Leslie Shill (l_shill@hotmail.com)
Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:10:29 PST
I hear what you are saying and on one level it does seem that today's
performing African musicians are seemingly not very influential in terms of
contemporary music but that some how misses the point. The Blues came out of
Africa, North-west Africa to be precise and without the blues, so much of
today's music would be non-existent. The contemporary imports stand
virtually zero chance of any radio play whatsoever unless deejays like
myself play them on non-commercial radio. The fact is that people like Peter
Gabriel, Brian Eno and a host of others have openly acknowledged the
influences of sounds and rhythms from Africa that affected them and, via
them, many many more. It's really impossible to deny the African influence,
whether it came 100 years ago or 5 years ago, it is still being absorbed and
it is wholly influential.
Leslie Shill
>From: stephanie <nnine@yahoo.com>
>To: Leslie Shill <l_shill@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: African info?
>Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:00:33 -0800 (PST)
>
>but my point is that influence strted int he past, and
>even thoguh its legacy is still there, we're not
>getting contemporary imports. you're more likely to
>hear cuban hip hoppers talk about their american
>influences than the other way around. extrapolate that
>to the entire diaspora, and there you have it. the
>import/export ratio is not balanced.
>
>--- Leslie Shill <l_shill@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > 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>
> >
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
>=====
>
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