Sample Analysis Paper on Ethno-techno Music
Summary
According to Naylor (1), Ethno-techno is exploiting world music. The dance moves depict a new kind of energy that was previously missing in the performances of the previous artists. The author mentions several artists who have made remarkable performances in the past. Naylor begins by speaking of Syrian singer Omar Souleyman who stole the show at Sonar. Mainly the international pressures influence these changes and the visible impacts. Naylor also affirms the deep engagement of the artists with the past music materials. He affirms that the present engagement underscores how influential the past music has been to the lives of the present artists. For instance, Naylor mentions Ricardo Villalobos, who has a leftwing Chilean background and presently “blends Latin and electronic styles in a way that seems loaded with meaning” (Naylor 1 para 4). Generally, the Ethno-techno music and dance moves incorporate a show of integrity and funny that the previous productions in mid-90s lacked (Naylor 1).
Naylor, on the other hand, is not satisfied with the rhythmic clatter of drum- and-bass, which pervades record. According to the author, the song, The Essence is more of a combination of sounds like the outtake from the Roni Size’s 1997 album. This lack of harmonization of the instruments disqualifies the production as a collection of prospective talents. Some of the artists have failed to prove their worth in music by failing to combine the instruments to give notable outcome. He mentions Cadenza whose respect is tangible yet fails to harmonize the flute player and the singer with the bassist. In addition, some of the productions are less enthusiastic. The inclusion of some traditional songs on the techno beat results to bad taste. The outcome of these are cheap exoticism in a colonial custom (Naylor 1). Rather than enjoying the intermingling of ideas, the singer is heard giving out orders within the songs. Such combinations fail to reflect the willingness to learn from other backgrounds.
Analysis
Both Feld and Naylor affirm that globalization has connected the deep connection of music to social identities. It is indeed true that the transnational gush of technology together with popular culture has resulted to musical identities and styles, which are more openly transient and a show of fission and fusion than ever before (Feld 145). Even though this present period marked by potential transportability makes music to be dominated by fantasies and discoveries of audible virtuality, the same transportability makes the production less remarkable to some audience.
Feld’s discussion of the narratives around world music affirm that the present Ethno-techno productions as a little more than a cliché. This is attributed to the inference that the subculture and the main culture of the music, which were defined as coherent and homogenous creations, can be clearly differentiated (161). The present contemporary cultures are defined by more complicated stratifications than that defined by the past simple classification of music genre. This change becomes particularly evident in the global interconnection where concepts, styles, music, and technology is becoming increasingly complex on an unimaginable scale and speed. Feld affirms that globalization in music is experienced and narrated similarly in celebratory and contentious manner as every audience manages to appreciate the present signs of augmented and diminished musical diversity (146). The innovative subcultures may however serve as a valuable role for capitalism in making stylistic creations that can eventually become tools for new sales in the music industry.
Works Cited
Feld, Steven. “ A Sweet Lullaby for World Music.” Public Culture. 2000, 12(1): 145–171
Naylor, Tony. “Is Ethno-techno exploiting world music?” The Guardian Online. Accessed on May 10 2017.