Stories about Arts & Culture from May, 2013
Guinea: Special Guest at the 2013 Turin International Book Fair
The 26th International Book Fair took place in Turin, capital of the Italian Piedmont region, between May 16 and May 20, 2013. The Francophone West African country of Guinea was the sole representative of the African continent to be invited as a special guest country. This news did not pass unnoticed in Conakry and on the Guinean blogosphere - both at home and abroad.
New Blog Celebrates Sri Lanka’s Diversity
Mixed Rice is a new blog, which aims to celebrate Sri Lanka's diversity and provide a platform for thoughtful discussions about the forces that threaten unity.
Little PSY and his Vietnamese Heritage
After learning that Korean child actor Hwang Min-woo or Little PSY of Gangnam Style fame has been receiving hate messages for being half-Vietnamese, James Bao wrote him a letter urging him to be proud of his Vietnamese roots: Wear your heritage proud. We hope you’ll one day get a chance...
Shock Over Chinese Teen's Graffiti in Egypt
Chinese netizen “Kongyou Wuyi” who took a trip to Egypt recently, posted on his Weibo a picture of a fraction of a wall at Egypt’s Luxor Temple. On the wall, there goes “Ding Jinhao was here.” (Check the picture below) The post soon went viral. Many Chinese netizens felt shocked and...
VIDEO: Impromptu Georgian Chorus at Kyiv Airport
On May 21, YouTube user Yevgeni Melnik shared this video of a group of four anonymous Georgian men doing an impromptu performance of traditional Georgian singing and dancing at Terminal F of Kiev Boryspil International Airport. The video has gone viral among Ukrainian Internet users: as of May 28, it...
Coffee Art Goes 3D in Japan
In Japan where green tea remains the hot beverage of choice, latte art is growing phenomenon, whether it be 3D foamy creations or a vending machine that serves cappuccino with a woman's face.
YouTube Blocked in Tajikistan After Video of President Dancing Goes Viral
As tensions surrounding elections slated for November continue to poison the political mood in Tajikistan, a video of President Emomali Rahmon singing and dancing at his son's wedding has gone viral, giving opposition figures yet another reason to criticize the excesses of the ruling family and the Tajik authorities yet another reason to block the video-sharing platform YouTube. The wedding took place in 2007, but the video was uploaded to YouTube on May 18, 2013.
Alphabets Bring Joy and Sadness to Bulgaria
[…] One of the purest and most sacred holidays in Bulgaria! It's a celebration that makes us proud to have given something to the world! It's a holiday which is not related to any rebels, battles or violence, although it fills us with patriotism and joy. […] When you walk...
Indonesia: Gamelan DJ Musical App
Developed by Yogyakarta-based Kowplink Studio, the Gamelan DJ mobile application “mix and mash tight beats, harmonies and melodies of saron.” In addition, “by touching beats pad mix with acapella & making lead with saron gamelan.” The app is listed one of the best start-ups in Indonesia. Gamelan is Indonesian musical...
‘Illegal” Libraries in Myanmar
The Irrawaddy interviews Ye Htet Oo who has launched four mobile libraries in Myanmar. To avoid censorship and acquire license during the military regime, library owners pretended to operate bookstores. Aside from sharing his experience, Ye Htet Oo also discussed the reading culture in Myanmar.
Colombian Vallenato Hats Made in China
Andrés Bermúdez comments on China Files about ” The day vallenato was sung in Chinese” [es], a musical reaction to the Chinese industrial production of sombreros vueltiaos, one of the most important artisan crafts from Colombia.
South Korea's Child Porn Law Blasted for Restricting Freedom of Expression
A new youth protection law in South Korea, meant to protect children by clamping down on child pornography, is being assailed for its broad language that labels net users who unknowingly downloaded suspicious content and artists who depict children in their work as criminals.
The ‘News in Rap’, an Unconventional News Broadcast from Senegal
TV audiences in Senegal have witnessed the rise of a new genre of broadcast journalism that tackles current affairs through rap. The two artists driving the project discuss it with Anna Guèye.
‘Discover Somalia’ Photo and Culture Blog
Discover Somalia is a cultural and photography blog dedicated to Somalia. The blog aims at promoting a more accurate media image of Somalia and the potential of its people, beauty and natural resources.
Free Speech and South Korea's Child Porn Law
A DeviantART website user wrote how South Korea's Children and Youth Protection law, that cracks down on child porn, can greatly undermine freedom of expression. Rough English translation appears in the latter half of the post. (There soon will be a detailed GV post on this issue)
Trinidad & Tobago: “Ordinariology”
The backlash, growing quietly by the second, apparently, against the Differentology video isn't that it's a bad video, it's that it's the wrong class of video entirely for the song. Mark Lyndersay explains why he thinks the video for the most transformative soca song of the year is simply ordinary.
Laughing at Russia's Eurovision Shooting Spirit
Earlier today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on his country's fifth place finish in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. At a press conference, Lavrov denounced supposed voting irregularities, claiming that Russia's points were "stolen," and called the anomaly "an outrageous act," promising Russian retaliation. Netizens were deeply amused.
Mauritania Through a Portuguese Artist's Eyes
Portuguese artist Isabel Fiadeiro lives in Nouakchott, Mauritania, where she paints and runs an art gallery. Fiadeiro also sketches from observation, filling her blog Sketching in Mauritania with images of daily life in the West African nation. Global Voices spoke to her about how her art has helped her get to know the country.
Is Saint Lucia's Jazz Festival Worth the Investment?
The end of this year's Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, especially in the context of the country's ongoing budget debates, has led many netizens to wonder about the economic impact of the event.
