Bernie Wilson, a baritone member of the rhythm and blues group that produced the 1972 hit "If You Don’t Know Me by Now," has died. Wilson, 64, died early Sunday at Kresson View Center in New Jersey, following a stroke and a heart attack, his cousin, Faith Peace-Mazzccua, said Monday. Philadelphia International Records, the former …

Darth Vader proclaiming he’s Luke Skywalker’s father, Tony Manero preening in his underwear and an early 20th-century deaf activist speaking in sign language are among the images that will be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry. The 25 films selected this year include "The Empire Strikes Back," the …

Zajal, an old form of improvised Arabic poetry that enjoyed its heyday in Lebanon before the 1975-1990 civil war, is making a tentative comeback with thousands of fans on Facebook and YouTube. Traditionally an emotional oratory duel between two men, zajal once drew crowds of tens of thousands who revered its artists as poets of …

JUBA: "Let us go, we can make it," Mary Boyoi sings softly in a flute-like voice as she sways to the rhythm, sharing a dream that south Sudan will choose independence in next month’s referendum. Boyoi, a rising pop artist, is one of several singers who are literally using their voices to get out the …

There is an unstoppable force that drives Ousso (Mohamed Lotfy), Egypt’s foremost guitar player. It is not just his love for music, but his belief in people, in young musicians, in the possibility to change and improvement, in the importance of learning and developing one’s skills, and in the great outcome of devotion to what …

First of all let me thank Search for Common Ground for this award. I would also like to thank my own organization, MIFTAH for providing me with the platform from which to express my views. I am truly honored to have been chosen for what I feel is my humble contribution to the world of …

Chinese collectors with cash to burn dominated Paris auctions in December, displaying a ravenous appetite for pieces from the country’s imperial days with a focus as much on investment as nostalgia. Hotel Drouot, one of the French capital’s top auction halls, recorded its top sale of the year on Dec. 14 when an 18th-century Qing …

Thailand’s film board has banned a movie about a transgender father struggling to raise two children, a move the director says highlights the conservative side of Thai society despite its freewheeling reputation. The National Film Board ruled earlier this week that the film, "Insects in the Backyard," cannot be shown in Thailand because it contains …

By Caroline Curran Fatima Bhutto is the self-proclaimed black sheep of Pakistan’s foremost political family. Although little known compared to some of her more famous relatives, Bhutto is making a splash this month with the publication of her book: “Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter’s Memoir.” Niece of current President Asif Zardari and deceased former …

A year after releasing their first hit album, the Canadian Tenors are delivering "The Perfect Gift," a compilation of traditional and contemporary holiday music. "You have the classics like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘Silent Night,’ but there are songs that are not necessarily Christmas-specific," explained tenor Victor Micallef. "Some great producers worked on that, as …

By Hillel Italie/ AP Dead men were big sellers in 2010, from Stieg Larsson and his Millennium trilogy to Mark Twain and the autobiography he wanted withheld until 100 years after his death. Among the living, George W. Bush’s “Decision Points” became a quick million seller and defied expectations for the former president, who left office …

By Mariam Hamdy This year has been a relatively intriguing one for the arts in Cairo. Despite the fact that most of the exhibitions didn’t resonate significantly with viewers or critics, there appears to be new trends in Cairo’s art scene that are worth some attention. New gallery spaces are being introduced and artists of all …

By Joseph Fahim The life of a critic is a solitary one, largely spent in front of a big screen with an audience that mostly shares the same tastes, opinions and lifestyle. The dissociation from real life is an accepted upshot of our daily routine. Perhaps that’s why I was somewhat flabbergasted to find myself engaging …

By Sherif Azer and Youssef Faltas/ Literary recession still glooms over book lovers in Egypt. There are no notable sensations to mark 2010, with bestseller lists largely unchanged from last year’s, which in turn wasn’t much different from the one before it. There are, however, few exceptions. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction, known as the …

By Joseph Fahim Last year, all strata of Egyptian culture witnessed a considerable decline brought about by economic crises, the impact of which was much more grave than originally forecasted. A lack of resources and general reluctance in investing in risky projects forced mainstream culture to slash production and adhere to safe formulas. Indie culture was …

By David Germain/ AP If there were a Hollywood Remakes 101 college class, “True Grit” directors Joel and Ethan Coen no doubt would be in violation of a basic lesson: Never remake a film people know and love. John Wayne’s 1969 Western “True Grit” was one of his choice late-career roles, earning him a best-actor Academy …

By Gillian Wong/ AP Christian Bale will star in Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s new project about 13 young prostitutes who help save compatriots from Japanese troops rampaging Nanjing, the latest film exploring a World War II-era atrocity that stirs nationalism in China. Bale, currently co-starring in the boxing drama “The Fighter,” will portray an American priest …

By Herve Asquin and Bronwen Roberts/ AFP Afghan war film “Armadillo” follows young Danish soldiers deploying against the Taliban for the first time, intimately recording their confrontation with a complicated conflict, the battles, the waiting, the emotions. It is a film that director Janus Metz said “very consciously tried to break with the sort of news …

MANILA: Angry Catholics forced the Philippines’ "King of Comedy" to delete scenes of his latest film deemed deeply offensive to the country’s dominant religion, the veteran actor said in a television interview. Dolphy said he did not wish to pick a fight with God as his production outfit voluntarily excised the offending scenes of his …

By Mariam Elias Whether by intention or coincidence, several art institutions scheduled the opening of their latest exhibitions on Dec. 13, the night following the opening of the 12th International Cairo Biennale. Thus, these institutions intend to create events that either rival the Biennale, or that piggyback off of the state organized show’s anticipated success. Mahmoud …

Iraqi cinema scored a notable first at this month’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece, with one film up for an award and a retrospective of the young director Mohamed Al-Daradji. But although Ebrahim Saeedi’s "Mandoo" (Tired) did not win, both he and Daradji showed that independent Iraqi cinema — whose history dates back more …

A Lebanese chamber drama set against the backdrop of the Civil War has won best Arabic film on Sunday at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival. George Hachem’s debut feature examines the impact of the war on two Christian families. “Bullet,” which stars “Caramel” director Nadine Labaki, continues its successful streak having won the best …

By Sherif Azer and Youssef Faltas “By the one two-faced God and by primordial wisdom, I speak the truth. There is none but Mother and Son. From the two, every mother and son come. An embrace to the mother, longing to her son, and to them together birth and recreation. God Eel begotten from Goddess Laat, …

Oscar-winning director Blake Edwards, who made the "Pink Panther" movies and the 1961 classic "Breakfast at Tiffany’s," has died at the age of 88, his agent said Thursday. Edwards, who died Wednesday, worked with cinema legends including Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in a career stretching more than half a century. …

CAIRO: Archaeologists have found fragments of a statue of an ancient god and a pharaoh in a site that once housed ancient Egypt’s largest funerary temple, the antiquities council said on Thursday. The fragments, a bust of the god Hapi depicted as a baboon and what the council said were the legs of a King …

The art exhibition to commemorate the second anniversary of Darb 1718 provokes a dialogue on how the definition of what can be classified as art has changed over the years. From video installations and animation to collages, a puppet and even a bar lounge and neon signs, the exhibition titled “Fames: Family Vaudeville,” has it …

By AFP Legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer marked his 103rd birthday Wednesday with a gift too big to be wrapped with a bow: a museum bearing his name and dedicated to his illustrious career. “My friends have come to see me. How nice,” he told reporters at a reception unveiling the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation in …

With a staggering eight films participating in the fest’s numerous competitions and section, Egypt has made a triumphant return to Dubai with a solid selection of some of the most hyped movies of this year’s edition. Critical reception of the four major participating films — Mohamed Diab’s “678,” Ahmad Abdalla’s “Microphone,” Hesham Issawi’s “Cairo Exit” …

CAIRO: In observance of International Human Rights Day, the US Embassy organized a discussion on Monday between Egyptian artists and US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchange Maura Pally regarding the role visual arts may play in promoting human rights. The artists, most of whom are alumni of US government exchange programs, presented …