Stories about Arts & Culture from January, 2008
D.R. of Congo: tough questions abound
Tough questions abound in the Democratic Republic of Congo as bloggers discuss, among other issues, the recent peace agreement in eastern Congo.
Panama: 2008 Jazz Festival
Tatiana gives her review on the 2008 version of the Panama Jazz Festival [es] and notes that this year the festival featured delicious food booths.
Russia: Vladimir Vysotsky
Leopolis posts a YouTube video of Vladimir Vysotsky and links to his songs’ translations.
Morocco: The Big Cities
Morocco is well-known for lots of things: mint tea, couscous, a film mostly unrelated to the country...And of course, its big cities, several of which were the topic of posts in the blogoma this week, writes Jillian York, who takes us to Fez, Tangier, Marrakesh and Meknes.
Qatar: Strange Lights Over Doha
Qatar's bloggers are looking at the night's skies trying to understand what the strange bouncing lights a blogger captured with her camera phone are all about. Is it a UFO, an aircraft, a meteor or Spiderman?
Bangladesh: Cinema, politics, health, photography and history
Cinema: The Bangladeshi film industry nicknamed Dhallywood used to produce decent films for the Bangladeshi society. But with the competition of superior quality pictures from Hollywood and Bollywood, which conquered Bangladesh market and the people with the help of cheap bootleg VCD/DVDs, Dhallywood was in trouble in the last decade....
Belize: Palacio Laid to Rest
Belizean was there when musical icon Andy Palacio was laid to rest.
Trinidad & Tobago: “La Fantasie” & Reality
“For most Trinidadians, giving the name ‘La Fantasie’ to a house is a bitter joke, rousing memories of the hundreds of millions spent to construct the new prime ministerial palace…it also pokes sardonic fun at the fantasy of social and economic progress peddled by the current Trinidad and Tobago government”:...
Afghanistan: Balkhi Returns To Balkh
Mohammad Fahim reports on the ceremony of 800th Anniversary of Maulana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi, the Afghanistan's philosopher and mystical poet known as Rumi in west.
Francophone Morocco Roundup: Algeria's response to the UN, anti-French sentiment and more
This week in the Moroccan blogosphere, Algeria fails in its duties, anti-French sentiment still strong in Morocco, DJ Awards and rose petals galore.
Azerbaijan: Ethnic Novelist
Window on Eurasia says that a book by ethnic Azerbaijani author Eduard Bagirov is causing a stir as a best seller throughout the Russian Federation. In particular, notes the blog, Bagirov's books generally examines the “extraordinary difficulties Azerbaijanis and other non-Russians living in the Russian capital now face in trying...
Brazil: Countdown to Carnival
There is a popular belief that in Brazil the year only starts after Carnival. Be this an exaggeration or not, there is not much else being talked about on the country's blogosphere: everyone is dusting off their costumes, getting into the mood and counting down the days for the biggest street party on Earth. Here's a round up of bloggers expectations in Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, and the lesser known carnival in Minas Gerais.
Davos: peeking in and participating through videos
The World Economic Forum´s annual meeting of political and business leaders is taking place between January 23rd and January 27th in Davos, Switzerland. This year, common people can participate in this forum by giving their ideas to make the world a better place and posting it on the YouTube video sharing site.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fancy Sailors
“Every year it seems, the few individuals who have kept the traditions of Old Mas alive are becoming less visible”: Thebookmann features Trinidad and Tobago Carnival's Fancy Sailors.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Bottom Line
“Trinidad is no longer the Land of the Hummingbird but the Land of the Cash Cow…in the new Trinidad Carnival, the only thing that need be considered is not the bottom in the road but the bottom line in the road”: Nicholas Laughlin quotes Trinidad and Tobago journalist B.C. Pires.
Russia: Vladimir Vysotsky
Sean's Russia Blog writes on what would have been Vladimir Vysotsky's 70th birthday. Windows to Russia! provides links to translations of Vysotsky's songs. YouTube user filatovv posts a special anniversary tribute playlist of videos of Vysotsky performing in Montenegro in 1974. A 1981 video of people lining up at Vagankovskoye...
Russia: Ukok Princess
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about plans to re-bury the mummy of a Scythian princess in the capital of Russia's Altai Republic.
Kuwait: Get Children off the Streets
Fonzy from Kuwait calls upon parents to get children off the streets – where accidents are waiting to happen.
Lebanese Contestant in Italy's Big Brother
Beirut-born Ali Ayach, 28, is one of the nineteen contestants in the eighth edition of Grande Fratello, Italy's version of Big Brother, reports Lebanese blogger Skylark.
Trinidad & Tobago: Dame Lorraine
Thebookmann attends a traditional “Old ‘Mas” performance in Trinidad and Tobago and posts video of the well-loved Carnival character of the Dame Lorraine.
Burkina Faso: Rites, festivals and a new book
Like anywhere else in the world, there is a season to everything in Burkina Faso: rites of passage, camel and horse racing, literature and death.
