Challenge: Cultural Appropriation

August 17, 2009 6:24 PM

Suggestion for MeFi Music Challenge: Cultural Appropriation.

I've been cracking up at the Hallelujah covers and have marvelled at the more culturally-specific ones (Svenska, Halle Hula, etc). Since I've been knee-deep in cultural-appropriation research lately, I thought it might be funny to listen to some Mefites try to tackle music from different cultures.

A cover of a song in a language you don't speak? Incorporating samples of traditional music into a punk song? Bollywood African-style? Bring it on.
posted by divabat (6 comments total)

A cover of a song in a language you don't speak?

That one's actually been done. Not many entries, unfortunately, but still...the other ideas are solid, though. I always love juxtaposing styles and textures that don't initially seem to go together.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 9:04 PM on August 17, 2009


divabat, that IS an ongoing thing. The tag is "NotInEnglish". So check that out to hear more. Thanks for bringing this up, it's a good reminder. I'm actually working on another song in Spanish. Hopefully people will be able to understand this one!
posted by snsranch at 6:12 PM on August 18, 2009


I read this as "Approbation" at first glance and I was all like, wow, hardcore.
posted by cortex at 8:21 AM on August 19, 2009


what about regional culture like TexMex or Cajun or whatever spiritless & pale musical traditions they have up north? (just kidding about that last one. Yankees have , uh, a terrific musical legacy. I assume.)
posted by February28 at 1:19 PM on August 19, 2009


I uploaded a track a while back called Suenos with a good bit of the lyric in Spanish (my daughter wrote that bit - I've no idea what it means - probably "my dad blows goats"). It is, frankly, a bit crap but the guitar playing is, modesty aside, fairly respectable.

Trouble with you southerners Feb is that you take so fucking loooooonnggg to get to the point and it's all soooo laid back that eveyone's asleeeeep, yaaaaawwwnn. Because it's cold up north we get it all done in 3 minutes and no messing about...and then we smash our instruments up for firewood....which keeps guitar manufacturers in the south (Gibson, Memphis for instance) in business - so, hey, we contribute to the southern economy as well as making much better music! (just kidding)
posted by MajorDundee at 1:50 PM on August 19, 2009


*yawn* what? huh? I wuz asleep, y'all -- did MajorDundee say sumthin? ;)
posted by February28 at 1:56 PM on August 19, 2009


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