The Makonde are renowned for their wood carving and elaborate masks that are commonly used in traditional dances. There are two different kinds of wood carvings. Shetani, (evil spirits), which are mostly carved in heavy ebony, tall, and elegantly curved with symbols and nonrepresentational faces. The Ujamaa are totem-type carvings which show lifelike faces of people and various figures. Theses sculptures are usually called “family trees” because they tell stories of many generations.
During the last years of the colonial period, Mozambican art showed the oppression by the colonial power, and became a symbol of the resistance. After independence in 1975, the modern art came into a new phase. The two best known and most influential contemporary Mozambican artists are the painter Malangatana Ngwenya and the sculptor Alberto Chissano. Art during the 1980s and 1990s shows the political struggle, civil war, suffering, starvation and struggle.
Dances are usually highly developed traditions throughout Mozambique. There are many different kinds of dances from tribe to tribe which are usually ritualistic in nature. The Chopi, for instance, act out battles dressed in animal skins. The men of Makua dress in colourful outfits and masks while dancing on stilts around the village for hours. Groups of women in the northern part of the country have a traditional dance called "tufo", to celebrate Islamic holidays.
Because the Portuguese were there for nearly 500 years, they greatly impacted the cuisine of Mozambique. Crops such as cassava (a starchy root) and cashew nuts (Mozambique was once the largest producer of these nuts), and "pãozinho" were brought in by the Portuguese. The use of spices and seasonings such as onions, bay leaves, garlic, fresh coriander, paprika, chili peppers, red sweet peppers, and wine were introduced by the Portuguese. So was sugarcane, maize, millet, rice, sorghum (a type of grass), and potatoes. "Prego" (steak roll), "rissois" (battered shrimp), "espetada" (kebab), "pudim" (pudding), and the popular "inteiro com piripiri" (whole chicken in piri-piri sauce) are all Portuguese dishes commonly eaten in present-day Mozambique.
Football is the most popular sport in Mozambique.
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey (January 16, 1932 – December 26, 1985) was an American zoologist. She is best known for studying gorillas in Rwanda.
Fossey was inspired by a book called "The Mountain Gorilla" by George Schaller. Fossey studied mountain gorillas in Rwanda because of the book. When people want to get close to gorillas and get to know them they have to gain the gorillas trust. Fossey changed her lifestyle to match the gorillas’. She wanted to protect the gorillas from hunters. Hunters were trespassing on a non-hunting ground. She also wanted to protect the endangered animals in the area, even though some people didn’t agree with her ideas. She is a hero to many people for what she did to help mountain gorillas. There is a movie that was made based on what she experienced in Africa. The movie is called "Gorillas in the Mist". Her book, also named "Gorillas in the Mist", is the best-selling book on gorillas of all time.
She is recognized for saving mountain gorillas and starting a successful fund to help raise money for gorillas everywhere.
Fossey was born in San Francisco. She was an only child. She was very lonely as a child. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. Fossey loved animals since childhood but she was never allowed to have a pet.
She attended the University of California in Davis. At college she was in a veterinary program. She transferred schools to San Jose State University after two years. Fossey earned a bachelor degree of arts degree in occupational therapy. She became a very good horseback rider in college. She worked at a hospital in Kentucky for disabled children. Fossey was inspired by a book about mountain gorillas. She decided to travel to Africa to study gorillas. She met Louis Leakey who is a famous anthropologist. Leakey hired Fossey study gorillas for a long time. Fossey observed gorillas for many years. Fossey later earned a PhD from Cambridge College in England. The PhD was for her gorilla research.
Fossey died at 53 years old. She was found murdered in her cabin on December 26, 1985. The cause of death is unknown. Many think she was killed by poachers. Her head was cut by a panga, a weapon used by poachers. Fossey was buried at the site she created as a graveyard for the gorillas. Fossey studied the lives of mountain gorillas for 18 years. She was the world’s expert on mountain gorillas. Her dedication allowed for mountain gorillas to continue as a species.  Some of the people who lived in the area did not like her because of her thoughts on how the gorillas should be treated. She did not want them to be in zoos, harassed by tourists, or killed for meat.
Maryland
Maryland is a state in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America. It is on the south-east of the East Coast. Its capital is Annapolis, and its biggest city is Baltimore.
The governor of Maryland is Larry Hogan. He was elected in the 2014 election. Hogan was re-elected during the 2018 election.
The state bird is the Baltimore Oriole. The state flower is the Black-eyed Susan ("Rudbeckia hirta"). The state reptile is the diamondback terrapin. The state crustacean is the blue crab. The state motto is "Fatti maschii, parole femine", which is Italian for "Manly deeds, womanly words". Maryland is the only state with a motto in Italian.
Maryland has many places important to the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. One of these places is Fort McHenry, which defended against the British Empire during the War of 1812. Another place is the Antietam National Battlefield, where the Battle of Antietam took place in 1862 during the American Civil War.
Silver Spring, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland, Salisbury, Greenbelt are other cities.
Founded by English Catholic settlers who wanted a place where they could freely practice Catholicism, Maryland was the seventh state to join the US. Maryland is known as the "Old Line State," named after the Maryland Line, a regiment that fought in the American Revolution. Maryland surrounds most of the Chesapeake Bay, and the state is known for its Crabs and Crab Cakes.
Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is a major city that is home to the National Aquarium, Fort McHenry, and the Camden Yards baseball park. Annapolis is very famous for being the home of the United States Naval Academy, one of the flagship service academies in the United States.
Billy Paul
Billy Paul (Paul Williams; December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016) was an American R&B singer. His biggest hit was "Me and Mrs. Jones". He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Paul died on the afternoon of April 24, 2016 in Blackwood, New Jersey after suffering from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.
Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American singer. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's pop, country, adult contemporary and jazz charts.
Coolidge is part Cherokee, and this influences her music.
Coolidge married Tatsuya Suda on June 19, 2012 in the Cook Islands. Coolidge was married to Kris Kristofferson from 1973–1980. They have one daughter, Casey. Coolidge also had romantic relationships with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. Her leaving Stills for Nash has been said to be a reason behind the 1970 breakup of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager (born March 8, 1947) is an American songwriter and singer.
Elvis Costello