Critical Review: Wald 2001

Elijah Wald writes of Mexican Ballads, or corridos, in his article "Polka Contrabrandista." He explains how corridos were used as a medium to entertain and a medium to communicate with the Mexican masses. Many of these songs are politically charged, speaking of the Mexican-American drug trade and promoting a strong sense of national identity. In turn, they have come to be a very controversial form of music. Once again, a parallel can be drawn to hip-hop, but beyond that they can be compared to music like Marilyn Manson, both being cited as dangerous to the masses.

Discussion Question:
Is everything that is sympathetic with illegal activity automatically deemed morally dangerous and corrupt? If that is the case, what makes music more dangerous than movies or television, which while coming under fire for its glorification of violence and sex and other things deemed immoral, doesn't receive nearly as much criticism as music? Is there something in music that makes people more susceptible to its influence?

Critical Review: Flores 2000

In this article, Flores talks about the history of Boogaloo (a word that sounds just like the word Ricky Ricardo used to sing in I Love Lucy, but he was from Cuba). Boogaloo was a dance music that gained popularity in the 50's and 60's emerging from New York Blacks and Latinos. It was frowned upon by mambo artist, frustrated with what they viewed as their less-talented competition. But the lack of substance, the fun and the light-hearted music, was enough to send it packing pretty soon after it became popular and died to salsa. This music reminds me of hip hop and crunk music. Crunk music, which came from the south, was very much a party music that took over the hip hop seen in the mid-2000s, but faded eventually with the rise of Autotune and a more experimental hip-hop. Crunk was disrespected widely throughout the hip-hop community and many people, including myself were very happy to see it finally leave.

Discussion Question:
Could one say that not all overnight sensations are doomed to fail, with the example of hip-hop in the US and the world, or can only subgenres be considered for this fate?

Critical Review: Back 1996 part 2

In the second half of "Inglan, nice up!", Back focuses on the crossover effect of the 80's and 90's in London Black music. He talks about hip-hop, reggae, soul and 90's dancehall music and has an ethnographic moment in a dancefloor. He talks about how the different genre's and different races have all intermixed and lost their initial definition as you enter 90's Britain. I found this very interesting because while there are many different genres of Black music in the US, they haven't had this same effect and are still distinct from one another.

Discussion Question:
In the US, has there been more of an "intermezzo" with hip-hop and pop music than within Black genres of music?

Critical Review: Back 1996 part 1

The first half of Chapter 8 of Les Back's New Ethnicities and Urban Cultures focus on the history behind the history of reggae in London's urban community. The black clubs started out in response to racism barring black workers from going to clubs and pubs in England. In these spaces, they combined different musical styles from the African diaspora and created a style of their own. Within this genre lies the sound system or set, which serves as the medium to combining all of these influencing genres.
I wasn't too surprised with the misogyny part of the article because often in urban music lies an element of misogyny, but I was surprised with the fact that the Rastafari movement seeped into the white working class and changed what that meant for them as well.

Discussion Question: In America, the tale often goes that Blacks came to America with the music in their hearts, transformed the music to live through it as generations came and times changed and to survive through the racism and injustice suffered, whereas in this case in England, Blacks made these spaces and music in response to rejection from Whites. Is there a difference in the level of Black/African authenticity because of the initial want to assimilate into the white culture? What would or wouldn't constitute this difference?

Critical Review: McClary 1994

Critical Review: McClary 1994

In “Same as it Ever Was” McClary discusses the connection between music and the body. She discusses how music has been seen as an enabler of behavior deemed wrong and seen as sensual, rebellious or emasculate. She discusses "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett and how this song crossed over into the "whiter" airwaves of radio and caused a dance sensation across the nation.
While reading this article, I was reminded very much of a main opposition to hip hop by some of today's "Church-like" groups: the opposition of the sensuality of the music and the dances that come with it. This is often opposed not just by white conservatives, but members of the Black Church as well.

Discussion Question:
Why is so much focus in this day and age on the sensual/sexual aspect of music by both the proponents and the opponents? Where is the focus on the rebellious aspect of music? Is there not enough music in the mainstream to warrant any sort of public outcry?