· August, 2012

Stories about Music from August, 2012

Turkmenistan: Hip-Hop Key to Regime Survival

  31 August 2012

…[Turkmenistan's] young generation literally has got nothing to do. Which is why they love Hip Hop… But the government should not censor Hip Hop… for its own long-term survival. NewEurasia.net's Khan explains how the growing popularity of hip-hop in Turkmenistan benefits the authorities.

Venezuela: Preserving the Oral Traditions of the Plains

  31 August 2012

The oral traditions of the plains are brilliant protagonists of the culture that has spread to other regions of Venezuela. Many natives of the Venezuelan plains use social networks and other Web 2.0 tools to spread, highlight, and preserve these traditions.

South Korea: K-Pop Video ‘Gangnam Style’ Goes Viral Internationally

  29 August 2012

South Korean singer Psy's tune 'Gangnam Style' has gone viral internationally, with its YouTube video surpassing 70 million hits as of today. This has got many Koreans talking and the scope of such discussions vary from simple praise of Psy's success, reviews of his marketing and social media strategies, to a more detailed analysis of Koreans' deep-seated insecurity about their country.

Puerto Rico: Beautiful Music by “Los Cerezos”

  24 August 2012

The alternative music blog Puerto Rico Indie has a post on the band from Puerto Rico, Los Cerezos, who have just launched their first EP titled “Dejad que los hipsters vengan a mi” [Let the Hipsters Come To Me]: With a very genuine musical proposal, without pretensions or weaknesses, Los...

South Korea: Controversial Launch of Online Music Video Rating

  20 August 2012

South Korean authorities have launched a new ratings system for music videos posted online. The new bill requires every music video (or promotional video) and even movie trailers to be rated prior to upload. Failure to comply could result in up to two years in prison or a hefty fine.

Russia: Pussy Riot's Guilty Verdict

RuNet Echo  17 August 2012

'The judge said one of the reasons for a “real sentence” was to “caution others”. ' - Russian and anglophone Twitter users respond to the guilty verdict and two-year prison sentence handed down to Pussy Riot members.

Colombia: Salsa Musician Jairo Varela Dies

  15 August 2012

On August 8, Colombian musician Jairo Varela Martinez died at the age of 62. Varela is known for founding the famous salsa band Grupo Niche. There were many comments on Twitter under different tags (Jairo Varela, Grupo Niche and Cali Pachanguero) as soon as his death was known.

Popsong Stirs up Hong Kong-Mainland Chinese Conflict

  14 August 2012

A popular singer's latest album, “Not polite” has stirred up another round of Hong Kong-Mainland Chinese debate. The lyrics of one track, which states state: “not matter if you are ‘locusts’ (refers to mainland Chinese) or ‘mole crickets and ants’ (refers to Hong Kong people), should be polite to each...

Venezuela: Flirtatious ‘Joropo’ of the Plains

  11 August 2012

Of the musical genres that constitute the folklore of the plains of Venezuela, the joropo has long been the most characteristic of this part of the country. This type of music and dance come from the broad flat areas of Venezuela, where the prevalent culture is closely related to the land and livestock.

Russia: Pussy Riot Doomed by its own Supporters?

RuNet Echo  8 August 2012

Recent online coverage of the Pussy Riot trial makes it seem as if all of Russia is mobilized in protest against the inordinately harsh treatment the three arrested band members have received. In fact, many well-wishing bloggers continue to aggravate Riot's predicament by advocating leniency, rather than arguing with the entire premise of punishment.

Netizens Say Goodbye to Singer Chavela Vargas

  5 August 2012

“Murió Chavela Vargas” (“Chavela Vargas has died”) is currently a worldwide Trending Topic on Twitter. Netizens from all over the world are saying goodbye the Costa Rican-born Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, who passed away Sunday, August 5, at 93.