· August, 2009

Stories about Music from August, 2009

Ghana: Busta Rhymes in Accra

  31 August 2009

Abena writes about Busta Rhymes trip to Accra, Ghana: “It is official: one of New York's finest sons, the hip-hop veteran Busta Rhymes will be performing in Ghana on September 12th.”

Bahamas: Living Off Art

  31 August 2009

Nicolette Bethel continues to follow Ward Minnis‘ posts on the viability of making a living off of art in the Bahamas, commenting: “In order for this viability really to exist, though, the society as a whole has to buy into the idea of supporting Bahamian culture with more than their...

Malaysia: Muslims can’t watch “immoral” concerts

  31 August 2009

The political party which banned the concerts of Beyonce, Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani in Malaysia is now proposing to ban the "sinful" Michael Learns to Rock concert. Malaysian Muslims can't also watch a Black Eyed Peas concert because the show is sponsored by an alcohol company.

Israel: Hollywood in the Holy Land

September is a major month for Hollywood in the Holy Land. Israel will welcome Madonna, Leonard Cohen, Faith No More, Julio Iglesias, MGMT, and Dinosaur Jr. Both Madonna and Cohen's shows have sold out their 45,000+ seats. Israelity has the scoop.

Ecuador: The National Festival of Music

  27 August 2009

José Elias introduces his readers to the XXII National Festival of Ecuadorian Music, which recently took place in a rural parish of San Lorenzo of Manta [es], where artists and children from parishes all across the country come to sing for a national and international audience.

Martinique: Dance the Bèlè

  27 August 2009

Repeating Islands features Leïla Bizet and her bèlè, “a traditional folk dance practiced on islands like Dominica, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, and Martinique; hailing from the days of slavery, it has become a time-honored symbol of African legacy.”

Azerbaijan: Eurovision voting scandal

  18 August 2009

Although held in May, some media outlets in Azerbaijan last week reported that 43 people who voted for the Armenian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest have been identified by police and one has even been called in for questioning. Bloggers react.

Russia, Ukraine: Music vs Politics

  12 August 2009

LJ user oleg_kozyrev asks (RUS) Ukrainians not to get offended at Russia because of president Medvedev's address and suggests that fellow-bloggers post “something Ukrainian today,” ending his post with a YouTube video of Vopli Vidoplyasova‘s Vesna (“Spring”) song.

Suriname: Questions Seeking Answers

  11 August 2009

Artist and curator Christopher Cozier, blogging at Paramaibo SPAN, seeks to “generate a fertile exchange…towards transforming predicaments into mutually shared sovereign understandings.”

Bermuda: Choosing a Path

  10 August 2009

“Another day, another shooting”: 21 Square says that “some of the largest issues we face in Bermuda today are the inability for disadvantaged youth to see nor understand a path out of poverty via traditional routes.”

Greece: Armenian singer passes away

  9 August 2009

Unknown to most Armenians, but loved by many Kurds for his songs sung in the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish, Aram Tigran has passed away in Athens, Greece. Born in 1934 in Syria, Tigran's death has affected many, and not least those recognizing the important contribution he made as a cultural bridge between Armenians and Kurds.

Hungary: Bloggers Mourn Tamás Cseh

  9 August 2009

It's very hard to explain the role of singer Tamás Cseh, who died in Hungary this week, in the life of the young generations willing to understand their parents' socialist past. Nobody could describe what socialism looked like, or what the real socialist gym shorts looked like. Nobody but Tamás Cseh.