Rakoto Frah (1923–2001) was a flutist and composer of traditional music of the central highlands of Madagascar. Born to a poor rural family, he became the most acclaimed 20th-century performer of the sodina flute, one of the island's oldest traditional instruments. In 1958, he was selected to perform for the visiting French president Charles de Gaulle, launching his career as a professional musician, and from 1967 he increasingly participated in international music competitions and festivals. Following a decline in popularity in the 1970s, Frah's career revived in the mid-1980s and remained strong until his death. During this period Rakoto Frah recorded ten albums, toured extensively in Madagascar and overseas, and collaborated with a variety of artists, placing him among the most famous Malagasy artists within Madagascar and on the world music scene. Rakoto Frah and his sodina were printed on the 200 ariary Malagasy banknote in honor of his key role in revitalizing and internationally popularizing Malagasy music. Despite the artist's worldwide acclaim, he lived simply and earned little. His death was widely mourned and marked by a state funeral.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakoto_Frah

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1721:

Johann Sebastian Bach presented Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt with six concertos, now commonly called the Brandenburg concertos. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_concertos

1869:

The last of Māori leader Titokowaru's forces surrendered to the New Zealand government, ending his uprising. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titokowaru%27s_War

1882:

German physician Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that causes tuberculosis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis

1927:

Following the capture of Nanjing by an alliance of Nationalist and Communist forces, British and American warships bombarded the city in defence of foreign citizens there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Incident

1989:

The tanker Exxon Valdez spilled more than 10 million US gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, causing one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters at sea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

siesta: An afternoon nap, especially the one taken after lunch in some cultures. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/siesta

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Freedom is a mystical truth — Its expressed best in The Brothers Karamazov, the chapter when the Grand Inquisitor confronted the returned Christ. The freedom that Christ gave the world was the freedom of being an individual, in a collectivity, of basing ones life on love, as distinct from power, of seeking the good of others rather than nourishing ones own ego. That was liberation. And the Chief Inquisitor, who speaks for every dictator, every millionaire, every ideologue that's ever been, says we can't have it. Go away. Stay away. --Malcolm Muggeridge https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Malcolm_Muggeridge