Stories about Arts & Culture from March, 2014
The ‘Happy’ Videos of Middle East and North Africa
From Lebanon to Morocco, passing by Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunis, and Algeria, it seems like the MENA region is filled with people willing to just be happy and dance.
Activists Add Female Heroines to Wikipedia in Macedonian
The informal citizens’ group “Fight Like a Woman”, (@borisezenski), organized a mini marathon with the purpose of adding articles about notable women from Macedonia to Wikipedia in Macedonian to raise awareness about women's rights and gender equality. The campaign involved activists working within the site of International Women's Day celebrations...
11th Century Kannada Literature Available On Wikisource
Vachana Sahitya is a form of rhythmic writing in Kannada language that evolved in the 11th Century C.E. and flourished in the 12th century. Subhashish Panigrahi reports (co-authored by Pavithra Hanchagaiah and Omshivaprakash HI) in Wikimedia blog that Two Wikimedians along with a Kannada linguist have converted 21000 verses of...
Kazakh Artist Remembers Zhanaozen Oil Riot
Photo blogger Serikzhan Kovlanbaev presents [ru] a photo report from a recent exhibition of works by Saule Suleimenova, perhaps the best known contemporary artist in the country. Suleimenova has been described by another blogger as “one of Kazakhstan’s deepest, most interesting and prolific artists”. The theme of the exhibition is Zhanaozen,...
What Vybz Kartel's Conviction Says About Jamaican Justice & Dancehall
Since the Vybz Kartel murder conviction, Jamaica has been divided on the verdict, with upset fans maintaining his innocence and others feeling reassured about the workings of Jamaica's justice system.
Two Historic Saigon Buildings to be Demolished in Vietnam
Tim Doling, writing for the Saigoneer, gives a brief history of the Ho Chí Minh City People’s Committee building and an art deco office block which are both scheduled for demolition in Vietnam. A Date with the Wrecking Ball: 2 Historic Saigon Buildings Slated for Demolition http://t.co/M6e9ACY5DB #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/PPjEBJzl7e —...
Did Russia's Most Famous Actor Just Denounce Vladimir Putin?
In Russia, it is exceedingly rare for anyone who regularly appears on television or the silver screen to criticize, let alone denounce, Vladimir Putin. But did Khabensky?
The Hidden Rules of Chinese TV Series Censorship
Chinese film and TV directors often blame strict censorship for losing domestic viewers. But what limits do censorship place on the content of Chinese TV series?
Letters From Tajikistan: We Are Different, But We Have Much In Common
A unique book has been published in Tajikistan. Loki explains [ru] how the book, Letters from Tajikistan, differs from everything else that has been produced in the country: The book is a collection of letters written by people who either live in Tajikistan or have visited the country. The authors...
Speaking Through Graffiti in Kazakhstan
Over the last ten years, a street art group based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, has been using graffiti to express ideas and statements. The group, Repas Workshop, presents [ru] the most recent examples of their impressive graffiti artworks in a blog.
Chinese President Xi Jinping Cartoons
Under a special section dedicated to China’s on-going National People’s Congress, iFeng.com, a pro-Beijing TV broadcaster based in Hong Kong, featured series of Chinese president Xi Jinping cartoons. The cartoons are about Xi meeting with ordinary people. Some stories in the cartoon are based on real events. Offbeat China has translated the...
Barbie Dolls in Thai Traditional Clothes
Barbie dolls dressed in traditional Thai clothes pic.twitter.com/8izclnezSS — Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) March 8, 2014 Richard Barrow posted a Twitter photo of Barbie dolls dressed in Thailand's traditional clothes
5 Traditional Recipes From Across the Francophone World
Hungry for tajine, a meat or fish stew with vegetables or dried fruit from Morocco? Or how about ravitoto, a dish made from cassava leaves, onions and pork from Madagascar?
Learning Photography Can Help Human Traficking Victims Tell Their Stories And Build A Career
Sarah Ann Loreth published a report in Flickr Blog on how US photographer, writer and educator Brooke Shaden joined forces with an organization called Blossomy to travel to Kolkata, India, last year to help teach photography to survivors of human trafficking, giving them a chance to learn to create and...
Grenadian Social Action Collective Challenges Caribbean to #BunDiscrimination
A new online campaign replaces homophobic slurs in popular Caribbean music with ethic ones, to emphasise that all discrimination is equal. Shocking? Yes, but it's also making its point.
VIDEO: T20 Cricket World Cup Theme Song Flash Mobs
Bangladesh is hosting the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and the fever is catching on among cricket-loving Bangladeshis. The official song of the 2014 tournament, “Char Chokka Hoi Hoi”, has become popular, and many universities across the country have started arranging their own flash mobs set to the theme song and uploading...
PHOTOS: ‘Theyyam’ Festival of Gods in India's Kerala
With its wild drum beats and enchanting dances, the folklore festival of Theyyam takes over more than a thousand temples every year beginning in November.
The Role of Portuguese-Language Community Radio in Australia and East Timor
For 2014 World Radio Day, we spoke with Manuel Ribeiro, one of the voices of the programme "Portuguese Voice", broadcast for the Portuguese community in Australia.
Eritrean Literary Giant Talks About Tigrinya Oral Poetry
Blogger Issayas interviews Solomon Tsehaye, eritre's leading poet. after the release of his latest work on massé and melqes, oral poetry genres in Eritrea. Solomon Tsehaye is the man who wrote Eritrea's national anthem: Issayas: What is massé? Melqes? Solomon: Massé (awlo) and melqes are related art forms which constitute...
TZHhiphop – Necessary Noise in Tanzanian Music Scene
TZhiphop is a project that promotes Tanzanian hip hop online: We are the necessary noise in Bongo’s music scene advocating for Tanzanian Hip Hop. This project is focusing on reconnecting Hip Hop fans and the conscious poetry in the lyrics that reflects the apparent hustles of our society.
[Video] Can We Also Celebrate Daughters in India?
Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Gayatri documents in a video one obscure ritual of India, the ‘Saptami Beti’, where women celebrate having a son. She comments: It is important to talk about this. I want to show this video in all the areas where ‘Saptami’ is celebrated. People give it so...
