Balkan Beats | Cool, Hip and Exploitive? Na.

Before living abroad, I always found "world music" or "international music" or "ethnic" music" interesting and strange; meriting a once-through so I could feel like the proper cultured American. However, I feel that I am coming to a better understanding of, not necessarily music from different cultures, but how our American culture processes music from other cultures by bastardizing it and commercializing it. Granted, these aren't necessarily bad things but I think its important for it to be raised in the discussion.

Some Observations without Accusations:

• ==>Insert White Man Here<== International Music cool and all, and we like listening to it. But, honestly, we need a somebody from "our" side playing it. It makes us comfortable and we are more likely to (most importantly) buy it.
• If ain't in the NY Times . . . it might as well not exist within the culture framework of America. It's not because the NY Times is pretentious (it is) or that the NY Times has better access to good music; its just that we want someone or something with some sort of culture authority telling us what to think. That's like a whole dissertation right there and I don't really want to write too much about it. So, just think about it. It ain't bad, just consider your sources before you go all I'm-in-the-know and whatnot.
  
• Yeah, but could you rap over it? Jay-z anyone? Some call it sharing cultures with music but its just seems rather authoritative and heavy handed to throw down a guitar and drums or cool rhyme on everything that comes through our proverbial Ellis Island of international music. It just shows again that we need to be linked to the music somehow to be able to create a common interest. Without a white man, authoritative cultural figure or Americanizing it, it hard for Americans to absorb the music. We need that link.
• The Ipod Movement You have your playlist of perfectly optimized songs and I have mine. And, sure, we like sharing our Ipod with our friends (a sort of whose belt is longer contest: "Oh you've got Mates of State? Yeah, but did you see Peaches on there? I just like their first album . . "). With the Ipod movement, we run the risk of creating our own worlds impervious to outside influences. Sure "our worlds" are rather cultured and broad but it takes a lot of work to find new music 1) Go to a Computer 2) Find new music through website/friends/Last.fm 3) Illegally download 4) Hack Itunes to be flexible. That makes us willing to try "new Music" or world music but we limit ourselves because each song takes work. We just want the best ones whereas with the radio, it is meant as a background to your day. Not the focus. This means that most people have selections of Balkan music and its is more difficult to have a broader spectrum.
  
• Yeah, but is it REALLY Roma/Balkan/Folk? I don't know the answer to that one. But think about it: LE MYSTERE DES VOIX BULGARES are the uncontested symbol of Bulgarian Folklore music but the name of the group is in . . . French. I just don't know.

The Kiss and Makeup with America:

So does this mean that western style artists are exploiting the Balkans and aren't playing "real" Balkan music? My answer would have to be a resounding, Does it matter? Is it good music? Do you enjoy it? Well, then its real enough for me. Now, whether or not it can be stamped with a packaged, sealed and marketed brand saying "The Real Balkan Sound" is a different question. I can say with almost certainty that most people from the Balkans have never heard of these new and up and upcoming bands in America (I'll be posting about them later).

So, lets just say that its got a "Balkan sound" or its influenced by the "Balkan Music". And that's cool.

So, whenever I introduce a band or artist with bastardized or westernized Balkan Music, I'm going to list it as: Balkan Influences . This allows the people to become aware of really cool Balkan Influenced bands but not misunderstand them for music from the Balkans.

The Balkan Hour | Balkan Influences

Do Balkan Influences need to be discussed within the same discussion of Balkan Music? Of course! What better gauge do you have of what outsiders perceive as interesting and captivating? It allows one to observe what it says about the outsider's culture as well. (Such as Bulgarians affinity to western hip-hop and pop that's solely danceable).


Beirut