Once upon a time the Soviet Union and Russia in particular used be home to many great African/black intellectuals, scientists and artists. But today, blackness is in Russia most visibly as a bling bling American consumerism! How sad that the iconic images of Angela Davies, Patrice Lumumba, Frantz Fanon, etc the soviet era black figures have replaced by the American centric black popular culture of the filthy rich, badly educated pimps and drug lords in the Russian popular imagination.

Estonia also had an American Black come over who hung around bars "marketing" himself as a singer. His name was Joel D Luna, his his real name was Jackson from Detroit. He conned his friends out of thousands of dollars, married several Estonian girls. When he ran away from Estonia to avoid prosecution for theft, he left a pile of debt behind, as well as his Estonian wife and two Black babies. Russia should be wise to Black, or white Americans, coming over to scam them.

You fall in love with Stan-the-Man as we call him in America and his music any where he goes. We miss him dearly in United States. He has always been a industry trendsetter and very much respected. Russia enjoy the gem you have acquired. From America with Love.

Maahaley, surely you jest. I have seen enough "Stan-the-man" types in the former republics of the USSR. They have no talent or skills that the host country needs. They soon wear out their welcome and end up on some dirty street corner beating on garbage cans and rapping for kopeks. Usually, their so-called "wives" and their Black babies are dumped as the "stud" runs back to the American ghetto from which he came. What happens to the "Afro-Ruskis" or "Afro-Litaus"?? They end up as uneducated losers roaming the streets of the host country.