Derek Beres is the author of five books, including Global Beat Fusion: The History of the Future of Music, an insightful gaze into the new world mythology being created by global electronica, and the novel, Mysterious Distance. His photojournalism has appeared in dozens of magazines, focused on the international music scene. He is also a NY-based yoga instructor, as well as DJ and producer in EarthRise SoundSystem.
Features
Thursday, March 19 2009
The Decline of Men: How the American Male Is Tuning Out, Giving Up, and Flipping Off His Future
If men were a product, the marketplace is saying it’s outlived its shelf life. Author Guy Garcia considers how to reshape men to fit the modern world in The Decline of Men.
Monday, July 21 2008
Pathways to Creation: Exploring Sacred Music in Fes, Morocco
PopMatters goes to Morocco for the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music to honor and share the world’s great spiritual music traditions. At this 14th annual festival, Derek Beres would hear the indigenous sounds of Vietnam, Tunisia, Norway, Pakistan, Belgium, America, and much more.
Columns
Monday, January 18 2010
Top 10 Global Albums of 2009
The top 10 "world music" CDs of 2009, stretching from Africa and the French Caribbean to New Zealand and Brooklyn.
Tuesday, December 1 2009
Bela and Boban in Budapest
The first phrase to learn in Budapest has to be "Maga sokkal jobban tud angolul, mint én magyarul", or “Your English is far better than my Hungarian.”
Wednesday, October 21 2009
Bluegrass Grows in Brooklyn
The Five Deadly Venoms are leading the charge of a thriving bluegrass scene in Brooklyn.
Tuesday, September 22 2009
Brazilian Funk and Cuban Soul Heat Up the Northern Climes
A killer samba beat and an irresistible Cuban Sway: Brazil's futuristic Otto and Cuban expat Alex Cuba deliver soulful sounds.
Wednesday, August 26 2009
Tuva Meets Technology
From the ‘non-existent’ land of Siberia comes the long-existing sound of Tuvan drumming and throat singing.
Reviews
Wednesday, February 18 2009
James Baldwin's Turkish Decade by Magdalena Zaborowska
Zaborowska's dedication and passion for the subject of James Baldwin shines through; if only the dry touch of academia were far lighter.
Thursday, February 5 2009
The World Is What It Is by Patrick French
It may be difficult not to judge the man behind the Nobel-prize winning words, but this exploration of the author's life, career, and political stances will enthrall and outrage the reader.
Wednesday, January 21 2009
Hello, Everybody! by Anthony J. Rudel
If you’re concerned with how media has developed and want to wager a guess about its future, this provides a textbook example of what to expect.
Wednesday, December 17 2008
South Park: The Cult of Cartman - Revelations
Cartman shows us gaping holes in our cultural and individual patterns: elitism, fundamentalism, and overt and habitual ignorance.
Sunday, December 14 2008
Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago
Saramago’s novels are meditations to be experienced by those willing to journey down the labyrinthine mazes he constructs.
