Black Girl turns 50
A true ‘indie’ masterpiece, Ousmane Sembène’s 1966 debut feature, Black Girl (La noire de...), announced the emergence of a new African cinema analyzing the colonial experience from a different perspective. Pacific Cinémathèque screens a newly restored print of the seminal Senegalese work next week on its 50th anniversary: nyti.ms/2ii13wn.
Huskies vs. ’Bama
David vs. Goliath or just more NCAA hype? Washington Huskies are in Atlanta for a Peach Bowl matchup against No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 31. This could be a bloodbath but you still have to play the game: nyti.ms/2iamuzh.
Packers vs. Lions
If they tie at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday in Week 17 of the NFL season both NFC North rivals could make the playoffs. But, come on, this isn’t soccer, someone is going to step up and take it on Jan. 1. Probably the Packers, unfortunately: bit.ly/2iupyno and bit.ly/2iIP47N.
Better Man
Taylor Swift song currently moving up the country music charts with a bullet. Revenge is best served if someone else sings it. In this case, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild does the dirty work: bit.ly/2ejMZ2K.
Loscil
New album, Monument Builders, from Vancouver electronic/ambient musician Loscil (a.k.a. Scott Morgan, drummer with Dan Bejar’s Destroyer) released on Kranky: bit.ly/2ihVZIr.
New Orleans Funk Vol. 4
Soul Jazz Records digs deep into rarities on New Orleans Funk Vol. 4: Voodoo Fire In New Orleans 1951-77. Allen Toussaint and The Meters kick things off backing up Eldridge Holmes on “Pop, Popcorn Children” and then it just keeps going: bit.ly/2iFZPLW.
Bored in Chicago
New York Times’ John Elligon tracks Chicago’s deadly year in “Bored, Broke and Armed: Clues to Chicago’s Gang Violence”: nyti.ms/2iiLnFy.
Star Wars audition
Carrie Fisher, auditioning for the role of Princess Leia, reads lines with Harrison Ford (Hans Solo): bit.ly/2hld7s4 and Fisher at Vancouver Fan Expo 2015: bit.ly/2huasfW. HBO is moving up the debut of the new documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds to Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m., in light of this week’s deaths of Fisher and Reynolds: lat.ms/2iNkkGG.
Noura Mint Seymali
Mauritanian griot Noura Mint Seymali live on Seattle’s KEXP in March, 2016, a week after she performed in North Vancouver at Capilano University: bit.ly/2fwWHzT. Her new album, Arbina, came out in September on Glitterbeat.
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli expounds on Kendrick Lamar, hip-hop history, East Coast, West Coast and passing the torch: bit.ly/2ify75U. The Brooklyn rapper returns to Vancouver for a gig at Venue on Jan. 25 with K’Valentine (who has a track, “Delusional,” on Awful People are Great at Parties, produced by Kaytranada): bit.ly/2iJ7zNw.
