Cases of domestic violence have increased during the lockdown, as many people are trapped at home with their abuser. All the more reason to talk about it. I learned recently about the song ‘Xiao Juan’, of the Chinese pop star Tan Weiwei, also know as Sitar Tan. She refers to recent violent deaths of real women in China. Let me unpack this.
Continue reading Tan Weiwei’s song on domestic violence
Worldwide the popularity of K-pop is huge, especially since the hit Gangnam Style exploded in 2012. Even though the sound is modern and eclectic, or even experimental, the guys are always tough, happy and cool and the girls are always cute, bright and pretty. But K-popstar Lim Kim wants to challenge these stereotypes. As well as the way Western people see Asian people. In this article I transcribed a short interview she did with BBC News about her mission.
Continue reading Lim Kim debunks stereotypes
This morning I was listening to BBC World News, and there was an item about a charity song for Yemen. The song has been uploaded on YouTube on October 2020, but it just has around 400 views. It is a very beautiful song with a very important purpose: to help the pregnant woman of Yemen. Learn more about the song, the war in Yemen, and why it is important to support this action.
Continue reading A charity song for Yemen
The alley was filled with flowers and cardboards with condolences from various communities, all the way from the padepokan (center of arts) till the main road of Bantul, near Jogjakarta. A vast amount of people came to pay respect at the funeral of the beloved percussionist, composer, actor and producer Djaduk Ferianto, who unexpectedly passed away earlier that day, on November 13. All of this I witnessed on Facebook, for there was a continuous stream of photos, videos, condolences, and memories from his family, friends, colleagues and fans.
Continue reading In Memoriam: Djaduk Ferianto
The 72nd edition of the Holland Festival, the largest international festival of performing arts in the Netherlands, has again sensed the spirit of the age. News & Noise attended two fantastic artworks that are exemplary: The Head & The Load of William Kentridge – about the history of Africans in the First World War, and Los Incontados: un tríptico of Mapa Teatro – about the civil war in Colombia.
Continue reading Holland Festival: unraveling hidden stories