Stories about Arts & Culture from February, 2019
28 February 2019
Dijaawa Wotunnöi: an animated short film helps revitalise the Yekuana language
Several Yekuanas -- an indigenous people who live in Venezuela and Brazil -- participated in the project as translators and researchers, and also contributed their voice to the film's characters.
This Trinidad and Tobago steelband changed its tune, prompting discussion on a steelpan policy
"I don’t think people really understand what happens in a panyard. Problems like the one with Exodus will resurface if we keep looking at pan as pure entertainment."
The repatriation of African artifacts to countries of origin is tricky business
Many of Africa's "stolen artifacts from colonial times were generally given or donated to French public collections. Thus, these artworks ... have become a property of the French state."
26 February 2019
Life, death, and puppets: the stop-motion animation of Tomoyasu Murata
Murata, born in 1974, has produced films since at least 1998 and has recently gained attention outside of Japan.
Russian cathedral choir's performance of a song about US nuclear annihilation shows that parody doesn't quite work in 2019
As Russian state TV regularly airs segments simulating total or partial nuclear destruction of the United States, this was bound to raise a few eyebrows.
23 February 2019
Mozambican's garbage-themed act wows audiences on Italian TV talent show
When explaining his performance to the jurors, Amós mentioned Hulene, Maputo's single waste disposal site where a garbage slide in 2018 killed 16 people.
22 February 2019
Bangladeshi government targets world's largest Bengali blogging platform in porn censorship spree
The incidents of moral policing and the extension of the ban to a Bangla blogging platform and Google Books suggest that the authority's definition of “objectionable” may go far beyond.
16 February 2019
Biryani Stories: In search of the origin of Biryani
Whether it had its beginnings in modern-day Iran or the Indian subcontinent, everyone agrees that Biryani is "the king of South Asian cuisine".
14 February 2019
Japanese ads aimed at women criticized for misogyny. Again.
This is the latest in a long line of Japanese ad campaigns that have sparked controversy online for alleged anti-women messaging.
8 February 2019
Who will win Trinidad & Tobago Carnival's 2019 Road March?
A strong melody, a memorable refrain ... just some of the elements that make up the magical formula for a Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Road March.
