ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Gospel music is a style of music. It is often written to express personal or group belief, regarding Christianity. This music is used to praise, worship and thank God, Christ or the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the most famous gospel song is Amazing Grace. Common Themes. Many gospel songs are about heaven. Others tell about when the singer was saved. Gospel songs may be based on the feelings or experience of the writer. Gospel songs tend to be more personal than hymns. Hymns are often directed to God or telling about God. Types of Gospel Music. There are many types of gospel music. Some of them are spirituals, traditional, gospel blues, southern gospel, country gospel, bluegrass gospel and sacred harp. The way of singing is the main thing that is different. The message may be quite similar between the types.  How Gospel Music is sung. Most types of gospel music have a typical way of being sung. Traditional (Black) gospel often uses a large choir, with one or two soloists. Gospel blues were sung by a single singer with a guitar. Southern gospel is almost always sung by a quartet with a piano. Bluegrass gospel has a few singers with stringed instruments. Sacred harp is sung by a large group with no instruments.
Salsa is a type of music and dance of hispanic origin. Salsa music is based on Cuban music. This is a "fusion" of musical ideas which originally came from Africa and Spain. During 1965-1975 in New York, musicians of Cuban and Puerto Rican origin combined to produce this Cuban-style music. The music got the label of 'salsa'. No-one really knows how this happened, but everyone recognised how good it was to have a label for it. Over time, salsa bands worked in other influences. For example, in the late 60s Willie Colon developed numbers that made use of Brazilian rhythms. N.Y. radio programmes offered 'salsarengue' as a further combination. The question of whether or not salsa is anything more than Cuban music has been argued over for more than thirty years. Initially, not much difference could be heard. Later it became clear that salsa in New York was a bit different from popular music in Cuba. Also, Miami, Venezuela, Colombia and other places all had their own ideas. It now seems clear that salsa has receded from the great position it achieved in the late 1970s, at any rate in New York. The reasons for this are also much disputed. It is difficult for any music which uses a foreign language to succeed in the biggest English-speaking market-place. Salsa as a dance can be seen in all the places mentioned. Unlike standard ballroom dancing, there is no clear agreement on how it should be danced, and the methods differ widely in detail. The teaching of salsa is also rather undeveloped. But, as a general guide, salsa dancing is rather like other dances from Cuba, such as the cha-cha-cha.
Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer, actress and television presenter. She was born on October 3, 1969 in Fullerton, California. She was raised in Anaheim, California. She has millions of fans around the world. She is a member of the band No Doubt, and has also released two solo albums. One of her biggest hits is "Hollaback Girl". Personal life. On September 14, 2002 Gwen married Gavin Rossdale, the singer of Bush. They have three sons together, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale (born on May 26, 2006), Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (born on August 21, 2008), and Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale (February 28, 2014).  On August 3, 2015, she filed for divorce from Rossdale, citing "irreconcilable differences" and their divorce was finalized on April 8, 2016. Stefani says as a child she was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. On October 20, 2014, Stefani released the first single from her third album, "Baby Don't Lie". As of 2017, Stefani is said to be dating her "The Voice" co-star Blake Shelton. Discography. Singles. Music charts and singles:
was an old province of Japan in the area of Shimane Prefecture on the island of Honshū. It was sometimes called .  The province had borders with Iwami, Bingo and Hōki provinces. In the 8th century, Matsue became the provincial capital city. History. In the Meiji period, the provinces of Japan were converted into prefectures. The maps of Japan and Izumo Province were reformed in the 1870s. Temples and Shrines. "Izumo taisha" was the chief Shinto shrine ("ichinomiya") of Izumo.
is a mountain that is northeast of Kyoto city. It is at the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan. Mount Hiei appeared in many folk tales in different centuries. Traditionally, people believed it to be the home of gods and demons of Shinto.
is a popular hero from Japanese folklore. His name literally means "Peach Tarō". Because "Tarō" is a common Japanese boy's name, it is usually translated as "Peach Boy". "Momotarō" is also the name of several books, films, and other works that tell the tale of this hero. The most common version of this tale (from the Edo period), tells Momotarō came to earth inside a giant peach. The peach was found floating down a river by an old woman without children who was washing clothes there. The woman and her husband found the child when they tried to open the peach to eat it. The child explained that he had been sent by Heaven to be their son. The couple called him Momotarō, from "momo" (peach) and "tarō" (oldest son in the family). An older version of the story tells the old woman discover the giant, floating peach and take it home with her, as she finds it to be of good color and looking tasty. After eating a piece of the peach, the old woman is rejuvenated and becomes young and beautiful again. When her old husband comes home from the hills, he is surprised to find a lovely young lady in his house. At first he does not even recognize his own wife in her new form, but she explains what happened to him. She then gives her husband a piece of the peach to eat, and he also becomes young again. That night, the couple makes love, and the woman becomes pregnant as a result. She later gives birth to their first child, a son, whom they name "Tarō", as that is a common Japanese name for a first son. This version of the story is the oldest one that is written in old texts, but it appears to have been changed with the version without sex in school textbooks of the Meiji period. The peach is often seen as a symbol of sex or fertility in Japan, because its fruit is believed to be similar to a woman's buttocks. Years later, Momotarō left his parents for an island called Onigashima to destroy the evil oni (demons or ogres
Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto (天宇受売命) is the Kami of dawn, happiness and joy in the Shinto religion of Japan. She is famous for her role in the tale of the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Amaterasu's brother, the storm god Susano'o (須佐之男命), had vandalised her sacred buildings and killed her maidens because she refused to trust him. Amaterasu became so scared of his wrath that she went to hide into a cave, Ame-no-Iwato (天の岩戸). The world, without the light of the sun, became dark. The Oni (devils of Japanese mythology) came out to the dark world, and the gods could not make Amaterasu come out of the cave. The intelligent Uzume took a small boat, turned it upside down near the cave entrance, and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other Kami. They thought this was so funny that they laughed happily. Amaterasu heard them, and looked out to see why the gods were laughing. When she opened the cave, she saw her wonderful reflection in a mirror Uzume had put on a tree, and slowly came out of the cave. At that moment, the god Ameno-Tajikarawo (天手力男命) closed the cave behind her, so she could not go back in. Another god tied a magic rope across the entrance. The sun goddess was then asked by the Kami Ame-no-Koyane (天児屋根命) to go back with the gods. She agreed, and light came back to the earth. Uzume is still worshipped today as a Shinto kami. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume, "The Great Persuader", and "The Heavenly Alarming Female".
Susanoo (Japanese: 須佐之男命, "Susanoo-no-Mikoto"; also romanized as "Susano'o", "Susa-no-O", and "Susanowo") is the kami of the sea and storms in Shinto. Susano'o is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were created from Izanagi, when he washed his face to clean the dirtiness of Yomi, the underworld. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susano'o from the washing of the nose. The tales tell of great between Susano'o and his sister. When he was to leave Heaven forever because Izanagi ordered him to, he went to say goodbye to his sister. Amaterasu, suspicious, proposed him a challenge: each of them was to turn an object of the other's into people. Amaterasu created three women from Susano'o's sword while he created five men from her necklace. Amaterasu said the men were hers because they were born of her necklace. Susano'o destroyed her rice fields, threw a dead pony into her loom, and killed one of her assistants in anger. For this, Amaterasu, sad, angry and scared, went to hide inside Ama-no-Iwato, the "heavenly rock cave", so the Sun was hidden and the world became dark for a long time. Amaterasu later was made to come out of the cave, but Susano'o was punished by being banished from Heaven. He came down to the province of Izumo, where he met an old couple. Seven of their eight daughters had been eaten by the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi and it was about to come for the eighth, Kushi-inada-hime. After the couple promised their daughter's hand in marriage to Susano'o, he agreed to kill Orochi. With the help of eight bowls of "sake" (one for each head), Susano'o cut the head off
Ninigi no Mikoto (瓊瓊杵尊) is in Japanese mythology the son of Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto, and grandson of Amaterasu, who sent him down to earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. Overview. Amaterasu sent him to bring peace to Japan by bringing the three gifts from Heaven used by the emperor. The sword, Kusanagi, the mirror, Yata no kagami, and the jewel, Yasakani no magatama. These three gifts mean to the world that the emperor is the descendant of Amaterasu herself. The tale of Ninigi no Mikoto being sent to earth is told in the Nihon Shoki.
Preston is a city in North West England which is the county town of Lancashire. It is near the River Ribble. It became a city in 2002. This was the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Chorley and Leyland are towns not far away from Preston. In 2001, a census said that there were 335,000 people living in Preston. History. In 1179, Preston was given a charter (document) which let the town's trader travel around the United Kingdom without paying tolls. Preston Guild is held in Preston. The chief industry of Preston was formerly the making of cotton cloth. The Preston bypass (road around the city) was built in the 1950s. Among the important buildings in Preston are the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Public Library, and the county council's headquarters. Preston railway station is an importance junction on the west coast main line; the M6 motorway connects Preston to Cumbria (northwards) and Cheshire (southwards). Sports. The football team in Preston is Preston North End F.C. which plays at Deepdale. They were the first team to be English football champions in 1889. Education. Preston is home to the University of Central Lancashire, established in 1828 and originally being called The Institution For The Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. It is one of the largest universities in the UK, having around 38,000 staff and students.
Onryō (怨霊) is a Japanese ghost ("Yūrei", 幽霊) who is believed to be able to return to the world of the living to seek revenge. Some onryō are male, mostly in Kabuki, but most of them are women. They usually suffer at the hands of their male lovers when they were alive, because they were weak, but they become strong in death. In Japanese tradition, the spiritual world has Yomi (hell) on one side and the world of the living in the other. In the middle, there is a waiting area, like a purgatory, where spirits lie in doubt before moving on. Some spirits, especially those of murdered people, can go back to the world of the living, influenced by feelings of anger, sadness, or love. Onryō and yūrei do not have a particular look. But the popularity of Kabuki in the Edo period meant that a costume was created to show what they look like. This usually included a white burial kimono, long and black, messy hair, and white and purple make-up. The influence of this image can be seen in modern movies about Onryō, like "Ring".
The British African-Caribbean (Afro-Caribbean) community are residents of the United Kingdom who are of British West Indian background and whose ancestors came first from Africa. Around 566,000 people fitted that description in 2001. in the 2021 Census 623,119 people in England and Wales described themselves in this way. These people are often called Black British.
Switzerland’s national flag was adopted on December 12, 1889, which is one of the world’s oldest flags. The Flag of Switzerland is a red field, a white cross whose arms are one-sixth longer than their width. The relationship between the span of the cross and the width of the flag has not been established, but in practice the ratio is about 2:3 or 7:10. History. The Swiss cross on a red field ultimately derives from a similar banner of the Holy Roman Empire, and thus has strong Christian connotations. The Swiss flag traditionally stands for freedom, honour and fidelity. The motto "Honor et Fidelitas" was inscribed on the cross of several Swiss mercenary flags of the 18th century. In modern times, through association with consistent Swiss policy, the flag has also come to mean neutrality, democracy, peace and refuge.
Taizu Emperor (, 1559 - 1626) was the founding father of the Qing Dynasty. His name was Nurhaci and Aisin Gioro was his surname. The reign name was Tian Ming. Nurhaci was Manchurian. He was also the creator of the Manchu alphabet. Life. In 1580, Nurhaci became the Jianzhou general of the Ming Dynasty. He unified the Manchu tribe and organised the Eight Banners. In 1616, Nurhaci declared himself Khan (King) and founded the Jin Dynasty in Liaoning. In 1618, in order to encourage people to against the Ming Dynasty. Nurhaci wrote an article called the Seven Great Vexations and sent it to the public. Form 1618 until 1622, Nurhaci led armies to against the Ming Dynasty. He successfully occupied 70 cities in the north-eastern part of China. The capital was changed to Liao Yang after several battles. In 1622, Nurhaci's armies captured Guangning. In 1626, Nurhaci led armies to attack the Ningyuan city. Unluckily, Nurhaci was wounded by Yuan Chonghuan's Portuguese cannon and he died 2 days later at a little town called De-A Man.
A Japanese dragon, also known as is a mythical animal from Japan. Like other creatures called dragons, the Ryū is a big, fantastic animal that looks similar to a serpent, and is related to the Chinese "lóng" and the Korean "yong". Like all these Asian dragons, it is shown without wings, has legs with claws, and usually lives in the ocean, the clouds, or heavens. Japanese dragons do not fly as often as the Chinese one, which is the reason why they usually appear much more like serpents. The "ryū" in art has only three toes, instead of the "lóng's" five or the "yong's" four. Japanese dragons usually live in the sea. This is because Japan is an island, and the sea is present in most of its geography. "Ryū" originated from China and is one of the four creatures from heavens of Japanese mythology (the other three are the phoenix, turtle and tiger). It has often been the symbol of the Emperor or of a hero. Dragons in Japanese mythology. In Japanese mythology, one of the first dragons is the Yamata-no-Orochi, a very big serpent with eight heads and eight tails. The serpent ate girls, and it was killed by Susanoo after Susanoo tricked the creature into becoming drunk on sake. Dragons are Common in Japanese folklore typically in the Edo period (1603 - 1863), but did you know Dragons (Ryu) appear in Japanese Stories back to the 8th century! Dragons in later Japanese folklore were often good, perhaps because of influence from Chinese culture. In Urashima Tarō, the main character rescues a turtle which turns out to be the son of Ryūjin, the dragon king of the ocean.
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that includes Shinto and Buddhist traditions. The Shinto religion alone has many "kami" (Japanese for "gods" or "spirits").  Most Japanese myths, as generally known today, are based on the "Kojiki", "Nihonshoki" and some other books. The "Kojiki" or "Record of Ancient Things" is the oldest known book of myths, legends, and history of Japan. The "Shintoshu" explains origins of Japanese gods and goddesses from a Buddhist point of view while the "Hotsuma Tsutae" has a very different version of mythology. One notable thing of Japanese mythology is that it explains birth of Amaterasu, the origin of the Imperial family, and assigned them divinity. The Japanese word for the Emperor of Japan, "tennō" (天皇), means "heavenly emperor".
Huang Taiji (; 1592 - 1643) was the emperor of Qing Dynasty. His surname was Aisin Gioro. His reign names were Tian Cong and Chong De. Huang Taiji was the eighth son of Taizu Emperor (Nurhaci). He reigned the Manchu trible from 1627 until 1643.  Life. In 1612, Huang Taiji followed his father, Nurhaci, to attack Wu La. He was awarded "Beile", a traditional title of Manchu nobility below prince. In 1616, he was ordered to deal with government affairs with another Beili, Dai Shan. Huang became the "Khan" (King) of the Manchu trible in n 1626. In 1636, Huang took control of the southern part of Mongol, the north-eastern part of China and Korea. He started the Qing Dynasty. Huang Taiji died in 1643 of apoplexy.
Japanese folklore is the folklore of Japan. It is very influenced by Shinto and Buddhism, the two most important religions in the country. It usually includes humorous or strange characters and situations. It also includes many supernatural creatures, such as "kami" (gods and revered spirits), "yōkai" (monster-spirits) (like "oni", "kappa", and "tengu"), "onryō" (ghosts), dragons, and animals with supernatural powers like the "kitsune" (fox), "tanuki" (raccoon dog), "mujina" (badger), and "bakeneko" (transforming cat). Japanese folklore is often divided into several categories: "mukashibanashi," tales of long-ago; "namidabanashi", sad stories; "obakebanashi", ghost stories; "ongaeshibanashi", stories of kindness; "tonchibanashi", witty stories; "waraibanashi", funny stories; and "yokubaribanashi", stories of greed. Some famous Japanese folktales and legends include:
The , also known as the Meiji era, was a after "Keiō" and before "Taishō." This period started in September 1868 and ended in July 1912. During this time, the emperor was . The "nengō" "Meiji" means "Enlightened Rule" or "Enlightened Government". Events of the "Meiji" period. The years in which Meiji was the Japanese monarch comprise this modern period or era.
Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes. Males pheasants are usually larger and flashier than the females. They have feathers of bright colours and long tails.  There are 35 species of pheasant in 11 different genera. Native pheasants are restricted to Eurasia.  In many countries pheasant species are hunted, often illegally, as game. Several species are threatened by this and other human activities. Chukar is the official "National bird" of Pakistan. Implications. The fact is that "pheasant" is not the name of a particular bird. It is the common name for a type of bird which has independently evolved in many different places.
Polytonality is the use in music of several keys at the same time. Music such as this is called polytonal. Bitonality is the use in music of two keys at the same time. Music such as this is called bitonal. Most traditional music is "in a particular key" e.g. in "C major" or in "D major" or in "D minor". Music that is in C major uses the notes of a C major scale. In 20th century some composers sometimes wrote music which is in more than one key at once. A well-known example is the beginning of the second tableau of Igor Stravinsky's ballet, "Petrushka". The first clarinet plays a melody that uses the notes of the C major chord, while the second clarinet plays a different version of the same melody using the notes of the F sharp major chord. Composers who have used bitonality or polytonality include Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Béla Bartók, Charles Ives and many others.
The M1 motorway is an important motorway in England. It joins London and Leeds. It was the second motorway to be built in the UK, after the Preston bypass (which later formed part of the M6). It was the first UK motorway to be built that joined two cities, London and Birmingham. Location. The motorway is 193 miles (310 km) long. It was built in four phases. Some of the motorway was opened in 1959. Other sections opened between 1965 and 1968. Two extensions were opened in 1977 and 1999. The motorway is part of the unsigned European route E13. History. The first section of the motorway opened between Junction 5 (Watford) and Junction 18 (Rugby). It opened on 2 November 1959. This included two of the motorway's spurs, the M10 at Junction 7, and the M45 at Junction 17. It followed near to the A5. In 1965, an extension from Junction 18 towards Yorkshire was built. The motorway takes a more northerly route through the East Midlands. It passes near Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham to Sheffield . Here the M18 splits from the M1 at Junction 32. In 1972 an extension of the M1 was opened into central Leeds. It was called the Leeds South Eastern Motorway. It meets the Leeds South Western Motorway (M621) at Junction 43. The first motorway service station was built on the M1 in 1959. It is currently operated by RoadChef. Junctions. !scope=col|mile !scope=col|km !scope=col abbr="Southbound"|Southbound exits (B carriageway) !scope=col|Junction !scope=col abbr="Northbound"|Northbound exits (A carriageway) !scope=col|Coordinates Stansted Airport, Dartford, M11, M20
Teddy Randazzo (May 13, 1935 – November 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work in the 1950s and 1960s. One of the groups he worked with was Little Anthony and the Imperials. Randazzo appeared as himself in a 1962 movie, "Don't Knock the Twist", which was about the Twist craze of the early 1960s.