Remember when Brazilian president Lula Da Silva appointed superstar Gilberto Gil minister of culture? Peru’s new leader, Ollanta Humala, has followed suit, selecting Latin Grammy-winner Susana Baca for that nation’s culture ministry. Baca will be Peru’s first-ever black cabinet member.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Black Kid From Oakland Becoming Beijing Opera Star
Fifteen-year-old Tyler Thompson began studying traditional Chinese opera in a local education program, and “became a sensation in China several years ago after Chinese Central Television broadcast his performance at a Lunar New Year show in San Jose.” Says one aficionado, “It’s very authentic because he hits the tones just right, so you understand everything.”
Deconstructing Pre-Schoolers’ Television, Part XVI: Thomas The Reactionary Tank Engine
“Yet the conservatism of Thomas and Friends is not the conservatism of America. … The Thomas series glories instead in true ‘white man’s burden’ style British imperialism. Our hero, Thomas, and his friends jockey for positions just below that of the bullying aristocrat Sir Topham Hatt but never seek to rise to his level.”
Classical Music Smartphone Apps (They’re Everywhere)
“Androids or iPhones make good music players, and personalized radio apps like Slacker, Pandora and Last.fm offer passable alternatives to conventional radio, especially if you pay for advertising-free versions of the services.” And many individual ensembles are making their performances available, on their own or in partnership with such services as Instant Encore.
Great Britain Creates New Visa Category For Foreign Artists
“A pilot scheme that will allow high-profile actors and artists to enter the UK on special visas without jobs lined up will open for applications next month. … This will allow people who are ‘internationally recognised as world leaders in the arts’ to stay in the UK for up to three years and four months.”
Shepard Fairey And Friends Paint New West Hollywood Library
“The new public library in West Hollywood isn’t expected to officially open until October, but at least one component of the complex is already garnering public attention: a new group of [outdoor] murals created by street artists Shepard Fairey, Retna and Kenny Scharf.”
The Complicated Power Of ‘Now’ (When Exactly Is ‘Now’?)
“Catch a glimpse of a relatively nearby star and you see it as it existed when, perhaps, Lincoln was president (if it’s 150 light-years away). … Stranger still, the sky we see at any moment defines not a single past but multiple overlapping pasts of different depths. The star’s image from 100 years ago and the [distant] galaxy image from 100 million years ago reach us at the same time.” And this principle holds true for much more than just the night sky.
How Edward Villella Built Miami City Ballet
“It was a slow climb for Villella, who was hard-pressed to lure top dancers trained at Balanchine’s School of American Ballet [in New York] … ‘We were the fourth, fifth choice,’ Villella said of his rank in the American ballet world’s pecking order. ‘We were unproven’.”
Could Language Be The Key To Haiti’s Problems?
“Despite the fact that the vast majority of Haitian children grow up hearing and speaking exclusively Haitian Creole … the minute they start school they are forced to start all over in a language they don’t know [i.e., French].” Says MIT professor Michel DeGraff, “Haiti will never be able to rise to its potential if you have 90 percent of Haitians who cannot be instructed properly.”
The Positive Effects Of Porn?
“Contrary to what many people believe, recent research shows that moderate pornography consumption does not make users more aggressive, promote sexism or harm relationships. If anything, some researchers suggest, exposure to pornography might make some people less likely to commit sexual crimes.”