Many modern day rock and pop artists are named as pioneers of mixing their sound with the beats and melodies of World Music. But who really were the pioneers?
Many modern day rock and pop artists are named as pioneers of mixing their sound with the beats and melodies of World Music. But who really were the pioneers?
To be or not to be? That is the point. - Harry Nilsson.
DIdn't Brian Jones do an album with some African/world musicians?? back in the 60'?
George Harrison
Ginger Baker
John McLaughlin
Talking Heads
But the jazz musicians like Yusef Lateef were doing it in the 50s.
Brian Jones, George Harrison, Joni Mitchell
Santana
And Joe Cuba? Or Richie Valens.Originally Posted by Vic2012
I thought the Talking heads (as someone mentioned) The police, 10cc, The Beatles threw some in from time to time. The Kinks perhaps. An old east LA band called "Thee Midnighters" had a latin rock groove... Around 1961
Still alive and well...
Dick Dale, with a traditional Middle-eastern dance tune...
"And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."
Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/
Kaleidoscope (w. Dave Lindley), Osibisa, Novos Baianos, Jade Warrior, Assagai, Kokomo, Limbus 3, Between, Embryo, Dudu Pukwana solo, Fela Kuti - and so much more.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Osibisa.... Good one scissors.
Also I never realized that dick dale was an indian thang... It sure is. Has a latin trumpet too.
Still alive and well...
Thought Miserlou was Greek....
-=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-
"The Pipes of Pan at Joujouka" was recorded by Brian Jones July 29, 1968 but it wasn't released until 1971. It is just a recording of some Moroccan musicians. There is no involvement by Brian Jones or any other Western musicians -- so arguably it is not "World Music" at all but straight "ethnic music" more akin to the Nonesuch Explorer recordings which go back to 1967.
George Harrison's "Wonderwall Music," featuring Indian musicians, was recorded November 1967-February 1968, released November 1968.
In the United States Kaleidoscope formed in 1966, and utilized Sol Feldthouse's familiarity with Turkish saz music. Their first LP was 1967.
In Germany Embryo played with Middle Eastern musicians starting in 1969. The Egyptian offshoot Dissidenten was formed in 1981.
Osibisa was playing around London starting in 1969, and their first album was released 1971. Also in London at the same time was Assagai, a jazz group made up of expatriate South Africans (Dudu Pukwana & Mongezi Feza). They evolved out of Chris McGregor's Blue Notes, formed in South Africa in 1963 and forced to relocate to England in 1965 because Chris was white. They renamed themselves The Brotherhood of Breath on arrival in London.
Even earlier than this, however, in 1966 English composer David Fanshawe visited Egypt, Sudan and Uganda, and composed his "African Sanctus" mass for mixed African and British performers. It is not, strictly speaking, rock music or world beat, but rather English sacred music with strong African rhythms and tonalities.
Last edited by rcarlberg; 03-04-2016 at 07:55 PM.
Fela may not have been the earliest, but man oh man did that guy make a sound. I've read that Eno and Byrne were chasing in his wake in at the end of the 70s. That's how we got tracks like "I Zimbra." Who can blame them! Those Afrobeat poly-rhythms will rewire your mind.
I didn't get turned on to Fela until 1990: blew my head right open!
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.
In pop/rock, I guess things like 'Norwegian Wood', 'Paint It Black' etc. The Yardbirds are taken to be one of the very first to have experimented with the sitar- they cut a version of 'Heart Full Of Soul' with the instrument, but that's more academic as it wasn't released at the time.
And Paul Simon had been dabbling with it for years before Graceland- 'El Condor Pasa', 'Duncan', 'Mother And Child Reunion'...
Yeah, that one was a popular tune with so-called 'exotica' artists- Martin Denny etc.
Last edited by JJ88; 03-05-2016 at 03:09 AM.
Why does the term World Music only seem to include folk music from Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania?
What about indigenous and migrated folk music in Europe and North America?
I guess if we're talking about "rock" music with world music influences then Ritchie Valens is almost a pioneer. I wouldn't include Joe Cuba. He was a latin music artist who went through a "Boogaloo" period in the 60s (like all those NYC bands).And Joe Cuba? Or Richie Valens.
I think Neil Diamond should get some credit. Many of his early songs had a distinct African feel to them, especially the album Tap Root Manuscript.
Prior to that of course there was the song Wimoweh, taken by Pete Seeger and recorded with his band The Weavers, in the mistaken belief that it was a traditional song of unknown origin, whereas in fact it was written by Solomon Linda, who died a pauper having received almost nothing in the way of royalties. It was later remade as The Lion Sleeps Tonight and was a massive hit in 1962 for The Tokens.
Seeger, to his credit, did later try to make amends by providing some financial assistance to Linda's family.
I know some people use the term to mean that, but I don't see that suggestion coming from anyone here on PE.
Last edited by bob_32_116; 03-05-2016 at 10:25 AM.
Winwood's Traffic incarnation with "Reebop" Kwaku Baah (still pretty early on the world music bandwagon).
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
Not sure if The Beatles were mentioned but listen to some of their early stuff. And I Love Her is what's known in Latin America as a bolero. All that extra percussion that most don't pay attention to was pretty cool. It wasn't quite "authentic" but still, to hear Ringo playing claves, bongos, etc. impresses me. And of course George and his Sitar and tablas, just awesome.
North American (Native American) folk music is represented by Jim Pepper ("Witchi-tai-to") and Carlos Nakai and bands like Redbone and Blackfoot (and Geronimo Black, with Jimmy Carl Black, "the Indian of the group"!). However Native American music doesn't translate well into other genres because it is more rhythmically-based than melodically based.
As to Central European fusions, there are lots of Klezmer, Polish, Gypsy, Romanian influenced bands, particularly in the RIO field.
Speaking of South American fusions, the Brazilian group Uakti has been a favorite of mine for years. They predate the Blue Man Group by several years.
Because "World Music" is essentially a Eurocentric word, developed to sell music in a Eurocentric marketplace.
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.
Yepp! And as such doesn't really exist! It is just a lazy term and a sloopy way of grouping together the very varied folk music styles of loads of countries.
The Beatles, if not first must have been very early, with their Ravi Shankar/Indian type stuff. And even earlier, 1962, they recorded Besame Mucho, with its Spanish/South American flavour.
^It's a pretty hokey arrangement. Hard to make any great claims for it. I know The Coasters did a version of it, and The Beatles were big fans of theirs, so that may be the inspiration...'Three Cool Cats' and 'Searchin' were also played at that Decca audition.
Last edited by JJ88; 03-05-2016 at 05:50 PM.
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