want to get off on the thrill of a one-sided sport. It’s just disgusting!” Gareth says emotionally. 

Another timely interview Life Elsewhere listeners have requested to hear again is, Norman B’s conversation with preeminent caricaturist, Steve Brodner. Norman asked Steve to join the program as it became unnervingly apparent that Donald Trump was not fading from view in the GOP Presidential nomination race. For many onlookers, no matter what their political bias, the idea of Trump running for President was, if not bizarre, then kind of scary. Brodner, already well versed in caricaturing Trump, was the perfect candidate to answer the question, “Could a caricature become President?” Brodner tackles the premise astutely, as he remarks about drawing Trump, “You can easily envision the features of a rodent, rat, or some animal that spends it’s time in the dark, with huge teeth, creating damage and chaos.”

This week’s Hit That Never Was, fits right in with our Listener Request theme. We received two emails in the same week asking to hear the same song. It’s Andras Fox & Sui Zhen, from Australia with Petit Morte.

Life Elsewhere airs:
Sundays 12 noon ET at The Source WMNF HD3  
Mondays 7.00pm ET at WROM Radio
Mondays 5.00pm PT at NWCZ Radio

Cecil The Lion. Donald The Caricature. Mama Africa.

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Gareth Patterson
Trump by Steve Brodner for Time
Miriam Makeba

The death of Cecil the lion resulted in headlines around the world, filled with outpourings of concern for the welfare of African wildlife. Gareth Patterson has dedicated his life to caring for and understanding African wildlife. From his home in a remote location on the edge of the Knysna forest, in South Africa, Gareth joins the program for an informative chat about Cecil, African lions, the elusive Knysna elephants and the truth about big game hunting. If you are curious to know the full story about hunting lions like Cecil and the fate of African wildlife, you won’t want to miss this exclusive interview with Gareth Patterson on the next edition of Life Elsewhere.

“Donald Trump is the ultimate caricature”, says esteemed satirical illustrator, Steve Brodner, who has been putting pen to paper for a long time to craft memorable political caricatures. Steve is a master of the editorial idiom, his work has appeared in most major magazines and newspapers in the United States, such as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Esquire, Time, Playboy, Mother Jones, Harper’s, Mother Jones, The Atlantic. To help us understand why political illustration has become so popular recently, and the fascination with Trump, Brodner, a man who adroitly articulates his insights and opinions, will join the next edition of Life Elsewhere.

For this week’s Hit That Never Was, we could not resist playing a request that came as the news of Cecil the lion was breaking: Mbube* by Miriam Makeba. The revered South African singer and civil rights activist, who died in 2008, was nicknamed Mama Africa, was the first artist from Africa to popularize African music around the world. She recorded and toured with many popular artists, such as Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon and her former husband Hugh Masekela. She was a fervent campaigner against apartheid, which resulted in the South African government revoking her passport in 1960 and her citizenship and right of return in 1963. As the apartheid system crumbled she returned home for the first time in 1990. Makeba died of a heart attack on 9 November 2008.
*Mbube  means lion..it has been sung for centuries in South Africa. In the West, it is better known as The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

The illustration of Donald Trump by Steve Brodner, was created for the latest edition of Time, used by kind permission of the artist. 

Life Elsewhere airs:
Sundays at 12 noon ET at The Source WMNF HD3  
Mondays at 7.00pm ET at WROM Radio
Mondays at 5.00pm PT at NWCZ Radio

Recent editions of Life Elsewhere can be heard at our Soundcloud page