A colleague of my brand new work recently asked me what kind of music I liked. I find it hard to answer this question, because I have only one preferred style, or a specific preference for this or that genre, this or that singer or group. The melodies of this world I find the best evidence that our planet is diverse and sound. I commented on some American bands that I'm from the 90, but did not know. I chose to more recognizable name and I did not have success. My colleague told me that he despised pop, rock, and then I started thinking what could be a possible list that would identify him. Of course, no sense talking about my preferences in Ibero-America, because only increase its already perceptible sense of ignorance.
's when I said that she liked the ethnic music. Imperialist Damn!, I came out as a joke, knowing that insurance is concerned that particular variety of rhythms that the record companies grouped under the label of World Music or World Music. I think we should blame the critics and scholars of ratings, it generally seems set theories to justify biased.
To illustrate, I mentioned a Hungarian group. I told her on the interpretations of Sebestyén Márta, included in the soundtrack of The English Patient , although this does not help much. Maybe he was not sure that my references were part of their classification. Try not to judge and to equalize the situation, I explained that sure he could name many others that I know. For example, I'm not aware of the latest creations of rap and hip-hop.
Also, do not rely a lot on musical nomenclature, especially when it seems to me over-focused on commercial meters. If we review the issues Grammy Awards and dozens of categories, is easy to understand how complex it is sometimes locate some players in a specific section, especially if they exceed the conventions of the music industry.
worst thing is that the vast majority of these classifications become straitjackets true, so sometimes it's best to create a new one attempt to put into an existing one to a newly discovered singer or a new album produced. No wonder the list and looks endless. A
ethnic music I associate more with the Ethnomusicology discipline that studies the melodic creations of human groups often away from the market mechanisms and to civilization. It is the song "the tribe" in its purest form, perhaps related the mythical African griot as popularized in the mid-70's magazine UNESCO Courier .
In addition, ways to sort are guided by Western standards, or better, by fees defined by the musical tradition of a country that is almost always the United States. Nothing better exemplifies this trend sections Amazon or the peculiar term "folk." Just check on the first page record sales. There is a grouping, as if they were related genera, Cuban and Latin. Thus, under the bond of Cuban and Latin, one can find the same to Compay Segundo Ricky Martin.
As Folk "the assessment is more problematic. Despite its clear origin, folklore or folklore, it does not mention a specific nation, as all have their own folk traditions, the word has been as a reference only traditional rhythms of the United States. In the best case, is also used to refer to other anglophone productions with names like Irish Folk Folk or Celtic.
The next day our conversation, I asked my friend if you like African music. I tried to make him see that I was referring more to certain creations rather than a diverse sample that would cover everything that is done on the continent since the melodies of Algerian Souad Massi until the Orchestra Baobab, through extensive the Cape Verdean musical production of Cesarea Evora.
was thinking more in Benin, almost international Angelique Kidjo, who hear these days after winning his latest CD entitled Djin Djin. Does my colleague would include in their references ethnic music, by the fact that several issues Kidjo sings in the dialect of his native land? Does the other classified as Rhythm and Blues by Alicia Keys duets with and Joss Stone ? Perhaps as a more jazzed up by songs like Pearls, which involved Josh Groban and Carlos Santana ? Or as World Music for the duets with other famous representatives of this trend as Youssou N'Dour and Amadou & Mariam ?
Anyway did not want to put on the spot, nor to encourage it to continue to be guided by a method of classification rather than include, exclude. For In the meantime, I gave him a collection of tracks by international artists and invited him to listen carefully. My goal was not trying to convince him not worth the descriptions or the certainty that there is only good and bad music, because it is so much that never gets to the nomination for a Grammy award, I think it is criminal not try, at least, appear curious to discover it.
