Culture

PANORAMA culture : Ties and tees: three innovative fashion initiatives from Ljubljana, Lille and Berlin

Ties and tees: three innovative fashion initiatives from Ljubljana, Lille and Berlin

Between 20 - 22 January, the historic Berlin-Tempelhof airport compound served as the venue of Bread and Butter, the most prominent trade fair for urban and streetwear, for the second year in a row. We pick tie manufacturers, T-shirt street fashion and an eco-sports label as top of the crop

by Sascha Lübbe // 09/02/10

culture, fair, lifestyle, clothes, berlin, fashion, traditions

INTERVIEW culture : Grand Archives: ‘In five years time we’ll probably be bartenders again’

Grand Archives: ‘In five years time we’ll probably be bartenders again’

Mat, Jeff, Curtis and Thomas are four friends from Seattle, four musicians from a small city. They’re not easily recognisable - you won’t have seen their faces in magazines or billboards. They don’t seem like typical indie rock stars; ‘nor do we don’t want to,’ says frontman Mat Brooke. We catch the group on their European tour leg in the Spanish capital

by Fernando Garcia Acuña // 09/02/10

culture, brunch, grand archives, music, spain, leonid kuchma

INTERVIEW culture : Annett Louisan: 'I don’t need to go the fake platinum blonde bombshell route anymore'

Annett Louisan: 'I don’t need to go the fake platinum blonde bombshell route anymore'

The breathy German chanson singer hasn’t only changed hair colour over the years - she seems to have done a bit of growing up as well. We catch the 31-year-old entertaining the Franco-German relations ambassador and performing live in Paris for the first time

by Katharina Kloss // 02/02/10 - 1 Comment

culture, germany, paris, brunch, music, language, interview

INTERVIEW culture : British authors in Paris on writing and Romania

British authors in Paris on writing and Romania

Vivienne Vermes is working on an autobiographical piece, whilst Denise Larking Coste is about to publish a novella in French; both Brits are members of a writers group from called 'Babel'. We discuss life in Paris, writing and Romania

by danaradler // 29/01/10 - 2 Comment - 3 votes

culture, literature, romania, england, france

Trailer 'The Convoy': erasmus road trip to Auschwitz for 65th anniversary See the video

- Video Trailer 'The Convoy': erasmus road trip to Auschwitz for 65th anniversary

25/01/10 - 1 vote

culture, erasmus, diary, languages, auschwitz, war, film

INVESTIGATION culture : Babelblogs on music: Charlie Winston wins 'European border breaker award'

Babelblogs on music: Charlie Winston wins 'European border breaker award'

... but what are these awards? A press release alerted me to the existence of an award show put on by the European commission for European music acts that 'cross borders'. Interesting idea, but the way it is structured is kind of silly

by Dave Keating // 18/01/10 - 4 votes

culture, english, talent, music, european commission, awards, babelblog

REVIEW culture : Music in January: Blur, Arsov and Loredana Groza

Music in January: Blur, Arsov and Loredana Groza

Electro tickles through folk Slovenian covers to Romanian local heroines, whilst the mighty Britpop band are featured in a new documentary in the UK, premiered last night: your music tips of the month

by cafebabel.com , Kristina Bozic , danaradler // 15/01/10 - 8 votes

culture, britpop, romania, music, culture calendar, album, slovenia

REVIEW culture : Staff Benda Bilili, voice of the voiceless in Congo

Staff Benda Bilili, voice of the voiceless in Congo

‘We're all handicapped people, ain't we?’ runs their myspace byline. After more than a month of touring through Europe, this group of paraplegic street musicians from Kinshasa left crowds elated and bewildered almost a year after releasing their debut album Très Très Fort, courtesy of Belgian producer Vincent Kenis of Congotronics fame. A French documentary on the group has been underway for seven years

by sofi // 11/01/10 - 1 vote

culture, bands, disable people, record, documentary, discrimination, war

INTERVIEW culture : DJ Boris Viande: the Breton who mixes gypsy funk

DJ Boris Viande: the Breton who mixes gypsy funk

'Boris Viande,' the 26 year-old muses. 'That’s my pseudonym, how I am best known.' A trumpet player, like the writer Boris Vian, Romain has now been mixing for four years. The young Frenchman claims that before unearthing his passion for eastern music, he was part of the punk movement

by Caroline Venaille // 08/01/10 - 1 vote

culture, brunch, gypsy, music

FEATURE culture : Sofia's directors and playwrights boom despite barebone budgets

Sofia's directors and playwrights boom despite barebone budgets

In Bulgaria there are no cultural policy programmes and the crisis has consumed the ministry coffers. Filmmakers like Kamen Kalev, playwrights and other creative minds demand government transparency and methods to support their enterprising spirit. Part one of a five part 'EU crisis on the ground' city series

by Ariadna Matamoros Fernàndez // 04/01/10 - 1 vote

culture, cinema, contemporary art, economical crisis, europe on the ground, balkans, youth

REVIEW culture : Music in December: Sally Shapiro, Empire of The Sun and Múm

Music in December: Sally Shapiro, Empire of The Sun and Múm

Featuring: album of the month from Polish rock-turned-pop star Agnieszka Chylinska, favourite disc of the month from an Australian award-winning electronica duo and a tracklist from Paris to keep you warm this winter

by cafebabel.com , Filip Jurzyk // 20/12/09

culture, pop music, poland, music, album

FOCUS culture : Holocaust Polish boy speaks from the dead on Facebook

Holocaust Polish boy speaks from the dead on Facebook

'Winter’s here. Every Jew must write their name on the Star of David that is sewn on their clothes...' In the same way that Anne Frank documented her experience day after day in her journal, a young victim of the Holocaust is being virtually revived through Facebook, where he has 2, 279 'friends'

by n- ost // 14/12/09 - 1 Comment - 2 votes

culture, germany, jews, second world war , poland, facebook, internet

INTERVIEW culture : The Wankin' Noodles, four boys from Rennes who sing about girls

The Wankin' Noodles, four boys from Rennes who sing about girls

Romain, Regis, Jean-Sylvain and Guillame went from being graphic design, cinema, information technology and literature students, to being backed by big names as France's latest post-teenage kicks band. Quick catch up with the twelve-eyed foursome at the Transmusicales festival in their hometown

by Nabeelah Shabbir // 14/12/09

culture, bands, rennes, men and women, pop music, youth, music

INTERVIEW culture : Cornershop: 'musicians might as well hand their credit cards over to the man on the street'

Cornershop: 'musicians might as well hand their credit cards over to the man on the street'

Northern English indie band Cornershop give us a talking to about Swiss minarets, metal music and releasing their comeback album - it's been seven years! - cheaply via their website

by Tim Mac an Airchinnigh // 11/12/09 - 1 vote

culture, switzerland, bands, downloads, religion, best of cafebabel.com, music

FOCUS culture : Party burnout in Paris, so go to Berlin

Party burnout in Paris, so go to Berlin

'Sssssh, go in quickly,' whispers the bouncer of the electro bar 4Elements on the Place de la Republique. The lights are out in the flat above. It is 11pm, a Saturday evening in Paris. The one-time nightlife mecca of Europe is turning into a sleepy little town, a trend that threatens to continue

by Romy Straßenburg // 08/12/09 - 3 Comment

culture, underground, festivals, lifestyle, paris, youth, alcohol

AGENDA culture : Guide to the reggae underbelly of Milan

Guide to the reggae underbelly of Milan

Maybe it all started on 27 June 1980, when Robert Nesta Marley arrived at Linate airport for the first of the only two concerts that took place in Italy in his career. 100, 000 people attended from the early afternoon on the grass of the San Siro stadium, which hosted a non-sporting event for the first time. Since then, the 'good vibes' of reggae have not stopped resonating through the clubs, streets and headphones of the devoted

by Nunzia Vallozzi // 08/12/09 - 4 Comment

culture, italy, music, cities, milan, reggae

Facebook weddings: you may now update your status See the video

- Video Facebook weddings: you may now update your status

07/12/09

culture, facebook, internet, society

INTERVIEW culture : Dominika Nowak: 'I want to stay unusual, even if I've had to become more commercial'

Dominika Nowak: 'I want to stay unusual, even if I've had to become more commercial'

The designer untames convention with her 'Nunc' shoes, insisting that her furry fabric fantasies are made to be adapted to daily life. We discuss Paris-Krakow, fashion uglies and what it's like to go it alone as a one-woman brand at 27

by Nabeelah Shabbir // 04/12/09 - 1 vote

culture, business, university, paris, expatriates, brunch, animals

Nazi propaganda music: Pete Doherty inches 'closer' to his German fans See the video

- Video Nazi propaganda music: Pete Doherty inches 'closer' to his German fans

01/12/09

culture, munich, germany, neo-nazis, music, national anthem, history

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Culture in the babelblogs

RIP great Yiddish poet A.Sutzkever + some remarks from his funeral

The world lost a great poet whose lifespan embrased almost an entire century. Lithuanian-born (we'd like to consider so - he was born in Czarist Russia and lived in Poland, but nonetheless was sort of a part of the culture that thrived in Lithuania at the time) Avrom (Abraham) Sutzkever ...

Daiva by Daiva on wonderland

In Brussels this week: Agenda from November 30 till December 6

This week in Brussels, December starts so enjoy and experience the Christmas spirit, dance for solidarity in the Bourse building and learn more about life in prison.

Annabelle by Annabelle on bruxelles

Nat Röfu by Nat Röfu on linea

...and what about the Marbles???

Cafebabel.com Athens, launches e-campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles. In few hours, the opening of the New Acropolis Museum is about to come. With this museum, Greece fulfills its promise to History. With this museum, the ancient treasures of Acropolis will be well- preserved for the generations ...

Giorgos by Giorgos on athens

Hungary | A borderless country?

It´s Pécs. Pécs, fifth-largest city of Hungary, was elected the European Capital of Culture 2010 (together with Essen, Germany and Istanbul, Turkey). It will try to present itself as a "borderless city [...] right in the middle of Europe". The 10th of May Pécs was the focus of mayoral elections ...

epolitik by epolitik on epolitik