Stories about Arts & Culture from June, 2010
Cape Verde: Bau Talks On Being a Musician in a Small Country
In an interview for blog Café Margoso [pt], musician Bau shares his dream of creating a music school for the children of Cape Verde. The artist says that because he is based in “such a small country”, he finds many restrictions to the possibilities of growing as an artist.
World Cup 2010: Who's to blame for Nigeria's performance?
Nigerian football fans were dismayed Tuesday when the team's final chance of advancing in the 2010 World Cup evaporated in a 2-2 tie with South Korea. In the blogosphere, disappointment was the prevailing emotion, though many fans were not surprised by the outcome.
Taiwan: Fly, Wen Gui Hospital, Fly!
Have you ever seen the Pixar/Disney animation “UP”? See the real version in Tainan County, Taiwan(zht) when students from Tainan National University of the Arts tried to save the old Wen Gui(文貴) Hospital(photos) , a historic building which is scheduled to be demolished on June 30.
Middle East: Goodbye Saramago
Bloggers across the Middle East mourned the death of Portuguese writer Jose Saramago. Tarek Amr rounds up their reactions.
Japan: The Hero, Sakamoto Ryoma
Confident, charismatic, and ever so dashing, Sakamoto Ryoma has always been one of Japan's favorite historical figures. Since NHK started to broadcast the historical drama series Ryōmaden ('The Legend of Ryoma') this January, a nation-wide Ryoma boom has exploded.
Global: Statistics on Countries Participating in World Cup
SRF from GeoCurrent Events blog writes about the economic geography of the 2010 FIFA World Cup participant countries.
Angola: Once Upon a Time in Roque Santeiro
The development experienced by Luanda holds one of the most frequented commercial spaces in the city. The Roque Santeiro Market, that generates thousands of dollars a day, to account, is about to close its “doors” to reopen in a more dignified and modern area, in Panguila.
China: Gamers need not worry over new real name rules
This summer will see the introduction of real name regulations for e-commerce entrepreneurs and online gamers. With a series of past failed attempts in China at implementing similar rules, one blogger looks at the logistics of real name requirements and doesn't expect these new regulations to stick.
Philippines: Dancing Prisoners’ Tribute to Michael Jackson
And they've done it again. Convicted criminals from Cebu Province in the Philippines danced to the tunes of the late Michael Jackson in a tribute performance marking the first death anniversary of the famous music icon.
Hungary: Museum Night in Budapest
The Uncataloged Museum writes about this year's Museum Night in Budapest.
Chile: Flash Mob Remembering Michael Jackson
María Pastora writes [es] about her first time participating in a flash mob. She also includes a video of the flash mob, which was choreographed as a tribute to Michael Jackson. The flash mob was organized by flashmob.cl [es]
Zimbabwe: Celebrating World Cup in Harare
Bev Clark on celebrating the World Cup in Harare, Zimbabwe: “Some of the Kubatana team have been moving around various pubs in Harare to watch world cup games. Our favourite haunt so far is Boleros in Chisipite.”
Japan and the World Cup: Silencing the critics
Ranked near the bottom of the 32 teams on the field in South Africa, facing odds estimated at 400-to-1 and four straight pre-tournament losses to boot, Japan was not even expected to win a game in this year's World Cup. But with their convincing 3-1 win over Denmark, perceptions have completely changed, propelling coach Takashi Okada from the butt of all jokes to a national hero.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: More Conflict Voices
As mentioned in previous posts on Global Voices, new and social media is increasingly playing a role in facilitating communication between Armenians and Azerbaijanis online. Locked into a bitter conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, there are few other possibilities for connecting other than meeting in third countries.
Morocco: The Henna Experience
Henna as an art form has existed for thousands of years. Peace Corps volunteer Emily recently experienced it firsthand in Morocco. Jillian C York takes us on Emily's journey.
Saudi Arabia: Maysoon Azzam is “not a robot”
Why was Al-Arabiya newsreader Maysoon Azzam laughing when reading the news? Saudi Jeans wonders what tickled the newsreader, and why her explanation of the outburst was removed from Al-Arabiya's website in this post.
Croatia: 9th Annual GLBT Pride Parade
The Daily Seyahatname/Blogging Balkanistan writes about Zagreb's ninth annual GLBT Pride Parade and notes that “President Ivo Josipovic became the first Croatian president to publicly support” the event.
Turkey: Jazz and the Russian Revolution
The Daily Seyahatname/Blogging Balkanistan writes about “how the Russian Revolution brought jazz to Turkey.”
Malaysia: Historic jail demolished
Despite the protest of concerned citizens, artists, and historians, the Malaysian government has decided to demolish the 115 year old Pudu Jail, a historical landmark in Kuala Lumpur. Bloggers react
Sao Tome and Principe: Impressions of Sao Tome
Sergio's impression of Sao Tome: “My admiration and personal tribute to the people currently devoted to the promotion of local produce, their own people and the art.”
Nepal: Living Together – A New Trend
X Nepali Blog informs that couples “living together without marriage is a very new trend in Nepali society”.
