U.S. Fulbright students in France, India, Mexico, Mali, New Zealand, and Uganda are sharing their experiences as part of the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships. Through a partnership with mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, the Fulbright-mtvU program promotes “the power of music” as a global force for mutual understanding.  Recipients were chosen through a multi-tiered, merit-based selection process beginning with field and discipline merit review by U.S. and overseas academic leaders and area experts. mtvU and musical icons Serj Tankian, Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, Wyclef Jean, and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (for the 2008 students) and Vampire Weekend, Santigold, Death Cab For Cutie and Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance (for the 2009 students) reviewed and nominated candidates. Final selection was made by the Presidentially appointed Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Winners are sharing their experiences during their Fulbright year via video reports, blogs and podcasts as showcased on mtvU and mtvU.com. See their lastest entries below.

2009-2010 Fellows:
        Rod Solaimani, Morocco
        Tina Wadhwa, India

2008-2009 Fellows:
       Alexis Tucker, France
       Katie Day Good, Mexico
       Spencer Orey, Mali
       Ainsley Breault, New Zealand
       Melissa Adams, Uganda

Rod Solaimani, Morocco

in media res

Posted Sunday, October 11, 2009 by Rod Solaimani - in Morocco, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

In 10th grade Lit, Mr. Carson taught us that the best way to sleep covertly while standing upright is to lean stomach-first against a cabinet in the back of the classroom, and place a chalkboard eraser

My Freinds And Me With Huey Lewis

between your chin and chest. This technique is best employed when your students are giving 15-minute oral presentations on Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

In his waking hours Mr. Carson rewrote the example sentences in our vocabulary books so that they provided context within the scope of 70’s pop culture. I learned that the word “avarice” is a synonym for “greed”, and that many consider Avarice Films Inc.’s undisputed masterpiece to be Debbie Does Dallas. I thought it was a Western, and my dad worshiped John Wayne, so I asked him if he’d heard of it. He had, but to the best of his knowledge it was not a John Wayne movie. We then had a father-son moment.  Mr. Carson also taught me that all epics begin in media res and that the adventures that shape our lives are no exception.

Comment on this post and read more of Rod's blog posts on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Rod

School: Georgetown University
Major: Foreign Policy
Country Visiting: Morocco
Email: Fulbright_Rod@mtvu.com

Rod Solaimani, who graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Foreign Policy in 2008, will travel to Morocco to study and participate in the Afro-Arab-Gnawa-Western musical exchange. A skilled percussionist, he will research the impact of U.S.-Moroccan musical partnerships in 3 cities, use his findings in local high school music curricula and promote East-West collaboration with a student concert.

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Tina Wadhwa, India

Be the Change

Posted Friday, October 16, 2009 by Tina Wadhwa - in India, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

It wasn’t easy, but I’ve finally managed to set up a relatively normal life here. Although Mumbai represents craziness at its best, I am surprised by the level of organization and structure of the Akanksha Foundation, the main youth foundation I will be working with during my time here in India. With 33 after school centers and 2 full time schools, Akanksha has developed a specific curriculum and manual with which they want to instruct every child. They have programs that range from the basics of Math and English to social leadership and music. They help slum kids apply to universities, market their artwork to generate income for their families, and even teach them basic computer skills in partnership with SchoolNet. The soul of Akanksha is in Mahatma Ghandi’s mantra: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Akanksha changes the lives of children by showing them how to believe again through the art of imagination. They help the kids escape from their harsh realities in the slums, even for just a few hours a day or a week, to let them be children again. I visited with the centers and met with the children, volunteers and professors. It was assessment day, and the children were being tested on their progress through oral and written exams. I sat in on multiple assessments where the children were asked about current events and about what they had read or seen recently in the news. What was going on in their Mumbai? And you know the first thing the children spoke of? Music. They knew the latest Bollywood release, they spoke of Michael Jackson’s death, they quoted lyrics romanticizing their favorite songs. One little boy even broke out in dance and serenaded me with a Bollywood love song (it took all I had not to blush!).

Inside Akanksha Foundation

This morning, I visited with another Akanksha center in Bandra. After lessons covering a diverse range of topics that included psychology, economics, politics and physics, the class erupted into one big Bollywood disco. The teachers turned on the stereo, and the whole class danced in a circle to the ever-popular song of the moment – “Desi Girl,” from the Bollywood movie Dostana. With lyrics like, “Who’s the hottest girl in the world? My Desi Girl!!,” the children strutted their stuff, and in all honesty, some of them were pretty amazing dancers! Never before had I experienced such a crazy Bollywood dance party in such a tiny, crowded, unairconditioned room in the morning, but hey, I could definitely get used to this! Later, the children commented that I spoke and looked like Katerina Kaif, a Bollywood movie star from London. I know this is hardly the case, but I think I’ll go with it for awhile. I seriously love these kids, and I am so excited to work with them this year.
 
That’s it for now, and I will write again soon about Navaratri and about a really great upcoming event that Akanksha has in partnership with Teach for India, called “Come Alive.” Thanks for reading!

Comment on this post and read more of Tina's blog posts on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Tina

School: Columbia University
Major: Political Science and Economics
Country Visiting: India
Email: Fulbright_Tina@mtvu.com 

Tina Wadhwa, who graduated from Columbia University in 2007 with a BA in Political Science and Economics, has traveled to India to create a documentary exploring the impact and influence of Bollywood music on underprivileged youth in Mumbai. She is also developing the music and drama center of the Akanksha Foundation while focusing on the role of music as a vehicle for collective expression and understanding among the children. Exploring the paradoxes and interactions between the Indian film industry’s intentions and the perceptions of the people, she bridges these divides by coordinating with entertainment professionals at Rohit Roy Productions and the youth of the Akansha Foundation, culminating in a Bollywood performance by the youth, as well as a documentary film, CD recording and website depicting their journey. The documentary will be screened at a fundraising gala that marks the 20th anniversary of the Akanksha Foundation’s efforts.
http://fulbright.mtvuhosted.com/author/tinawadhwa/

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Alexis Tucker, France

France goes to Hip-Hop International World Championship + Interview with Vicelow

Posted Monday, July 27, 2009 by Alexis Tucker - in France, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

View video "Hip-Hop International - Paris Interview"

At the end of July, France will be represented for the first time at the Hip-Hop International World Championship in Las Vegas. The three French dance crews to go to the U.S. (categorized by age group: Junior (7-12) Varsity (12-18) and Adult (18+)) were selected at the Hip-Hop International France Championship held at the Casino de Paris this past May. Despite being the first year for the French tournament, all of the competing crews were really strong and the event was a huge success thanks to passionate dancers, a great audience and a lot of hard work put in by the HHIF organizers Jean Pierre Chandler and Sabrina Bouhanik. During the competition, I interviewed J.P. and Sabrina backstage about the challenges of putting together the event and what lessons and opportunities HHIF has to offer young people in France. You can check out a portion of our interview above.

View video "Interview with Vicelow"

Vicelow (center in white hood) posing with his good friends from the R.A.F. Crew— winners of the Hip-Hop International France Championship (Adult category 2009)

In addition to the dance crews, well-known French hip-hop rappers also performed at the event including Freeman (formerly of IAM), Philemon, Vicelow (formerly of Saïan Supa Crew) and Pit Baccardi. Having interviewed dancer-turned-rapper Freeman the previous week (in fact, he was the one who first told me about HHIF), I was also interested in interviewing Vicelow about his decision to make dance a big part of his current solo project The Blue Tape. Above, you can watch a portion of our interview to learn why Vicelow considers it both “natural” and important for him to work closely with dancers and how he was first inspired by Michael Jackson to be a true performer.

Comment on this post and read more of Alexis' blog posts on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Alexis 

Alexis Tucker is in France to study how socially engaged French rap music and hip-hop culture have addressed the aftermath of the 2005 riots and the 2007 French Presidential election. She will produce a multimedia presentation and a documentary that reflect the political role of hip-hop in France. Alexis graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in French and African Studies in May 2008.
http://fulbright.mtvu.com/author/alexistucker/

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Katherine Good, Mexico 

The Grand Tour

Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 by Katie Day Good - in Mexico, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

For my final post, I'll leave you with this audio flipbook that sums up my year. In previous posts, I tried to explore the diversity of Mexican music by zooming in on individual sounds and people. I wanted to compare a variety of styles (Mariachi, Son Jarocho, Danzón, Villancicos, La Chilena, Son Huasteco, and Tropical were just a few that I got hooked on), while also considering how this music has been affected by emerging issues in Mexico, like emigration, urbanization, and the cultural gap between generations.

This audio flipbook takes a wider view. I hope it lives up to its name—It's a “grand tour” of the School of Mexican Music, classroom by classroom, genre by genre. For the musician in me, traveling from one “room” of Mexican music to another over the course of this year was an awe-inspiring lesson in new sounds. But more importantly, it gave me a taste of the complexity of Mexican history. And every day, I'm happy to report, that history is still being sung and played out by young people who want to live in a 21st century Mexico that doesn't forget where it came from.

View and listen to the audio flipbook.

Sincere thanks to IIE, the State Department, COMEXUS, and mtvU for their continued support during this year. I also want to thank the School of Mexican Music in Mexico City, and the Centro de Documentación del Son Jarocho in Jáltipan, Veracruz for opening their doors to my research (and elementary music skills).

I also want to individually thank my mentors and music teachers, without whose patience and knowledge this project would not have been possible—Jorge Luís Aquino Gómez, José Luís Ceron Mireles, and Pedro Gutiérrez in Mexico City; Ramón Gutiérrez of Son de Madera in Xalapa; Benito Cortés Padua of Los Cojolites at Rancho Luna (….Negra!); my fellow Fulbright grantee Phillip Quercia; Thomas Stanford and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia; and Randall Kohl of the Universidad Veracruzana. A todos Uds., ¡Mil gracias!

Last but not least, if you like what you've heard on my blog, I urge you to check out some of these young Mexican musicians who have, at one point or another, knocked my socks off:

• Los Cojolites - Jálitpan, Veracruz
• Los Pájaros del Alba - Cosoleacaque, Veracruz
• Sonex - Xalapa, Veracruz
• Pasatono - Mexico City and Oaxaca
• Las Perlitas Tapatias - Guadalajara, Jalisco

Comment on this post and read more of Katherine's blog on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Katherine

Katherine Good is in Mexico to produce podcasts that anthropologically explore the Mexican youth renaissance of performing various pre-rock music styles. A folk musician and independent radio producer, Katherine works with the School of Mexican Music in Mexico City and the danzon and son jarocho circles of Veracruz to document this growing cultural trend.  Katherine graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. in Anthropology and B. A. in International Studies. http://fulbright.mtvu.com/author/katiegood/

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Spencer Orey, Mali

Sanuya

Posted Friday, June 12, 2009 by Spencer Orey - in Mali, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

“Sanuya”, written and performed by Modibo “Bastin” Diabate featuring Mah Bara Soumano and Konté B, arranged by Lamine Soumano, produced by Studio Mali, and filmed by Spencer Orey.

View the video here.

“Sanuya” is a song about about cleaning up the trash in Bamako that draws attention to trash and pollution in the city. It’s mostly in Bambara with some French, and it’s around six minutes long. Usually in Bamako I do my best to see through the pollution into the underlying beauty of the city, and trust me, there is a lot there that is beautiful. However, this time, I got to focus directly on trash and make things into a giant chaotic trash party, shooting all but one scene without my tripod while riding around on motorcycles with a big group of rappers in the Bamako neighborhood of Djicoroni Para. Unfortunately, it’s the hot season right now, so it’s nearly 115 degrees F every day, and the light is always incredibly strong, making filming especially difficult. However, with help, we found some dirty places to film: trash piles, burning trash piles, open sewers, meat markets, and more.

But you know, this is not to say that all of Bamako is like that. You see, in presenting this video, I don’t want to misrepresent Bamako or Mali as entirely dirty places: there IS a big problem with trash and trash collection (most trash collection is done by donkey-driven carts), and nobody will deny there. But there are ALSO beautiful trash-free places in the city, and not everything is trash. It’s important to remember that in making the video, we sought out the dirtiest places possible, meaning that there were many places that we passed up as too clean.

Bastin told me he hopes that his song will help people realize that they’re going to have to be more careful about trash, about how much they consume and how much they throw away, not to mention WHERE they throw it! He wants people to stop burning trash, especially tires and plastic bags, and to work together to find a better waste management solution. He hopes that his song will help the city transform into an even more beautiful place.

For the editing, I worked with Lamine Soumano, who was an invaluable help in sync’ing the video and helping me to know which images should go with which verses. People I’ve shown it to have commented that the finished version looks exactly how a Malian music video should, which is something that I am proud of. It certainly was a great experience and a lot of fun to make!

I hope you enjoy the video!

Comment on this post and read more of Spencer's blog on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Spencer

Spencer Orey is in Mali to study the rich tradition of griot musicians, who are considered living embodiments of cultural knowledge. He is researching the roles musicians played in the Malian transition to democracy and what roles they play currently. From his findings, he will create a compilation CD of music.  Spencer graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Anthropology.
http://fulbright.mtvu.com/author/spencerorey/

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Ainsley Breault, New Zealand

Kommikal and Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

Posted Friday, October 16, 2009 by Ainsley Breault - in New Zealand, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

This is a bit of an overdue post, but at the end of July I flew to Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand, to meet and film one of my participants, Kommikal. I happened to catch him during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, or Māori Language Week. This annual celebration of the Māori language started in 1975, and each year encompasses events all over New Zealand that support the use of Te Reo Māori. Even mainstream media outlets participate, as statements like “What’s next on TV2” were delivered solely in Māori, and New Zealand-made programming like the daily serial Shortland Street featured Māori language content. It’s an amazing achievement for proponents of the Māori language that the week has grown to such prominence, particularly when some older New Zealand residents can remember a time (the early 1900’s) when the Māori language was banned on playgrounds at schools and corporal punishment could be administered to children who disobeyed.

Here are some clips from Kommikal’s performance at the Māori Film and Music Festival held at the University of Canterbury as part of their week of classes, workshops, and celebrations held in the Māori language.

To learn more about Kommikal, check out his MySpace.

And to learn a bit of Māori, go on to Kōrero Māori, an awesome online resource developed by the Māori Language Commission for people interested in picking up the Māori language. Kia toa!

P.S. To file under “New Zealand is beautiful”, I can’t help but include a photo from a day trip to Kaikoura during my South Island journey, where I took a whale and dolphin tour and happened upon a group of travelling dusky dolphins. Enjoy!

Comment on this post and read more of Ainsley's blog posts on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Ainsley 

Ainsley Breault is in New Zealand to research the role of music in perpetuating Maori culture. She will conclude the project by obtaining a one-year certificate in Maori music at Auckland University of Technology, and will chronicle two significant Maori music events, sharing her findings through two 30-minute rockumentary-style digital videos. Ainsley graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Cinema-Television.
http://fulbright.mtvu.com/author/ainsleybreault/

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Melissa Adams, Uganda 

The Gender Dimension

Posted Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by Melissa Adams - in Uganda, Fulbright-mtvU Fellow

One of the things that has fascinated me the most while working on my Fulbright project is the role that breakdancing can play as a tool for girls’ empowerment.

In northern Uganda, like in many parts of the world, traditional gender norms dictate that women and girls be quiet, respectful and subservient to men. Girls participating in the Hip Hop Therapy Project adhere to these social norms. They are very quiet and shy.When they come to greet me (and anyone older than them), they kneel or curtsey. They speak very softly and rarely look you in the eye.

When it’s time to hit the dance floor however, they become transformed. When it comes to breakdancing, these same girls dance with as muchconfidence and attitude as the boys. I’m still amazed every time I see one of the b-girls enter a “cypha” (freestyle dance session). Although the cyphas are largely dominated by boys, the girls jump into the middle of the circle and dance fearlessly! It’s as though the dance floor serves as a sort of equalizer. On the dance floor, girls and boys are equally respected based on their skill and talent as dancers and not on their gender.

It’s a beautiful thing to witness and I hope that some of the confidence and self-esteem the B-girls gain from their breakdance experience will translate in other aspects of their lives.

Comment on this post and read more of Melissa's blog posts on the Fulbright-mtvU website.

About Melissa

Melissa Adams's Fulbright project in Uganda is working on a hip-hop therapy project in which youth affected by war and by AIDS in Northern Uganda learn to beatbox, break dance, compose positive rap songs and create hip-hop beats with local instruments. She is conducting an assessment of the children's needs and available resources and will use the data to determine how best to further meet their psychosocial needs through these therapeutic resources. Melissa graduated from Emory University with a Masters in Public Health. http://fulbright.mtvu.com/author/melissaadams/

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