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Long before there were poetry cafes, poetry slams and the trendy poetry chic of the '90s, there were writers like Sekou Sundiata, heirs to the artistic legacy of '60s black arts movement members like Amiri Baraka, the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron. All used...

Perhaps there's irony in the fact that some of the more interesting photographic books of the season are about the loss, rather than the creation, of illusion. Released by relatively small publishing houses, these entries are not likely to appeal to a mass...

In the following essay, Conrad analyzes the treatment of the legendary hero Fakoli in the Sunjata.

In the following essay, Jansen describes rehearsals for a Sunjata performance and explains what is missed by simply reading the text as compared with experiencing a communal performance.

In the following excerpt, Innes provides an overview of the Sunjata, including its transmission, audience, language, and present-day relevance.

The greatest ruler in African history and one of the greatest of the ancient world, Sundiata came to control ancient Mali and its surrounding area. Some historians argue that Sundiata's power was based soley on religion, namely Islam. Based on a reading of N. T. Diane's book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, however, it is apparent that Sundiata also used many conventional methods to gain and remain in power, such as political alliances and military strategy.

The epic "Sundiata" depicts Sogolon Kendjou and Sassouma Berete in direct contrast, as Sogolon is portrayed as a good mother while her counterpart Sassouma is portrayed as an evil mother. Both queens wanted the best for their sons, but the differences in their characters and methods were so different that it influenced not only Sogolon's son Sundiata and Sassouma's son Dankaran, but all of the king's children.