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Outlook Arts: John Cleese, Superheroes, Jazz

Photo: From left to right, John Cleese, the Incredible Hulk, Tony Kofi.

19/12/2014

John Cleese, Superheroes, Jazz

BBC World Service - Outlook Arts, John Cleese, Superheroes, Jazz

Monty Python star John Cleese; Cartoon heroes; Saxophonist Tony Kofi; Jihadi anthems

John Cleese, star of Monty Python, Anasheed, jihadi anthems, Saxophonist Tony Kofi, Global cartoon superheroes, British writer M J Hyland

John Cleese is best known as one of the stars of the surreal British TV comedy series Monty Python. The Python team made feature films, including The Life Of Brian, and John went on to create and star in Fawlty Towers. His film A Fish Called Wanda earned him an Oscar nomination. Now aged 75, John Cleese has published his autobiography So, Anyway.

The BBC has been highlighting the cost of jihadi militancy and the impact of groups like al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Islamic State. Murad Shishani of BBC Arabic has been looking at what defines the songs being used for recruitment and mobilisation.  They are called Anasheed in Arabic. 

Saxophonist Tony Kofi is a regular performer on the international jazz scene. He grew up as one of seven brothers in a Ghanaian family in a poor area of Nottingham, England. As a teenager he was not thinking of a career in jazz - but then a terrible accident changed the course of his life. 

Why does the world love imaginary superheroes? A cartoon character was created in India recently to help tackle violence against women and superheroes have always been big money spinners for Hollywood. They have been threading their way into folk tales and story books for centuries. What are some examples from around the world? 

British writer M J Hyland on learning to cope with Multiple Sclerosis. She is critically acclaimed for her novels which deal with the darker side of life. Her second novel was nominated for a prestigious writing prize, but just before the publication of her third - This is How - she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis - a diagnosis which transformed the way she writes.

Photo: From left to right, John Cleese, the Incredible Hulk, Tony Kofi.
(Credits:  John Cleese, Danny E. Martindale Getty Images. The Incredible Hulk, Reuters.  Tony Kofi, Jon Frost.)

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