Stories about Music from July, 2010
Iran: Mohammad Nouri,famous singer, died
Several bloggers reported that the Iranain famous singer, Mohammad Nouri passed away today in Iran. Here is one of his most songs, Jane Maryam.
Peru: Songs to Celebrate the Independence
On July 28 and 29 Peruvians celebrated their independence festivities. Juan Arellano from Globalizado published a post [es] with a song that seems to summarize what being Peruvian is all about. He later published another post [es] with more songs. Both posts represent a summary of some of the musical...
Brazil: Copyright Reform Proposal Under Consultation
A public consultation on the Brazilian Copyright Act has received over 1,200 contributions. The proposed changes have fuelled intense debate in the blogosphere and twittosphera.
Serbia: “Punishing ‘Bad Culture'”
Belgraded writes about a 1980s Serbian pop star's idea to introduce “extra taxes for authors of those works of media that fall under the category of ‘kitsch‘.”
South Africa: Translation of Miriam Makeba's Hapo Zamani
“Thanks to our Facebook page, African music fans from South African and Kenya were able to get the story behind this late Miriam Makeba song,” writes Chale of African music blog, Museke. The song is in Swahili and Xhosa.
Angola: A short lesson in Angolan music
A short lesson in Angolan music from Isacorreia: “Semba is a typical Angolan genre rooted in traditional carnival rhythms, such as kilapanga, rebita, kazukuta and kabetula…Kizomba is a new Afro style and semba is an old one.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Types of Discrimination
gspottt applauds new Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for acknowledging that discrimination “includes, but is certainly not limited to, racial bias.”
Estonia: Folk Culture
Itching for Eestimaa writes about the Viljandi Folk Music Festival and the Estonian “folk culture.”
Jamaica: Living Vicariously
Annie Paul wasn't at this year's Reggae Sumfest, but thanks to Twitter, she's able to share all the details, here and here.
Venezuela: Foundation for Urban Culture Shut Down
The Foundation for Urban Culture - a fund that promoted culture through books, photography, music and ideas - was recently shut down, allegedly due to financing from the brokerage firm Econoinvest which was raided by the government in May. Bloggers who support the Foundation, accuse the closing of being illegal and unrelated to the company.
Barbados: disillusioned by Crop Over
“Crop Over … is a festival which has morphed from a cultural expression of a people to a wukup, mash up, drink up party.” Barbados Underground says “culture” has been “squeezed out” of the national festival.
Jamaica: Sumfest report
Annie Paul reports on “Dancehall Night” at the 2010 Reggae Sumfest, which featured an appearance by the recently imprisoned performer Vybz Kartel, who “dressed as a prisoner complete with handcuffs which had to be unlocked before he could perform, a literal reference to his arrest and two-week detention by security...
Benin: Interior Ministry Repudiates Wolosso Dance Before His Dismissal
Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji reports that the Interior Ministry Armand Zinzindohoué ordered that night clubs in Cotonou curbed down the excessive practice of a dance called Wolosso [fr]. Unrelated to the previous matter, Zinzindohoué was dismissed and arrested later in the week for fraud.
Jamaica: Reggae Time
“It’s July and Reggae Sumfest is fast upon us”: The Phoenix in a Gas House reports.
Jamaica: Abuse of Power?
Jamaica Salt thinks that the recent detainment of dancehall artist Vybez Kartel “does not look good any way you look at it. In terms of the justice system, human rights, detention powers, use or mis-use of emergency powers.”
Vietnam: Music performance using traditional instruments
A video was uploaded in youtube featuring four performances on traditional instruments at the Vietnam Institute of Musicology in Hanoi
China: Unrestricted cultural imports coming soon, maybe
Remarkable news if it's true, that China has agreed to end restrictions on imports of entertainment products. Despite initial reports, hesitation and eager film buffs, final confirmation, however, remains to be seen.
Cameroon: Capoeira in Cameroon
Linda writes about capoeira in Cameroon: “I do quite a lot of traveling in different parts of Africa, and I’m always on the look-out for pieces of capoeira. In Togo, I saw Evala, where young men wrestle and women sing and egg them on.”
Angola: Song of the year for Museke Online Music Awards
Kuma kwa kie by Angolan musician Yuri da Cunha is the inaugural winner of the contemporary African song of the year at the annual Museke Online Africa Music Awards.
Jamaica: R.I.P. “Sugar”
ttgapers.com and The Caribbean Review of Books acknowledge the passing of Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, Lincoln Barrington “Sugar” Minott.
Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago: Sparrow Turns 75
Iconic calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow celebrates his 75th birthday; Repeating Islands reports.
