This song is a good representation of transculturation and how it impacts media today. It is a mix of both Spanish and Portuguese, as the singer Don Omar is from Puerto Rico. The song is named after Kuduru, a type of Angola African dance, and the Puerto Rican genre of music called danzar. When I asked my Brazilian friend if he knew any songs that were popular there, this is the first one he mentioned. It is wildly popular, with over 1 billion views on Youtube. This song reflects how several different cultures from different regions can blend together and create something uniquely beautiful. (Content: women in bikinis)
Category Archives: Songs
Soldi – Blog Post
In 2019 Mahmood released Soldi a song about his complicated relationship with his father and the effects money can have on a family. The half-Egyptian half-Sardinian singer received quite a bit of backlash when he won the Sanremo Music Festival contest which meant he would go on to represent Italy at Eurovision that year. Many Italians were not happy with that decision and started to question whether Mahmood’s music should even be considered “Italian Music” because of its elements of Middle Eastern sounds and its references to aspects of Arab and Muslim culture. This then extended into whether Mahmood should be considered an Italian himself even though his mother is Italian, and he grew up in a suburb of Milan.
Eurovision is a song contest within Europe that was created after World War II to encourage cooperation between European nations and uses music to do so with the belief that music has the ability to transcend national borders and cultural boundaries. Nationalism and Benedict Anderson’s idea of “imagined communities” directly conflict with the globalization aspect of Eurovision that Mahmood’s music represents.
In the end, Soldi placed second and became one of the most streamed Eurovision songs ever on Spotify.
Songs of the Day – Rauw Alejandro – Lejos de Cielo – Rosalía – Despechá
A couple songs to get us going today…
From Rauw Alejandro, the Puerto Rican artist known as the “king of reggaeton,” “Lejos de Cielo” (Far From Heaven). The strange video might fit our theme of environmental dangers and global inequalities…
For something light and fun, there is Rosalía’s summer breakup song, “Despechá,” is a better fit. Don’t call me. I’m busy forgetting all the bad things you’ve done…
Song of the Day – Sona Jobarteh – Gambia
Love her music – and this song, which celebrates 50 years of Gambian independence. Sona Jobarteh is an amazing artist from Gambia, now living in Britain. She is ” the first professional female Kora virtuoso to come from any of the West African Griot dynasties.” Beautiful music and meaningful messages…
Blog 10/31/22 – “Mirror of the World” by Daisuke Ishiwatari
This is a song from Guilty Gear, a Japanese video game series heavily inspired by Western rock and metal music. Those influences are easy to hear in soundtracks from across the series. What makes this song in particular stand out is its fusion of progressive rock and heavy metal with elements of traditional Japanese music: the lead guitar tone resembles the sound of a shamisen, the use of abrupt pauses and harsh vocalizations is reminiscent of Kabuki theater, and the background chanting vocals are reciting the words to an actual Buddhist purification ritual called the “Mantra of Light”. I believe this song, along with the game it comes from, is an illustrative example of how Japan has, in the decades since the end of US occupation, taken the Western cultural practices forced upon it and adapted them into a new, uniquely Japanese culture.
Song of the Day – Vande Mataram by MIDIval Punditz
And a song for contemporary India? Listen to this weird electronica remix of the Indian national anthem that has caused a lot of controversy. “Vande Mataram” by MIDIval Punditz.
Song of the Day – Khwaja Mere Khwaja from Jodhaa Akbar
A song to start us of on our week of South Asian history! This is Khwaja Mere Khwaja from the blockbuster historical Bollywood, Jodhaa Akbar, a spiritual song that shows some of the intercultural exchanges we will discuss on Monday.
Songs of the Day – from the Middle East
A full exploration of the musical traditions of the Middle East is beyond our expertise! But we can start with music of the Ottoman Empire – classical Ottoman and traditional Ottoman music had an influence across the Empire, which controlled much of what we call the Middle East, North Africa, and south east Europe. Note the prominence of the oud, the fretless lute, a music scale distinctive from western music (including quarter tones halfway between notes), complex rhythmic structures, and the prominence (though not in this example) of the solo vocalist…
The music here is a version of the traditional Turkish folk song, “Kâtibim” (“my clerk” or “my secretary”), or “Üsküdar’a Gider İken” (“while going to Üsküdar”) about a woman traveling to Üsküdar with her secretary. I can’t speak for the visuals in the video, which are cobbled together from historical Ottoman sources of the 18th and 19th c. The song has been adapted and revised and performed in thousands of new contexts. Take this version for example, with Turkish zither (qanam), West African kora, and Turkish and Pakistani singers, Sumru Ağıryürüyen and Zoe Vicajji. A beautiful version, well worth a listen…
Or, for a classic – Umm Kulthum. For one of the most famous songs from one of the most famous singers in the Arab world. Umm Kulthum, born of the Nile Delta, daughter of an Imam, rose to prominence in the 1930s. For forty years she was a powerful international presence, spreading classical Arabic music throughout the Middle East and around the world. She was known for her passionate style and improvisation. When she died in 1975, millions of Egyptians turned out to honor her.
This video is from a 1967 performance in Paris. “You Are My Life” (Enta Omri), one of her most famous songs. The English subtitles explain the love story….
Or for something more contemporary… Cheb Khaled & Diana Haddad – Mass Ou Louly -Diamonds & Pearls
Diana Haddad, from Lebanon, is a superstar in the Arab world – and has been for twenty years now. Cheb Khaled – an international star from Algeria who popularized raï music (an Algerian folk style that incorporates European and Arabic influences). With its simple lyrics – Diamonds & Pearls – and performed in a dialect that could be understood across the Arab world, this song was a huge hit on its release in 2006.
Song of the Day – Sona Jobarteh – Jarabi and Gambia
I can’t be with you tomorrow, but just thought I’d share a couple beautiful song for our blog…
Born in London, but with deep roots in The Gambia, Sona Jobarteh is a virtuoso of the Kora, the traditional instrument of West African Griot families, an instrument traditionally handed down from father to son. She is an amazing musician – carrying forward West African musical traditions and exploring modern adaptations – as well as a humanitarian activist working on educational reform in Africa.
And check out, “Gambia,” a celebration of the 50 year anniversary of Gambia independence.
Songs of the Day – A Few Songs to Start Our Week of African History
We would need a semester to explore the musical traditions of Africa – and an experienced musicologist to lead us – but I’ll get us started for our week on African history with a few songs worth listening to.
From Salif Keita, the “golden voice of Africa,” famous fo mixing Malian music traditions with international styles, here is his 1995 hit, “Africa.”
Last summer, Angelique Kidjo provided an update, with the help of Salif Keita himself and the popular Nigerian artist Mr. Eazi: “Africa, One Of A Kind,” She explained: “We are all Africans and the blood of Africa runs through our life. This song, which I recorded with one of the icons of the new generation of African artists, is a declaration of love to the continent. We want to change the way it is portrayed and show its beauty to the world”
And for something a bit different, the hugely popular song from the Nigerian Afro-pop star Yemi Alade. This song and the video, “Johnny,” was a huge hit.