The History Hour

Saxophone diplomacy and bulletproof vests


Listen Later

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Natalia Grincheva, an expert in cultural diplomacy from Lasalle, University of the Arts in Singapore.

We start by hearing about when US president Bill Clinton was presented with a saxophone on a 1994 visit to Prague and he and the Czech president Vaclav Havel performed together on stage.

Then, India’s first female anthropologist, Irawati Karve.

Twenty years on, the cousin of John Charles de Menezes, describes the day the unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by anti-terrorism police in London.

Plus, the discovery of the super-strong fibre Kevlar in 1965 which was used in bulletproof vests.

And finally, 50 years on from the premiere of the Broadway hit A Chorus Line, an original cast member shares her memories.

Contributors:

Urmilla Deshpande – granddaughter of Irawati Karve.

Patricia da Silva – cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Baayork Lee – Connie in A Chorus Line

Plus, archive recording of Stephanie Kwolek, and material from the Vaclav Havel Center and the William J Clinton Presidential Library.

(Photo: President Bill Clinton accepts a saxophone as a gift from a Belgian delegation in 1994. Credit: Luke Frazza/AFP via Getty Images)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The History HourBy BBC World Service

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

550 ratings


More shows like The History Hour

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,422 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

369 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,809 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,655 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,170 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

482 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,745 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,073 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

971 Listeners

The Forum by BBC World Service

The Forum

273 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

586 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

960 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,064 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,042 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,863 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

368 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

836 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

758 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,630 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,167 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

705 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,983 Listeners

The Explanation by BBC World Service

The Explanation

25 Listeners