Stories about Arts & Culture from August, 2023
Denyse Plummer, Trinidad & Tobago's unlikely calypso queen, leaves a legacy of passion, praise and patriotism
"She shattered barriers and paved the way for female calypsonians, demonstrating that the power of one's voice transcends gender and background."
Michael Anthony, Trinidad & Tobago's ‘oldest living writer’ who vividly captured Caribbean life, dies at 93
"Anthony [depicted] adolescent and rural life in a way that no other writer has done. He will go down as probably the most widely read Caribbean writer of our generation."
Did the Myanmar junta build the ‘world’s biggest Buddha statue’ to whitewash its crimes?
Myanmar’s military regime unveiled a large Maravijaya Buddha statue in a massive religious ceremony, which critics describe as an attempt to distract from the junta’s brutal leadership.
What a country at war can look like: A journey across Ukraine in photos
Life is flourishing in Ukraine but subtle signs and reminders of the full-scale war can be seen and felt even in the places most distant from the actual frontline.
Kyrgyzstan's national game, kok-boru, continues to attract new fans around the world
The turning point for kok-boru’s popularity beyond Central Asia came with the first World Nomad Games (WNG) hosted by Kyrgyzstan in 2014.
Musicians in Afghanistan live in fear and despair amid the Taliban ban on music
"Taliban have transformed Afghanistan into a place deprived of music and art. They transformed it into a quiet, dumb country."
US band The Killers had a rough crash-course in Georgian politics
The American band, The Killers, was booed off the stage during their much-anticipated concert Georgia after they invited a Russian drummer to join them onstage.
Karakalpakstan is the most obscure and unique tourism destination in Uzbekistan
There are many positive things in Karakalpakstan – people do not want to be known only for an ecological disaster.
Take a tour of Trinidad & Tobago's Virtual Steelpan Museum
The creators worked with designers and coders, building the virtual museum almost like a sculpture, in an iterative way, paying attention to everything from aesthetics to narrative.
A writer thriving in the Nepali diaspora: An interview with Krishna Bajgai
Global Voices interviewed Nepali author Krishna Bajgai to learn about his literary achievements and contributions and how the larger Nepali diaspora expresses its struggles and experiences through literature.
Hong Kong artist in exile in Taiwan uses protest art to resist Beijing's attacks on freedom in the region
For Hong-Kong political activists, journalists, and artists, Taiwan remains the last free Chinese-speaking society where they can operate. Global Voices interviewed Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong who moved to Taiwan in 2021.
Cultural appropriation and the erasure of cultural diversity
The monoculture that comes wrapped in plastic, that poisons what it touches and whose only value is consumption, is the real threat.
Chinese propaganda takes over a graffiti wall on London’s Brick Lane
"Their performance captures China’s characters: When 'China' is present, it erases all the diverse colors and cultures brutally with zero respect."
World Steelpan Day honours the national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago
Steelpan, the unique musical instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago that has taken the world by storm, should be experienced first-hand to be best appreciated.
‘My art is a tribute to my origins and childhood': An interview with Burkina Faso-born artist Saïdou Dicko
'Drawing inspiration from his early years as a shepherd in Burkina Faso, Dicko's artistic prowess blossoms against the backdrop of Sahelian landscapes.'
Zere's new album is a continuation of her fight against gender inequality in Kyrgyzstan
It continues discussing gender inequality while exploring other social and political problems in Kyrgyzstan against the background of her intimate and personal experiences and stories from childhood.
Interview with Ukraine's most translated author, Russophone novelist Andrei Kurkov
Global Voices interviewed Andrei Kurkov, one of Ukraine's most prolific and translated authors, who writes his novels in Russian and his non-fiction in Ukrainian.
How the onstage stunt of British band The 1975 caused more harm than good in Malaysia
Matty Healy, the vocalist of the British band, The 1975, opened their performance in Malaysia by ranting against the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws in a profanity-laden speech and kissing his bandmate onstage.
Latin America embraces Barbie through pink tacos, parodies and protests
The film 'Barbie' is immensely popular in Latin America - and there's something for everyone.
The dreams of Saudi human rights defender Loujain Al-Hathloul in a children’s book
In the story, little Loujain yearns to fly with her wings, but only boys had that right. Despite hardship, her family supports her dream, making her an inspiring heroine.