I think the word, "World Music," is, in itself, funny and telling.
It's so arrogant and dismissive. There's "our" music, and then there's the rest of the world, in one amporphous lump.
We really mean "3rd world music," but I guess we have to hold on to some semblance of PC.
Is Russian R & R world music? Is Syrian disco?
Must it include 4th and 6th interval harmonies and contrapusto rhythms created with cast off petroleum equipment, 1/2 empty cereal boxes or kitchen implements. Are western instruments employed and played "incorrectly?" Do people wear native dress when they do it? Are the lyrics ever subtitled? Are we "world music" to "them?" Have they ever topped the charts in Angola? Does any of their music require electicity? Or clean water? Or food?
Can you even play a stringed intrument with your 11 (surviving) children draped all over you?
Will you be inspired to write a song about how good the family dog tasted? Are you doing only what your govenment will tolerate (unlike highly illegal rock bands in Iran)? Is your lablel run by rich white people in an industrialzed nation thousand of miles away? Who does your demographic marketing research? Is all World Music dissemination viral, or is that merely the disease status of the players?
Are they in any danger of being co-opted by Paul Simon, David Byrne or Peter Gabriel? If so, are they paid scale, or do they get royalties?
Can you coerce a hairy yak into a recording studio?
Will her contract demand readily available bowls of M & M's with all the brown ones removed (like Diana Ross does)?
Does anyone w/o a college degree listen to it, or even know that it exists? Can I get it @ WalMart or Target?
And where the hell is Miriam Makeba now?
BTW, what ever happened to those two hot women who fronted the Russian band, tatu. They used to make out during performances. If I thought that was exciting, you guys must have been in an absolute froth.
Last edited by BobKay; 07/19/11 05:00 PM.
