Stories about Music from July, 2012
North Korea Reveals Its First Lady
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is married to former pop singer Ri Sol Ju, reported North Korean state media. Blogger Reaganite Republican wrote a thorough post on the hermit kingdom's first lady with an embedded video clip of her.
St. Lucia: New Direction for Carnival?
The Choiseul Powerhouse reviews Saint Lucia's 2012 Power Soca Monarch competition: “Suppose I told you before that St. Lucians were fed up with the Trinidadian-invented ‘Rag and Flag’ syndrome which has over the years supersaturated our Soca shows, would I have been vindicated by the outcomes of our just concluded...
Turkmenistan's Homegrown Hip-Hop
Khan on NewEurasia.net writes about Turkmenistan's homegrown hip-hop. Although the country's two most popular rappers spend more time in Turkey than at home, they have many fans in Turkmenistan.
Mauritania: A Rich Culture of Games, Dance and Music
Mauritania lies at the point where Arab and African cultures meet; it is the link between the countries of North and West Africa. This has given it a special character, evident in Mauritania's rich tradition of games, dances and music. In this post we will show you some examples.
Venezuela, Japan: Two Japanese Performers Master the Venezuelan Harp
Among the Japanese musicians interested in traditional Venezuelan music, Yoko Yoshizawa and Mika Agematsu stand out in the interpretation of the Venezuelan harp, a key instrument in Venezuelan music from the plains.
Croatia: Anja Mutić's “Local Voices Croatia”
Back in April, Anja Mutić of Ever the Nomad (blog; Facebook page) launched the Local Voices Croatia series, which now has eleven interviews with “people who are making a difference, the masterminds behind interesting places, projects and events” – “local “artists, visionaries, foodies, adventurers, nature enthusiasts… The creative cream of...
Russia: Pussy Riot Members Remain in Jail
Amnesty International started a sms action campaign calling for the release of three jailed members of the punk band Pussy Riot. The women — Nadezhda, Maria and Ekaterina — were detained after performing an anti-Putin song in a church in Moscow back in February. An announcement on their blog [ru]...
St. Lucia: Making Music
At I and Iyanola, Nkrumah Lucien discusses Saint Lucia's rock music scene with journalist/actor/musician Jason Sifflet : “Playing rock from a Caribbean island is a trap, like playing reggae. It’s not indigenous to your culture, so every in and out of your culture sees you as a fake. But when you incorporate your...
Venezuela, Japan: ‘Estudiantina Komaba’ Music Bridges ‘Distant’ Countries
Have you ever wondered what interests Venezuelans and Japanese could have in common? If manga and sushi were your first guess, we invite you to explore how Japanese musicians have taken Venezuelan traditional music as the center of their interest, and how Venezuelan fans support and connect with these musicians using citizen media.
Kenya: Gospel Rapper to Screen Connections Documentary
Gospel rapper Juliani will screen his Connections Documentary on July 1 at the Dandora Stadium. This documentary is a culmination of his Kama Si Sisi countrywide tours that has seen him urge the youth to believe in themselves and think about leadership, Hot Secrets reports.
