"Comprehensive Introduction to Chinese Traditional Music" offers a detailed survey of Chinese traditional music in five chapters, each dealing with a different genre. The five genres are folk songs, dance music, narrative singing, music from Chinese opera, and instrumental music. The book begins with an introduction providing an overview of Chinese traditional music history, its connotations and main musical features, an indispensable context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. Within the main text, the authors discuss not only the local music genres, focusing on instruments, music analysis, and tonal theories, but also the historical evolution, performance, and social contexts associated with the music. A glossary of Chinese musical terms is listed in the appendix.

This story is told from a song a father composed and sung to his son, the author, when he was young. The story is set in the days of old where man and animals could talk and understood each other. Alegeli (Rat), Dzakpata (Snake), and Zangbetor (a spirit) are stuck in a pit and on the verge of death. They are rescued by Klogo, a poor hunter, and all three promise to help the hunter one day. Alegeli comes to Klogo with a pot of gold, which unknown to Klogo, was stolen from the chief’s palace. He becomes rich overnight and becomes the talk of the village; some said he had acquired blood money, while others said he had inherited a fortune somewhere. Sakpli, the village drunk and gossip, reports to the palace that Klogo had stolen the chief’s gold. Aligeli, Dzakpata, and Zangbetor have to come up with a plan save the hunter…

When Dan Travers is faced with the prospect of losing his job in humiliating circumstances, and possibly going to jail, he makes a desperate choice. A choice that will affect not only his future but will have dire repercussions for all those around him. How did this dedicated surfer and family man find himself in such a dilemma? Why would he contemplate such a wild scheme? Bombings and murders in Bali combine with drug wars on the streets of Sydney to draw Dan ever deeper into the hell he created with a few simple words. Once the choice has been made how can Dan return to a normal life, and who will be made to pay the price for his foolishness?

Don’t read God Amends only as a recreational novel. Read it with a deductive and questioning mind. It will enrich you more than a few moments of a (recreational) high. If you do that, you will gain understanding into mysteries that you must know. And with that understanding, you will be enveloped into a greater and blessed future and new Earth. In God Amends you will be exposed to terms such as ‘sexual health celebration’ or ‘sexual health sharing’. The two terms mean one and the same thing, and are used to refer to sexual relations between a woman and a man – a woman and a man who desire to understand the power, the authority, and the awesomeness of the mystery of sexual acts, and to obtain the multiple benefits when they actively play their roles mutually, as did the men and women in the novel who reaped enduring benefits. Another term used is, ‘the people of the nations in the various countries of the world’, to refer to all other classes of people as distinct from the Melon Elembele family members. Great reading, and share the knowledge you’ve gained with others, or buy God Amends as a gift for her or him.

Sue Kappa (real name Peter Atakuma Agbodza) utilizes the free verse style to enable the poetry platform to establish its image as a redeemer that allows for grievances, unshed tears and inner desires to be poured out. Here, he knits together a kaleidoscopic tapestry of mood and style in the treatment of such themes as ‘pushing away old age’; slavery; racism; deceit; the abuse of public office; nostalgia; suspicion; anxiety; jauntiness; love; gossip; belligerence; youthful irrationality and foolhardiness; globalization and the destruction of nature, among others. He crafts a unique blend of style which range from the town-crier mood which employs rants on the streets unrestrained, registering protest, complaints and reservations, somber reflections in the prayer/supplication mood of meditation and the uninhibited show of appreciation and joy in a cheerful, chatty tone. In this three-in-one volume collection of poems also christened The Song that is Stuck in my Throat, (Vol. 4-6) following its prequel (Vol.1-3) Kappa brings to life ideas, observations and human acts that do not easily occur to us as lively subjects or serious matters to engage our curious attention. He thus succeeds in stirring our imagination riot about the possibility of everything around us including the ones we easily ignore and the taken-for-granted aspects of our daily lives’ interactions serving as subject matter for a poem. And in this deep-fry style of going deep into subjects treated, he is able to tickle us to laughter and hilarity, and make us reflect on our own lives. Sometimes, it gets so close as though Kappa has just been watching us.

Team spirit is the vital element that can turn a well-trained crew into champions. The crews of the Henswytch Rowing Club know all about team spirit and how powerful it can be, but how far should they go? What lengths are they willing to go to for their fellow crewmen? Former commando Tom Briggs is introduced to the fanatical spirit of the club and must decide whether to submit or rebel, while property developer Jim Sutton, with his 'green' ideas, sets himself on a crash course with the power of the Old Codgers. Who will survive the clash? A stand-alone novel from the author of the Jade Green series - 'Watching', 'Legacy' and 'The Fund'. The Jade Green series will continue in 'The Song of Mawu'.

Designed specifically for young readers, the Mythology A to Z series explores the world's most important myths and legends in an accessible and entertaining manner. Each volume includes vividly written entries on the major figures, places, stories, objects, and themes of a given mythology. A vast continent, Africa is the home of the first humans and the birthplace of many cultures, ranging from nomadic bands to farmers to sophisticated civilizations. With four major language families and myriad peoples, Africa is also the source of a diverse and engaging body of myth. African Mythology A to Z is a clearly written reference guide to this lore. Containing 42 illustrations, two maps, a time line, a bibliography, an index, and extensive cross-references, African Mythology A to Z is a comprehensive and accessible reference guide for anyone interested in learning more about various African myths, traditions, and beliefs.

In Confucian Rituals and Chinese Villagers, Yonghua Liu presents a detailed study of how a southeastern Chinese community experienced and responded to the process whereby Confucian rituals - previously thought unfit for practice by commoners - were adopted in the Chinese countryside and became an integral part of village culture, from the mid fourteenth to mid twentieth centuries. The book examines the important but understudied ritual specialists, masters of rites (lisheng), and their ritual handbooks while showing their crucial role in the ritual life of Chinese villagers. This discussion of lisheng and their rituals deepens our understanding of the ritual aspect of popular Confucianism and sheds new light on social and cultural transformations in late imperial China.

The Ewe of Ghana, Togo and Benin have been one of the most documented ethnic groups in West Africa, given their encounters with the German, French and British colonial administrations. In 1906, Jakob Spieth, a German Bremen Missionary, published Die Ewe-Stamme. Die Ewe-Stamme is one of the most comprehensive treatises on the history, religion, economic life, traditional social structure, and, indeed, the entire spectrum of everyday life of the Ewe. Published over 100 years ago the book had limited circulation and became increasingly rare to the extent that it almost became a deified piece of work and source of classified knowledge. Additionally, Die Ewe-Stamme was published in German and old non-standard and colloquial Ewe languages. It is hoped this translation of Die Ewe-Stamme into English and contemporary Ewe might create a revival of interest amongst researchers, enhance the understanding for the traditional Ewe culture and become reading material in schools and universities.

"Hip Hop Africa explores a new generation of Africans who are not only consumers of global musical currents, but also active and creative participants. Eric Charry and an international group of contributors look carefully at youth culture and the explosion of hip hop in Africa, the embrace of other contemporary genres, including reggae, ragga, and gospel music, and the continued vitality of drumming. Covering Senegal, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, this volume offers unique perspectives on the presence and development of hip hop and other music in Africa and their place in global music culture."--Publisher description.