Our world has more cultural interconnections than ever before. Take indie music in Vietnam for example. This beautiful song from Cá Hồi Hoang (their name means Wild Salmon, and is meant to suggest untrammeled nature)…

A couple details from Wikipedia:

“Ue o Muite Arukō” was written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall, with the verses describing his memories and feelings. Ei wrote the lyrics while walking home from participating in the 1960 Anpo protests against the U.S.–Japan Security Treaty, expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts to stop the treaty. However, the lyrics were purposely generic so that they might refer to any lost love….

The song spent three weeks at the top of the American Billboard charts in June 1963. It has been described as a metaphor for the emerging post-World War II global expansion of Japan onto the world scene.

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…

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 for mixing Malian music traditions with international styles, here is his 1995 hit, “Africa.”

A couple years ago, 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.

OK, we can’t talk about Brazil without talking about their biggest current star, Anitta.  I wanted to show this video because I love Bahia, but also because I think it gives really interesting insight into how Anitta wants to present Brazil to the rest of the world – and make a cross-over to Spanish speaking Latin America and the U.S.

Another VERY popular genre in Brazil is forró (or musica sertaneja): the music of Brazil’s arid ranching regions.  Lots of harmonizing, accordion, and fiddle.

For more of a bossa nova vibe, check out Bebel Gilberto:

And some Brazilian rock!

A protest song from Chile that has traveled the world…

Yahritza y Su Esencia illustrate another important theme for this week: diaspora…

They reflect the remarkable presence of Latino music in the US, and the way regional Latin American musical styles are being re-imagined by U.S. Latino communities.  And they are a good example of how social media can sometimes allow talented artists to gain national attention: Yahritza e Su Esencia were first discovered when a song cover they recorded went viral on TikTok.

The band is comprised of a trio of siblings from Yakima, Washington: Yahritza (the singer) wa 15 when the band broke out in 2022.  Their family migrated from Michoacán, Mexico to work in the fruit farms of Washington State.  Yahritza and her brothers grew up listening to their father and uncles’ Mexican music. They use instruments like bajoloche and 12-string guitar to create beautiful ballads that highlight the emotions of youth: first love, breakups, and friendship.

Professor, really? Yes! Shakira provides a roundabout introduction to an important theme for the week to come: the mix of cultures – transculturation – that is so important to Latin American history. The beat is cumbia, the Afro-Indigenous musical tradition that lies at the heart of so much Latin American music. We’ve got Shakira, “Queen of Latin Music,” one of the most influential musical artists of our time. Born in Columbia, with Spanish and Lebanese ancestry, her story reflects the diversity of Latin American experiences. And then we have Wyclef Jean, Haitian-American rapper and producer. The song went to #1 in 55 countries…

We’ll be talking about US foreign policy in the 20th c this week. Jason Isbell offers another perspective, an ode to the working class. Short version: your view of American history might depend on your social position…