hanging

I've been enjoying TD not only about drawing but also people from everywhere in the world sharing the idea, discussing and learning from each other.

So this challenge asks you what ethnic cultures or people have influenced you in your lives.
They may be your ethnic background, the countries you visited, neighbors from different countries, etc.

The challenge will end on September 27th and the result will be posted on the next day.
Good luck and have fun!

hanging

Princess Kaguya
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=115614

I was born and raise in Japan and this story has been told to every child there. (Maybe not now??? Since I've been in US for a long time, I'm not really sure about that.) It's about a princess found in a bamboo but was actually from the moon. And this story made me aware of that the moon is not only shining object in the sky but also the place people might visit.

hanging

Flamenco Dancer
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=118676

As studying ballet, my ballet teacher always put me in white or soft color tutus for swans, princess and fairies, and I always had desire to do character roles especially Spanish Dances.

hanging

Russia 1980
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=112884

This was the first trip abroad for me. The military police, tanks, cabbages piled up like pyramid displayed in the show windows at a department store, everything was so different from Japan on the time. I told this to my russian friend lately and he said, 'that's long long time ago' unpleasantly though!

methinks

Hello hanging,

This is an interesting challenge! Like you, I have had several ethnic influences in my life. One was when I was able to go to Norway as a student and met many extended family members I had never known before. While I was there, I became fascinated with the "national costumes" or "bunader" that were different from one community to another. I have tried to represent the young women's festival costume from the system of valleys where my family originates. The skirt should be black, but I was unsuccessful in generating a sufficient black colour in beads.

http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=118692

polenta

TWO OLD PICTURES about two typical Uruguayan musical genres.

This one about candombe, an African-Uruguayan music played with drums:
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=56076

This one is about tango. Tango could have a reputation of something exotic or sexy internationally and even here NOW.
But when I was a child tango was considered old-fashioned and when going to a party or wedding and the orchestra or DJ played tangos, ONLY OLDER PEOPLE WENT TO THE DANCE FLOOR. Our generation considered tango like music for old, not updated people. But there is a saying that goes: TANGO WAITS FOR YOU.... now it is not in fashion but it's turned into something classical and some composers like the incredibly talented Astor Piazzola have converted it into a very refined genre liked by "la creme de la creme" and intellectuals.
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=95034

polenta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJWD_789-OE&feature=related

This is a video of one of the hundreds of arrangements of "Adiós Nonino" by ASTOR PIAZZOLLA at the wedding of the Prince Willem, son of the queen of Holland who was getting married to an Argentinian girl.
In this video you can see the BANDONEON, which is a typical tango instrument although its origin is German.

A FAIRY TALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

56rosie

OH Polenta! Such an exquisite piece and oh how the music brought this beautiful bride to tears! Fairy Tale!!! Wow!

hanging

Wow, thank you all for adding pics and messages on this challenge.

Methinks, it's a very sweet Norwegian costume! And it's so nice to know your ethnic background.

Polenta, love the Uruguayan costume. And your comment about the straps on the pic is very interesting.
I never imagined the Tango for elderly! Tango is too HOT for them??? And the music in the video is touching. Now I need to find the music on iTune!

polenta

Sorry to use this thread but I want to make something clear. One thing is stage tango presentations or kind of ballet tango and another is what normal, middle-aged people dance or used to do it in weddings and parties at a dance floor. Here goes a couple similar to what I saw as old-fashioned when I was a child or youngster, just NORMAL PEOPLE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41egnLZ27i8

This ,on the contrary, is a stage,(like Hollywood's distorted version) even grotesque but still enjoyable performance of the hymn of the tangos, the famous LA CUMPARSITA composed by the Uruguayan Gerardo Mattos Rodriguez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV6Fgptthy4&feature=related

bhughes

Here are my pics with Asian Influences


http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=115220
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=114163
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=111271
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=111093
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=108865
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=106980
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=105005
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=104343
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=103434
http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=103460

suzze

http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=118735
At the gym once a week I take a belly dancing class to break up the boring classes. The instructor always tell interest culture stories also during the class, which I find fascinating. Anyway, that's what gave me the ideal for this pic and though it belongs here also. Great challenge by the way.

hanging

Polenta, please do not hesitate to use this page to introduce any ethnic culture. The guy in the first video is amazing! I was fascinated by his foot works right away. Now I have better idea of traditional tango as folk dance. Thank you for your effort to educate us!

Bhughes, you have so many pics about Asian, mostly Japanese. And they reminded me of Japanese culture. Lol. You know, if you are too close, it becomes like air, you can't live without it and sometimes forget its importance.

Suzze, it's lovely pic of a belly dancer! I'm also very interested in the stories the instructor talks about. If you have a chance, would you introduce them here? No pressure, no stress. Only if you feel like it.

bhughes

Japan will always be important to me , Tons of relatives, on my moms side.

polenta

This thread let me realize how Japanese bhughes is. I always tooK Hughes as Anglo-Saxon or American but I forgot the other 50%. LOL

hanging

This is by Solange62.

http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=118824

Dragon

That is lovely Solange.

hanging

Hi folks!
I feel so guilty that I didn't update this page for days. Just didn't have enough time to draw anything and barely commented on some of your pictures to catch up!

Here is my new pic.

http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=119482

Loreena McKennitt is the one who have tempted me into the celtic world. Her music and stories in the lyrics have inspired me in creating my own dance hugely.

hanging

And the time limit of this challenge is postponed to 29th because I feel that we need to get some more pics to end this challenge. (It's my fault that I couldn't encourage people to join us here...)
Please join us. We'd love to see each one's ethnic interests. Have fun!!!

hanging

http://www.thinkdraw.com/picture.php?pictureId=119494

This album contains all different kinds of percussion music from the world.
One of my favorite album for the dance inspiration as well.