NEW SPIN ON OLD SOUND

[=M97=]

I'm curious as to overall opinion of what is happening in music today. The merging of styles and sounds that for years have been unsmudged and separate.

I hear a lot of bands coming out with the "New Sound" ... the incorporation of Indian and Middle Eastern sound bites in their pallete. ... the uprisal of new 'reggae' bands. ... the usage of Tibetan chants in the background layers of some hip-hop compositions.

I've always been real fond of all types of music - and I am always eager to give listen to upcoming acts and show them support for what they are doing. But IMO...in some cases I believe genres of music hold a sort of sacred aspect to them, and in some cases I feel that to take away that core belief from the genre is really an injustice.

~ Reggae. For years praises of faith and devotion to Jah (Jehovah) or Rastafari (in short : the returned Christ) were sung in the form of reggae music. Quoting Biblical passages and scripture as a form of prayer in music. Today we have a miriad of reggae / dance hall acts who focus primarily on sex, drugs, violence and idolization of material possessions.

Anybody else notice this happening elsewhere within other genres?

[SAMURAI36]

PEACE M:

Anybody else notice this happening elsewhere within other genres?

You mean, besides in HIP-HOP?

~ Reggae. For years praises of faith and devotion to Jah (Jehovah) or Rastafari (in short : the returned Christ) were sung in the form of reggae music. Quoting Biblical passages and scripture as a form of prayer in music. Today we have a miriad of reggae / dance hall acts who focus primarily on sex, drugs, violence and idolization of material possessions.

That is quite true......However, please don't mistake this as an epidemic the likes of HIP-HOP these days.....

For every "SLACK DJ" (as they are referred to in the DANCEHALL) that lets bullshit come from his mouth, there are dozens that speak Consciousness.

In fact, many OLD SCHOOL REGGAE DJ's have been doing a merging of what is known as "DANCEHALL" REGGAE and that of "ROOTS" REGGAE......

In taking a listen to CAPLETON's and SIZZLA's latest work, it's hard to tell where one boundary (if there ever was one) ends, and the other begins.

I think the key is perception, which these days is governed almost entirely by x-posure of one brand (positive) in comparison to that of another (negative).

Just like in HIP-HOP, positive REGGAE DJ's aren't going anywhere........But unfortunately, they are as x-posed or advertised as they used to be, especially to the yout' man.

PEACE

[=M97=]

GREETINGS SHAH,

Precisely, Within other genres of music.

Another example I can think of is a show I caught in Las Vegas. It was a free show so I caught it. Shakira - the Columbian singer. I believe her mother is Columbian and her father is Lebanese. The show was almost completely in Spanish - some English. However the thing that struck me the hardest was her introductory act. It consisted of Arabic music (very authentic sounding I might add - possibly Persian) smoke, lights, heavy percussion and dancers. The dancers were very similar to Sufi dancers spinning across the stage complete with gowns and hats. In the middle was Shakira... sprawled out on the floor with a snake - seemingly in ecstasy with it writhing over her body. (This was before the Brittney scandal)

Now I couldnt help but wonder if there where any people in the crowd who may have felf offended.

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...However, please don't mistake this as an epidemic the likes of HIP-HOP these days....

Not at all.

My example was only that of Tibetan chants. Myself, not being Buddhist am unsure of the message within the chants in question. In fact, at the time I can't even recall any HipHop tracks incorporating chants - besides one by the Beasties... but I'm sure I've heard a few.