Critical Review III

Bob Whites article discussed whether popular soukouss music had sold out or whether it was essentially soukouss. He did a great job giving the historical background of soukouss music and discussing the transition of soukouss from its rumba roots to its commercialization. His explanation of Tabu Ley Rochereau and Franco selling millions in Africa and overseas & Vercky's impact on the younger generation gave a further background in how to succeed as a musician in the DRC.
I did not like how those playing soukouss music realized that people outside of Africa enjoy mostly the rhythm of the music and therefore water down their lyrics. This notion to me assumes the same position as the quote "African is emotion, Greek is reason". I believe these artists have become lazy and as an attempt to make more money they do not focus on the lyrics of the songs.  This also happens a lot in hip-hop music where rappers will discuss guns, drugs, jewelry, and fast women instead of talking about social issues or injustices occurring everyday.

Critical Review II

In this weeks reading, it discussed the influences of many artists from Zaire. They were all important and influenced Zaire however, the architects of these genres included La Gran Kalle, Franco & OK Jazz, and Tabu Ley Rochereau. Some of their musical influences in terms of genres stem from 'cha cha', jazz, and rumba. These three artists classify as the older generation. The younger generation would be led by Clan Langa Langa who set the path for the youth by revolting against traditional rumba styled Zairian music and opted for a fast paced melody.
Zaire has had a vast amount of artists who influence society. Within the reading, especially towards the end, mention of the lack of government support for younger artists is a key flaw in music. Only the 'older generation' artists are given support and can afford the instruments and studios to manufacture quality music. All of them have served as praise singers for the government and President Mobutu. While they have been somewhat critical of factions of the government, there is never any mention of direct opposition from the 'old or younger generation' of musicians who do have the freedom to express themselves in their music. Why do they choose to be slightly critical of the government and not the president if he is at the head of the institution? Do you think it is a matter of choosing to stay at a certain status and questioning those above them might negatively impact their careers or even health?

Ethnographic Description

     I went to see Concha Buika at the Sanders Theatre in Cambridge on Friday. It was an amazing unexpected experience. I had not read the description of her music nor researched anything about her prior to the show, so when she began singing in Spanish I was taken back. It began to make a lot of sense because many of the audience members were Spanish speaking and at first I thought it was a coincidence until I heard the music. The music was great, it sounded like there were some African elements in there but I mostly heard flamenco and jazz fusion. The show began slowly with just a couple of people swaying but by the end the entire crowd was into it and some dedicated fans were reciting every word to her songs. 

     When it came to singing Concha Buita had a very interesting voice. It was not the typical high pitched voice, it was raspy and deep. She would start off by whispering and then gradually raise her pitch to the point where she was yelling. There weren’t too many lyrics in her music; it was more of a scat singing. Her band was also interesting. There was a guy who played the grand piano, he did a lot of what looked like improvisational stuff too, and he played one or two pieces on the electric keyboard too. There was another band member who played percussion; he had a snare, a cymbal, some kind of wooden standing drum, and a box drum that he sat on. There was supposed to be a bassist too but I think she said he was sick. She talked a little bit in between songs, in English. 

     The audience was really mixed, all age groups, more middle-aged people than I would have thought. Also, there was a little bit of back and forth with the audience, people would just yell out phrases in Spanish to her but nothing disrespectful. I thought the show was over at a point but there was an encore. This was very exciting because I had never experienced it before. Overall it was a great experience, I learned a lot about performance from Concha Buika, mainly how important interacting with the audience is because it really provided everyone with a feeling of comfort and the ability to better relate to the artist. 

Research Materials

Critical essay on post-apartheid South Africa and the influence of Kwaito music.

Steingo, Gavin. "South African music after Apartheid: kwaito, the 'party politic,' and the appropriation of gold as a sign of success."Popular Music and Society July 2005: 333+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.

Article on the politicization of kwaito in South Africa

Steingo, Gavin. "The politicization of kwaito: from the 'party politic' to party politics." Black Music Research Journal 27.1 (2007): 23+.Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.

 http://www.theyouthinstitute.org/pubs/Is%20Kwaito%20South%20African%20Hip%20Hop.pdf 

• • Chris Pritchard discovers that a visitor is never far from the beat.(South Africa)
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  • Pritchard, Chris.  "Cry music: no longer a pariah state, South Africa has become a melting pot for sounds from all over the continent. Visiting Capetown and Johannesburg",
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Book Sources

Curtis, Benjamin. "Music Makes the Nation"

Moore, Robin. "Music & Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba

Critical Review 1

        The Counsel and Skinner reading were both interesting. The Counsel reading focused more on Mali, Guinea, Gambia, and Senegal. The idea of negritude was a major topic within this reading and the conflict between Senghor and Toure was a highlight of the reading. The Skinner reading focused a lot on the post-colonial history of Mali, specifically the capital, Bamako. Pertaining to music, both readings elaborated on the conflicts and sometimes corruption of government by stating the lack of funding received in developing national musical programs. Another thematic similarity in the readings was the advancement of African arts and that the role griots played in that was major. In the Counsel reading, griots were the central arbiter between Mali, Senegal and Guinea. In the Skinner reading, they played a major historical role and cultural role in Mali because they shared a relationship with the ruling elite. Another similarity in these readings was the mentioning of the political party the Parti Progressiste Soudanais (PSP) led by Fily Dabo Sissoko. Politicians who sought to bolster their credibility as reputable and capable political leaders in Mali and other nations laid the foundation of state patronage of artists, fashioned by the politicization of popular musical performance.
        I found it interesting how important a role the griots played. In Counsel he mentions that an election can be won depending on which political organization had the better known griots. These people are essentially musicians. While they do have other cultural responsibilities, they are essentially 'praise singers' who are used for their cultural influence. Their ties with the elite class makes it that much more suspicious. The system is a modernized monarchy because one cannot work to become a griot, you must be born into it. When describing culture, Skinner states how its "an active and hegemonic (or power-inflected) process of organizing communal experience and social relations" (Fox 2004: 31) "in which power and meaning are not placed in theoretical opposition but are shown to be intimately linked in an inter-subjective matrix"(Skinner 18). This relates to Senghor and how the French influence over Senegal was hegemonic. The culture has  been so ingrained with European ideals that griots have become like Catholic priests in Rome. They are untouchable as long as they support the king. In terms of the American system, they are the lobbyists who bounce back and forth between political parties and work for the highest pay. The system has been diluted and is full of corruption. The lack of funding for 'indigenous music' on the behalf of Senghor is enough evidence to show how ingrained Europe's culture has been on African culture. Is the role of a griot still the same to this day or has it lessened or increased in the pan-African political world?