African Art Song - Uncommon Music Awaiting Discovery

I wondered what Rebeca Omordia would give us next. She had released two strong albums of African piano music. This release seems the next logical step. It collects works from African composers who are writing in a classical framework. 

The music is more tightly focused. Omordia's piano albums sampled works across the continent. This recital stays within Nigeria, with composers from the Yoruba and Igbo peoples. It also includes intermezzos for drums. For the Yoruba part of the program, the Yoruba talking drum is used. For the Igbo section, it's traditional Igbo percussion instruments. 

And there are some outliers. The album includes two arias by Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Geroges. This mixed-race composer and violin virtuoso was a contemporary of Mozart. Errollyn Wallen and Shirley J. Thompon are first-generation Britians from Jamaica.  

As with the solo piano albums, the music is fresh, engaging, and enlightening. The balance between African and Western classical traditions varies from composer to composer. And no matter where that balance is, the results are expressive, creating music. Music that communicates not just to Nigerians, but to everyone. 

Omo Bello is French-Nigerian and well-suited to sing this music. She has an impressive CV full of major opera roles. Her first recording was of Mahler's "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." 

But Bello also understands the musical traditions behind these works. And she speaks the language, giving the melodies the right inflection. Like these composers, she blends her classical training, creating something of great beauty. 

Rebeca Omordia and her colleagues have produced an album of music worth exploring. And music that encourages further exploration. Here's hoping there's a volume 2 in the works. 

African Art Song
Rebeca Omordia, piano; Omo Bello, soprano
Somm Recordings

Diplomat Raymond Comes to Town

As if yesterday's missive from the Central Bank of Nigeria wasn't enough, another arrived today that was even more impressive. The subject line read:

YOUR DIPLOMAT HAS NOW ARRIVE AT JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FLORIDA,CONTACT HIM NOW. (diplomatraymond@[email address]) or (XXX)-900-XXXX

(I'm deliberately blocking out the email and phone so as not to tempt someone to contact them out of curiosity)

Well, that got my attention! My very own diplomat?! Tell me more!

The text of the email did just that:

This is to notify you that your funds USD 2.2M has been programmed for  immediate release into your nominated account but we can not transfer this funds direct to your nominated bank account, because we are having a little problem with International Monetary Fund (IMF) so our method of payment is via Diplomatic Courier Service.Contact him now, his name (Dip Raymond Edward) for the release of your fund through diplomatraymond@[email address] )or call (XXX-900-XXXX).

 Wow! 2.2 million dollars! I better contact my diplomat right away!

There are a few details of interest about this particular Nigerian 419 scam. First off, the official-sounding email address. "diplomatraymond" Really? I'm sure that's just how they assign them at the State Department. "Sure, your Excellency, just email me at diplomatjoe@state.gov."

And the use of a 900 telephone number is a nice touch. Even if someone calls out of curiosity intending to listen just for a second (and what are the odds that they won't be kept on the phone as long as possible?) the scammer makes a little cash. And sadly, there's no doubt in my mind that this number's been dialed more than once (which is why I redacted most of it).

Maybe it is time Frank Drake came out of retirement...

A Surprise, Indeed!

This must be phishing season. Hard on the heels of the Dunkin Donut offer, I received an even more unusual request. It was from the Central Bank of Nigeria. And the subject line was the following (with nothing in the body of the email):

I know that you might be surprise on this mail, but I am telling you the truth. What I want to tell you is about your fund with the Federal Government of Nigeria. I will explain to you in full details when you get back to me with my private email at: [email address].

Well, might be surprise, indeed! It completely slipped my mind that I had deposited money in a foreign bank. Especially Nigeria.


It's been a while since we've had some virtual fun, and I'm tempted to respond. But as who? Frank Drake? Alf Monroe? Roy Rogers? Or perhaps it's time for someone new to enter the scene. Suggestions welcome!

Where's Ralph? Footballing in Nigeria

Ken and I just wrapped up another Nigerian scammer scam -- our fifth. This one just happened by accident. It started when I received an email from a friend I had seen just a few hours before. The email claimed said a friend had been mugged in London and needed money to come home! I wrote my friend to let him know his email address book had been hacked, but it was the scammer who responded!

The game was on. I kind of made this one up as I went along. We soon moved from reality to "Green Acres," which somehow lead to a showdown between two dead presidents (or rather, their relatives). And then, all of a sudden, everything changed, and Roy Rogers (as played by Ken) rode onto the scene.

I've changed the name of my friend, but otherwise the emails are exactly as we received them. Chapter One has the bulk of the tale, Chapter Two begins when our favorite Texas oilman enters the scene.

I must say, the scammers' fake documents were better than we've seen to date, but I think our fake documents are still better -- I wonder sometimes if we're on the right side of this game.

Make sure you read carefully. We sprinkled the letters with puns, pop culture references, and made-up Western slang that probably didn't translate well.

For your reading pleasure, we present the Story of John and Marsha and Roy.

Chapter One: John and Marsha
Chapter Two: John and Roy

Where's Ken? Sailing to Nigeria

We've just wrapped up another Nigerian 419 scammer scam. I say "we" because I was able to make a few modest contributions to Ken's efforts. This is a mighty tale of adventure on the high seas with that old salt, Captain Frank Drake of Golden Hind Marine Salvage.

Captain Frank often states that he hates pirates and yet he seems surrounded by them. Many of his associates are either actual pirates or characters from "Treasure Island."

There's some other background information which might help you further appreciate our story: Golden Hind Marine Salvage is located at Surfside Six, Miami Beach which references an old TV detective show that was a spin-off of "77 Sunset Strip."

Frank's initial business partner is Travis McGee, John D. McDonald's fictional detective based in Florida. McGee often described himself as a salvage expert (see how it all ties together?).

The part of Captain Frank Drake is played by Henry Kulke. This character actor portrayed the gruff, plain-spoken Chief Petty Office Curly, part of the Seaview's crew on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."

Captain Drake and his adventures manage to keep our Nigerian scammer, "Mr. George Khumato" on the hook for 50 days -- a new record for Ken!

Personally, I'm disappointed at the quality of Mr. Khumato's documentation. I think we did a much better job, like the poster we created above (click on the image to see it full-size). We might be on the wrong end of this racket.

Click the link below to download the PDF of our latest caper.

Captain Frank and George PDF

One final thing: the secret coded message is a simple cryptogram. Can you decypher it? Enjoy!

- Ralph

Where's Ken? Happy Trails to Nigeria

Well, Ken's done it again. He's engaged in a lively correspondence with another Nigerian 419 scammer. In the past, he's spun scammers along with a dizzying cast of characters surrounding Clark Kent and Kent Enterprises, and a would-be dollar chopper's wearying experience with Boris Karloff.

Ken's latest story only runs for about two weeks. Mr. Smith Zuma bailed before things got really interesting.

Even though it's a torso rather than a completed work, I still think it's a great read. Mr. Zuma has the good fortune to contact Roy Rogers, who owns a sprawling ranch and mining operation in Tombstone, Arizona. Ken manages to work in references to Gene Autry, and his 1935 serial, "The Phantom Empire."

I think Ken does a much better job with documents then Mr. Zuma, and it's too bad our friend didn't pay more attention to the details in Roy's responses.

This should have gone on for at least another two weeks, especially with the introduction of Mr. Roger's personal secretary, who -- to protect her promised 5% -- is telling Mr. Zuma how to manipulate our somewhat eccentric and gullible mark.

Here's the entertaining, yet incomplete, saga of Mr. Smith Zuma.

Smith Zuma PDF

- Ralph

Day 100 of the WJMA Podwatch. (I feel like we ought to mark this occasion in some fashion. Cake, perhaps?)

Where's Ken? Still in Nigeria

Longtime readers have noted Ken's absence from "CE Conversations." He's still around, and we can still look forward to his pithy posts. Ken's been busy both with strenuous physical competitions and inspired fiction writing.

Yes, Ken's been scamming another Nigerian 419 scammer. And this one is even more inspired than the last one.

Our cast of characters involve stars of Universal's horror movies, beginning with Boris Karloff. Boris is reimagined as a Texas businessman, prone to strange cowboy aphorisms invented by Ken. The scammer, the Honorable Dr. Charles Ibeh is hard-pressed to keep up with these bogus colloquialisms, at one point admonishing Boris in tortured syntax to "please use good english when addressing me okay [sic]." He even gets so flustered he starts signing his e-mails Ibeh Charles!

Why the FedEx logo for this post? When Lon Chaney enters the picture, this international carrier plays a pivotal role.

Read and enjoy "The Chronicles of Chuck."

And please -- don't let anyone you know fall for this scam.

- Ralph

Where's Ken?

If the "CE Conversation" has been a little one-sided recently, it's because half of our blog contributors have been busy elsewhere. Ken's been involved with some major races (see the details at 70.3 for Me).

Ken's also been indulging an urge to do some fiction writing and did some serious scam baiting over the past few months. For those not familiar with the sport, the goal is to discourage Internet scammers by tying up their time pursuing marks that don't pan out.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian 419 scam is going strong, and enough people fall for these ruses that a cottage industry has evolved that takes in millions from naive folks all over the world.

Ken isn't one of those. With his permission, I'm posting his recent correspondence with one such scammer. It's a tale of high finance and intrigue -- and for those familiar with the Superman canon, it's full of humor, too.

Since this PDF was constructed after the scam had run its course, some of the original e-mails are missing, but enough remains to follow the story arc.

My writing partner has promised to return to this blog, but in the meantime, here's what our friend has been up to.

The Kent Saga PDF.

- Ralph

#nigeria