Stories about Arts & Culture from December, 2011
Barbados: tribute to Desmond Bourne
The Bajan Reporter posts a tribute to his late father, the journalist and adman Desmond Bourne. “It was not that my father never stood on convention, he acknowledged where he felt it was expected – such as Diplomats and & Ceremony – but for the most part he ignored it….”
Malawi: Actor's Arrest Reminiscent of Past Dictatorship's Censorship Laws
Malawi police on Sunday afternoon December 18, stormed a stage on which a play was being performed, arrested the main actor mid-sentence and led him away into a waiting police van. Steve Sharra reports.
Cuba: Prix Carbet for Padura
Cuban writer Leonardo Padura has won the 2011 Prix Carbet de la Caraïbe, reports Repeating Islands. The prestigious prize for works of Caribbean literature in French, founded by the late writer Edouard Glissant, was awarded to the French translation of Padura's novel El hombre que amaba a los perros (The...
Trinidad and Tobago: making zines
Trinidadian artist Rodell Warner posts images from a zine workshop for young artists which he organised in Johannesburg, South Africa, and explains that the experience made him think “of all the people at home who are concerned with actively sharing and making the place richer and more fertile.”
Puerto Rico: Henry Cole on the Drums
Puerto Rico Indie [es] interviews Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole on occasion of his first solo album “Roots Before Branches” and his presentations at La Respuesta, Santurce, next December 22 and 23.
Puerto Rico: Teatro Breve's Holiday Special
Mariángel Gonzales writes about the improv theatrical group Teatro Breve's holiday special.
India, Pakistan: Harmony In Matrimony
The rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of the much talked about conflicts. Quite the contrast The Life And Times Of Two Indians in Pakistan blog highlights cases of cross-border marriages between Indians and Pakistanis and the challenges the bride and groom face.
Morocco: Singer's Performance in Tel Aviv Ignites Debate on Israel's Cultural Boycott
Moroccan netizens are divided as to whether to support a call for a boycott of a Moroccan singer who performed in Tel Aviv despite calls for her to cancel the performance in Israel.
United Kingdom: Video from Hitchens’ 1999 U.S. Book Tour
“Hitch Hike” is a 53-min documentary by Palash Davé about British writer Christopher Hitchens’ 1999 U.S. tour promoting his book about Bill Clinton. The full film is available for viewing on Vimeo (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). Hitchens died on December 15, 2011.
Cambodia: How to Cook in a Bamboo Tube
Dorothy blogs about a unique cooking practice using bamboo tubes in Bunong village of Mondulkiri province in Cambodia. This was also common in Laos
Cuba: Defining “Vulgarity”
Without Evasion continues to share her thoughts about the outcry over the “vulgarity” of a popular reggaeton song, saying: “The confusion lies, then, in properly ascertaining the limits of vulgarity and limiting at the same time in what spheres of social life vulgarity will be allowed without it constituting a...
Indonesia's ‘Soft Power’
Awis Mranani believes Indonesia should enhance and maximize the full potential of its cultural ‘soft power’ in order to gain more influence in the region and the world.
India: Photos Of West Bengal Handicraft Fair
Sukanya C posts photos of the West Bengal Hasta Shilpa Mela (Handicraft Fair) which features artists and their art from all over West Bengal (India).
China: Why Didn't Putin Come Pick Up His Confucius Peace Prize?
A renegade operation by Chinese leftists aimed at winning China some soft power points has backfired: Not only has the Chinese government tried to shut them down, but now a second recipient of their annual "Confucius Peace Prize" has declined to accept the award.
Kuwait: Christmas in Kuwait
Mark, from Kuwait, lists the places which have put up Christmas decorations in the Arab Sheikhdom. Tune into the comments for reactions.
Egypt: Celebrating Naguib Mahfouz's Centenary
Today marks the centenary of Egyptian Nobel laureate and leading novelist Naguib Mahfouz. The occasion is being remembered on Twitter.
Taiwan: Announcing Best Blog Award 2011
The 4th annual Taiwan Best Blog Awards was announced on Dec. 1st which aims to promote English-language blogs about Taiwan. David on Formosa piles up his list of best blogs 2011 candidates for you to visit.
Bahamas: Postcolonialism Issues
A recent “one-day symposium in honour of Frantz Fanon, the Martinican psychiatrist whose field of study was the psyche of the colonized” gets Blogworld “thinking about the value of democracy, of statehood, of the wretchedness of postcolonialism.”
Jamaica: Feeling the “Vybz”
Under the Saltire Flag posts a must-read analysis about “the rise and fall” of dancehall artist Vybz Kartel.
Macedonia: Ajvar, Glorified
Jovana Tozija wrote lovingly about making ajvar, a traditional favorite winter provision in Macedonia and some other post-Ottoman countries.
Colombia: Interactive Musical Map
David Pescovitz of Boing Boing points us to Soundway's Musical Map of Colombia, an interactive map with videos, sound samples, pictures and details of their latest release of obscure Colombian music.
