Global Voices Online » Arts & Culture

Latin America: Photos of Cemeteries in Ecuador and Peru

Eduardo Avila — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:34:18 +0000

In commemoration of the feast of All Saints, which is a holiday across Latin America where family members honor their deceased relatives, Natalia Cartolini posts a series of photographs she has taken of cemeteries in Ecuador and Peru [es].

Kazakhstan: Jumyr Kylysh or Two Warriors

Adil Nurmakov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:49:09 +0000

KZBlog tells about the new album of the Kazakh band Ulytau and says that their style can be described as classical/rock/prog-rock/electronic pop fusion music, influenced by Yes, Metallica, and Bach, coupled by the Kazakh influence.

Pakistan: Devoted To Pomegranate

Rezwan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:24:51 +0000

Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan celebrates Pakistan's important fruit species pomegranate and its influence on art, literature, language and poetry.

Peru: One Hundred Years of Writer Ciro Alegría

Juan Arellano — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:43:22 +0000

One hundred years ago, Peruvian writer Ciro Alegría was born in the Northern Department of La Libertad, and who wrote novels such as The Golden Snake (1935) and The Hungry Dogs (1939). Alegría's works often centered on indigenous Peruvians, and their way of life, which was often characterized by their oppression and hardship. However, he also also took great pride in indigenous culture and was a supporter of social justice for this population.

The blogger at Postre Literario [es] writes about this focus, “To talk with Ciro Alegría is to feel the pride in the indigenism that we have in our blood and that makes us different, unique, grand because of our history.”

Perhaps, Alegria's best-known work is Broad and Alien is the World (1941), which according to the La República newspaper, is “brilliant from the beginning. The novel Broad and Alien is the World takes place in a mountainous community in Northern Peru, troubled by the resistance of its residents and its wise mayor troubled by the plundering by the political bosses, the Holocaust, and the emigration by the victims.” The novel was awarded the Grand Prize for Continental Novel in 1941. The blog Desafío Perú [es] summarizes the work:

la aldea de Rumi, auténtica protagonista de la novela, cuya vida se describe maravillosamente, es objeto de la codicia del terrateniente blanco; destruida, sus habitantes se dispersan: unos mueren, otros son reducidos a esclavos o marchan a las grandes ciudades. El mundo es ancho y ajeno es así un gran cuadro épico de las luchas de una arquetípica comunidad indígena contra los tres poderes que quieren destruirla: la oligarquía terrateniente, el Ejército y el Gobierno al servicio de los intereses estadounidenses.

The village of Rumi, the true protagonist of the novel, whose life is marvelously described, is subject to the greed of the white landowner; destroyed, its residents are dispersed: some die, others are reduced to slaves or leave for the big cities. Broad and Alien is the World is an epic portrait of the archetypal struggles of an indigenous community against the three powers that want to destroy it: the oligarchy, the military and the government in service to the interests of the United States.

Gonzalo Espino of the blog La Alforja de Chuque [es] writes the following in an analysis of the book:

Un aspecto descuidado por la crítica es la singularidad de lo maravilloso -lo mágico maravilloso- que aparece a lo largo de la novela. Se trata de pasajes que resultan extremadamente sospechosos, por que cuestionan nuestro esquema de realidad, y aun siéndolo, los ubicamos como aspectos extremadamente ficcionales. Pongo, aquí solamente dos casos: el de la comunidad Muncha allí donde no hay agua, pero sin embargo una joven tiene “macetas de claveles” que crea esa sensualidad olfativa en medio de la sequedad o el otro caso, es el diablo que atraviesa los andes y que en el relato sabemos que es el Mágico.

A critical aspect is neglected by the singularity of the wonderful - the wonderful magic - which appears throughout the novel. It involves passages that become extremely suspicious, because they question our scheme of reality, and they still remain, placing them as extremely fictional aspects. I place here two examples: in the Muncha community there is no water, yet a young girl has “pots of carnations, which creates a sensual scent amid drought, another example is the devil that crosses the Andes Mountains and in the story we know that he is Magic.

Eduardo Jiménez of the blog El Observador [es] takes stock of his writing and notes that his other works did not reach the level than his most famous book:

siempre me pregunté porqué llegó Alegría a un silencio casi total luego de la publicación de El mundo es ancho y ajeno. Siguió escribiendo, sí, y publicando uno que otro libro desperdigado en el tiempo, pero sin llegar jamás a esa cúspide que significó El mundo… Sólo queda la especulación para dar una respuesta. Posiblemente sintió que ya había llegado a su límite, a ese non plus ultra que los escritores de verdad reconocen en su fuero interno y ser conciente que lo publicado después no estaría a la misma altura. Con El mundo es ancho y ajeno terminado y publicado, su pathos ya estaba agotado, salvo que hubiese repetido fórmulas, lo que un escritor auténtico jamás haría.

I always wondered why Alegría was in complete silence after the publication of Broad and Alien is the World. Yes, he continued to write, publishing one book after another throughout time, but he never reached the top as he did with Broad and Alien is the World … Only speculation remains. Possibly he felt that he reached his limit, in his “non plus ultra” that real writers recognize in their hearts and to realize that what they publish later will not be at the same level. With Broad and Alien is the World completed and published, his pathos was exhausted, unless he repeated the same formula, which no authentic author would never do.

Alegría spent a large part of his life in exile in Chile, the United States, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. As a member of the APRA political party, he was also jailed twice. It was here where he developed ideas for his novels. Writer Eduardo González Viaña tells an anecdote in his blog El Correo de Salem [es]:

Cuando lo conocí, varias décadas más tarde, Alegría me contó que allí, entre sueños y en medio de las cuatro paredes carcelarias, había visto a Rosendo Maqui y a los diversos personajes de su épica novela “El mundo es ancho y ajeno”. “Me moría de ganas de salir de allí para escribirla”.-me dijo. A Ciro le fue conmutada la pena de muerte por una prisión que padeció algunos años para luego exiliarse en Chile.

When I met him, many decades later, Alegría told me that there, among the dreams and in the middle of the four jail walls, he had seen Rosendo Maqui and the various characters of his epic novel “Broad and Alien is the World .” “I was dying to get out of there to write the book,” he told me. Ciro's death sentence was commuted in a prison where he suffered for many years and from there he was exiled in Chile.

There were several events honoring the life and works of Alegría, such as a ceremony at the San Marcos Cultural Center on November 4, according to the blog La Torre de las Paradojas [es]. In addition, in the city of Cajamarca, the IV Gathering of Peruvian Storytellers “Ciro Alegría.” More information can be found on the event's blog [es].

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Azerbaijan: Traditions

Onnik Krikorian — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:07:51 +0000

Sheki, Azerbaijan makes two posts on specific traditions practiced in her home country. In the first post, the blog explains how the shoes of visitors to homes are paired outside the front door, and in the second it looks at pickling white cucumbers.

Israeli and Palestinian youth use video to understand the conflict

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:42:44 +0000

Two different organizations in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are using video tools to help both Arabic and Jewish youth to understand the conflict and bridge gaps between them, creating spaces for interaction and communication where they can share their dreams, concerns and thoughts regarding the complex situation they live in.

One of the initiatives is Sadaka Reut, and this is what they say about their program:

With the majority of Palestinian and Jewish youth physically segregated from one another (in separate communities and schools) and fears, racism and prejudice the result, we look to build alternative models for interaction between the two groups. The ‘Building a Culture of Peace’ program seeks to create a space in which both Palestinian and Jewish youth may feel equal, respected and recognized as individuals and as national collectives.

The members of their program have also been participating in the One Minute Video Project, where they learn about video activism during a one-week workshop. Here are some of the results, and you can see the rest by clicking through to their site:

Arab:

AM/FM:

Few Love Singing:

Another initiative is the Windows for Peace project, which started back in 1991 as an effort to produce a bilingual and bicultural magazine for youth as a way for them to connect and learn about the conflict, promote equality and empower youth. However, it hasn't been easy, as they explain on their site:

It is no simple task for Israeli and Palestinian youth to overcome the vast amount of misinformation and stereotypes they are taught about one another. The limited availability for interaction, a result of living in mostly segregated communities and exacerbated by the ongoing violent political conflict, perpetuates the historical fears, prejudice, and hatred that divide the two peoples. Windows is therefore dedicated to fostering large scale change in the way Israeli and Palestinian youth see themselves, “the other” and the conflict. Participants in Windows programs go through experiences that promote conflict transformation among both peoples, towards a peaceful reality with which both sides can live. We believe that a just and lasting peace must be based on democratic values, human rights, and mutual knowledge and acceptance of “the other.”

They are also working on a new initiative called Through the Lens, where 15 to 17 year old youth who “graduate” from the magazine continue developing skills to create short films, news pieces and other video productions to further “productive, peace-building dialogue and positive interaction”.

Here is a video where the participants of Windows speak about their experience in the group and how they have dealt with the challenges it represents to get out of their comfort zone and speak about difficult topics such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine:

As the children in the video state in so many words: they may have a hard time dealing with many of the opinions and perceptions other children express, but having the space to discuss issues in a safe and secure manner helps them understand the world they live in with a possibility to interact, learn and share with other children and youth and even change these perceptions.

Ghana: Ghana highlights part I

Ndesanjo Macha — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:45:14 +0000

Gayle's first part of Ghana highlights: In Ghana, every region has something to offer. Culture, history, beaches, flora and fauna, you can sample it all over the country, from the tropical jungles of the south to the savannah plains of the north. If you’re a beach or history lover, you’ll enjoy this tour along the coast.

Caribbean: French Literary Prizes

Fabienne Flessel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:50:23 +0000

This week, two of the most prestigious French literary prizes were awarded to two French-speaking authors of African descent: The French-speaking Caribbean blogosphere has been buzzing over this double satisfaction, in this post from Haiti, this one from Guadeloupe and this one from Martinique [Fr].

Poland: Graffiti

Veronica Khokhlova — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:30:57 +0000

Polandian writes about and posts photos of the Polish graffiti.

Ukraine: Ruslana and Science Fiction

Veronica Khokhlova — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:50:23 +0000

Science Fiction Observer writes about a science fiction dimension of Ukrainian singer Ruslana's 2007 album.

Venezuela: Interacting with the Works of Artist Jesus Soto

Laura Vidal — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:20:19 +0000

The works of Venezuelan artist Jesús Soto (1923 - 2005) are among the most famous representations of Latin American modern art, known mostly for his kinetic works. Soto was born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, where he began working as a painter of cinema posters. He received his education in the cities of Caracas and Maracaibo, but it was in Paris where his career took a powerful turn. His most famous works are the “penetrables,” which are interactive sculptures consisting of an array of square, thin, dangling tubes of shiny colors made from plastic and in which the public can walk through.

Photo of a child in a Soto exhibit by Alé and used under a Creative Commons license.

According to the art experts, Soto's art is inseparable from the viewer, who is an active participant of the artist’s piece. The illusion and the senses are completed by the perceptions of the mind as a result of observing, touching, and becoming part of the piece. Venezuelan bloggers and the online community in general, celebrate his art through articles, reviews, and videos taken in museums and inside the works themselves, while explaining the meaning of Soto’s works in their culture, landscape and daily life.

In his blog Literanova [es], Eduardo Casanova goes a bit deeper on Soto’s life and gives an insight of the history of the city he was born:

Jesús Rafael Soto nació en Venezuela, en 1923, en una población cargada de historia: Ciudad Bolívar, donde se instituyó la prensa escrita y se fraguó la creación de la llamada Gran Colombia (…) Era una población aislada, sin museos ni actividades del arte. El mismo ha dicho que aprendió solo el arte de la pintura. Deja su ciudad natal y viaja a Maracaibo, en el occidente del país, para encargarse de la dirección de una escuela de artes plásticas. En 1950 se va a París y allí comienza su carrera de artista creador de nuevas formas.

Jesus Soto was born in 1923 in a city full of history: Ciudad Bolívar, where the press was released for the first time in the country and the creation of the Great Colombia was conceived. This was an isolated population, with no museums or art activities. He used to say that he learned how paint by himself. He left his birth town and went to Maracaibo, in the western part of the country to be Director of a school of Arts. In 1950, Soto went to Paris and that is where he started the creation of new forms (of art).

Photo of Soto Sphere in Caracas by Guillermo Ramos Flamerich under a GNU Free Documentation License

The YouTube channel of VenezuelaTuya gives an example of an experience walking through a piece exhibited in the Jesús Soto Museum, in Ciudad Bolívar:

The blog Talento Venezolano [es] also dedicates a space to talk about the artists and his most famous creations:

En 1967 creó la primera obra de la serie Penetrables, la cual consiste en instalaciones de tubos de plástico a través de los cuales el espectador se siente en un espacio mágico. Ambas obras que pudieron admirarse en el Museo de Arte Moderno, en el Grand Palais y el Centro Pompidou de París.

In 1967 (Soto) created the first of his “Penetrables”, which are plastic tubes through which the spectator can feel him/herself in a magical space. Both works were exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, the Grand Palais and the Pompidou Center in Paris.

You Tube has also been a way for people to show their contact and emotions while interacting with Soto’s works. Children in particular, have had a special approach to the artistic experience inside the artist’s work, which has been shown and shared through these videos:

YouTube user elizaul1:

and YouTube user skaracas:

At the artist's webpage there are more galleries and information.

Africa: Catwalk for Africa 2009 is on

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:25:40 +0000

Ladybrille blogs about Catwalk for Africa 2009: “After the stunning success of the Miami edition, Catwalk for Africa 2009 is officially on. A bigger show, a spectacular venue, top-notch entertainment, live performances and world-class exhibits…”

Panama: The Lost Act of Patriotism During National Holidays

Eduardo Avila — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:28:02 +0000

Avarana [es] wonders why Panamanians have lost the custom of patriotism during national holidays, adding that many participate in other activities other than attending parades or other acts of commemoration.

Peru: Demolition of Municipal Building in Iquitos

Juan Arellano — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:11:20 +0000

Sofía of the blog Con Alas y Pies [es] publishes photos of the recent demolition of the Municipal Building in Iquitos, Peru, and which also caused damage to an adjoining house which is the oldest building in the city.

Bermuda: The Sound of Music

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:24:41 +0000

Vexed Bermoothes is of the opinion that the Bermuda Music Festival “exemplifies the political tinkering, self-interest, and distraction that has left Bermuda’s tourism sector as a ruined economic basket-case.”