[FA Worldmusic] politics and language; (redux in different context)

[Ates Temeltas]

Hello,

I donbt think it is about telling the listeners how they bshouldb
get the music. It is about providing some background information so that
listeners will better know about the context in which particular music
started, grew, was and/or is a part of and its overall significance.

I am currently working on putting together written materials for a tour
of folk musicians from Turkey which will take place in 2008-2009 season
in the United States and Canada. While the music itself is powerful and
carries the emotions, mood and the stories, I think that somehow having
an idea about the lyrics would definitely be beneficial. Obviously, this
should not be done in an bintrusiveb manner. This is normally done
with program notes which might include references to the written and
recorded materials.

Sometimes I have the task of doing the introductions before a concert. My
introduction for concerts are often very short and to the point. I
donbt want to precede a concert with a long lecture about the music
that listeners are about to hear. Often you have the experience of some
listeners staying behind after a concert and asking questions. For others
music itself was enough. But the point is being able to share that
relevant information when asked. I think this is important. Obviously, it
does not apply to all genres, styles etc.

Best,
Ates

Ates Temeltas
Executive Director
Golden Horn Records
http://www.goldenhorn.com
Telephone: 1-925-930-7184
Fax: 1-925-938-8447
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 5776, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 USA

On Tue Oct 2 12:12 , Steve Hochman sent:

  I don't disagree, so to speak... but in the end, I don't think the
  artist, the publicist or even the critic ought to be telling the
  listeners how they "should" get the music... that's a personal thing.
  If
  I don't want to do the work to learn the language and nuance of the
  lyrics, if I don't want to have to study before I'm "allowed" to
  experience music, should I be told my enjoyment is not acceptable?

  Around the World
  http://www.spinner.com/category/around-the-world/

  Dmitri Vietze wrote:
  > I have argued with Robert in the past about his campaign to get the
  global
  > music community in North America to use technology to help with
  translation
  > of lyrics of global musicians. Making a similar argument to
  Steve's. But as
  > time has passed I am starting to think Robert is right. When I am
  writing a
  > press release, I always want to know a lot of different types of
  background
  > on the artist, the songs, the cultures, the politics, the
  spirituality, etc.
  > behind/underneath the music, because you have to mine these things
  to figure
  > out which aspects are going to be most profound to the press and to
  fans.
  > And it is often not obvious on the surface for a newcomer to a
  particular
  > repertoire/genre/style. After studying more Persian music, fado,
  and even
  > the music of singer-songwriters in the "modern" sense, there is a
  lot of
  > information in the lyrics. Sometimes it is totally critical to
  "getting the
  > music" and the context from which it comes. Part of my argument was
  that I
  > cannot see going to certain concerts -- say a Daara J concert --
  and having
  > digital boards with lyric translations up. But even if it does not
  work in
  > all contexts, it could work in some, certainly in the performing
  Arts Center
  > context, think operas. And if someone can do simultaneous
  translation for
  > the in between song stories, all the better. Also, maybe there can
  be some
  > creative thought about HOW one provides this info. A good
  multi-lingual
  > artist can also explain things between songs, give phonetic
  instructions for
  > singing along, etc. and really engage the audience in both the
  meaning and
  > participation (if appropriate). A tangent on this subject, then, is
  how to
  > prepare artists for performing on stage across cultures and
  languages. Some
  > don't want to bother, but others would probably respond positively
  with
  > ideas about how to reach across cultural divides to reach new fans,
  etc.
  > Last week when the 17 Hippies were here they told us that they
  recorded a
  > special album for the French market including extra songs in
  French. As a
  > result they became very big there, so big that people thought they
  were a
  > FRENCH band. And then and only then did they start getting calls
  from German
  > presenters who were kind of jealous that they were being co-opted
  and wanted
  > to start booking them more. An interesting model.
  >
  > Robert, how is that whole music video translation technology thing
  going?
  > How much is it being used with music by educators, etc.? And how
  much use of
  > visual translation are you seeing use in live music venues?
  >
  > Much respect,
  >
  > ===> Dmitri!
  > mus ic at rockpaperscissors.biz
  >
  > ----- Original Message -----
  > From: "Steve Hochman" <shochman at p acbell.net>
  > To: "Robert Singerman" <rober t.s at french-music.org>
  > Cc: <fa-world music at folk.org>
  > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 2:31 PM
  > Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] politics and language;(redux in
  different
  > context)
  >
  >
  >
  >> There are many different levels of enjoyment of and involvement
  with
  >> music. Understanding the lyrics is not required in order to get
  >> something of worth, even of great worth, from any particular piece
  of
  >> music. Just as I can appreciate the beauty and artistry of Arabic
  or
  >> Chinese calligraphy without being able to read the words.
  >>
  >>
  >> Around the World
  >> http://www.spinner.com/category/around-the-world/< BR> >>
  >>
  >>
  >> Robert Singerman wrote:
  >>
  >>> To the Julia Banzi remarks and questions, it is obvious that the
  >>> context of music is generally political, (if not also cultural,
  >>> sociological, economic, emotional ...) but to me, again, one of
  the
  >>> main problems we have with so called world, or international
  music is
  >>> who among us can actually understand the context and meaning of
  the
  >>> songs, without understanding the lyrics, especially if they are
  in
  >>> many different languages?
  >>>
  >>> Many of the most important leaders of the world music community
  have
  >>> expressed to me personally their fears that the lyrics of their
  >>> "favorite" artists are banal, or worse, politically repulsive. My
  >>> belief is that like one of these people discovered, when he
  learned
  >>> Portuguese, (even with these same fears), that the songs of the
  >>> artists he loved and some he hadn't even learned about yet, were
  >>> actually exquisite and more profound, more poetic, than he could
  have
  >>> imagined.
  >>>
  >>> With certain new media tools being developed these days,
  translations
  >>> and adaptations are coming, so that we will all be able to
  understand
  >>> world and international pop music lyrics in any language.
  >>>
  >>> If you are coming to CMJ, or are in NYC and want to come to a
  panel
  >>> called "Say What, Music with Subtitles and International Music"
  with
  >>> five leading companies in this field presenting some of these
  >>> technologies to the music industry leaders, (Oct. 19th at 11.45
  am at
  >>> The Kimmel Center of New York University), please respond to me
  >>> personally and I'll try to get you a panel pass, even if you are
  not
  >>> registered at CMJ.
  >>>
  >>> It is almost impossible as Dr. Banzi remarks, otherwise, to truly
  >>> know exactly what is being presented consciously, although
  >>> subconsciously, we probably have some good idea.
  >>> _______________________________________________
  >>> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
  >>> FA-World music at folk.org
  >>> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
  >>>
  >> _______________________________________________
  >> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
  >> FA-World music at folk.org
  >> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
  >>
  > _______________________________________________
  > FA-Worldmusic mailing list
  > FA-World music at folk.org
  > http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
  _______________________________________________
  FA-Worldmusic mailing list
  FA-World music at folk.org
  http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic