- published: 14 Dec 2009
- views: 2427915
Babylonia was an ancient Semitic, Akkadian speaking nation in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi (1792- 1750 BC or fl. ca. 1696 – 1654 BC, short chronology) created an empire out of the territories of the former Akkadian Empire.
Babylonia retained the written Semitic Akkadian language for official use (the language of its native populace), despite its Amorite founders and Kassite successors not being native Akkadians. It retained the Sumerian language for religious use, which by the time Babylon was founded was probably no longer a spoken language. The earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian (and Assyrian) culture, and the region would remain an important cultural center, even under protracted and lengthy periods of outside rule.
The earliest mention of the city of Babylon can be found in a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2334- 2279 BC), dating back to the 23rd century BC. Babylon was merely a religious and cultural centre at this point and not an independent state, and like the rest of Mesopotamia, it was subject to the Akkadian Empire which united all the Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule. After the collapse of the Akkadian empire, the south Mesopotamian region was ruled by Gutians for a few decades before the rise of the Sumerian third dynasty of Ur which encompassed the whole of Mesopotamia, including Babylon.
Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961), is a French singer of Spanish roots (Basque and Galician). He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his musical career in Paris, busking and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined a variety of languages and musical styles. With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success, particularly in Europe. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995, and since then tours regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba.
Chao was born to Spanish parents. His mother, Felisa Ortega, is from Bilbao, Basque country and his father, writer and journalist Ramón Chao, is from Vilalba, Galicia. They emigrated to Paris to avoid Francisco Franco's dictatorship—Manu's grandfather had been sentenced to death. Shortly after Manu's birth, the Chao family moved to the outskirts of Paris, and Manu spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres. As he grew up he was surrounded by many artists and intellectuals, most of whom were acquaintances of his father. Chao cites much of his childhood experience as inspiration for some songs.
Actors: John Charles (miscellaneous crew), Ian Doig (miscellaneous crew), Cynthia Ann Summers (costume designer), Merrilyn Gann (actress), Ken Hovgaard (miscellaneous crew), Robert Milicevic (miscellaneous crew), Claire Riley (actress), Robert Townsend (actor), Stephen E. Miller (actor), Morgan Fairchild (actress), Joe Mantegna (actor), Stuart Margolin (actor), Scott McNeil (actor), Darren Robertson (miscellaneous crew), Don Munro (miscellaneous crew),
Plot: 15 year old Brendan Willy hates himself for being un-cool when he falls in love with the girl of his dreams. Enter Mr. Five, a no good tempter from hell, which in his last attempt to ensnare a soul before being fried for eternity, transforms Brendan into the coolest kid in Indiana, only to find out that this contract isn't going to be easy at all.
Keywords: deal-with-the-devil, devil, geek, popularity, teen-movie, teenager