Review: World music - a white middle class fraud

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fra
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 09:01 AM

As the film 'High Fidelity' demonstrated so charmingly!

As I've said previously in this thread, the 'world music' thing is pretty Britcentric. As is WOMAD.

Here is the US, if I walk in to Best Buy or other megastores, the world music bin is just plain bizarre, and contains a lot of New Age sorts of music, with a few ancient and random "international" CDs. Same is largely true at places like Borders and Barnes and Noble, which is where a lot of people go to buy music CDs nowadays. But sometimes Borders/B & N music sections are really good. I've always put that down to someone who works there actually knowing something about the music. And when you go into indie music stores, they usually don't carry the music at all, unless the store is a folk music store specifically. In which case you don't really need a label like 'world music' anyway.

Let's face it. Those who have had a decades long affair with music traditions from around the world used to buy their music by mail. Most of them probably still do, at least partly, because of the convenience and ease of access to such music due to the advent of globalisation and the internet. Their whining about not being able to get the music 'in the old days' (ie pre-globalisation era) had more to do with the paucity of recorded material available, and less to do with the music industry distribution system. Then, there was a phase where the problem became the distribution system. Now there isn't much of a problem with either. The world does keep changing, doesn't it?

What I've never been able to understand is why this handful of Brit music industry types and their lemming followers, keep insisting the whole world must fall into lock step with them, and use their label to describe music made by the rest of us. And if we say 'no thanks, that label doesn't work for us' then we are derisively dismissed by them and mocked as know nothings.

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fra
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 09:08 AM

Roger, if "in order to sell it." means "so I can find it to buy it," then I agree. Also, labels are handy when you're discussing music generally and you don't want to name all of the specific artists, recordings, instruments, countries of origin, whether plugged in or not, whether bands or individuals, whether it's already traditional or on its way, etc.

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: The Shambles
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 02:26 PM

I find am a lot more interested in making many kinds of music with many kinds of people than either buying or selling any one form of it.

And I find that labels don't really help towards this end at all.

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fra
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 06:15 PM

It would seem that the whole point of this thread is moot to you, then. Which leads inevitably to the question, "Why have you posted in it so often?"

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fra
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 08:55 PM

It's fairly clear that the term "World Music" means something different in the States from what it means in the UK. Fair enough, no reason people over there should fall in line, and vice versa.   But it's as well to be aware of that kind of thing to avoid arguing past each other.

Not that any meaning is static, since inevitably in this kind of thing you have people jumping on and off the bandwagon.

I'd assume that the term would in fact be understood in this country as including quite a range of European musics. Possibly even including some that might otherwise find themselves in a "New Age" record box in some shops. (I've always rather taken it that "New Age" means good for listening to when you're stoned, in which case that could include just about anything...)

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 02:11 AM

It would seem that the whole point of this thread is moot to you, then. Which leads inevitably to the question, "Why have you posted in it so often?

In the second post to this thread you asked.

I return to my opening query: what's yer point?

The point of the first post, mine and most of the rest is discussion. Which could - if was any interest to anyone - lead inevitably to the question, - why have you posted in it so often to judge and quiz the motivation of others? The answer to your question is that the answer has no relevence to the discussion and that the number of times anyone posts - is really nobody's business but the posters.

Perhaps it is better and more interesting to discuss the subject of the discussion rather than to post only to judge each others motives for posting?

One of the Word Web definitions of the word MOOT (as in that is a moot question) - is : open to argument or debate.

As you do ask, it was proposed for discussion, argument and debate, in the first that the term World music was a white middle class fraud - I will continue to post to generally support that and to explain my reasons.

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 02:36 AM

Here is a much more endemic and pernicious white middle class fraud:

One day soon you will meet your one true love. He/she will be everything you desire in another person. You will get married, have 2.5 children, a dog, a cat, a bird, two cars, and at least two large televisions with surround sound. You will buy a nice house with a white picket fence and a perfect lawn and you will live happily ever after there! Your kids will soon grow up to be incredibly successful people and they will do the same as you did, only more so.

I submit that the above white middle class fraud has caused way more trouble to most people than World Music has!

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fra
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 06:56 AM

Then there is white middle class Freud. That can be real trouble.

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 07:52 AM

I just submit.....................

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 11:57 AM

There is a grand new folk centered establishment on the far south side of Chicago (103rd St.) It is called The World Folk Music Company---and their meaning, pretty much, is that they love the music of the world. Whatever. They were nice enough to name their music/concert space for me. I was blown away! What a nice thing to have happen. ------ Mostly, it's the "using" of the ethnic and fusion things by the business---and the seemingly watering down and miseducating those fusions are accomplishing. I mistrust the nature of the change taking place. It seems unnatural to me in that it's not a natural process like the folk tradition. It's cash and hype and advertising driven. It's just so easy for good music to not be heard.

Years ago Canada put the Canadian Content laws in place. Every radio station had to devote a part of ever hour to Canadian artists.

It was obvious to me that it was a tough struggle to fight the money machine that was the U.S. entertainment biz. I fully understood what they were striving to do and I applauded the efforts.

As with the U.S.A. in Iraq, it's hard to resist the onslaught.

Again, I don't know where I'm going with this. Just a few observations from this beautiful summer day here in Peru.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 02:08 PM

The Canadian Content regulations of the CRTC (CA Radio Television Commission- hope I have that right, I never remember abbreviations) are on a precentage basis. I think this is what Art meant; 'part of every hour' would mean truncating certain programs and/or compositions.
Of course the regulations are imperfect; certain popular Canadian stars who have made it on the 'world' stage are heard too often and others are ignored by commercial Canadian broadcasters.
The regulations support Canadian content, not just music but talky-talk as well.

The national broadcaster, CBC, has two domestic services, French and English. Primarily Quebec-based, the French service is not listened to by English-speaking Canadians, and vice-versa. Except for the aforementioned 'world' stars, Quebec performers are unknown in commercial broadcasts in English-speaking Canada, and very rarely played in the CBC English broadcasts.
There are other complications.

These comments are largely digression, but those interested in the CRTC regulations will find them here: www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/LEGAL/Tvregs.htm

Subject: RE: Review: World music - a white middle class fraud
From: Slag
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 02:19 PM

To put it in the BROADEST category possible, "Huh?" Oh and I like most things about the Universe too.