Música de México

A week back from an amazing vacation in Mexico, I still find it hard to get back in the swing of papers, tests, and the demands of college life.

And even though the weather was a perfect blend between the breeze of Spring and the heat of Summer and the water looked as if someone put 3 drops of blue food coloring in the Gulf, there's one particular instance where Mexico wasn't all fun and games.

As soon as my friends and I stepped off the boat, there was a slew of Mexican musicians and dancers playing traditional music for our enjoyment. The women donned white peasant dresses with bright colors that accented their collars as they danced around the May-pole while the men wore huge sombrero's as they pounded their mini-drums and strummed their mini-guitars.

The musicians and dancers played the entire time the ship was docked, and would kindly ask for tips from us as we walked by. I must say I was quite appalled hearing one American say in response, "Why dont you get a real job and then you wont need tips," and then he walked away in a huff, leaving the woman standing there with the biggest question mark on her face.

Turns out, our Mexican tour guide from the cruise told us that the women and men dancing and playing for money only make anywhere between $3-5 dollars an hour with the hopes of big tips. $3-5 dollars and hour! And that person couldn't even spare at least, $1 dollar, to give to those people who are sharing their land, resources, music and culture for us to enjoy?


Needless to say, each person in my 10-person party gave the musicians and dancers a tip; one of the members of our group of friends leaving in tears. You see, she's an American born Cuban and she said it reminded her of the hardships her grandparents had to endure when they first arrived in America.

So, let's not be so quick to judge people. Do like they told us to do in kindergarten and "put yourself in the other person's shoes." You might just learn something.

Going "Googoo for Gaga"

Ok, by now every fashion blog and entertainment media outlet is done analyzing who was either the best or worst dressed of the evening and how 2010 must be another of Taylor Swift’s victory years from “the biggest night in the music industry,” the Grammys.

But through reading all the articles criticizing whose performance was best (Pink, duh!), one other has stuck in my head. And surprise, surprise! It was none other than the new Lady of Dance Pop who goes by the name of Gaga.

From the moment she strode down the red carpet holding her giant silver star prop while flaunting her lavender spiraling dress and yellow-tinged blonde locks, it was a clear attempt at foreshadowing her lavish stage show which was to come. And of course, as the show’s opener, Ms. Gaga didn’t let us down.

The theatrics began when a man burst on stage dragging what appeared to be a Gaga-wannabe and screaming to the crowd, “I bought a Lady Gaga, but you sold me a fake…The real Gaga comes complete with five number one hit singles…I want the real Gaga.” And just when the chanting for wanting a real Gaga cease and assists, the pop diva herself entered the stage with a glittering green sequined body suit complete with half a glittering pink face mask.

She opened her set singing an operatic rendition to her nominated song, “Poker Face.” And just when the dancing and electronic beat started to kick in, the mysterious man came out again to scare the “real Gaga” away by shouting, “What’s going on? Everyone’s going googoo for Gaga. Her mind controlling pop music is ruining my business! Take her away! She’s a monster! She’s a monster and she’s turning all of you into monsters.”

Now, let’s analyze his dialogue from the beginning, if you will.

1). By telling the world that you just purchased a Gaga, is openly admitting the fact that pop artists can now be bought and sold in the music industry by the highest bidder (which often times results in a “bidding war” by what’s left of the major labels.) Especially, if they have five number one singles on their belt because that means she’ll rake in the cash.

2). Isn’t that what the label wanted in the first place? For the masses to “go googoo for Gaga?” Which would lead to them ultimately spending money on CDs, downloads, merchandise, and concert tickets to pump back into the labe’ls money reserve? And if by saying that her “mind controlling pop” is ruining your business, you actually mean that your ploy to get Lady Gaga’s over-the-top-avant-garde style of pop rebelliousness to be the new norm amongst the industry, getting newbies like Ke$ha to dress like she had just been hit by a truck yet carefully placed her glittering one-eyed makeup on to perfection, all to sell more records and set new trends and get more money, then, yes, she is indeed “ruining” your business (phew!).

3). Finally, clearly calling her a “monster” onstage was to promote her revamped disk, The Fame Monster. Yet it also admitted something else to the world. It lets people be affirmed to know that because she is a monster, thereby turning “us” into monsters, she has shaped the ideology of pop culture to the masses to fit her reigning worldview, and is comfortably standing idle and watching the masses fall into place by listening to her records, one person at a time.


No wonder she needed Elton John for a duet after that proclamation. Sheesh.

Hope for Haiti

I'm sure by now everyone knows about the tragic earthquake in Haiti that has left the country and its people devastated. In times like these, people and organizations often band together to create some type of relief fund to donate money and supplies to the ravaged country, with Loyola making it's own donation based help effort, Hope for Haiti.

But it is celebrities who are often at the forefront of such efforts, with George Clooney spearheading his own Hope for Haiti tel-a-thon with almost every celebrity you can think of to help with the cause. The special was aired on several networks, including MTV, who aired some very questionable programming previous to the tel-a-thon.

Before various celebrities were on-screen pleading for donations for a worthy cause, MTV aired a marathon of Teen Cribs, a spin-off of Cribs, or as I like to call it, a thrity minute series that shows off America's unnecessary opulence with their bowling allies, indoor spas, home theatres, and let's not forget their army of customized top-of-the-line Rolls Royces and BMWs. Way to showcase where some of America's priorities lie, MTV. Which according to the programming, means remaining at the top of the capitalism food chain. Interviews were done with some of the teen's parents in the show where they talked about their highly paid positioned job where they perpetuate the capitalist pyramid by exposing the fact that there are very few people at the top with the means to buy an elevator to place in their three story home, and a lot of people at the bottom without food, water, and shelter, like the people in Haiti.

I can only hope that those families on Teen Cribs donated to some cause to help the people of Haiti. I know I did. And it seems as though George Clooney's crew already raised over $57 million dollars.

All of our individual efforts along with the efforts of our government, companies, celebrities, and non-profit organizations, will make a great start to the recovery of a country in desperate need of hope right now. But let's not forget the other numerous third world countries who need the same types of supplies and monetary donations to help their families eat, live and breathe another day.

NKOTB Race Relations and Allegations

Ok, I thought it was only fitting to do my first blog on the music loves of my life: New Kids on The Block. Now, i know what you're thinking- they're lame. But since their history and quick rise to fame and general taking over the world was before our time, I'd like to share some interesting parts of their history with you.

Of course, their music wasnt always liked, and they barely made it outta Boston. But it was their music producer/song writer/coreographer Maurice Starr, an African American, who had a deep passion for them to succeed.

Now, that passion may have stemmed from the fact that his other start-up band, New Edition, fired him for allegedly stealing a huge cut of their money, and he thought a nice way to get back at them would be to see if he could make a white band have the same success, but still and all, he wanted the boys to succeed.

So, with the help of Starr, NKOTB got signed to the black division of Columbia Records, and had a black tour manager (Johnny Wright who also managed NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys), a black backing band and a black vocal coach. The boys were originally marketed toward R&B radio stations and BET to promote their ballad, "Please Dont Go Girl," after their first record was a commercial flop. And that's when all Hell broke loose.

Instead of that single being embraced by "black" radio and tv, a pop radio station in Florida put it in heavy rotation; and the New Kids mania began. Naturally, when someone so young is making that much money, people wanna bring them down and controversy is born.

Amidst rumors that they lip-synched all their music, NKOTB were also accused of "stealing black music" and being "puppets to Maurice Starr as the Puppeteer." I wouldnt exactly call their first few hits, ("The Right Stuff" and "Step by Step") R&B, but there was definitely some funk in their pop that critics couldnt seem to understand.

Donnie Wahlberg did interview after interview (making frequent appearances on Arsenio Hall) letting people know that yes, they did indeed grow up on the inner city streets of Boston, and yes, they listened to KRS-One and N.W.A on a daily basis. And you know what? I believe them.

But they never caught a break. In 1994, they dropped Starr and released a very musically mature new album, Face The Music with young up-and-coming producer, Teddy Riley, full to the brim of New Jack Swing, a fusion of urban R&B and hip hop made famous by artists like Keith Sweat, Bell Biv Devoe and Boyz II Men. Once again, critics panned them for trying too hard to do "black music," even though it was their most lyrically driven album full of love, loss, and hope with a song evaluating the current state of society where they beg the world for change ("Keepin My Fingers Crossed").

But my question is, "So what?" So what if they wanted to do "black music." What does that mean "black music" now-a-days anyway? I dont understand. Throughout music's history, people have always tried to put a genre and category on music, but really? You want to put a race on it too?

Case in point. Why was it such a big deal that former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman, Darius Rucker, was the first black man to ever win a CMA? Does that imply that country music is only for white people? If you answer no, then why should it matter what race he was when accepting the award? And if you answer yes, then, you have fallen victim to society's over-categorization of things, people, issues, etc..

Or take Rihanna for example. There's nothing rythmic or bluesy (in the traditional sense) about some, not all, of Rihanna's music, and yet, Rihanna will still be nominated by award organizations as an R&B artist, probably becuase of the color of her skin. In reality, her music is just pure pop-catchy, computerized, and chorus driven. In fact, the only new person who has come close to R&B popular music since the great Lauryn Hill has been Jazmin Sullivan or Keisha Cole. I'm sure if Christina Aguilera or Kelly Clarkson did "Umbrella," they would be nominated for VMA's for "Best Pop Song," or "Best Pop Female Video." Same with Beyonce. Most of her music is the musical genre's definition of pure pop. And if "Single Ladies" isn't the widely-accepted definition of a pop song, I dont know what is.

Or even further, how come when other white artisits such as Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke do R&B, people like to catergorize it as "blue eyed soul." While yes, these two artists in particular do indeed have blue eyes, and Thicke may be more geared toward R&B jams than Timberlake who mostly sings tunes of the pop variety, how come they just cant be seen as what they are- two men who make R&B music. Why you ask? Once again, because of the color of their skin.

I am not by any means trying to take away the accomplishments that these artists, both black and white, have made.

Instead, let's stop putting so much importance on the fact that Robin Thicke is a "white boy with rhythm," and more emphasis on the fact that he makes the sexiest baby making music I ever heard.

Let's jam and booty shake to Rihanna's pop tunes in clubs why dont we!

Let's be glad that Darius Rucker after all these years could even make a comeback in the first place.

And let's not hate on poor boy bands who already have enough flack to take from critics as it is, and just let them do the music they wanna do- whatever that music might be.

When I listen to music, I dont hear a race, therefore, I dont see one either.

And if you've got the right stuff, step by step, you can learn to do the same.

"Power and politics take on the guise of common sense in the record industry too. The most obvious instance of this can be seen in the way the industry as a whole has accepted, or reinforces, the division between black and white music."

-John Street, Rebel Rock: The Politics of Popular Music

Hey, I'm B and this is my Blog. I'm interested in all things in the music industry, particularly how artists are treated by major labels and viral marketing. I'm pretty open to all types of music, but I personally steer clear of most country and techno. I consider myself a second generation Blockhead (NKOTB for life!) and am currently obssessed with the vocal stylings of Cassie Steele. That girl can sang!

So, come. Read. Think. Refute.

Enjoy my Blog!

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