An Aside

I was on the bus tonight getting a ride back to my apartment, the music playing on the radio was the typical top 40s or top 20s or top whatever and I initially thought nothing of it. The bus was fairly crowded with people, some conversing amongst themselves and with friends while others kept to them selves, listening to music and texting on their phones. What was interesting though was when the song "Battle Scars" by Lupe Fiasco came on; the talking was still present but it was definitely softer than it was before. Some of the individuals listening to their own music took their headphones off to listen to and quietly sing along to the lyrics.

I found this incredibly interesting. Perhaps because I had never seen this before, but I saw this as a testament to the universality of music in the sense that a music genre and its popularity can seep into all cultures and tastes of music and fashion, etc. I think that is why Pop music is so unique, in that it is in fact not that unique in terms of its harmonies, or chord progressions, or rhythms, or anything that a typical ethnomusicologist might be searching for but it is popular music for a reason - it's because people like it and they want to listen to it. I find this song in particular quite addicting and I probably have sung this song in the shower before. This makes me want to explore how popular music has seeped its way into cultures and societies and if they are influenced in any way from it, and I would also like to explore the affects popular music has made in relation to my own project.

I actually have found a few examples of intermingling between "popular music" and taiko and I have to say it is quite amazing.

Battle Scars - Lupe Fiasco & Guy Sebastian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mPd_SDAryQ

Taiko (Masato Baba) and Alicia Keys: - skip to 0:45 for actual music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7klyuYj9e0I