Music, book and film reviews from the last 3 months
If the samba is the sound of Rio de Janeiro, the frevo is that of Recife in North-East Brazil, where it began towards the end of the nineteenth century: a rhythm inseparably tied to the exuberance of the Pernambuco carnival, which, in 2012, became part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The word itself expresses…
Read moreBoj, which originates from the northern region of Alta Verapaz, has a cultural and spiritual meaning to the Q’eqchi’ people, it is served at religious celebrations and indigenous festivities. The inhabitants of the Alta Verapaz department say that the basic ingredient of this drink is corn, which has cooked on a wood fire for three…
Read moreIts name means “The Place of Adjacent Mounds.” This site was contemporary with Tikal and Palenque. Calakmul was at its peak between around 431 and 790 A.D. but it was already an important city in the late Pre-classic, with dated monuments being erected around 200 A.D. Calakmul was inhabited for 1500 years and was a…
Read moreAfro-Maghrebian percussion, ngoni, chants and choreography, driven by infallible and colorful arrangements make it possible to create a rare and beautiful music. A perfect dialogue among Western, African and Oriental instruments. Gabacho Maroc is one of the most popular music bands in present-day Mediterranean Africa, a land where the sun sets among the dunes, where…
Read moreIn the Nahuatl language, spoken in the central region of Mexico, Machincuepa means somersaults or ‘pirouette’. For hundreds of adolescents and young people in the outskirts of Mexico City, Machincuepa also means relaxation and recreation, but, at the same time, a school of life in circus artistry that transforms them from living a life of…
Read moreDeeply rooted in the land and culture of his ancestors, Achinoam Nini, known in the world of art as Noa, is still sending out a message of peace that involves all of us. The western world came to know of her when, in 1994, with her own special grace and simplicity, she performed her own…
Read moreThe Bari, a South Sudan ethnic group who live on the Savannah along the White Nile, believe that death is not a curse but a ‘going to rest’ . Among the Bari, death is seen as something natural, the common fate of all. It is desired by God but is not seen as a curse.…
Read moreThe slums of Katwe have seen the birth of a new circus where the jugglers, acrobats, fire-eaters and dancers are the youngsters themselves of the shanty town. They have become so skilled that they have been asked to perform even outside the continent of Africa. For many of them it has become a profession. The…
Read moreEvery town and city has its own tales, myths, and legends that make up part of the culture of Nicaraguans. Those who appear to be the simplest folk, all the while guarding the treasure of the traditions of their ancestors. León is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the…
Read moreAt the famous Parc des Princes studio in Paris on 7 June of this year, during the opening of the Women’s World Football Championship, a young female singer with an exceptional voice caught the attention of the public. Jeanne Louise Galice — known as Jain in the world of music – has Malagasy ancestors but…
Read moreHe is considered one of the best living blues guitarists. He has succeeded in combining the nomadic culture with sounds that charm the largest international audiences. His real name is Goumar Almoctar, but in the world of music he is called Bombino. A Niger Tuareg, he was born in Agadez, in the heart of the…
Read moreIndigenous to North Africa, the Amazigh people, sometimes known as Berbers, have spent decades fighting for cultural recognition in the predominantly Arab region. For years, Amazigh activists have been engaged in a battle against oppressive policies while also trying to promote measures that would help preserve Amazigh identity. Despite recent successes, however, it may be…
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“We want to create a federation of international journalistic organisations that collaborate in this effort, starting from the global South,” says Filipino journalist and 2022…
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Once upon a time, there was a leopard. He had a huge walnut tree that was full of nuts. Stingy as he was, however, he forbade…
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Three young Comboni missionaries from three continents share their vocation stories and missionary experiences. Fr Victor Cunanan Parungao from the Philippines reflects on 15 years of…
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