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This Happened

This Happened - March 12: Stromae Is Born

Stromae, the Belgian singer, rapper, and songwriter, was born on this day in 1985.


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Where is Stromae from?

Stromae's real name is Paul van Haver, and he was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium. His father was a Rwandan Tutsi named Pierre Rutare, and his Flemish mother is Miranda van Haver. He and his siblings were raised by their mother, as his father, an architect, was killed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, while visiting his family.

His stage name comes from the French slang, that twists the word "maestro."

What is special about Stromae's music?

Known for his unique blend of electronic, hip-hop, and pop music, Stromae first gained international recognition with his hit single "Alors On Danse" in 2009. He has gone on to win numerous awards for his music, including several Belgian Music Industry Awards, Victoires de la Musique awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards. Some of Stromae's other most popular songs include "Papaoutai," "Formidable," and "Tous les mêmes."

What is Stromae known for beyond his music?

In addition to his music career, Stromae is known for his unique fashion sense and his involvement in various social and political causes, including mental health awareness and the refugee crisis.

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Geopolitics

Why The Latin American Far Left Can't Stop Cozying Up To Iran's Regime

Among the Islamic Republic of Iran's very few diplomatic friends are too many from Latin America's left, who are always happy to milk their cash-rich allies for all they are worth.

Image of Bolivia's ambassador in Tehran, Romina Pérez Ramos.

Bolivia's ambassador in Tehran, Romina Pérez Ramos.

Bolivia's embassy in Tehran/Facebook
Bahram Farrokhi

-OpEd-

The Latin American Left has an incurable anti-Yankee fever. It is a sickness seen in the baffling support given by the socialist regimes of Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela or Bolivia to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which to many exemplifies clerical fascism. And all for a single, crass reason: together they hate the United States.

The Islamic Republic has so many of the traits the Left used to hate and fight in the 20th century: a religious (Islamic) vocation, medieval obscurantism, misogyny... Its kleptocratic economy has turned bog-standard class divisions into chasmic inequalities reminiscent of colonial times.

This support is, of course, cynical and in line with the mandates of realpolitik. The regional master in this regard is communist Cuba, which has peddled its anti-imperialist discourse for 60 years, even as it awaits another chance at détente with its ever wealthy neighbor.

I reflected on this on the back of recent remarks by Bolivia's ambassador in Tehran, the 64-year-old Romina Pérez Ramos. She must be the busiest diplomat in Tehran right now, and not a day goes by without her going, appearing or speaking somewhere, with all the publicity she can expect from the regime's media.

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