Global Hit

Pilani Bubu found her music community after she moved from South Africa to New Orleans. She understood that the people she met wanted to learn more about her culture back home. That’s when she started to incorporate South African music into her repertoire

South Africa’s Pilani Bubu has ‘jumped off the shoulder of giants’ to create music filled with tradition

The singer-songwriter has always straddled between the worlds of globalization and the traditions of her homeland.

South Africa’s Pilani Bubu has ‘jumped off the shoulder of giants’ to create music filled with tradition
Photo of a Swedish city at sunset, with lights glowing in windows and reflecting into a fjord

Should you feed child guests dinner? What #Swedengate tells us about food culture and social expectations.

Should you feed child guests dinner? What #Swedengate tells us about food culture and social expectations.
A live broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking is shown on Dec. 23, 2021, from a media control room in Russia.

It’s just a ‘panic attack’ – Russian media blames US for escalating Ukraine crisis

It’s just a ‘panic attack’ – Russian media blames US for escalating Ukraine crisis
President Lyndon B. Johnson, right, talks with Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in his White House office in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18, 1964.

How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home

How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home
Cover art for albums of multiple artists included on The World's 2021 music playlist. Clockwise, starting from the top left image: 'Suba' by Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita; 'El Alimento' by Cimafunk; 'Deja' by Bomba Estereo; 'Seeking New Gods' by Gruff Rhys;

Dance with The World, 2021 edition: A playlist

Dance with The World, 2021 edition: A playlist
People wade past a flooded area in Dipayal Silgadhi, Nepal.

Flooding and mudslides kill about 200 people in Nepal

More than 200 people die from flooding in Nepal, while dozens remain missing. Also, Ethiopian government forces conduct airstrikes on the Tigray regional capital of Mekele. And, a popular Russian newspaper shuts down in Belarus after authorities arrest a member of its staff there.

Flooding and mudslides kill about 200 people in Nepal
The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison

The University of Liverpool new master’s makes a whole degree of Beatlemania

The Beatles degree dives into the band's shifting perceptions over more than half a century, and how it's affected other sectors such as tourism. Holly Tessler, the professor who founded the program, joined The World's host Marco Werman to explain more about what the degree entails.

The University of Liverpool new master’s makes a whole degree of Beatlemania
Enrique Kiki Valera is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, sound engineer and producer. He’s best known as one of the world’s greatest players of the Cuban cuatro, a mid-size guitar with eight strings grouped in sets of two.

Kiki Valera on Son cubano and how he developed a unique musical perspective

At the age of 16, Valera started to salvage radio and TV parts out of discarded electronics to build his own shortwave receiver and transmitter, connecting him to a wider world of musical trends.

Kiki Valera on Son cubano and how he developed a unique musical perspective
Multi-generational Haitian band Lakou Mizik has a new album in collaboration with Grammy-winning electronic music artist Joseph Ray titled ‘Leave The Bones.’

Lakou Mizik’s new album highlights Haiti’s creative spirit

Hatian band Lakou Mizik’s “Leave the Bones,” in collaboration with DJ and producer Joseph Ray of Nero, mixes traditional sounds with electronic beats.

Lakou Mizik’s new album highlights Haiti’s creative spirit
A Taliban fighter stands guard over surrendered Afghan security members forces

Taliban takes over half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals

The Taliban has taken over half of Afghanistan's provincial capitals, as it continues to make gains across the country. Also, the Venezuelan government and opposition are meeting for talks in Mexico. And, President Joe Biden is sending his special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, to push for stability in Ethiopia.

Taliban takes over half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals
After withdrawing from multiple events after a case of the ‘twisties,’ a vertigo-like condition that makes gymnastics exceptionally dangerous, Simone Biles returned to compete in the final event of the Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze.

The power of no: Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Black women’s resistance

Pressure to take on ever more high-pressure work and ever more responsibility is familiar to many. But saying "no" can be especially difficult for people from racial minorities.

The power of no: Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Black women’s resistance
In ancient Greece, the heart and soul of the festival was the experience shared by all who attended.

What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?

Athletes and spectators were lured to Olympia by a longing for contact with their compatriots and their gods.

What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?
A man dressed as a superhero stands outside near a car.

How Latin America’s protest superheroes fight injustice and climate change — and sometimes crime, too

In Latin America, common citizens have often donned outlandish outfits and comic book-inspired personas to lead demonstrations and promote social change.

How Latin America’s protest superheroes fight injustice and climate change — and sometimes crime, too
Members of BTS standing on a stage with dramatic lighting

The #BTSSyllabus is a global resource fueled by an ARMY of experts

A professor who researches BTS is building a diverse archive of media and analysis about the pop icons, the #BTSSyllabus.

The #BTSSyllabus is a global resource fueled by an ARMY of experts
Momma Nikki as a child with their father Jean Bonny Etienne in an undated photo.

Haitian American artist Momma Nikki sings about a complicated father-child relationship — and reconciliation

On their most recent album titled “Momma Exposed,” Seattle-based, Haitian American artist Momma Nikki pays tribute to their late father.

Haitian American artist Momma Nikki sings about a complicated father-child relationship — and reconciliation