Stories about Arts & Culture from July, 2012
Yemen: Yemen Through Our Lenses Exhibition
Yemeni journalist and blogger Afrah Nasser is using social media to raise funds to stage a photography exhibition in Stockholm, Sweden. Find out how you can help Afrah achieve her mission and support Yemeni photographers showcase their work and talents.
Mauritania: A Rich Culture of Games, Dance and Music
Mauritania lies at the point where Arab and African cultures meet; it is the link between the countries of North and West Africa. This has given it a special character, evident in Mauritania's rich tradition of games, dances and music. In this post we will show you some examples.
Venezuela, Japan: Two Japanese Performers Master the Venezuelan Harp
Among the Japanese musicians interested in traditional Venezuelan music, Yoko Yoshizawa and Mika Agematsu stand out in the interpretation of the Venezuelan harp, a key instrument in Venezuelan music from the plains.
MENA: Welcoming Ramadan
Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar has just begun. It is a time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, try to get closer to God and celebrate their blessings. Around the world, Muslims have been trying to capture the spirit of the month with photographs, sharing them on different social media websites.
Armenia-Georgia: Typography Without Borders?
Behance features a typographic project to write the Georgian word for hello phonetically in an Armenian script stylized in such a way that it resembles Georgian. Although some letters in the Armenian and Georgian alphabets can resemble each other depending on the fonts and case or styles used, they are...
Azerbaijan: Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center On Fire
Reports have come in that the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, is on fire. The building was opened in May 2012 and was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.
Myanmar's Unique Naming System
Most Myanmar citizens do not have a family name. Ever wonder how they fill out forms which ask for both first name and last name or wonder what is the meaning of 'Daw' in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? Here's a look into Myanmar's unique naming practices.
Bangladesh: Mourning the Death of a Legend
Bangladesh's most famous writer and film maker has died from colon cancer. Humayun Ahmed was a popular author, playwright and film director. Tributes are pouring in for the creator of iconic characters Himu, Misir Ali, and Baker Bhai, from mourning fans on social networking sites.
“Copy, Paste, Create”, a Free Online Book in Spanish on Open Culture and Piracy
Venezuelan writer, lawyer and Global Voices contributor Marianne Díaz Hernández has published the first installment [es] of her book “Copy, Paste, Create: Why I defend piracy and think that open culture is a good strategy for creators” [es]. Marianne will publish her (free) book in various installments on her personal...
United States: Spanish TV Series on Pablo Escobar Breaks Ratings Record
Telemundo, the second largest Spanish-speaking TV network in the United States, premiered a new series “Escobar: The Evil Patron,” about the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. During its first days, the series rated an average of 2.2 million viewers, sparking lots of comments, in favor and against, on social networks.
Croatia: Anja Mutić's “Local Voices Croatia”
Back in April, Anja Mutić of Ever the Nomad (blog; Facebook page) launched the Local Voices Croatia series, which now has eleven interviews with “people who are making a difference, the masterminds behind interesting places, projects and events” – “local “artists, visionaries, foodies, adventurers, nature enthusiasts… The creative cream of...
Russia: “Spasibo!” the Russian Charity Thrift Shop
For Europeans, charity thrift shops are well-loved retailers. While this model is still relatively unknown in Russia, the appearance of the “Spasibo!” (Thank You!) community has sparked the development of a new movement in this direction.
Kyrgyzstan: Patriarchal Society as Seen by Artists
The Kyrgyzstani art group ‘705′ describes itself as a 'nomadic theater'. It is best known for hand-drawn animation films that criticize the conventions and norms of a patriarchal society, particularly its treatment of women. The group's head talks to Global Voices Online.
Jamaica: Half a Century of Independence
Come August 6th 2012, Jamaica will celebrate 50 years of independence from Great Britain. In this post, two bloggers - one from the diaspora and the other living on island - talk about how Jamaicans are preparing for the celebrations, how social media has had an impact and what the country has accomplished in the last half a century.
YouTube Show Brings China's Social Media to an English Audience
Want to know what’s going on on China’s social media but cannot speak Chinese? Keep on reading, then. It’s been four months since Elle Lee (@ElleIconLee) and Casey Lau (@hypercasey) opened a Youtube channel to broadcast Weibo Today, a weekly online show spotlighting trending topics from China's social networks in English. We talked to Elle Lee about their show.
Croatia: 2.8 Million “Inappropriate” Books “Purged” During the 1990s
In “Libricide,” Ante Lešaja has documented the process of “purging” of “unsuitable” books from Croatian schools and public libraries by the right-wing HDZ government in the 1990s. According to a Jutarnji List interview [hr] with Lešaja, the “purging” was based on ideological and ethnic criteria and affected books “written in...
Iran: Who Can Catch a Chicken?
The price of chicken has jumped by more than 80 per cent in the last few months and it seems chicken prices will continue to soar out of people's reach. Shoppers have had to dish out 70,000 rials (US $5.60) for a kilogram of chicken, around three times last year's price.
Lebanon: Interview with the “Brofessional Review”
Nine months ago, a group of graduates teamed up to start a blog tackling everything related to design called “Brofessional Review”. Now, with more than 100 reviews in their archive, readers look forward to their posts/opinions whenever a new brand, advertising campaign or promo hits the market. Global Voices Online interviewed them to know more about what they do.
Panama: ‘Songo’, a Cultural ‘Cyber-Promoter’
The Panamanian Edilberto González Trejos navigates social networks and the blogsophere with the pseudonym 'Songo'. His work as a cultural promoter is known by all those who are involved in one way or another with blogs and social networks in Panama. In this interview Edilberto speaks to us about his love for culture, his multiple blogs, how he sees the Panamanian blogosphere and his long term goals.
Colombia: Film on the Afro-Colombian People in Theaters in August
The Colombian movie Chocó, on the life of an Afro-Colombian family in the coastal region of Chocó, which opened the Cartagena International Film Festival and was presented in the Berlinale earlier this year will finally reach theaters in Colombia this following August 3rd. Watch the trailer here.
Video: Worldwide One-Minute Environmental Film Contest Accepting Submissions
The 3rd Edition of the Tve Biomovies 1 minute environmental film competition has begun. Anyone above the age of 9 with a camera and an idea for a 1 minute video on environmental topics can participate to win a $300 award to produce their video and then compete to win a grand prize of $1500 and participation in the UN COP 18 Conference in November.
