Stories about Arts & Culture from May, 2014
Culture and Art in Bolivia
“Does Bolivia have culture?”, wonders [es] Eduardo Bowles on his blog, and tries an answer: Of course it does, but nobody looks at it and very few try to promote it. The Ministry of Cultures pays lots of money to singers who harp upon catchy choruses, but has never tried...
Young, Hip and Worshipping Shiva in India
The Hindu deity Shiva has carved out a firm place in India's pop culture, appearing on TV and in books, movies and even tattoos.
BookCrossing in Latin America
Silvana Aquino writes [es] on Infotecarios about BookCrossing, BC, the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise. BC has become a an increasingly popular phenomenon, as right now there are two millions of registered users, known...
Learning How to Sing
Do you think it's impossible to sing if you don't have a good voice from birth? Carlos Campaña on Vox Technologies thinks [es] the opposite: It's possible to learn how to sing without having a good voice, as the concept of “having a good voice” lacks sense when we understand...
When Maya Angelou Lived in Egypt and Ghana
Sean Jacobs writes about American author and poet Maya Angelou, who died at age 86 yesterday May 28, 2014: In 1961, Maya Angelou, already a civil rights worker, and her then partner Vusumzi Make, an exiled activist from South Africa (he was a leading Pan Africanist Congress member), moved to...
Balochistan Marches for School Safety as Panjgur Braves Boko Haram-type Threats
Thousands marched chanting “we want education, education is our basic right, save education," after threats from militants forced dozens of private schools in the town Panjgur to close.
Reading “I am Malala”
On Books’ Whisper, there is a review [es] of the book “I am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai where they claim everybody should read her story. The post reviewed here was part of the first #LunesDeBlogsGV [Monday of blogs on GV] on May 5, 2014, submitted by Cati Restrepo.
Another Singer Arrested in China for Praising Tibetan Identity and Culture
Following Tibetan singer Gepe's arrest in China, here's a roundup of similar arrests along with some of their music videos from YouTube.
Podcast: History of the Internet in China
Sinaca Podcast discusses how the Internet has grown and changed China with three guests who have experienced the worst and the best of the Chinese Internet: Duncan Clark from BDA China, Gady Epstein from The Economist, and Bill Bishop, the author of the Sinocism newsletter.
PHOTOS: One Palestinian Museum's Artistic Message to the Pope
The Palestinian Museum combined Christian imagery with scenes of Palestinian suffering in large banners to attract Pope Francis' attention during his trip to the Holy Land.
Syrian Dark Humor and the Elections
It is no surprise to see Bashar al-Assad nominate himself for the Syrian presidency in the upcoming elections on June 3. Syria Untold checks out what cartoonists have to say.
Against All Odds, Yemen Is Happy Too!
The cover video of Pharrell William's viral song Happy was generated with a Yemeni twist, showing the creativity and talent of Young Yemenis as well as their sense of humor.
The “Happy” Video That Got Six Young People Sent to Jail
They were jailed and forced to confess on national television that they were tricked into the making of a "Happy" video in Tehran.
Haiti: “Excalibur of the Caribbean”
Machetes are ubiquitous and versatile…in the case of Haiti, machetes were common weapons in the struggle for independence. Haiti Innovation blogs about a short film profiling a Haitian machete-fighting instructor.
Why are Saudis Kissing their Camels?
Saudis are defying the Coronavirus by kissing their camels and posting their photographs on Twitter and videos on YouTube.
Libraries in Lima
Silvana Aquino writes [es] on Infotecarios about the launching of Lima Literary Map. She explains the initiative: Some weeks ago, the Downtown Lima Literary Map [es] was presented. This is a project developed by researchers Kristel Best and Renzo Farje and sponsored by the Peruvian House of Literature, that tracks...
What if We Don't Destroy Pirated Books?
The issue of pirated books is a common one im Latin American countries. Diego Ariel Vega wrote [es] about it on Infotecarios, and pointed out that the traditional response when such books are confiscated is to burn them, but he raises some questions: Who should be responiable for that decision?...
What File Sharing Communities Can Teach Us
On Ártica Online, Jorge Gemetto blogs [es] about file sharing communities and what we can learn from them: A common feature of many of these communities is that they are organized around cultural needs [es]. Preservation, access, dissemination, and distribution at reasonable prices are tasks that the market does not always carry...
Mountain Echoes, a Literary Festival in Bhutan's Mountains
Mountain Echoes, a festival celebrating literature, art and culture in Bhutan, will take place in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu from 21 -24 May, 2014. Among the speakers will be Bhutanese blogger Passang Passu Tshering, who writes on social issues, Bhutanese education and family life.
Increasing Connection Between the Online and the Offline in Cuba
In Cuba, an intrepid connection between virtuality and reality has flourished.
