Stories about Music from August, 2009
Ghana: Top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009
Mighy African's top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009: “Ghanaian music is at a crisis. People feel we are sounding too much like Western artistes.”
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 12th.”
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, 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
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.
Africa: 10 songs dedicated to African women
In honoring Women's Month, Mighty African selects 10 songs dedicated to African women from different countries in Africa.
Ecuador: The National Festival of Music
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
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.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: R.I.P. Walter Porter
And Still I Rise remembers Walter Porter, “a son of the Vincentian soil, calypsonian, musician and unfortunately the person seated in number 25C on Pan Am 103.”
Uruguay: The Passing of Canario Luna
Enrique Place writes about the recent passing of Uruguayan singer Washington “Canario” Luna [es].
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.”
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.
Cuba: Concert for Peace?
The Cuban Institute of Music has announced that popular Colombian singer Juanes is scheduled to perform at a "concert for peace" in Havana come September 20th. Cuban bloggers are divided on whether the event is a good idea.
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 YouTube video of Vopli Vidoplyasova‘s Vesna (“Spring”) song.
Suriname: Questions Seeking Answers
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
“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
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
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.
Ukraine: Beyonce & Madonna in Donetsk?
Foreign Notes reports on the “rumors” of Beyonce and possibly even Madonna to perform at the opening of a stadium in Donetsk on Aug. 29, and comments: “Would the Patriarch approve?”
Ukraine: Rest in Peace, Serhiy Kuzmynsky
uaMuzik writes about Serhiy Kuzmynsky, the lead man of Braty Hadiukyny band, who passed away earlier this week.
Barbados: Crop Over
Repeating Islands gives us the scoop on this year's Crop Over celebrations in Barbados.
