Stories about Music from January, 2014
PHOTOS: Humans of Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests
Take a look at a side of life at Ukraine's anti-government Euromaidan protests that isn't shown in mainstream media.
China's Propaganda-Heavy New Year's Gala Fails to Impress Viewers
Known as Chunwan, the variety show regularly draws tens of millions of viewers every year and has become an essential part of Spring Festival celebrations. But its popularity is dwindling.
Don't Stop the Party: Copyright Issues Threaten Trinidad Carnival Fete
The Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago has threatened to shut down a popular Carnival fete, but organisers and patrons alike now have a voice through social media.
Circumstances Surrounding Aspiring Trinidadian Rapper's Death Still Murky
Talented rapper Titan Lee-Hai fell fifteen floors to his death from his dormitory building at NYU earlier this week. Online condolences from friends and fans have been pouring in.
Calypso, Race & Political Allegiance in Trinidad & Tobago
The 2014 Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago is heating up, as a controversial calypso is banned from live performances at a venue whose owner often courted controversy himself.
‘AFTER 25 Conference': Tokyo and Berlin Discuss Creative Culture
As Berlin and Tokyo mark 20 years of friendship as sister cities, representatives of two creative industries, including Chairman of the Club Commission of Berlin Marc Wohlrabe and Takahiro Saito, a lawyer and member of Let's Dance, a consortium that fights against Japan's dance regulations, will come together for the AFTER 25 conference on...
Bloggers from Angola and Mozambique Release Hip-Hop Mix Tape
Two bloggers and hip-hop promoters from Mozambique and Angola met online and the result became a compilation of 30 hip-hop tracks from Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique and Angola.
‘Steamed Buns Store’ Song in Ode to Chinese President Xi Jinping
A song praising Chinese president Xi Jinping’s everyman behavior has been composed in ode to his appearance at a small Beijing eatery late last year. The song will be officially released after the Spring Festival. Offbeat China has translated the lyrics: (accompaniment) Steamed buns store, steamed buns store (solo) Here’s the story:...
Kazakh Rapper Asks Fans for Money to Finish a “Political” Song
Kazakh rapper Takezhan (Oteghaliev) has reached out to his fans to help fund the production of a new song. In a video [ru] posted on his blog, the rapper sings for his fans and asks them for financial help to finish a “political rap [song]” he is working on. Takezhan,...
10 Documentaries on South American Music to Watch Online
Nick MacWilliam from the blog Sounds and Colours has compiled a list of 10 documentaries, “looking at all manner of musical styles and movements from the region, with films focused on Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Venezuela.” This list makes no attempt to rank the films, nor does it...
Is the Vybz Kartel Trial an Opportunity for Jamaica?
Jamaican music has always captured the global imagination, especially when celebrities become outlaws. One blogger suggests that the Vbyz Kartel murder trial holds valuable lessons about legal and social justice.
Chinese Rock Star Cui Jian Refuses to Sing Under Censorship
Rocker Cui Jian, whose song “Nothing to My Name” became an anthem for Tiananmen Square protesters, won't perform at China’s spring gala if required to censor his lyrics.
Jamaican Winner of The Voice Sings for Haiti
Just another reason to love Tessanne Chin: she's singing to support a housing programme in Haiti. Repeating Islands republishes the details.
Intonaspacio: a New Digital Musical Instrument Made in Portugal
Mailis Rodrigues, a young talented Portuguese women has invented a new musical instrument and now needs help to show it to the world in an annual event to find the world’s best new ideas in musical instrument design: Hi, I was selected as one of the 20 semi-finalists of the...
Jamaica: Measuring the Effect of Shaggy's Charity Concert
Jamaicans got a good show with this year's edition of Shaggy and Friends, but Cucumber Juice wants measurability: This applies to any organization, but especially to charities and public organizations. It’s called transparency.
Video: Music Parody about Food in China
“Rice, Rice baby” is a recent parody about the food culture in China from the expats’ point of view. The video is about how expats in China love the food but also are a little nervous of its effects. The lyrics says: “Love it or leave it, you better...
Where Soca Music Begins and Ends
The success of the carnival song, Differentology, by the Trinidadian artist Bunji Garlin has spurred public debate about what exactly constitutes soca music.
Hockey, Diving for Crosses and Other Christmas-in-January Traditions
While Christians in the Western hemisphere celebrate Christmas in December, most Orthodox and Coptic Christians mark the birth of Christ in early January, from Eastern Europe to North Africa.
Happy Hong Kong
Inspired by American rapper, Pharrell Williams’ viral music video, Happy, Hong Kong based French multimedia journalist Helene Franchineau made a local music video, Happy Hong Kong.
Latin America's Black Metal Fans, Punks and Otakus
Santiago, Lima, Mexico City and Oaxaca have been some of the cities in which photographer Carla Mc-Kay has photographed punks, thrashers, transvestites, black metal fans, new waves and otakus, recording their everyday lives in their habitat. Sentidos Comunes has published Carla Mc-Kay's photographs in a photo essay titled “Street Youth”...
12 Music Videos That Struck a Chord in Taiwan in 2013
Against a backdrop of politics and problems, music in Taiwan really rocked in 2013.
