Re: African info?


Leslie Shill (l_shill@hotmail.com)
Wed, 10 Nov 1999 18:26:46 PST



African music is THE dominant influence in contemporary music because almost
everything else that is current and happening in modern music is drawn from
it, that really includes almost everything with a Latin flavour because ALL
that stuff has the African flavour predominating and the other ethnic
influences minimized almost to nothing. There are many examples of African
musicians standing quite well on their own without the Paul Simon and
other's efforts.

Leslie Shill

>From: stephanie <nnine@yahoo.com>
>To: BAO <tunde@arches.uga.edu>
>CC: Steve Catanzaro <stevencatanzaro@sprintmail.com>, Adam Cohen
><adam_cohen@hotmail.com>, Acid Jazz <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
>Subject: Re: African info?
>Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 14:27:00 -0800 (PST)
>
>unfortunately, I can't think of an example of
>contemporary african music in western music, except
>for tokenizing work like paul simon or enigma (blech),
>or the occasional afropoppy stab that says "look! we
>listen to public radio! We're eclectic!". but you
>certainly do see influences going the other direction.
>that's kinda why I brought it up...
>
>but if you look at zap mama, there's a distinct effort
>to draw from contemorary africa, and everywhere else
>for that matter. someone like nitin sawhney, on the
>other hand, is being very vocal about forging some new
>cultural definition from the 2 cultures he was born
>into (english and indian), and this comes through in
>the music which is a fully syncratic combination of
>the 2...no slapped together ham and cheese sandwich
>throw some tablas on some synths and bam, no sir. amon
>tobin, similar phenomenon, but without the identity
>crisis. celia vaz is a great example of contemporary
>brazil being brought into the light of the present day
>dance scene as well. but if she is reaching our
>turntables, where is chico science? where is maria
>betania? (maybe my eyes are just half-closed...)
>anyone know if there's significant communication
>between jamaican culture/the whole reggae scene, and
>africa?
>
>shit, this is probably way way off topic..but so
>interesting...i've been playing a lot lately with the
>ideas of what culture is made from, of emulating the
>past--or our televised, pulp magazined-out
>understanding of the past--sort of downplaying and
>kitchifying it in the process, but then seeing the
>kitch appeal (not to mention raw talent) of someone
>like joao gilberto flower and blossom over time into a
>project like Far Out records. it makes me sad to think
>that real time african influence (and other
>non-western, non "first world" places) is something
>that's relegated to history and condescending
>multi-culti psuedo-exoticism hippy bullshit, or cheesy
>taco bell and long distance compnay commercials.
>Sorry hun, celia cruz was not put on earth to sell
>your product.
>
>um, i'd love to hear thoughts aobut this since it;s
>been on my mind (so much so that i'm working on a tape
>with these themes) but you can tell me to shut up if
>this is too off topic... :)
>
>--- BAO <tunde@arches.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Do youthink there really has been much african
> > influence on music in the
> > past 10 to 15 years. If so its very very minute i
> > would think. Fela and
> > other popular african musicians have not really made
> > a huge impact on
> > american music on the past 10 to 15 years. I dont
> > even think they have a
> > very large fan base in most of the western world.
> > Over the last 10 to 15
> > years, imo probably the only major influence was
> > south african culture on
> > Paul mcartney. Im sure there are others, but not
> > very popular. If you can
> > think of others I m interested.
> >
> > On Wed, 10 Nov 1999, stephanie wrote:
> >
> > > While the history of african influence on this
> > > continent is fascinating, I'd be especially
> > interested
> > > in reading something with a scope limited to maybe
> > the
> > > last 10 or 15 years, and limited to direct
> > influences
> > > between africa and the americas, or even how
> > different
> > > parts of the african diaspora influence each other
> > > (think cesaria evora, the 'adventures in afropea'
> > > series, etc); instead of, say, how african
> > influences
> > > trickled down from colonial times and landed in
> > house,
> > > jazz, tropicalia, etc. Fela would be a perfect
> > case
> > > study for this. I wonder if King Sunne Ade would
> > lead
> > > you in the right direction?
> > >
> > > how fun! in any case, let us know how it turns
> > out!
> > >
> > > --- Steve Catanzaro
> > <stevencatanzaro@sprintmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > > Hmm, "impact of african music on the western
> > world."
> > > > A little piece?
> > > >
> > > > Well, I think it's safe to say that the African
> > > > influence is the single most
> > > > important thing that happened to music in the
> > 20th
> > > > century, and it goes way
> > > > deeper than Fela. Any gospel, any ragtime, any
> > > > blues, any jazz, any R&B, any
> > > > rock&roll, any hip hop piece you can name (not
> > to
> > > > mention quite a few 20th
> > > > century classical pieces) is what it is only
> > because
> > > > of the African
> > > > influence.
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, as far as African funk tracks, well,
> > Fela
> > > > was heavily influenced by
> > > > African-American music, which is not the same
> > thing
> > > > as African music. Funk
> > > > is Afro-American all the way; so, the more
> > > > interesting thing about Fela is
> > > > how Afro-American music influenced African
> > music,
> > > > which isn't the title of
> > > > your paper (yet!)
> > > >
> > > > Maybe you should just pick one artist and
> > describe
> > > > how they were influenced
> > > > by African styles... Duke Ellington, John
> > Coltrane,
> > > > Miles Davis, James
> > > > Brown, and Paul Simon come immediately to
> > mind...
> > > > but there are thousands
> > > > more.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Adam Cohen <adam_cohen@hotmail.com>
> > > > To: Acid Jazz <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 1999 12:27 AM
> > > > Subject: African info?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > I've gotta do an essay for my music class and
> > was
> > > > thinking about writing a
> > > > > little piece about the impact of african music
> > on
> > > > the western world..
> > > > Maybe
> > > > > talk about the resurgence of african funk
> > tracks
> > > > by house remixers and
> > > > > such.. Anyways, just wondering if anyone knows
> > of
> > > > any good links for
> > > > > information on Fela, manu dibango or anything
> > else
> > > > related to african
> > > > music.
> > > > > Or even better, if someone already has an
> > essay on
> > > > this subject (or an
> > > > essay
> > > > > on any other music related subject at the
> > > > University level !!! :) Thanks
> > > > > for any info/essays..
> > > > >
> > > > > Adam
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Adam Cohen <adam_cohen@hotmail.com>
> > > > To: Acid Jazz <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 1999 12:27 AM
> > > > Subject: African info?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > I've gotta do an essay for my music class and
> > was
> > > > thinking about writing a
> > > > > little piece about the impact of african music
> > on
> > > > the western world..
> > > > Maybe
> > > > > talk about the resurgence of african funk
> > tracks
> > > > by house remixers and
> > > > > such.. Anyways, just wondering if anyone knows
> > of
> > > > any good links for
> > > > > information on Fela, manu dibango or anything
> > else
> > > > related to african
> > > > music.
> > > > > Or even better, if someone already has an
> > essay on
> > > > this subject (or an
> > > > essay
> > > > > on any other music related subject at the
> > > > University level !!! :) Thanks
> > > > > for any info/essays..
> > > > >
> > > > > Adam
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > =====
> > >
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> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>=====
>
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