Stories about Arts & Culture from August, 2009
Cambodia: Advice to expats
Khmerbird gives a few pointers for expats on how to make friends in Cambodia
Israel: Influence of Hippies on Israeli Culture
“Israel's always had a little more than its share of hippie tendencies,” writes My Urban Kvetch's Esther Kustanowitz, “From communal living arrangements (kibbutzim, moshavim, the army) to sandals and other footwear… Plus, unkempt beards, long hair, songs about peace.”
Ghana: Top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009
Mighy African's top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009: “Ghanaian music is at a crisis. People feel we are sounding too much like Western artistes.”
Ghana: Busta Rhymes in Accra
Abena writes about Busta Rhymes trip to Accra, Ghana: “It is official: one of New York's finest sons, the hip-hop veteran Busta Rhymes will be performing in Ghana on September 12th.”
Bahamas: Living Off Art
Nicolette Bethel continues to follow Ward Minnis‘ posts on the viability of making a living off of art in the Bahamas, commenting: “In order for this viability really to exist, though, the society as a whole has to buy into the idea of supporting Bahamian culture with more than their...
Chile: The Chile + Cultura Festival 2009
The Chile + Cultura 2009 Festival is set for September 6 in Curicó, which will feature free regional and national musical acts writes Manuel Herrera Díaz of Maulee.cl [es]
Malaysia: Muslims can’t watch “immoral” concerts
The political party which banned the concerts of Beyonce, Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani in Malaysia is now proposing to ban the "sinful" Michael Learns to Rock concert. Malaysian Muslims can't also watch a Black Eyed Peas concert because the show is sponsored by an alcohol company.
Israel: When Translations Go Wrong
Literal translations aren't always your best bet when moving between Hebrew and English, explains How to Be Israeli. She writes that the movie title “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” which is Biblical in tone in the native English, is translated in Hebrew as “Achi, Efo Atah?” which sounds a lot...
Israel: Hollywood in the Holy Land
September is a major month for Hollywood in the Holy Land. Israel will welcome Madonna, Leonard Cohen, Faith No More, Julio Iglesias, MGMT, and Dinosaur Jr. Both Madonna and Cohen's shows have sold out their 45,000+ seats. Israelity has the scoop.
Arab World: Welcoming Ramadan
Ramadan is an important month in the Muslim calendar. Bloggers writing in Arabic celebrate the month, already in its first week, in this post, where we share some of the artistic creations used to greet their readers on the month.
Russia: Satellite Pics of Traffic Jam Caused by Officials
LJ user travel_hunter (RUS) re-posts images of Yandex.ru maps showing an impressive amount of cars forced to wait until some high-ranking Russian officials pass an intersection in Moscow. LJ user dolboeb posts these images, too, and writes (RUS): “When you just get stuck in traffic caused by the passing of...
Palestine: Waiting for the Iftar Cannon in Gaza
The war on Gaza has made many traditions a distant memory. Palestinian blogger Hazem [ar] laments the end of a Ramadan ritual, which his grandfather remembers and which is no more.
Spain, USA : Artists (Dis)cover the Veil
Two recent events highlighting how artists look at the hijab issue inspired bloggers. Swiss motsd'images enthuses (Fr) about a beautiful outdoor photo exhibition of African women in Seville, Spain; and updateslive gives a thorough account of “The Seen and the Hidden, (Dis)covering the Veil,” an exhibition held in New York...
East Timor: Abe Barreto Soares’ Poetry for Nation Building
He calls himself a “wanderer like anyone else” but Abe Barreto Soares is also a poet, a translator and an active blogger. In this interview, he talks about Timorese nationalism, language and poetry.
Russia: Nikita Mikhalkov's '12’
Poemless writes about Nikita Mikhalkov's 12, a Russian re-make of Twelve Angry Men.
Martinique: Dance the Bèlè
Repeating Islands features Leïla Bizet and her bèlè, “a traditional folk dance practiced on islands like Dominica, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, and Martinique; hailing from the days of slavery, it has become a time-honored symbol of African legacy.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: R.I.P. Walter Porter
And Still I Rise remembers Walter Porter, “a son of the Vincentian soil, calypsonian, musician and unfortunately the person seated in number 25C on Pan Am 103.”
Japan: What to do with “Media Arts”
For a nation working to capitalize its “soft power”, what is the role of anime and manga culture in governmental policies? The official answer is that anime, manga and digital art is both an important heritage and high-growth industry, requiring an official hub for preservation and presentation. Throw in a...
Ecuador: The Frustrations of Being a Writer
Being a writer in Ecuador can be frustrating. Whether it is the lack of books available or how politicians use cultural events to spread their message, many authors just want their work to reach their readers.
Russia: Stalin at Renovated Kurskaya
LJ user russos posts photos (RUS) of the newly renovated Kurskaya-Koltsevaya metro station in Moscow, which now sports this line from the 1944 version of the Soviet anthem: “Stalin brought us up – on loyalty to the people, he inspired us to labor and to heroism!” The post has so...
Laos: Patuxay Monument
Patuxay Monument in Vientiane is the most famous symbol of Laos nationhood. It is always compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
