· August, 2009

Stories about Music from August, 2009

Ghana: Busta Rhymes in Accra

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...

31 August 2009

Bahamas: Living Off Art

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,...

31 August 2009

Malaysia: Muslims can’t watch “immoral” concerts

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.

31 August 2009

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...

30 August 2009

Martinique: Dance the Bèlè

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...

27 August 2009

Ghana: Interview with rapper A-Plus

Museke chats with Ghanaian rapper, A-Plus: “Ghanaian hiplife music lyrics are not very conscious or political in general but one artiste has gained a reputation for making political songs.”

25 August 2009

Azerbaijan: Eurovision voting scandal

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.

18 August 2009

Russia, Ukraine: Music vs Politics

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...

12 August 2009

Bermuda: Choosing a Path

“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...

10 August 2009

Greece: Armenian singer passes away

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.

9 August 2009

Hungary: Bloggers Mourn Tamás Cseh

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.

9 August 2009