Agadagidi, a wine made from plantain, is a popular drink at festive occasions in Nigeria. But it’s not always of a high quality. It is usually produced in the southern part of the country in limited quantities because it is difficult to store. Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Enugu, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and...
María de Lourdes Ortiz Zacarías swiftly cuts hundreds of strips of newsprint and colored crepe paper needed to make a piñata, soothed by Norteño music on the radio while measuring pieces by feel. “The measurement is already in my fingers,” Ortiz Zacarías says with a laugh. She has been doing this since she was a...
Imagine Lady Gaga or Elton John teaching at an orphanage or homeless shelter, offering daily music lessons. That’s what took place at Venice’s four Ospedali Grandi, which were charitable institutions that took in the needy – including orphaned and foundling girls – from the 16th century to the turn of the 19th century. Remarkably, all...
Though anxiety about the fate of live theater performances still lingers, Broadway is celebrating its third season since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a lineup dominated once again by musicals. The new season includes long-running hits like “Hamilton,” revivals of classics like “Merrily We Roll Along,” new musical adaptations of nonmusical works like “Days...
The winter holiday season is chock full of tradition, and one of the most beloved traditions this time of year is seeing the beloved ballet The Nutcracker. Except for the sourest curmudgeons, The Nutcracker dances, music, story, and costumes are major fan favorites, for many reasons, and that’s not just the opinion of the average showgoer, but of...
It’s the opening of the Florida Grand Opera’s 82nd season, and this one delivers a few of the most beloved in the operatic canon. The FGO is starting with La Traviata, and audiences are already buzzing about its passion and sumptuousness. Before the actual premier performance, nearly 1,400 students from the Miami-Dade district attended a dress...
When the world is full of woes, watching a comedic opera, albeit one with some quirky plot twists, is a welcome escape. Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, which can be seen several times this November at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, is a wonderful way to be transported to musical dreamland. This production stars an accomplished and...
In a polarized country, how much does the media influence people’s political views? A new study co-authored by MIT scholars finds the answer depends on people’s media preferences — and, crucially, how these preferences are measured. The researchers combined a large online survey experiment with web-tracking data that recorded all of the news sites participants visited in the month...
Many Latinos regularly declare: “Día de los Muertos is not Mexican Halloween.” The declaration is increasingly repeated by non-Latinos too. Drawing a clear line between the two holidays is a rhetorical strategy to protect Day of the Dead’s integrity as Mexican cultural heritage and separate it from American popular culture. However, as a Mexican-American who...
The Day of the Dead in Mexico smells like cempasuchil flowers and copal incense. It has a sweet taste. Sounds and colors abound. There are photos, candles and music all over. The hands of artisans prepare the altars to honor their ancestors. Although it is an intangible tradition, borne down from pre-Hispanic cultures, Day of the Dead...
