SWIKIRI - sweet mama africa!

In the past couple of weeks I have come into contact with Alexander Lau, who had found my Paradise Lost podcast. Seems that Alex has a deep love and passion for Africa (he's a US citizen) after some years living and working in Southern Africa. Have a look at swikiri.com for starters, and then his music loops project. Sounds like an interesting fella.

Getting Olonga with Henry

For Show 16 of my Paradise Lost podcast, I was very happy and privileged to get time to interview Henry Olonga, currently in southern England on a speaking tour. He talks about his cricket, his singing, and how he feels today about the 'black armband incident' during the 2003 World Cup Cricket, which forced him into an exile from Zimbabwe. This man is a role model par excellence, and now that I know he can be lured back by the smell of a fine oxtail stew, I hope it will not be the last time Paradise Lost listeners get to hear from him. On the show, and with Henry's permission, I feature one of the songs off his new CD, Rise Again, which is a haunting lyric about what could be for Zimbabwe ...

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New Paradise Lost show ... finally!

Show #15 Who Remembers Harold Wilson?
This photo taken aboard HMS Fearless

Happy New Year to Paradise Lost listeners. This show features two short interviews: Rita Gibb, who has been living in the UK for nearly two years, and my brother Rogan, who only left Zimbabwe a month ago.

Also included is a clip from the BBCs Radio 4 programme, ‘UK Confidential’ which was dealing with hitherto secret papers from 1976. Something about the way the Labour government dealt with ‘the Rhodesia problem’, I found interesting.

You also get a little bit of nostalgia with music some may remember from the RBC days of Radio Jacaranda.

You may listen to the show online using the player below, or go to the podcast's Odeo page, or look up PARADISE LOST in iTunes and subscribe from there.

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Paradise Lost show #14 now out

Phew, moving is pretty hard work! But from my empty house in Worthing, comes an interview recorded a couple of months ago with ‘Temba Ngazimbe’ who served 30 years with the National Railways of Zimbabwe. This Matabele gentleman has some different, perhaps interesting views.

Podcast just shy of 2800 downloads

I have to feel happy to observe that my latest Paradise Lost podcast has been downloaded almost 2,800 times in less than three weeks. That is way higher than the previous best of 604 listens of a whole show. Use the player below to check it out.


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Paradise Lost show #11

I had the good fortune to interview Harvey Thomas CBE. Harvey is an International Public Relations and Presentation Consultant, specialising in Corporate and Personal Communication, Customer Relations and Event Management. He consulted for Margaret Thatcher’s government for a number of years, and masterminded the PR campaign for FW De Klerk in South Africa’s first democratic election.

The discussion includes personal anecdotes of contact with Robert Mugabe, views on how long Mugabe and ZanuPF may hold onto power, and why Zimbabwe is of little interest to the first world super powers.

Click on the ODEO icon above to reach my show's list of currrent episodes, and choose #11. You can also subscribe to get future shows, from Odeo, or use the RSS feed there to grab it with your own podcatcher. Paradise Lost is now listed in iTunes - visit the podcast directory and search for it by name, and you will be able to subscribe directly. Or you can click here to go there directly.

Paradise Lost #10

Click on the Odeo icon above to visit the show and listen or download online. If you want the RSS feed: http://www.odeo.com/channel/33622/rss

Mark & Rose recorded this show's conversation with Dave and Tess, who have lived in Johannesburg for almost two years. In after-dinner conversation, they talk about adjusting, how to leave a country well, and yellow chickens. Dave misses Charon's CASINO chocolates, can you believe, and Tess still thinks that Zimbo All Bran Flakes beat the Kellogs stuff any day.

In show #10 ...Some email comments back from a few fellas ... thanks! Our first ever audio comment from David Clapper in The Netherlands. No news update this show from Mandebvhu, but you can hear his new show Zimbabwe News Update, on PCN - the Podcast News Network.
The show intro mentions I would play some podsafe music, but as the show ran a little longer than normal, I dropped that idea. Next time!

WAXMAIL - go to www.waxmail.biz and you too could send me a voice comment. If you are looking for a really useful Skype recorder that plugs in to Outlook, try SKYLOOK. If you use the coupon code FROMMARK when you order, you will get a 20% discount for the next week or so. It is a limited time offer, compliments of Paradise Lost.

Podcast Alley to vote for the show. Your vote helps!

Paradise Lost podcast #9

Released tonight: Paradise Lost show #9

Click here to send an email to the show

Podsafe music - Visit the site

Mark chats to Maria (not her real name) a native of Mexico, but working for an NGO in Harare for the past 14 years. She talks candidly about what she has seen in her years of work in the country, what she loves about the land, and the problems that beset the economy and political landscape. It’s an interesting point of view. Mandebvhu brings an update of news. Some podsafe music.

Podcast Alley to vote for the show. Your vote helps!

Paradise Lost show #7 now available

Mark interviews Maria who talks about the stress because every day she has ‘to make a plan’. She talks about never wanting to leave Zimbabwe, but thinking she might. Mandebvhu updates us on recent Zimbabwe news. Some podsafe music. 13.76 mb.

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Paradise Lost #005

Another voice from home (Clive) talks about why he stays in Zimbabwe. The Bearded Man blog’s Mandebvhu presents the first Zimbabwe News Update, to become a regular feature in the podcast.

Are journalists ‘weapons of mass destruction’ as a Zim cabinet minister incredulously said last week?

Tichaona Jakonya – his first name means “we will see” ... in case you don’t get the pun! All the links to stories are in the shownotes: www.paradiselostpodcast.blogspot.com

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Paradise Lost podcast show #003 now available

Sizwe, 20 year old living in Johannesburg for three years, talks about why he left Bulawayo, and risks being caught and mistreated as another Zimbabwe ‘illegal’ in South Africa. Maybe someone, somewhere will help Sizwe with his desire to become a journalist – he’s a great youngster who could offer a better Zimbabwe a brighter future.

Gary Cross, pastor of Northside Community Church in Harare discusses the plight of pensioners reliant on fixed incomes in these mega-inflationary times … and what his church (and others) are doing to ease the stress and genuine needs that exist.

In our next show … Mark interviews a funeral home entreprenuer with a passion for life! His approach to dealing with the huge death rate from HV related illnesses is like a breath of fresh air. And more …

Go to the show - subscribe here via Odeo - it's free!
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Paradise Lost podcast finally gets going

My new podcast called PARADISE LOST is about people of the Zimbabwe diaspora, and it finally uploaded to Odeo today! A short demo (Show #000) and a first show #001 are now available. Click on the Odeo link above.

Here is the RSS feed if you want to paste it into your 'podcatcher' or podcast compatible feedreader: http://odeo.com/channel/33622/rss

If you like it, please help me get the word out. Thanks!