Vusi Mahlasela

Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane (born 1965 in Pretoria) is a Sotho South African singer-songwriter.

His music is generally described as "African folk" and he is often dubbed as "The Voice" of South Africa. His work was an inspiration to many in the anti-apartheid movement. His themes include the struggle for freedom, and forgiveness and reconciliation with enemies. Vusi has released seven studio albums on Sony in South Africa and was signed to Dave Matthews' ATO Records in 2003. Vusi can also be heard performing on Warren Haynes' Live at Bonnaroo release during the song "Soulshine", and the Dave Matthews Band song, "Everyday", from the album of the same name as well as a live version of the song with him which appears on the album The Best of What's Around Vol. 1. Vusi was also one of the performers at the Live 8 concerts and at Live Earth. Vusi performed at Nelson Mandela's inauguration in 1994 and has subsequently performed at Mandela's 90th Birthday 46664 celebration in Hyde Park, London in 2008 and at Mandela Day at Radio City Music Hall July 2009. His song "When You Come Back" was used at ITV's theme song for their World Cup coverage in 2010 and Vusi performed at the FIFA World Cup Kick Off concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, South Africa. In 2012, the SAMA Awards honored Vusi with a lifetime achievement award.

Thula

Thula is one of five towns in Yemen on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Dating to the Himyarite period, the town is very well preserved and includes traditional houses and mosques. Archaeological investigation discovered Sabaean period ruins with massive stone architecture beneath the Himyarite. Restoration between 2004 and 2011, restored the Bab al Mayah gate, several watch towers, paths, the traditional cistern, and other portions of the Sabaean fort.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on July 8, 2002, in the Cultural category.

gallery

Top of the mountain showing half side of the fortification (Arabic: حصن الغرابHisn Al ghorab‎)

Top of the mountain showing half side of the fortification (Arabic: حصن الغرابHisn Al ghorab‎)

Other view of the fortification.

Other view of the fortification.

The mountain steps to the fortification.

The mountain steps to the fortification.

Some storage holes found in the fortification.

Thula (disambiguation)

thula or Thula may refer to:

Thula (poetic genre)

Thula (/ˈθuːlə/; pl. thulas, from Old Norse: þula pl. þulur), is the name of an ancient poetic genre in the Germanic literatures (but see below). Thulas are metrical name-lists or lists of poetic synonyms compiled, mainly, for oral recitation. The main function of thulas is thought to be mnemonic. The Old Norse term was first applied to an English poem, the Old English Widsith, by Andreas Heusler and Wilhelm Ranisch in 1903.Thulas occur as parts of longer poems, too; Old Norse examples are found in various passages of the poetic and the prose Edda (esp. Skáldskaparmál with the Nafnaþulur, Grímnismál, Alvíssmál), the Rígsþula as well as in the Völuspá. Thulas can be considered as sources of once canonic knowledge, rooted in prehistoric beliefs and rituals. They generally preserve mythological and cosmogonical knowledge, often proper names and toponyms, but also the names of semi-legendary or historical persons. Their language is usually highly formalized, and they make extensive use of mnemonic devices such as alliteration. For a number of archaic words and formulas some thulas are the only available source. The term and the genre may go back to the function of the Thyle (Old Norse: þulr), who held the function of an orator and was responsible for the cultus.