Mike, I know afropop! The point is that I also know the background discussion about it, which doesn't generally get to the American and European audiences. 9 out of 10 will be wearing colorful Nigerian "togas" even if they're not Nigerian, just because that's the image your audiences expect from them. Or they will emphasize picturesque performances on stage like that ludicrous Carmem Miranda. Did you, for example, that she had an almost perfect English accent, but faked a heavy one on movies, songs and interviews just to fullfill a certain expectation from American audiences?), etc, etc.
Paul Simon is a guy who has figure out a way to make money out of that, btw. We have black artists here who were seduced by this fabrication too, such as Olodum ( that percussion group that recorded with Michael Jackson for "They don't care about us" ), Carlinhos Brown ( a walking cliche for foreign audiences ) and Chico César ( mostly his look, not his music ).
Concerning afropop, they'll obviously say it's a natural development of their native music. Those artists will never admit what is happening to their culture is exactly what has always happened to their raw materials and minerals and characterize the 3rd World economy ( sold to the industrialized countries, where they're processed to become a product for mass consumption ).
I'm not saying you're not supposed to like it, I do like some of that stuff, just that that "natural development" you referred to is a lie.
Hugs,
Caio
caio wrote:
<< And there's one more thing to be considered: in order to justify doing something that is considered by some as undesirable foreign influence, pop musicians doing what American audiences call "world music" tend to fabricate...etc. >>
caio,
have you actually gone to the site or, are you still just doing your philosophy homework?
mike
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