It’s Nowruz today (& Ramadan too coincidentally). Each Nowruz, I think of these 2 lovely Zoroastrian girls who I met years ago in Yazd distributing biscuits outside a fire temple. Their smiles & innocence forever lives in my heart. Some smiles are meant for the world. Sale no mobarak. Ramadan Kareem

Baroona YouTube video by Kourosh Yaghmaei - Topic

The godfather of psychedelic rock, Kourosh Yaghmaei gave us Baroona meaning “into the rain” where he speaks to the rain as if it were a person while seeing others run from it. This was 1970, back when Iranian rock, rocked 🎸🪨. youtu.be/_NY3DpQ6oXQ?...

How stereotypical is belly dancing that it overshadows other forms of dance fm the ME. Belly dance was never meant to entertain men; it was a fertility dance performed for women. Here too, men entertain themselves; not the opposite sex. Anyone out there knows what this dance is & where it is fm?

Hong Kong’s golden hour from The Peak. Don’t know how many times I have seen it and still drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Anoushka Shankar’s Grammy-nominated “We Burn So Brightly” mixing classical Indian music with Goa trance is absolutely electrifying.

The Khaleeji rap track topping Spotify’s viral chart after appearing in a Bollywood new release: #Dhuandhar. The song Fa9la by Bahraini rapper Flipperachi was originally released last year. The exposure in the Hindi espionage film helped push the track to the no 1 spot in the chart. V v v v catchy.

It’s been 20 years and Lebanese Arab pop singer, Nancy Ajram, remains iconic, bridging generations; so much that even Billie Eilish recently said she “loooooooves her”.

Sri Lankan curries are another level of yumminess. Beetroot Thel Dala, Wattakka (pumpkin) Curry, Bathala (sweet potato) curry and dhal eaten with Samba rice and coconut sambol is a ticket to gastro-heaven.

A parent calls on a stranger in a moment of crisis, sparking a lifelong friendship In 1974, Surinder Gupta needed help and dialed a stranger in the phone book with a familiar Indian name. The man who answered went on to play a surprising role in his life.

In 1974, Surinder Gupta needed help and dialed a stranger in the phone book with a familiar Indian name. The man who answered went on to play a surprising role in his life.

Teach Me How To Love Galdive · Blue · Song · 2025

Galdive, an Indonesian duo made up of Tisha and Osvaldo, marry their love for R&B, electronic, classical & jazz music. Dreamy, ethereal & soulful, their “Teach Me How to Love” has become a standout success.
open.spotify.com/track/1VW5B2...

It’s a fine resting spot for the bird on Lenin’s hand. He still stands in Ashgabat’s Lenin Park amidst Turkmen motifs and his name written in Arabic. The 1948 earthquake didn’t put even a dent to his statue. Весь вопрос—кто кого опередит?

John Updike’s 1973 Phi Beta Kappa poem that was chosen as a prelude to Erich Segal’s The Class, published in 1985.

The reason the horizon shines
Is that somewhere it's hiding you.
The reason I long for the many lights
Is that you are there in one of them.

Kimi o nosete (Carrying You) from the anime classic, Laputa: Castle in the Sky sung by Azumi Inoue is a melodious, foreboding song. youtu.be/3RE3KiwBrtw?...

So soulful - Jalen Ngonda. Like Marvin Gaye. Like in the 70s. Like yesterday.

Joy Crookes - Perfect Crime (Official Video) YouTube video by JoyCrookesVEVO

Joy Crookes, a half-Bangladeshi; half-Irish singer from South London has dropped a new video: ‘Perfect Crime’, shot in Bangladesh. Her R&B style of singing reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or Lauryn Hill.

youtu.be/JhAqvMxo49I

Lenin is also at Bishkek Railway Station. Is he waving to passengers, wishing them a happy journey.

The five-pointed star features prominently in front of Lenin; although his ideologies are not as relevant in Kyrgyzstan.

Lenin in Bishkek. Relegated to a less important square but hasn’t been pulled down.

Dilruba Alap YouTube video by Josh Bennett

Dilruba, which literally means ‘one that steals your heart’, was once popular in Afghanistan. With the Taliban considering music anti-Islam, so much of its music is now lost to the world. The musician in the video is not an Afghani but the music will surely steal your heart youtu.be/CjFpKQk00c0?...

Circassian dance from the Caucasus is about combat & courtship. Circassian dance shares commonalities with ballet; men dance on the tips of their toes while women glide across the floor. The black outfit called a cherkes, a military style outfit with bullet cartridges worn across the chest.

The existential dread

The Kalbelia tribe from Rajasthan in India are snake charmers & their dance movements & costumes are inspired by the serpent's motions. Women dancers wear black attire & mimic the movements of a snake to the poongi (a woodwind instrument). The songs are often passed down orally.

In the mood to dance. Here’s a Kurdish wedding dance. These lovely ladies move so gracefully. Their dresses and the backdrop of those snow-capped mountains!

Balkan dances from Albania, Bosnia/ Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria. (Not sure if Greece can be considered a Balkan country though).

Zulala Hashemi & Baryalai Samadi Beautiful Songs | د زلاله هاشمي او بریالي صمدي په زړه پورې سندرې YouTube video by Barbud Pashto

Zulala Hashemi, an Afghan singer silenced under the Taliban rule was recently abducted & missing for the past 15 days. She is a mother to a 4-year old son. In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, music is outlawed & artists forced into exile. youtu.be/HDzP9tcmxRQ?...

Rato Bhale Ganesh Rasik, Hiranya Bhojpure · Lekali · Song · 1988

‘Rato Bhale’, an iconic Nepali song about parents’ hopes & dreams about their children finding the right education, a life partner & spiritual growth, stands for life & tradition. It was sung by veteran Nepali singer, Ganesh Rasik, who passed away earlier this month.
open.spotify.com/track/46HQkp...

Eléonore Fourniau was born in France & moved to Türkiye to learn Turkish & Kurdish music. Here, she sings an Azerbaijani Mugham at the Philharmonie de Paris a composition by Sami Yusuf, the Iranian-British songwriter of Azerbaijani descent.

Нуган заяаны чимэг Nugan zayanii chimeg Дуучин Л.Нарангэрэл СТА YouTube video by Udshiin khemnel STUDIO

Could I be forgiven to believe this sounds Korean? Came by this piece & totally blew me away. Took me an age to find out who the singer is. She is Mongolia state artist, B. Narangerel, but just look at her attire & tell me Star Wars didn’t take inspiration for Padmé Amidala. youtu.be/oMevwSHQ4xk?...