The Worlds Influence Cause the sun doesnt revolve

The World’s Influence ‘Cause the sun doesn’t revolve around us…

“World Music” ugh…huh? • Traditionally, this is music that is/can be popular anywhere in the world, except Western Europe & the U. S. • Who cares? – We should. It’s exclusionary. It’s elitist. It relegates everything that’s not “Western” into a little bin in the corner of the record store (Record store? What’s that? ) • Why? – The predominant avenues of music production & distribution are located in “The West”

Got anymore reasons? • Yes, David Byrne (Talking Heads) wrote a compelling piece explaining why this “genre” is so useless. Here a few points: – How can we group Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Native American chants, Bulgarian throat singing, & West African drumming into ONE GENRE? – It perpetuates “the OTHER” in music; not like us, maybe “less” than us. But we can play it to pretend we care…

Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Come On Eileen Dexy’s Midnight Runners • Formed in Birmingham, England 1978 • This band featured Celtic/Irish influences in its early years, along with the influence of African -American soul/blues • Often lumped into the New Wave genre • Listen for the fiddle in the intro • The refrain “Too Ra Loo Rai” is from an old Irish folk song

Come On Eileen continued • Released 1982 on Mercury Records – Too-Rye. Ay (album) • Written by Kevin Rowland (vocals), Jim Paterson, & Billy Adams • This was a #1 hit in the U. S. , & kept Michael Jackson from having back-to-back #1 hits (Billie Jean & Beat It) • Video

Paul Simon

You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon • After his success with Simon & Garfunkel, Simon embarked on a solo career that reached a peak with the release of Graceland (1986) • Simon, in making this album, broke a UN mandate that forbade Westerners from working with South Africans due to Apartheid. • Influenced by rock, jazz, pop, & African mbaqanga • Simon collaborated with Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Los Lobos (lawsuit)

You Can Call Me Al continued • Released 1986 on Warner Bros. Records – Graceland (album) • The song feature a pennywhistle solo, a bass solo performed by South African Bakithi Kumalo, and background vocals by Ladysmith Black Mambazo • The video features Chevy Chase & Paul Simon miming the vocals & several of the instruments

Peter Gabriel

Passion Peter Gabriel w/Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan • Gabriel is the former vocalist & flautist for the prog rock band Genesis • Khan (1948 -1997) was a Qawwali singer (devotional music of the Sufis) • Gabriel & Khan teamed up for the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) • Khan later collaborated with Eddie Vedder (1995)

Passion continued • Released 1989 on Geffen Records – Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ (soundtrack) • This album helped popularize Khan & other “world” musicians in the West • However, the film was highly controversial & backlash from Christian groups – The film was banned in many theaters across the world – Video

Ry Cooder

Maria Elena Ry Cooder • Born 1947 in LA • Known for his slide guitar work & helping training actor Ralph Macchio for the movie Crossroads • Cooder’s career has crossed genre boundaries – Folk – Blues – Latin – Tex-Mex – Gospel – Buena Vista Social Club

Maria Elena continued • Originally, a Spanish language song released in 1941 • Cooder released an instrumental version on Boomer’s Story in 1972 & again in the Les Blanks concert film Ry Cooder & the Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let’s Have a Ball • The nylon string guitar, accordion, and percussion all have a strong Spanish feel • Video

Los Lobos

La Bamba Los Lobos • The song is originally a Mexican folk (Son Jarocho) song from the Veracruz area • The song was first popularized in the U. S. by 50 s rocker Ritchie Valens (1941 -59) • The song has traditionally been a popular wedding dance song • Has been covered by many artists over the years

La Bamba continued • Los Lobos covered this song for the 1987 movie La Bamba • Originally an East LA rock band, Los Lobos formed in the mid 1970 s to explore the music of their heritage (Mexico/The Americas) • Their version merges Valens’ rock sound with the traditional version(s) featuring acoustic instruments • Here’s a video related to the movie (you gotta get all the way to the end for the good stuff)

David Byrne

Make Believe Mambo David Byrne • Scottish-born, former lead singer of the Talking Heads (b. 1952) • Founder of the “world music” label Luaka Bop (1990) • Satellite radio host (Radio David Byrne) • After leaving the Talking Heads, Byrne’s music has incorporated music from around the globe • Has more recently turned to visual art to express himself

Make Believe Mambo continued • Released 1989 on Luaka Bop/Sire Records – Rei Momo (album) • Rei Momo (King of the Carnival) is a Latin American tradition associated with Carnival • The album features many Afro-Latin musicians – Celia Crúz, Willie Colón (here with Héctor Lavoe) Video

Brian Eno

Regiment Brian Eno & David Byrne • Born Brian Peter George Eno in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England (1948) • One of the forefathers of ambient, electronic, art pop, and glam rock musics • Played synthesizer for Roxy Music • Frequent collaborator with David Bowie, David Byrne, & others • Outspoken opponent of governmental violence/war & various environmental issues

Regiment Brian Eno & David Byrne • Released 1981 on Sire/Warner Bros. Records – My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (album) • Byrne & Eno employed “found objects” as percussion instruments throughout the album • The layered instruments draw from funk & African musical styles • The vocal is in Arabic • Video

Midnight Oil

Beds Are Burning Midnight Oil • Alternative rock band from Sydney, Australia formed in 1976 • Since it’s inception, Midnight Oil has toured incessantly (until their breakup), and cultivated a distinct “Australian” sound • Frontman Peter Garrett has actively campaigned for and held political office in his native Australia

Beds Are Burning continued • Released 1987 on Columbia Records – Diesel and Dust (album) • Basically, a protest song that describes the plight of aboriginal peoples whose land has been seized by the Australian government • The band has long championed environmental issues & civil/social rights causes • Video

Enya

Orinoco Flow Enya • Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (Enya Brennan) born in Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland (1961) • Ireland’s best-selling solo musician • Music combines Celtic/Irish/ambient/folk musics (in one of the over 10 languages she speaks) • Her U. S. breakthrough album, Watermark (1988), helped the music industry create the “New Age” genre…

Orinoco Flow continued • Released 1988 on Reprise/WEA Records – Watermark (album) • Often mistakenly called “Sail Away” (listen to the chorus) • The ambient, ethereal tone is a hallmark of Enya’s • This was a #1 hit in the U. K. , but only reached #24 in the U. S. • Video

Selena

Fotos y Recuerdos Selena • Born in Lake Jackson, TX in 1971 • Selena was not originally a Spanish-language singer, her father taught her to expand her audience • Known as the “Mexican Madonna” due to her fashion sense & vocal/dancing • Her band featured her sister on drums, her brother on bass, and her husband on guitar • Her crossover, bilingual album Dreaming of You (1995, released posthumously) is directly responsible for the “Latin Explosion” of the mid/late 90 s • Selena was murdered by her fan club manager in Corpus Christi, TX in 1995

Fotos y Recuerdos continued • Released 1995 on EMI Latin Records – Amor Prohibido (album) • The song uses The Pretenders’ Back on the Chain Gang as its foundation • Selena’s brother (& bassist), A. B. Quintanilla, transformed the song into a cumbia • The song contains influences of dance/pop & house music (in addition to Latin, of course) • Video