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President of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, dressed in the national costume, dances as part of The Day Of Chechen Language celebrations in Grozny April 25, 2010. The Day Of The Chechen Language holiday was established by Kadyrov in 2007 to promote the national language.
Hard Numbers: Chechnya bans beats, Poland’s right stays strong, Biden cancels student debt (again), Argentina battles dengue, “Hardest Geezer” runs Africa
116: Can you feel the beat? If you’re in Chechnya, from now on you are only rocking between 80 and 116 beats per minute. That’s because a new law bans any music faster or slower than that range. The Goldilocks move, taken by the quasi-Islamist dictatorship of Ramzan Kadyrov, aims to shield the North Caucasus republic – which is part of Russia – from insidious Western influences. But don’t worry – as GZERO design captain Ari Winkleman points out, you can still listen to Radiohead’s “Creep” (92 bpm) on repeat in the streets of Grozny.
52.5: Polish PM Donald Tusk’s centrist governing coalition won just 52.5% of the vote in Sunday’s municipal elections, a narrow victory that underscored the persistent strength of the far-right Law and Justice Party, which took close to 34%, the largest share of any single party. Tusk’s coalition ousted Law and Justice from national power in bitterly fought general elections last fall but has continued to clash with the party over rule-of-law issues and appointments ever since.
25 million: The Biden administration on Monday announced a sweeping new program of student debt forgiveness that it said would give relief to some 25 million borrowers, including those who are either facing economic hardship, owe more now than they did at the start of their payback periods, or who have had debt for more than 20 years. The new plan replaces an earlier one that was struck down by the Supreme Court but is expected to face some legal challenges of its own.
232,996: Argentina is facing its biggest-ever outbreak of dengue fever, with some 232,996 cases of the virus already registered this season, nearly double last year’s figure. Experts say that warmer temperatures, potentially linked to global warming, are extending the breeding season for the mosquitos that carry the disease. Dengue is sometimes fatal and never fun – high fevers, severe body aches, vomiting, and it can be more lethal the second time you get it.
9,940: If you think your little 20-minute morning run is something special, consider the feat achieved by the UK’s Russ Cook, otherwise known as “The Hardest Geezer.” Cook just finished running from South Africa to Tunisia – ie, the entire continent of Africa. The 9,940-mile journey, which he ran for charity, took him almost a year to complete. To celebrate, the 27-year-old endurance athlete knocked back a strawberry daiquiri.Noa Kirel from Israel performs during the grand final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, Britain, May 13, 2023.
Could Israel be disqualified from Eurovision 2024?
The search is underway for representatives from each of the 37 countries participating in the 2024 Eurovision song contest. The competition’s slogan might be United by Music, but as always, politics are never far from the stage.
This year, the controversy concerns Israel. Calls are growing for the country to be kicked out over its assault on the Gaza Strip, which has drawn accusations of war crimes and genocide. Many are citing as a precedent the 2022 expulsion of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Israel’s entry: 20 year oldEden Golan was selected after performing Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” to a hall of empty chairs, meant as a tribute to the Gaza hostages. Israel has been in Eurovision since the 1970s and has won four times — most recently in 2018.
Could Israel be expelled? Entries can be fined or disqualified for bringing politics onto the stage. But Israel’s expulsion is unlikely at this point. The final say rests with Eurovision officials, and so far they’re singing an evasive tune, saying, “Comparisons between wars and conflicts are complex and difficult and, as a nonpolitical media organization, not ours to make.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken plays guitar at the State Department, September 27, 2023.
What we’re listening to: US tries out Hoochie Coochie diplomacy
To be honest, if you told us that the US secretary of state, a 61-year-old white guy, was gonna grab a Stratocaster and belt out some Delta Blues in public, we’d have braced for a much more awkward outcome than this.
But Antony Blinken’s rendition of the Muddy Waters classic “Hoochie Coochie Man” was actually … pretty good! Like, not “Bill Clinton in sunglasses blowing sax on late night TV” good, but probably better than Vladimir Putin nervously crooning “Blyubyerreh Khill” to a room of captive celebrities.
America’s top diplomat sang the blues earlier this week at the launch of a new US initiative that enlists music and musicians to “convey American leadership globally and create connections with people worldwide.”
I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. pic.twitter.com/6MUfTXO9xK
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 28, 2023
The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative envisions worldwide exchanges of US and non-US musicians and musical scholars. Music as a way to learn English is one big (and smart) focus. An early round of tour programs includes a Herbie Hancock visit to the Middle East, a Philadelphia Orchestra residency in China, and bringing hip-hop artists into conflict resolution efforts in Nigeria.
The whole thing is reminiscent in some ways of Cold War programs that sent US musicians — sometimes handled by the CIA — to the far corners of the world to spread the gospel of American free market capitalism and artistic liberty.
The world has changed a lot since then — no doubt the US still boasts some of the best and most innovative musicians in the world (we just celebrated the 50th birthday of hip-hop, arguably the most transformative musical genre in history, which was born in the Bronx).
But does the US — divided at home and less trusted abroad — still have the political credibility to really make the world, as Muddy Waters sang, “wanna know what this all about”? We’ll turn up the volume and see where this goes.
Medusa TN
Hip-hop artists with geopolitical beats
In our ongoing celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, GZERO is highlighting artists from around the world who show the geopolitical impact of the genre. To hear 50 artists from 50 countries around the world, check out our playlist here.
Medusa TN is a 31-year-old Tunisian rapper and a prolific example of the explosion of creative expression that followed Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, an uprising that inspired the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democracy protests across the Middle East and North Africa. Medusa came of age during the revolution, and now her music pushes back against her country’s new leader, Kais Saied, and his slide back towards autocracy.
She is one of few Tunisian hip-hop artists to have an international audience, helped by her songs alternating between Arabic, French, and English, sometimes even in the same verse.
Against the backdrop of Saied’s policies undermining the rights of Tunisian women, and much of Tunisia's popular hip-hop degrading women, Medusa has risen to the top with songs about abortion, sexual harassment, and feminism (give “Consent” and “Size Me” a listen).
Her work doesn’t shy away from calling out Saied for his racist rhetoric against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, and she told Vice News that her work is intentionally political, noting that “if you’re criticizing the people in power, you’re doing political rap.”
What Eurovision means to Ukrainians at war
Where else will you find banana-inspired wolves, dubstep rapping astronauts, or earworms about vampires? It’s Eurovision, of course: the 70-year-old song contest that pits nations against each other in an annual spectacle of camp, kitsch, and catchy melodies.
But for Ukrainians – who have won the contest three times in the past 20 years – the contest is about something much more.
On GZERO Reports, we visit a secret Eurovision watch party outside of Kyiv, a drag party in New York City, and look at how Eurovision is more political than you – or those wolves, astronauts, and vampires – could imagine.
For the uninitiated, the colorful annual Eurovision Song Contest pits countries against each other in a spectacle of camp, kitsch, and catchy pop music. It’s like the Olympics meets American Idol meets Burning Man. Each country submits an original song, and the winner is chosen through a combination of audience and professional jury votes.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, says the contest isn’t political (they turned down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's request to speak at the finale), but in its almost 70-year history, politics have always found a way of creeping in.
Last Saturday’s Grand Finale was no exception. This year’s contest, held in Liverpool, England, was full of messages of unity and support for Ukraine, who could not host Eurovision after winning in 2022 because of the Russian invasion. GZERO traveled to two very different Eurovision watch parties—one in the heart of New York City and one in an undisclosed location on the outskirts of Kyiv—to see how politics and pop music come together for fans around the world.
"Just to see so much solidarity and so much diversity of thought and backgrounds embracing Ukraine through the power of music is very encouraging,” said Maxim Ibadov, the National Coordinator of RUSA LGBTQ+ and organizer of the NYC event, “Because Ukraine has beautiful culture and I’m so happy it’s being celebrated.”
Watch the upcoming episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer on US public television, airing nationwide. Check local listings.
- Hard Numbers: German arms for Ukraine, Serbia rejects ‘thoughts and prayers,' deadly storm hits Myanmar and Bangladesh, Sweden sweeps Eurovision ›
- The Graphic Truth: Eurovision – beating swords into microphones, sort of ›
- Hard Numbers: Ukraine wins Eurovision, Somalia’s new prez, Venezuela woos investors, CDU victory ›
A world in need of music therapy: Renée Fleming at Davos
You never know who you're going to meet wandering around in Davos, including opera legend Renée Fleming, who was honored this week by the Forum.
The four-time Grammy-winning Soprano, who has performed on six continents, was presented in Davos with the prestigious Crystal Award—not for her singing, but for the voice she's lending to help people understand how music impacts the human brain.
"What I've seen firsthand has really convinced me of the effects of art therapies on disorders relating to aging. So, Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as Parkinson's, other movement disorders, brain trauma, or anyone who's had a horrible accident."
Fleming spoke to GZERO’s Tony Maciulis on the ground at the World Economic Forum about her passion project, Music and the Mind. She also weighed in on a sticky geopolitical issue: Russian artists who have been banned from Western concert halls over their comments (or lack therof) regarding Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Russia's tragic brutality and the humbling of the West
- In Davos, Iranian protesters demand IRGC to be declared "terrorist" ›
- Europe grapples with insecurity, instability, and proxy war: Davos 2023 ›
- Opera legend Renée Fleming on how Russia's war in Ukraine has impacted classical music ›
- Graphic Truth: How Old Will the World Be in 2050? ›
- World leaders with rhythm: South Korea's President Yoon chimes in - GZERO Media ›
- GZERO 2023 political music playlist - GZERO Media ›
British pianist's velvety tones soothe Thailand's hungry monkeys
The macaques are instantly drawn as he plays Greensleeves, Beethoven's Fur Elise and Michael Nyman's Diary of Love.
K-pop band BTS delivers 'message of hope' at 75th UN General Assembly
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - South Korean K-pop band BTS delivered a "message of hope" in a pre-recorded video posted by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) on Wednesday (Sept 23) as part of the 75th UN General Assembly.