Stories about Arts & Culture from February, 2022
Memories of ‘mas’-making: Creating giants of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
"As darkness falls, he will inhabit the mantel and rise twenty feet into the sodium-lit air [...] Passing traffic will slow and pedestrians will watch; some will stop and take photographs."
What does “Russian World” stand for in Putin’s statements about Ukraine?
The statements of Vladimir Putin about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine frequently include a key expression: “Русский Мир” (Russkiy mir). This phrase literally means the “Russian world”.
Digital media and coffee shops are helping to nurture aspiring Somali singers
Recently, Somali artist Nimo Happy's popular song, "Isii Nafta," a remix of Somali, English, Arabic, and Kiswahili languages that expresses love and affection, became a global sensation on TikTok.
Malaysian artist Fahmi Reza faces police probe and two charges for satirical posters
"Gov leaders must learn to take public criticism and dissent in stride and stop going after critics like #FahmiReza for poking fun at them."
‘Mas’ in a time of mourning: How the spirit of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival shines through
Carnival designer Robert Young's radical concept for his band Vulgar Fraction's 2022 presentation literally embraces the roots of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival by fashioning costumes made from dried leaves and flowers.
Seven African comics and graphic novels that center Black experiences are being adapted to film
While locally produced superhero comics written by Africans for Africans have been gaining fandom since the late 1980s, the popularity of African comics skyrocketed in 2016.
‘This too shall pass,’ sings Turkish pop star
Fans are divided over the lyrics, with some claiming the song is about the pandemic and others arguing it addresses political issues. Regardless, the new song is a hit.
The cinematic grand finale of Nigeria’s late star actress, Rachel Oniga
A prolific actress, Rachel Oniga (1957-2021) was one of Nollywood’s finest mother figures because of her incredible dramatization of that role in many of her movies.
Navalny documentary sweeps up awards at Sundance Film Festival
The film tells the story of how Navalny survived the August 2020 poisoning and then worked with his allies and Bellingcat investigators to piece together who was behind the attack.
Ex-Yugoslav music fans mourn the death of Macedonian-Croatian rock star Aki Rahimovski
The career of the lead singer of the Zagreb-based rock band Parni Valjak spanned almost five decades, starting in 1975.
The ABCs of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, TikTok style
The CarnivALPHABET explores Trinidad and Tobago Carnival-related terms from A to Z, with a dash of humour.
‘Your’dle: Wordle is now available in many of the world’s languages
Wordle is a fun way to flex your brain, but the open-source code behind the free game has also been adapted to work in different languages, including indigenous ones.
The national debate over Jamaican Maroons’ claim to be a sovereign state
One Maroon community leader maintains that “Maroons are an Indigenous People with a sovereign republic”; the Jamaican government insists the island is “a unitary sovereign state”.
