The Nuyorican Revolution
NARRATIVELY: For half a century, spoken-word savants have seized their roots and given a voice to the Puerto Ricans of New York, creating a dynamic literary movement that continues to evolve in the city's shifting cultural landscape.
Flight for Survival
BBC / ROADS & KINGDOMS: In the Mexican town of Papantla, the gravity-defying “Voladores” ritual is helping the Totonac people preserve their heritage against the odds.
Family of slain Chilean singer seeks justice in US
AP: The family of Victor Jara claims to have solved the 40-year-old mystery of who killed the revered folk singer during Chile’s 1973 coup.
Welcome to Okinawa, Bolivia
MONOCLE 24: A rare visit to the remote colony founded for migrants from a Japanese island devastated by World War Two.
Cultures collide at Cumbre Tajín folk festival
MONOCLE 24: The Cumbre Tajín festival celebrates indigenous identity, combining scores of cultural activities with a distinctly popular musical lineup. Traditional folk dances share a stage with the likes of Fatboy Slim – but does this formula work?
Loft Chronicles
THE WIRE: Minimalist composer Phill Niblock has been living in his Chinatown loft since the late 1960s – and curating concerts there for almost as long.
For Mexican Prisoners, Music Brings Inner Freedom
VICE: Inmates at Santa Martha Acatitla prison in Mexico City have found a welcome escape – metaphorically, of course...
Archery on the rise in NYC
MONOCLE 24: The U.S. men’s Olypmic team won silver at London 2012, and “The Hunger Games” film broke box office records. The main character was a highly skilled archer – so could she be a new Robin Hood for today’s generation?
Saving Mexican culture with cocktails
MONOCLE 24: By using traditional ingredients to create original beverages, a group of “etnomixologists” hope to preserve indigenous Mexican culture in today’s globalized world.
Pussy Riot: From ragtag artists to global icons of dissent
REUTERS: Three members of the Russian all-girl punk band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison for “hooliganism” after playing in an Orthodox church. Reuters photojournalist Thomas Peter, who first met the artists in 2008, recalls his time with the group.
SPAMiversary: 7 BILLION cans sold in 75 years
REUTERS: The iconic canned ham has been the butt of jokes – but it’s also an American icon, serving troops in war, joining the Smithsonian and hamming it up on Broadway. Here's a rundown of Spam by the numbers.
NYC to expand outdoor gym provision
CNN: “Playgrounds for adults” have been around since the 1930s, but only recently began appearing in New York parks. Now, the city plans to roll out 24 new facilities over the next 18 months – after a successful space was opened near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
