Stories about Music from March, 2007
Africa: Hope Raisers, “Da Bomb”, Swahili Hip Hop, & Zimfest
In the 4 weeks since my last post on Global Voices, there has been lots of activity covered by bloggers in the African music scene. Here is a roundup of just a small part of that activity. Music from Nairobi's slums at the 2007 World Social Forum Pambuzuka, an African...
Nigeria: African Girl single released
Mimi magazine blogs announces the release of a new single, African Girl, by a Nigerian young musician, Nayo: “Nayo, MIMI's March 2007 covergirl, has released her debut single, African Girl today. To hear the clip and find out how you can purchase it, visit www.myspace.com/nayo. Nayo has also recorded a...
Peru: Music: Pedro Novoa
Thank god it's Friday. Time for some relaxing Trova to wind down for the weekend. Fortunately Creative Commons Peru has posted all of the tracks from Pedro Novoa's latest album “La Estación.”
Estonia: Music Radio
Here's what Estonian music radio does to Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa: “One thing that I have noticed since moving to Estonia is the preference of Estonian radio stations to play 1980s-era pop songs, or, more prevalently, 2000s-versions of 1980s pop songs. […] One second I'm a 27-year-old guy shopping...
South Africa: will you come to lead the Boers?
A very controversial post about a controversial South African song, De la Rey: “Up goes the cheer, and then comes the song – an Afrikaans folk number about a Boer war general that has become a sensation in South Africa as an anthem for young whites who say they are...
Latvia: Eurovision
All About Latvia writes about the country's Eurovision Song Contest entry this year.
The Balkans: Eurovision
“Get ready world the former Yugoslav republics are taking over Eurovision!” writes bganon in a comment to a comprehensive review of this year's entries from the region posted at Belgrade 2.0.
Ecuador: Delfin's Humble Beginnings
Christian Espinosa follows the ongoing success of YouTube “techno-folklorist” Delfin. A new YouTube interview reveals that the web2.0 phenomenon grew up in a straw house in the small village of Guano in Chimborazo province.
Georgia: The Best of YouTube
Joshua Kucera offers up the best YouTube videos from Georgia.
Francophone Bloggers on Oscars and Césars
Hostess Valérie Lemercier performs a Guadeloupean zouk hit from the 80's at the Césars awards. Blogger reactions to the recent film award ceremonies in France and America are quite varied. Congolese Alain Mabanckou is happy with the attention Africa is getting in Hollywood. In particular, he is pleased with the...
Bahrain: Satan Worshippers Rock at Concerts
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif goes on a rampage against a local newspaper for publishing an article on Satan worshipping amongst students who attend rock concerts, “based completely on unsubstantiated rumours, fear mongering, discriminatory allegations and all based on fourth hand accounts.” “What you and your editors have done to...
Malawian Musings: Diaspora, Internet-based Radio, Nigerian Movies, Stray Dogs, Silicon Valley dreams, and Muluzi’s comeback
The Malawian blogosphere has been abuzz with news of Malawian initiatives involving radio broadcasting and the Internet; Malawians in the diaspora; personal narratives about dislikes, trips and city issues; and the political comeback of former President Muluzi who is said to be planning a return to contest for another term...
Ukraine: “Pidmanula, Pidvela”
Ukraine List posts a comprehensive entry on the extremely popular Ukrainian folk song: Pidmanula, pidvela. Links to video and audio of the song's various performances, as well as the lyrics in English and Ukrainian, are included.
Bahrain: Cultural Evening a Hit and Miss!
Bahrain-based blogger Bint Battuta spent a cultural evening out – the first left her annoyed but the second refreshed. “A disappointing performance was followed by a frustrating three-quarters of an hour spent trying to get out of the car park, because it seems that unless white lines are painted, people...
Haiti, Dom. Rep.: Gaga = Rara?
Collectif Haiti de Provence wonders whether the Dominican “Gaga” tradition is not derived from the Haitian post carnival musical gatherings called “Rara” [Fr]: “Haitian tourists visiting the other side of the border can tell without a doubt that gaga is practiced and cultivated where Haitians and their descendants reside i.e....
Lebanon: Anxiety and Cautious Optimism
Most of the posts in the Lebanese blogosphere reflect the atmosphere of anxiety, pessimism and mistrust that is the general mood of the Lebanese nowadays. Here is a summary of some of the posts. An attempt has been made to include one or two light posts with brighter outlooks, but...
Sierra Leone: refugee all stars
Belgian Mission in Sierra Leone posts a YouTube video about Sierra Leone, “A movie to give you already a small impression about Sierra Leone and the influence of the war. We will tell you more about this horrific war later.”
Bahrain: A female preacher who gave something extra
This week Mahmood Al Yousif, who is facing legal action regarding comments he made on his blog, refers to the supposed freedom of expression in Bahrain: No sooner than our king vowing to protect the freedoms of expression in Bahrain, than we get yet another journalist dragged in for questioning...
Latin America: Indie Music Compilation
Indie music lovers should give a listen to this free thirteen track compilation put together by Indie Latin American blog Comunidad Alternativa.
Jordan: East Meets West in Commercial
Zeid Nassar posts a video link for a commercial featuring Egyptian heart-throb Amr Diab as well as American divas Beyonce and J Lo. “I’m not sure if this is a fancy special effects/post-production job or if Amr Diab was actually on a set with Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce for this...
Interview with Farsi Tube Co-Founder Sherwin Noorian
Farsi Tube or Iranian You Tube, launched in the US at the end of last year, attracts 3,000 visitors daily, says its co-founder Sherwin Noorian. On a busy day, the figure could leap to 7,000 visitors who are there to catch the latest videos Persian-speakers are posting on the site....
