Stories about Music
30 January 2019
The beef between two Trinidad and Tobago soca stars is a nod to age-old musical traditions
Lyrical sparring is intricately woven into the origins of calypso music, and its modern-day hybrid, soca.
19 December 2018
Ten quintessential Christmas tunes from Trinidad & Tobago
Some seasonal songs from Trinidad and Tobago that are sure to put you in a Christmas kind of mood — and that you won't hear anywhere else!
3 December 2018
This epic poem describes the grief of Yugoslavs over the death of John F. Kennedy
An epic poem titled “Death in Dallas” reflected the popularity of United States President John F. Kennedy in the former Yugoslavia.
27 November 2018
Russian rapper arrested and unexpectedly released after alleged Kremlin intervention
Husky is no liberal minstrel, but fellow rappers rushed to his support when he was arrested. Then a state TV executive bragged about the Kremlin's efforts to release him.
26 November 2018
Despite threats of arrest, rap song criticizing military rule goes viral in Thailand
As a response to the 40-million-view music video, the Thai government launched its own rap song celebrating innovation and progress (it flopped).
14 November 2018
Jamaican dancehall artist hits a nerve by ‘bleaching’ her skin — did fans get the message?
"I wanted to create awareness of 'Colorism' and it was ... done intentionally to create shock value so that I could ... deliver the message in my music," Spice said.
1 November 2018
Sarajevo awards honorary citizenship to UK heavy metal star Bruce Dickinson
Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickenson is granted honorary citizenship for the moral support he gave the people of Sarajevo during a 1994 visit to the besieged city.
31 October 2018
For Calypso History Month in Trinidad & Tobago, #metoo does a double-take on empowering tunes
Readers offer a few suggestions for calypsos that make female empowerment their priority.
23 October 2018
Trinidad & Tobago loses ‘The Mighty Shadow’, the ‘bassman’ of calypso
"When all other calypsonians in the early 1970s had six sheets of music, Shadow had seven, the additional one for the bass guitar."
18 October 2018
For Calypso History Month in Trinidad and Tobago, six tunes for the #metoo era
In a genre that has often painted women in a negative light, the tunes that broke the mould are etched forever in the national consciousness.
1 October 2018
Ken ‘Professor’ Philmore, Trinidadian musician who took steel pan music ‘by storm’, dies
"This is the equivalent of a Brahms, Bach or Beethoven passing. This is huge. This is a loss."
18 September 2018
Kyrgyz artist calls on girls to ‘create our own freedom’ in breakout song, *drops mic*
Zere's debut hit 'Kyz' comes after years of debate over how women in the Central Asian country should dress and behave.
24 August 2018
Artists rise up as Ugandan MP ‘Bobi Wine’ faces fresh charges of treason
"The extent to which violence is escalating in this country is worrying and we should all be concerned. We need to reflect on these matters and find a way forward."
12 June 2018
Iranian parody band sings a love song for Telegram after its block
"Just when I was relying on you, you were suddenly blocked and gone and all I have left is this VPN, that's the only bridge between you and I."
5 June 2018
Boycott against Argentinian musician in France sparks debate on cultural appropriation
The cancellation of Argentinian reggaeton singer Romina Bernardo by Black French activists open the door to discussions about appropriation that had so far had little space online.
15 May 2018
Georgia's protests pit nightlife against nationalists
"We were on the cusp of civil confrontation!"
14 April 2018
Jamaican Dancehall Star Buju Banton's Impending Release from Prison Sparks Renewed Controversy
"If Banton[...]retracted his hideous views on homosexuality and sought to amend the damage he has done to men and women across the Caribbean, he would be worthy of a platform."
6 April 2018
A European Union-Supported Rap Video Tries to Persuade Young Guineans Against Migrating
"It’s about poverty, the lack of opportunities...That is why young people find it more risky to stay at home...They say: 'I would rather die on the sea than stay here.'"
14 February 2018
East African Women in the Music Industry Sing Out Against Male Domination
"We have made ourselves known in the music industry, yet gender inequality, sexism, and pay gaps persist. It’s not that we’re not skillful enough, it’s that all decision-makers are men."
11 February 2018
‘Singing the Tale of Our Pain': Tajikistan's Migration Phenomenon Finds a Home in Music
"Why am I here, in an alien place, far from my mother?"
