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Bror Gunnar Jansson, Swedish Blues With Southern Fire

If it weren't for his name discreetly written on the cover of his new album, you'd think Bror Gunnar Jansson's Moan Snake Moan might be the lost recordings of a 1920's American delta bluesman. But no, it's 2014, Jansson is Swedish, and he's playing gigs around Europe.

With his raw, dark and diabolical blues, the Swede, suspenders over his bow-tied shirt, hair slicked back, seems to be possessed by the same devil that met up with Robert Johnson one night at a Mississippi crossroads.

But Jansson's music is in no way a sound of the past, quite the opposite.

Never has a one-man band with a guitar case for a bass drum been so relevant in a music industry that creates ready-made and plastic boy bands out of nothing every odd week. A cheap guitar and howling voice, stomping feet, and a healthy dash of talent and stage presence are a fresh relief indeed.

On his just-released second album, Bror Gunnar Jansson, who is described as "the missing link between Lightnin’ Hopkins and Kopparmarra a square known for its busking in Gothenburg, his hometown," covers Junior Parker"s "Mystery Train".

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

Israel's Choice Right Now: Halt "Collective Punishment" Or Lose U.S. Support

As fighting has resumed and intensified in the southern area of the Palestinian territory, more and more criticism builds from around the world. How much longer can Israel fight this war for if it loses the support of even its most steadfast allies?

Photograph of Palestinians carry an injured man following the Israeli bombing on Khan Yunis. They are surrounded by people and photographers.

December 1, 2023, Khan Yunis, Gaza: Palestinians carry an injured man following the Israeli bombing on Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza

Saher Alghorra/ZUMA
Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — Can Israel wage its war in Gaza without caring about the opinion of its allies?

Since fighting resumed in the Palestinian territory on Friday, serious disagreements have emerged with the United States and, to a lesser extent, with France. It is the disagreements with the U.S. that carry significant consequences: Washington plays a vital role in this conflict by supplying weapons and deploying a considerable military apparatus to deter the regional expansion of the confrontation.

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This weekend, both Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed serious reservations about how Israel is conducting its operations. The issue at hand is the massive aerial strikes on densely populated areas, resulting in a considerable number of civilian casualties.

These criticisms came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel last week on the eve of the resumption of hostilities, urging Benjamin Netanyahu to change to a strategy that better protects civilians. Israel chose not to heed this advice, resulting in the current diplomatic tensions.

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