THAI, Scottish, Turkish and Bollywood dancing along with Chinese harp playing and African drumming were among cultural events marking a celebration of Aberdeen’s international community.The event hosted at the Lemon Tree in West North Street Saturday was organised by Multi ethnic Aberdeen (MeAL) and the Scottish Parliament.

The festival heard from a number of speakers, includ ing representatives from the parliament, Community Food Initiatives North East, Aberdeen City Council, trade union GMB Scotland and Aberdeen’s multi-cultural community.

The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the contribution people from ethnic minority backgrounds are making to the north-east economy and local communities. MeAL co-ordinator Godfrey Joseph, who has lodged a petition at Holyrood calling for improved translation services within the NHS, said: “There has been a really good turnout and the day has been a great success. “Our aim was to bring all the different cultures across Aberdeen together and share information.

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As Javed, a 22-year-old artist from Peshawar, strikes his stringed traditional musical instrument Rabbab, he brings out the fest alive as if the mannequins enclosed in the heritage museum have come out of their showcases and spread out over the big Lok Virsa campus, the venue of the festival. He begins with the famed welcome tune tu meri jan jana, dilbar jana before striking other melodies.

This recreates a typical evening scene at the street of story tellers in Peshawar. And there is also a functioning kehva khana as an assurance that the NWFP feel is real. In fact, the stamp of the province gets more real when one moves about 50 yards ahead and sees the ethnic Kalash tribal dance from Chitral.

This is presented by five young Kalash women, among whom are Shaera and Ms Toofan (Toofan insisted that she be called Miss), who could converse in English. As they danced, the music was provided by Fiza - the leader of the troupe - a young man who played the small percussion instrument which can be played on two sides at the end, something like the pakavaj before it was broken into two by Hazrat Amir Khusrau to create the tabla. Fiza said its name was chitawacch shodiak. He was accompanied by Sher Jan who played the big rustic drum called daf.

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2010 is a very significant year for Mexican history. First, Mexicans will celebrate 200 years of independence from Spain on Sept. 16. Later, on Nov. 20, a century of the Mexican Revolution will pass. To celebrate here in San Diego.

The Mexican Consulate will present a cultural program with art exhibits, artistic presentations, festivals, a symposium, and much more. Mexican Consul Remedios Gomez said that with the collaboration of San Diego museums and Tijuana’s Cultural Center,  activities are planned for the entire year.

“In fact our first activity has just begun at the Museum of Photographic Arts with the projection of a Mexican classic film ‘Que Viva Mexico,’” she said. Gomez said that with these activities the Consulate wants to celebrate and share a space for reflection of the 200 years of relations between Mexico and San Diego County.

She also said that at the time that Mexico fought for its independence, the California region was part of the New Spain territory. “This is also a celebration for all the families that live here and an opportunity to learn and admire the Mexican art,” she said.

One of the most infamous performances in Vancouver music history happened at Expo 86. The world’s fair featured a showcase of local music talent, and the first act onstage was the Vancouver punk group Slow, which had been labelled “brilliantly out of control” in Expo bumf.

But the band’s performance evidently offended some fairgoers; management panicked and shut off the power on stage.

Unable to play, Slow singer Dan Anselmi and bassist Stephen Hamm expressed their displeasure visually: by pulling down their pants.

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While the 2010 Winter Olympics will be the main focus in Vancouver over the coming months, travellers have been informed that there will also be plenty of cultural events and activities on offer. Tourism British Columbia revealed that the 2010 Cultural Olympiad, which got underway this month, will attract hundreds of renowned artists to the city on Canada's Pacific coast.

It is being held in conjunction with the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to celebrate and promote a variety of art forms in Vancouver. Eileen Clarke, a spokeswoman for Tourism British Columbia, said: "The international showcase, held [from] January 22nd to March 21st, is hosting nearly 200 artistic events throughout the city, featuring visual art, music, dance, theatre, performance art and more.

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The Cultural Olympiad got off to a strong start with a slew of art, dance and theatre events premiering in the city throughout the weekend. Among the most notable of these showcases was Alberta Ballet’s The Fiddle and the Drum at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, French group Phoenix’s Friday night concert at the Orpheum, and Vancouver Art Gallery’s outdoor art installations.

In particular, the latter’s video display on the Robson Street façade and Michael Lin’s flowery mural on the Georgia Street Plaza created quite a stir. People really love it,” said Evelyn Abisror of VAG’s visitor services. “It’s been quite the conversation piece.”

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The Aboriginal people of Australia date back to at least 50,000 years and are one of the oldest living cultures in the world.

They are a people steeped in history and rich in tradition. When it comes to Australia’s history, you could say they ARE Australia’s history!

They are a people who live a legacy of spiritual knowledge, understanding of land and nature and believe in the connectedness of all things shared through rituals, dance, art, music and stories. Their lifestyle is based on sharing – of knowledge, stories, traditions and that’s why they are so willing to share a piece of their lives with you.

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The holidays are over and now all there is to look forward to is just a couple more months of winter, with its seemingly endless days of dark and dreary weather. Winter is a tough time in Estonia. Winters in Estonia are characterized by short and cold days. Night falls at 4:30 p.m. and lasts more than 16 hours, with the sun not rising again until 8:30 a.m.

Little daylight, loneliness and less physical activity lead to depression, alcoholism and high suicide rates, especially in urban areas like Tallinn. But if you happen to visit the Estonian capital this January or February you may see that things are changing. What is responsible for that change is the Tallinn Light Festival, with its smart city lights, bonfires, the fire and ice show, art events and happenings in the city’s most unexpected places.

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Istanbul launched a year of art events at the weekend as it became one of three Cultural Capitals of Europe for 2010, feting the occasion with concerts, street shows and firework displays.

The accolade, bestowed by the European Union, is seen by Turkey as an opportunity to reaffirm its bid to join the bloc and showcase a diverse heritage shaped by both Western and Eastern cultures.

Festivities, including light shows, were organized at seven locations across the city of 14 million, symbolizing the seven hills on which ancient Istanbul was built. Several museums were to stay open until midnight.

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Emphasis is placed on establishing links between the Technical University of Crete and local community. The University often organizes concerts, exhibitions, lectures, seminars, international or local conferences.