Beats, Rhymes and Jihad
Hip-hop appeals to those who feel powerless and disenfranchised, which is why ISIS looks to hip-hop communities as potential recruiting grounds.
Chris Kjorness
The Music That Sprouts Between Empires: Ukrainian Culture Amidst Conflict
Ukraine was once considered the musical heartland of the Russian Empire, its culture thriving between the cracks of various powerful and competing empires.
(The Limits of) Football, Samba, and Commonality
The 2014 FIFA World Cup theme song highlights one of the worst trends in a global society: culture boiled down to a sort of triumphant universal human-ness.
Toumani Diabaté and Sidiki Diabaté: Toumani & Sidiki
A father and son treat listeners to an album that took 700 years to make and subtly make an important statement about the nature and resilience of culture.
Bollywood and the Ballot: India’s Shimmery Election
Bollywood stars are essential to the cultural identity of India, but their involvement in the 2014 election have some questioning the wisdom of the "Bollywood-ification" of politics.
The Sound of Venezuela’s Restlessness
As protests continue to rage in Venezuela, a traditional Venezuelan spirit is on display. It is thoughtful and reflective, yet opaque. It might be best understood through the music.
Pussy Riot Isn’t the Only Band Rocking on Russia
From clever Soviet-era symphonies to current black market recordings, Russian musicians have a long history of working around the state's culture of censorship.
The Sounds of Upwardly Mobile Africa
While Sub-Saharan Africa is not the first place associated with cutting edge innovation, its people have a long history of adapting, adopting, and re-imagining ideas from abroad.