Stories about Arts & Culture from January, 2020
Nigeria's Operation Àmò̩té̩kùn: Was it named after a leopard, cheetah or tiger?
Linguists who study Yorùbá have long taken issue with ascribing meaning of the word àmò̩té̩kùn interchangeably with the leopard, cheetah and tiger.
Africa's creative industries get a half-billion-dollar boost by big banks
“Because of underinvestment in the creative and cultural industries, Africa is largely absent in the global market of ideas, values and aesthetics," said Benedict Oramah, president of Afreximbank.
Red palm fruit flourishes in Côte d'Ivoire, despite national shortage
In the sprawling markets of Côte d'Ivoire, red palm oil is sold in open-air stands in recycled plastic bottles by women. The original red palm tree originates in West Africa.
A sea of red: Celebrating the Chinese New Year
The 2020 Lunar New Year, which began at midnight on January 24, will last for several days.
Pakistani director halts release of award-winning film after receiving threats
"They are holding a film hostage for all the wrong reasons and there is nothing we can do about it."
Yorùbá loanwords: How languages evolve
Using Yorùbá words in their original forms helps ensure that culture — kept alive through language — continues to thrive.
Restoration of Trinidad and Tobago's heritage buildings stirs debate
The restoration of heritage buildings in Trinidad and Tobago has sparked a national conversation on whether this is the best use of public funds.
Baul singer Shariat Sarkar arrested in Bangladesh for ‘insulting’ Islam
Baul singer Shariat Sarkar is accused of making comments which hurt the “religious sentiment” of Muslims. He says that there is no evidence forbidding music in Islam.
Zanzibar says goodbye to legendary ‘king of kidumbak,’ musician Makame Faki
Legendary Zanzibari musician Makame Faki Makame has died at the age of 77. He was hailed as the king of kidumbak and a master of taarab, Zanzibar's "national sound."
‘An interplay between Western and Eastern Cultures': Two art exhibitions on cultural collisions
In October 2019 in Brooklyn, New York, two women artists from Iran and Pakistan exhibited new bodies of work in which they portrayed the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures
‘Byzantine Pompeii’ archaeological discovery in Greece will be moved to make way for the Thessaloniki subway
"What the metro construction procedures have brought to light is Byzantine Pompeii! Do you understand? And do you plan to remove it and reattach it later? Are you crazy?"
Long live Večerníček: The enduring appeal of a 55-year-old Czech children's television show
The show's format has remained virtually unchanged and become a shared childhood reference for millions of then Czechoslovaks, and now for Czechs.