Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightfly
Yes I find Emusic's Genre labeling in this Genre unsatisfactory often calling
African titles Reggae instead of Afro-Pop or Soukous( a type of Rumba based
guitar music..my favorite) and calling some Reggae titles African...
very annoying to us more knowledgeable seekers..but at least the titles are
there for us..I am aware of Marianne Antonsen she is a certainly a treasure
and I have a few recordings by her..The one you mentioned and Picking Up The Spirit more stripped down her and organ Gospel tunes..and they have that listed as Hip Hop...(shame on them).But "Blomster I Soweto" is a very special recording( by the way I just looked..they called it Jazz  )
I listen more to authentic African music without the Western influence, they sing in either French or Congolese or their native dialect..but I love the
Music and the guitar playing..These guys were doing 17 min jams way
before The Grateful Dead...and the music is fresh and hypnotic to the Western ear.. It takes a few listens to get pass the foreign language, but you can heargreat spirituality and richness in their voices that inspires and draws you in..
But I will trade you my African based for your Western mixed selections
when you find them..Maybe tomorrow night I will list my favorite
African recordings.
Thanks Squash, |
A knowledge of the lyrics can be important in songs that tell a story or deliver a message such as a ballad and a lot of folk music. However, the human voice is also an instument capable of conveying great emotional force by sound alone. I have probably listened to more opera than any other musical genre and most of that in Italian, French and German (all I know is some basic school derived French). The lyrics of some of the greatest arias are quite silly when translated today (150 years ago they were what the audience expected and accepted).The aria 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's opera 'Norma' is a perfect example. An enduring piece of musical genius and you don't need to speak a word of Italian to appreciate that fact.
Simply put, I enjoy music to which I have a positive emotional response - often it is 'mood altering'. The Antonsen album had this effect in spades
(and I don't speak a word of Norwegian)
.
I will start putting together a list of the African inspired music I enjoy and post it here in the not too distant future.
Regards,
Squash
P.S. Marianne Antonsen's 'Soulful Xmas Songs' is going to get a workout at my place on December 25 - it is very, very cool
