Multicultural Musica

[happyfilmluvguy]

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At the moment I am listening to a well known band known as "The Gypsy Kings", a group of roughians who play such styles as Flamenco, Salsa, Rumba, and Samba. They have a distinctive style, and am proud to say they were the chosen ones for my first stadium style concert.

I listen to A LOT of music that I don't understand, and don't really try. I feel music is indeed universal, and though I cannot understand what Cecilia Bartoli, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo, or Gujarati Garba are describing in their music, I still feel a part of it and it still is enjoyable. That is sometimes difficult for many. I can't say I've heard music in every language known to human kind, but hand me one song in German, give me one in French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, Aztec, Dutch, Japanese, etc, and I will listen to it the best I can.

I love (I don't say that word too often) multicultural music. I feel every culture has something to say in song, just as I do as a listener. We may speak differently, but our musical interpretations play in unison. I hope all can appreciate a good song, even if it's difficult to understand.

I'd like to share a simple tune from "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" just to allow them explain their style. It's beautiful.

This one is called "Zintombi"

What artists do you listen to from various cultures and countries around the world?

 

[LaMedicine]

Ahhh, the Gypsy Kings. Their "Inspiration" is the title back music of a very popular Japanese Samurai drama on TV. The group became popular here because of this.

 

[dhermann1]

I have one Desi Arnaz album, and I wish I had more. Aside form being married to a famous red head whose name escapes me at the moment, he led a very successful band in the 40's. He specialized in crossover stuff, Latin music oriented toward the English speaking market. Anyway, it's a great album and I enjoy it on a regular basis.
Another musical genre I enjoy is Arab music. There used to be a program on the Fordham U radio station, WFUV, called Middle Eastern Melodies. He played wonderful stuff from the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt, etc. Great stuff.
Because it uses a quarter tone scale, instead of a half tone scale (i.e. 24 steps per octave) you get drastically different coloration.
One of my girlfriend's best friends is a flautist, and, being of Armenian heritage, plays a lot of Armenian stuff. Wonderful!

 

[LaMedicine]

Aside form being married to a famous red head whose name escapes me at the moment,

You're talking about Lucille Ball of the "I Love Lucy" fame.
Judging from your other posts, I presume that you are old enough to have seen at least the tail end of the original shows.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I listen to French swooner Charles Tr?©net. Some equate him to Frank Sinatra only more talented.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I listen to more then my fair share of Brazilian music. Bossa nova, samba, forro, and pop stuff. Caetano Veloso is sheer genius.

But then again, I understand the lyrics, so maybe thats not -quite- the same as just listening for music sake.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We do a lot of world-music events at the theatre -- a couple weeks ago we had an African kora master, this weekend we've got a Cajun band, and earlier in the year we had a Norwegian string group. I don't get to hear much of them, though -- too busy running around.

In my own listening, I came across something really fascinating a few years ago -- a series of airchecks of small ethnic radio stations in Brooklyn from 1936-1937, containing hours and hours of foreign language programming in Yiddish, Lithuanian, German, Italian, Polish, and Hungarian. Many of these programs were ethnic folk music, and even if you don't know the language it makes for very interesting listening -- and proof that multiculturalism was there for the asking even in the Era.

 

[SWTroopers]

Great topic. Music is such a great way to expose yourself to other cultures to a small degree. I really enjoy Paolo Conte'. He's Italian and does some kind of off-beat continental/lounge thing on the piano. Great voice too - full of character. I find myself wondering if there is more stuff like this hidden in Italy. Sure would be interested in finding out if anyone knows!

Marc

 

[gluegungeisha]

I love 1950's-1960's Indian rock 'n roll. I'm obsessed with classic Bollywood sequences from movies like Gumnaam:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KoqWOOtlIbM

 

[Rosie]

Not too varied I think but, I listen to a lot of Celia Cruz, Les Nubians, Fela and Zap Mama and the bulk of my spiritual music is sung in Yoruba and Lukumi, a mixture of Yoruba and Cuban spanish. I'm in the very beginning stages of learning Lukumi and Yoruba.