by Anderson Republican
Thu Jul 21st, 2005 at 07:19:58 AM EST
It's not often, even for the more world-concious of us, for something to come along and smack us upside the head, but this article about Hugo Chavez and music got me thinking a bit.
(Warning - not really a very political diary.)
The National Assembly, which is dominated by Chavez, recently passed a law requiring that no less than 50 percent of all music played on the nation's radio stations be Venezuelan. Of that, half must be classified as "traditional, " showcasing the "the presence of traditional Venezuelan values." Chavez backers say the harps and bandolas that now resound through this country of 25 million are playing the overture to a musical revolution.
"We've always had traditional Venezuelan records in stock, but before a few months ago we never sold any -- not one," said Miguel Angel Guada, manager of the Disco Center Superstore in one of the capital's largest malls. "It was all Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and that sort of thing. But now I'd say one-third of our business comes from Venezuelan artists, which is absolutely incredible."
This shook me. I used to spend my dissolute life in one of the greatest (IMO) used record stores in the Midwest. Sadly, it's now closed, but I remember spending hours there listening to music that you would never ever ever hear on American radio, from the most obscure jazz and blues to big band and opera and most things in between. I can state with pretty good knowledge that my musical 'palette' is broader than the vast majority of the U.S.
And yet, my iMusic is full of - Anglo-American music.
Sure, there's an small international presence there - Bob Marley and Burning Spear, Daft Punk - but the majority runs right along that America-Britain axis. And, of course, the 800 pound gorilla that is major music keeps us from hearing alternate music.
Cut to G8. I was fortunate, I guess - I got to watch on broadband, and go where I wanted. As a result, I got exposed to bands like Juli and Negrita that I'd never hear otherwise. But yet, when the TV's on, when the event's over - what's promoted? London. Philadelphia. They couldn't even bother to put up a constant feed in Johannesburg. The Africa Music festival up north of London might as well not have existed.
How do folks in other countries deal with the Anglo cultural presence? Is your country pretty strong in it's own music, or is it dominated by America and Britain? What should I be listening to from where you're at?
Talk to me, folks.
