A traveler’s view on cultural appropriation

Cultural appropriation – taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission. Let me tell you a story… Sitting at a cafe in Medellin, Colombia, I was eating the classic Italian dish of Lasagna, accompanied by salad and a croissant, typically French but actually Austrian in origin, although in all likelihood copied from an Egyptian pastry dating back to ancient times. A French cultural organisation was promoting a day of free music so I…

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Bacchanalian delights of Carnival, Trinidad

Celebrating Carnival in Trinidad    In much of the English-speaking world, the term Bacchanalia has been largely abandoned to the classics and literary references. However in Trinidad the spirit of the Roman cult’s frenzied celebration of Bacchus, the god of wine, freedom, intoxication and ecstasy, has been embraced in popular culture. Although modern carnivals in general are Christian in origin, a final indulgence before the abstinence of Lent, the pagan roots are brought to the fore in Trinidad. Bacchanale is a…

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Bamako: inside the entertainment industry

With Mali’s musical reputation having spread far and wide you could be forgiven for thinking that this might be reflected in the night clubs of its capital Bamako. The reality is however  at the opposite end of the spectrum to that presented in the comfortable confines of  the European world music media. Purely in the interests of research, naturally, I embarked upon a few nights of club crawling with some fellow English speakers. With free entry and taxis at a…

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Trabzon shows Yerevan how to rock the party

I wouldn’t normally have considered a post about Turkey as its somewhere you are probably reasonably familiar with, but it provided a suitable contrast to the atmosphere of city life I experienced in the neighbouring Caucasus. The instant I stepped off the bus in the port city of Trabzon on a Sunday afternoon it was obvious that it had a vitality which was missing throughout the Caucasus. Just the simple heart beat of everyday life hummed with an enthusiasm and…

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Good vibes in The Gambia

I have come to learn that public transport offers an enlightening, microcosmic view of society in many countries, the first bus journey I and my friend Steve take in the Gambia being a case in point. Our weather beaten, crumpled carriage finally clanged and grumbled into life on the 5th attempt when several of the passengers had got out to help push starting;  amiable locals chatted away in a melange of languages typical of the region (I have heard four…

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