Arts
Mexican American teen star sings on after heated controversy with Mexican audiences
Yahritza Martinez, 16, went from apple picking in rural Washington, to becoming a TikTok sensation and chart-topping musician. But her career nearly came to a halt after her comments about Mexico went viral. Despite the controversy, Martinez played at a major Mexican Independence Day concert in Mexico City — but some fans were not yet ready to embrace her.
Tibetan monks on tour in US as China continues to restrict religion in Tibet
'She is the evolution of reggaeton': The rise of trans Puerto Rican artist Villano Antillano
‘We don’t have this past anymore’: Ukrainian artist revives Kyiv’s prewar soundscape
This Crimean Tatar singer gives voice to her homeland with a new album
Ecuadorian group creates political hip-hop with bunnies and clowns
Mugre Sur is known for their deeply political songs — and also their sense of humor. They’re tackling Ecuador’s political turmoil in their upcoming album, “Sudamericamente.”
World’s faith leaders convene to ‘fight against authoritarianism’
People of faith gathered in Chicago this week to talk about something that doesn’t sound very religious. And that’s authoritarianism. It wasn’t a traditional political rally for a specific candidate. They’re taking part in the Parliament of the World’s Religions, an interfaith convening that first took place in the late 1800s. People from many different religious traditions took part.
Colombian activists try to shame city government into fixing broken sidewalks — by painting them pink
In Colombia's capital city Bogotá, pedestrians need to watch out for loose slabs of pavement they can trip over, or wobbly tiles that get their feet wet or splash dirty water on their pants. But some activists have started trying to shame the city into making repairs more quickly by covering the broken spots with pink paint and black Xs.
‘Sing every single song like it’s your last’: How conflict in Sarajevo changed this musician’s life
Thirty years ago, war raged in the city of Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia, where Gino Yevdjevich was once a pop artist. In our latest segment of “Movement,” our series on music and migration, we hear how this conflict changed Gino’s life and led him to create the Seattle-based punk band Kultur Shock.
‘Planet Hip Hop:’ The evolution of Korean rap
As part of our summer series, "Planet Hip Hop," we take you to South Korea, where hip-hop found its footing in the 1990s. Haekyung Um has written extensively about Korean pop culture and also teaches global popular music and Asian music industries at the University of Liverpool. She joined The World’s host Marco Werman to talk about the evolution of hip-hop and rap in South Korea.
The changing landscape for Sweden’s successful music industry
The Nordic nation is the third-largest exporter of pop music in the world, after the US and the UK. But musicians in Sweden are worried that the country's changing political climate could endanger this great Swedish success story.
1,000-year-old Gion Matsuri festival resumes in Kyoto, Japan
After four years of pandemic shutdowns, the grand Gion Matsuri festival resumed in all its glory this July, with bells, gongs and flutes chiming atop massive floats decked out in lavish tapestries and treasures.
‘Planet Hip Hop': Senegalese rappers push for social and political change
This summer, we are taking you on a global journey to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. In Senegal, hip-hop has evolved from something of a fad, to an influential force for social change.
Finnish Moomins book series finds new audiences in the US
The Moomins are troll-like characters from a Finnish children's book series that became popular around the world starting in the 1950s. But they never really took off in the United States. The author Tove Jansson rejected Walt Disney's offer to buy the brand. Now, a bookstore chain in the US is trying to popularize the Moomins here.
This Israeli rapper brings people together through multilingual lyrics
Noam Tsuriely is a 28-year-old Jewish Israeli hip-hop artist from Jerusalem He says he likes to rap in both Hebrew and Arabic to get Israelis and Palestinians to learn both languages, so they can understand each other better. Tsuriely's story is the latest in The World's summer "Planet Hip Hop" series.