cafebabel.com

B-boys, b-girls and rappers on Seville's hip hop identity

('Meggymoo',) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:11:15 -0000

Seville and flamenco belong together like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Yet the Andalusian city also gained a reputation in the nineties for establishing a new genre of Spanish-speaking hip hop. Bands like SFDK grew in tower block neighbourhoods such as the one-time 'Bronx of Seville', Pino Montano

World music in Vienna: Yezidi we can

('Dzina Donauskaite',) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:26 -0000

From a Yezidi party in central Vienna to the world music stage of artists resident in Vienna from Syrian and other origins, the patterns of the Austrian capital's oriental music world don't quite mirror society when it comes to integration. Can oriental rhythms foster social change?

Rise of Turkish soap operas in Greece

('Krisztian Gal',) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:28:40 -0000

Has this positive phenomenon in Greek entertainment regarding multiculturalism increased due to the crisis? A wave of Turkish novellas seems to be bringing back more 'traditional values' that everyone can relate to via the small screen, regardless of the ancient antagonism between the two cultures

Once upon a mosque in Athens: illegal garages but not for raves

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:24:26 -0000

Around 700, 000 residents of Greece’s 11 million people are muslims. The figure is not exact since the government doesn’t make it easy for the community – essentially, the Greek capital is the only European one not to have a functioning mosque

Seville’s Moroccan community: planning to 'return'?

('PeterG',) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:30:00 -0000

As of 2006, Moroccans constituted Seville's largest immigrant community, with more than 3, 000 Moroccans living in the city. Given its Moorish history, Andalusia – and its capital, Seville – has a long association with the Maghreb - but maybe not a model one

Kirtimai: Lithuania's Roma on education and 'missing England'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:36:54 -0000

Less than 3, 000 Roma live in Lithuania. Representing 0.1% of the population, there are still enough Baltic 'gypsies' to serve as a scapegoat in a country feeling squeezed by the crisis. However, in one Lithuanian village, Romualda, Svetlana, Konstantin and Konsela are helping the community to lift its head

Nightlife in Vilnius: ethnic minority benders

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:12:17 -0000

6.7% Polish, 6.3% Russian, 1.2% Belarusian, 0.7% Ukrainian, 0.1% Yiddish, 0.09% Tartar…approximately 115 communities of ethnic minorities were listed in this vein in a 2001 census in Lithuania. How integrated are these groups in local society? One way of finding out is by hitting the tiles

From San Diego to Vilnius: all Jew you need for a library in Lithuania

('SoniaZ',) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:41:33 -0000

There is nothing more multicultural in Lithuania right now than the new library which opened in the capital of this Baltic state on 16 December. The concept is simple: all books, films and music must be about either a Jewish subject, writer or artist

My beautiful camp: Italy's Roma success stories

('Tom Gale',) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:00:50 -0000

Between a Roma camp claiming to be an example of social integration and a laundrette which is a supposed symbol of multiculturalism, profound problems linger at the heart of Rome’s gypsy communities

Multiculturalism in Piazza Vittorio, Rome

('Sebastian Baciu',) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:30:51 -0000

Rome's Piazza Vittorio Emanuele was once a prime example of integration, but today some residents claim that the area has since become overrun by 'Chinese trash culture'. The good news is that there are efforts to unite the district's inhabitants through art

Second generation Romans in multicultural Italy

('Anj',) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:58:29 -0000

The facts point out that they are important for the country’s economic growth, but they are still stigmatised by the ruling class and forgotten by the law - what do young Romans Puia, Fatou, Queenia and Franck say?