Stories about Arts & Culture from March, 2022
The Kuti clan protesting through music, and other Nigerians who sang against apartheid
The Kuti clan have fought tyrannical political leadership through music. Also, Nigerian musicians like Sonny Okosun, Majek Fashek and Onyeka Onwenu fought to release Nelson Mandela from prison.
Africa's heritage restitution debate extends to audio and visual archives
Unlike artifacts whose functionality and value do not depend on the medium they can be accessed through, visual and sound recordings are subject to the vagaries of technology.
A Colombian view of Disney's ‘Encanto’
The film portrays "the positive and beautiful version of the country that we Colombians have always wanted to have"
‘Untimely’ death of soca singer Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart leaves Trinidad & Tobago in mourning
Having struggled with health issues and paid his dues in the soca music arena — he was told he was “too black,” “too fat” and “not marketable” — Blaxx's authenticity shone through.
Montenegrin teenagers release an antiwar song for the children of Ukraine
The song and the video clip were published by the media company Vijesti which uses them for promotion of humanitarian actions to help Ukraine.
Music in times of war: Song as a form of Ukrainian resistance
In Russia's invasion of Ukraine, culture and identity are at the center of the conflict. In this context, Ukrainian band "Okean Elzy" has stepped up to inspire the Ukrainian resistance.
An underground comic book displays the zeitgeist of Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia
The comic book "Streetdog and Rat" ("Džukela i Pacof" in Macedonian) was published in October 2021. The author Matej Bogdanovski has given Global Voices permission to publish a segment translated into English.
Not just the U.S.: Residente portrays all of America in ‘This is Not America’
With millions of views on Youtube, Puerto Rican rapper Residente makes a case for Latin America's struggle for human rights.
Powerful protest songs from Kenya and South Africa
Over the years, artists around the African continent have used music to challenge governmental and military oppression. In Kenya and South Africa, protest songs were a key tool for liberation.
Politicians flout COVID-19 protocols before restrictions are lifted: One Jamaica for the rich and another for the poor?
Three days before restrictions were officially lifted, photographs of six senior government ministers were released: only two of the six were wearing masks as they partied, hugged and took selfies.
Russians against war are fleeing state crackdowns
They were concerned about their futures, closed borders, and their livelihoods, but mostly for the friends and family they left behind. The fear of persecution still looms.
Banned songs from Nigeria and Uganda which represent the voices of the people
These banned songs from popular groups and musicians, though initially accepted by the authorities, ended up being sanctioned and/or banned altogether.
‘We're passing by': A conversation with Haitian contemporary artist Pascale Monnin
As part of a regional exchange for women artists, Monnin has been working on a series that deals with birth, rebirth, and how women's stories fit into that arc.
The Latin American feminist songs powering Women's Day protests
A selection of Latin American feminist anthems and songs to get you inspired on the International Day of Women
“Be quiet, woman! Your day is on March 8”: How is International Women’s Day celebrated in Turkmenistan?
The mainstream rhetoric that the Soviets created gender equality and civilized "savage" Central Asia is nothing but a hegemonic imperial view wrapped in racism.
Feminist music icons from around Africa to celebrate this International Women's Day
Whether it is speaking out against sexual abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM), celebrating sexual identity, or promoting gender equality, to these African feminist singers, music is the ultimate weapon.
First Mro language grammar book brings a ray of hope for the indigenous community
This year, the highlight of the International Mother Language Day in Bangladesh was the publication of the first grammar book written in Mro, an endangered indigenous language.
