Stories about Arts & Culture from April, 2012
French Presidential Candidate's Video to Attract Minorities
François Hollande, the left wing candidate in the French presidential elections recently posted a video on youTube showing him walking in the French suburbs surrounded by minorities to the music of “Niggas in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Commenting the video, AfroEurope writes: “After appearing on YouTube on Tuesday,...
Armenia: The mob rules
Unzipped again comments on last week's cancelled festival of Azerbaijani films in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri. The blog concludes that the campaign and demonstration against local peace activist Georgi Vanyan illustrated that the ‘mob rules’ and “state structures in Armenia failed to protect constitutional rights and freedom of...
Armenia: Support for Georgi Vanyan
Following the cancellation last week of a festival of Azerbaijani films in Armenia amid threats of violence, alternative voices online comment on the campaign targeting the organizer, peace activist Georgi Vanyan.
India: When Tradition Is Injurious To Health
Ram Bansal elaborates what Indian traditions are damaging to human health.
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
It has been another interesting week in the Caribbean blogosphere, with netizens discussing everything from crime to upcoming elections…
Mozambique: First African Board Book Gathering
Maputo is playing host to the first ever African meeting of publishers of board books. These are sturdy books, published on a small scale (often for children) with strong covers and resistant bindings. Culture reporter Inocêncio Albino wrote about the event [pt], and has been tweeting photos of books by Kutsemba Cartão, the first...
Bangladesh: Welcoming Pahela Baisakh
Tomorrow is Pahela Baisakh (first day of summer, Bengali news year), the favorite festival of the Bengalis. Every year Bengalis celebrate their new year with galore. Wherever there are Bengalis in the world, they celebrate this day with different events.
Russia: Ilya Varlamov, Omsk's Blogger-Mayor?
In the city of Omsk, a local activist group has arranged online primaries for opposition candidates, in order to nominate one for the city's June mayoral election. Popular Muscovite photoblogger Ilya Varlamov has emerged as the contest's front runner, but what impact could his candidacy have on regional politics?
Spain: Christ Dances to Brazilian Pop Hit in Religious Procession
During the religious procession marking the end of the Christian Easter week in Alhama de Murcia, Spain, the image of the Resurrected Christ was struck by the Telomania, when the brotherhood carrying the image decided to play and dance to Michel Teló's international hit "Ai Se Eu Te Pego".
Armenia: Nationalist Threats Against Local Activist
Just weeks after one example of censorship in Armenia comes another with local peace activist Georgi Vanyan receiving abuse and death threats from nationalists opposed to screening Azerbaijani films in the country.
Argentina: Documentary on Urban Natives Looking for Subtitles
The previously featured Creative Commons documentary Runa Kuti on the identity of urban dwelling indigenous descendants in the city of Buenos Aires is looking for volunteers to help them subtitle the documentary into indigenous languages found in Argentina such Quechua, Aymara, Mapuche and Guaraní as well as into English.
Global Voices Podcast Wins Top Ranking in European Podcast Award
The Global Voices Podcast produced by Jamillah Knowles in London was named the United Kingdom winner in the non-profit category of the 2011 European Podcast Awards. Hundreds of podcasts from 11 countries in four categories were nominated.
China: Premarital Sex
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a local feature report on a survey about premarital sex in which more than 70% respondents states that they have had their first sexual experience before marriage. Netizens don't find the result surprising at all.
France: Taking a Stand for Regional Languages
On March 31, several simultaneous events took place in France's major cities, driven by the overarching goal of showing support to regional as well as indigenous languages. Rayna St. reports.
Puerto Rico: Kike Estrada's Cartoons Live on the Internet
Enrique "Kike" Estrada is a cartoonist of an endangered species in Puerto Rico. For a cartoonist with his sense of humor, the Internet is the perfect place to exhibit his work. In this online space, he found the freedom to express his point of view. Angel Carrión interviews him.
Greece: A Poem and a Song for Dimitris Christoulas
“He has the touch of history / And white hair / Mister Dimitris”. On April 6, the anniversary of the German invasion in Greece during World War 2, Stamatis Kalogeropoulos posted a poem [el] and a song on his blog, Ποίηση κι Αφήγηση (Poetry and Narration), written in memory of 77-year old Dimitris Christoulas, whose...
One Day on Earth: Worldwide Collaborative Music Video Released
A new music video has been released in preparation for the worldwide screening of the Global Collaborative film One Day on Earth, which will take place in locations all around the planet on Earth Day (22 April, 2012). The video features musicians, poets and dancers captured on film all during the same 24 hour period in 10 October, 2012, artfully recut and remixed by Cut Chemist.
El Salvador: Photos of Holy Week Carpets
Hunnapuh shares photos [es] of the carpets (“alfombras” in Spanish) made for this year's Holy Week in El Salvador. Tim explained more about these carpets in his blog back in 2008: “The alfombras are made by families, groups or organizations with salt and sand and make intricate, and temporary, works...
Uruguay: Documentary on Jewish Immigration in Uruguay
A documentary [es] on the development of Jewish Town in Montevideo, Uruguay was shared by the Latin Americanist in honor of the recently celebrated Passover.
Lebanon: Palm Sunday and Easter Celebrations
In Lebanon two Christian celebrations took place on April 8, 2012 as churches following the Gregorian calendar celebrated Easter Sunday and churches following the Julian calendar celebrated Palm Sunday.
Brazilian Music Loses Influential Scholar, Santuza Cambraia Naves
In a country where popular music is so much a part of daily life and of being Brazilian, the study of contemporary musical movements has gained important ground over recent decades. One of the silently influential and productive figures in this area, Santuza Cambraia Naves, died unexpectedly this week at age 59. Friends, colleagues and students remembered the researcher and beloved professor.
