· April, 2007

Stories about Arts & Culture from April, 2007

Russia: More on Mstislav Rostropovich

Another personal reflection on Mstislav Rostropovich, written by an anonymous contributor to Robert Amsterdam's blog – “who as a young musician had the distinct honor of personally meeting the great...

30 April 2007

Ghana: 8th Ghana Music Awards

Museke blogs about the 8th Ghana Music Awards: “The Ghana Music Awards is beginning to rival Miss Ghana as the biggest entertainment show in the country. This year, it is...

30 April 2007

Trinidad & Tobago: Akon Controversy Continues

A hip-hop artist, a 15 year-old girl, a Port of Spain nightclub, some YouTube - and subsequently, WestIndianTube - videos. The Trinidad and Tobago blogosphere wasted no time in sounding off on the April 12th scandal that's raised numerous issues for the citizens of the twin-island nation.

30 April 2007

Lebanon: Art, Water and Tensions

This week was marred by the kidnapping and killing of two Lebanese youth, bringing back memories from the dark years of the Lebanese civil war. This was the topic updated and analysed by most Lebanese bloggers. In addition to this sad event, there are blog posts featuring paintings, poetry and political analysis about the expected water crisis in the Middle East as well as the huge billboard with photos of the captured Israeli soldiers that was place on the southern Lebanese borders.

30 April 2007

Taiwan: Crazy for Matsu

(Photo is from Arkun's flicker photo album.) Just like what Backlight53 said: 這禮拜中台灣都在瘋一件事,那就是–大甲媽祖遶境。 this week, there is one thing people in central Taiwan are crazy for. That is Da-jia Matsu's...

30 April 2007

China: Prison Break

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI has translated a BBS post, Musings on the Chinese version of Prison Break, which addressed the question: how would a Chinese Prison Break be adapted so...

30 April 2007

Kuwait: When Our Only Tourist Attraction is a Shopping Mall

With the summer temperatures soaring, life in Kuwait revolves around air-conditioned shopping malls, reports Abdullatif Al Omar. Follow the arrows to read bloggers' reactions to why else a foreign head of state is treated to a visit to a mall; friends meet in malls and a boat show is held there.

29 April 2007

Cameroonian Videogame

At Le Blog de L'Afrique, Nino writes about Play Detective, a video game developed by a Cameroonian programmer (Fr) named Sila Kayo. A reader comments, “I have always wondered if...

27 April 2007

France: Rapper Imagines Life as a White Man

Regardailleurs blogs screenshots from an hilarious music video (Fr) called “J'suis blanc” (“I'm White”), the latest from French-Congolese hip hop artist Kamini. God comes to Kamini and makes him white...

27 April 2007

Sri Lanka: Art and Children

cerno attends an art competition awards ceremony and is struck by the children present. “The majority of these kids were from rural schools. A string of Mahavidyalayas, Madya Maha Vidyalayas,...

27 April 2007

India: No Kiss for Gere

A kiss on stage leads to much trouble for Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty. Desidabba has more. “I simply can’t comprehend on what basis the chief judicial magistrate found the...

27 April 2007

China: culture certification system

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI has translated an interview with Liu Changquan of the Ministry of Culture's Cultural and Artistic Talent Center from Southern Weekly about the newly proposed certification system...

27 April 2007

Kurdistance: A Week Like Any Other

The news coming out of the Kurdish blogs this week is as varied as the landscape of Kurdistan itself. From predictions on Syrian Kurd alliances with Israel, to censorship in Turkey; from explorations of Northern Iraq, to essays on intolerance, the Kurdish bloggers cover it all. But for this week, I think we will begin with why, to Kurds, April is considered as the "Bride of the Year".

27 April 2007

Armenia: Pop Stars for Status Quo

Oneworld Multimedia reports that Armenia's pop stars have finally come out in support of the ruling political party in the country's parliamentary election campaign.

27 April 2007