By/Shaikhah Alyalak, Journalism student, ILSC-Toronto.
What kind of music do you like to listen to? Are you a fan of singers of your own country? Do you listen to Western music? Do you care about the lyrics or the rhythm and melody? What are some famous singers of your own country? Do some of these singers adopt a Western style of music or singing?
When Justin ran his fingers through his bangs, brushed them off his face and sang some magical words, “I know you love me, I know you care, you say whenever, and I’ll be there!” teenagers from all over the world went CRAZY.
Although people listen to music from their own country, they seem more attached to the modern western music. BIG TIME! Some of these songs are undeniably amazing. Some songs from the sixties till the eighties are immortal: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Jackson, and many others created some great songs.
The classical music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and others are considered tasteful, and are undoubtedly memorable and timeless. But, why do we like to listen to songs that have degenerated to clichés and still give them increasing attention?! Besides, what happened to every country’s traditional songs?
Music used to reflect each country’s culture and identity; the sense of having a distinct individuality in music is lost if people stop listening to their own culture’s music. Useless and meaningless songs are preferred over meaningful cultural songs that reflect their societies’ situations. What happened to the lyrics? Why are they sabotaged to be meaningless ones that urge their listeners to care more about the melody?
Some of the students I interviewed proclaimed that sometimes songs’ lyrics run through their heads and that they are only moved by good music. It seems that if the lyrics are lousy, but the music rocks then the songs are perfect! What makes a lousy song anyway?!
I was glad when Naoko, a girl from Japan, told me that pure Japanese music is her favorite. She said that some Japanese singers adopt a modern style in singing and that western music is popular in her country. Globalization in music has no doubt spread widely. And that is because people are fond of modern western music and constantly like to listen to it. In Turkey, some singers also adopt a modern style in singing, and many western singers such as Lady Gaga are widely listened to.
This also applies to Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia? Where horrible stereotypes and references to camels and deserts exist? YES! Some singers of Saudi Arabia adopt an utterly western style.
Singers like Qusai, SlowMoe, Tim Granite and many others are known for singing in English. I have to say that some of their songs are informative, and morally elevate their listeners’ ways of thinking, but why do they have to be westernized? Why not sing the same words in Arabic and why not add that Arabic sense to them?
It is noticeable that the youth in every country are becoming “addicted” to the modern western style. It simply appeals to them, and the new generation is becoming fonder of them over time. For this reason, singers want to emulate it to earn more money, and singing these kinds of music can do this.
This seems to be unavoidable. So, turn on the radio, wherever you are now, I bet that you’ll get an English song or a modern westernized one!
Here is a sample of music that people I interviewed listen to, both modern and traditional:
Colombia: Modern | Traditional
Korea (South): Modern | Traditional
Saudi Arabia: Modern | Traditional
Thailand: Modern | Traditional
Venezuela: Modern | Traditional
What music from your country do you listen to?
What kind of music do you like to listen to? Are you a fan of singers of your own country? Do you listen to Western music? Do you care about the lyrics or the rhythm and melody? What are some famous singers of your own country? Do some of these singers adopt a Western style of music or singing?
When Justin ran his fingers through his bangs, brushed them off his face and sang some magical words, “I know you love me, I know you care, you say whenever, and I’ll be there!” teenagers from all over the world went CRAZY.
Although people listen to music from their own country, they seem more attached to the modern western music. BIG TIME! Some of these songs are undeniably amazing. Some songs from the sixties till the eighties are immortal: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Jackson, and many others created some great songs.
The classical music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and others are considered tasteful, and are undoubtedly memorable and timeless. But, why do we like to listen to songs that have degenerated to clichés and still give them increasing attention?! Besides, what happened to every country’s traditional songs?
Music used to reflect each country’s culture and identity; the sense of having a distinct individuality in music is lost if people stop listening to their own culture’s music. Useless and meaningless songs are preferred over meaningful cultural songs that reflect their societies’ situations. What happened to the lyrics? Why are they sabotaged to be meaningless ones that urge their listeners to care more about the melody?
Some of the students I interviewed proclaimed that sometimes songs’ lyrics run through their heads and that they are only moved by good music. It seems that if the lyrics are lousy, but the music rocks then the songs are perfect! What makes a lousy song anyway?!
I was glad when Naoko, a girl from Japan, told me that pure Japanese music is her favorite. She said that some Japanese singers adopt a modern style in singing and that western music is popular in her country. Globalization in music has no doubt spread widely. And that is because people are fond of modern western music and constantly like to listen to it. In Turkey, some singers also adopt a modern style in singing, and many western singers such as Lady Gaga are widely listened to.
This also applies to Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia? Where horrible stereotypes and references to camels and deserts exist? YES! Some singers of Saudi Arabia adopt an utterly western style.
Singers like Qusai, SlowMoe, Tim Granite and many others are known for singing in English. I have to say that some of their songs are informative, and morally elevate their listeners’ ways of thinking, but why do they have to be westernized? Why not sing the same words in Arabic and why not add that Arabic sense to them?
It is noticeable that the youth in every country are becoming “addicted” to the modern western style. It simply appeals to them, and the new generation is becoming fonder of them over time. For this reason, singers want to emulate it to earn more money, and singing these kinds of music can do this.
This seems to be unavoidable. So, turn on the radio, wherever you are now, I bet that you’ll get an English song or a modern westernized one!
Here is a sample of music that people I interviewed listen to, both modern and traditional:
Colombia: Modern | Traditional
Korea (South): Modern | Traditional
Saudi Arabia: Modern | Traditional
Thailand: Modern | Traditional
Venezuela: Modern | Traditional
What music from your country do you listen to?
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