Where’s that music coming from?

What is your favourite type of music? Do you know anything about its history? Over the years, as people
have moved or travelled, they have taken with them the music of their cultures – Celtic folk from Ireland
and the U.K., flamenco from Spain, or bhangra from India. As a result, a lot of present day popular music
has originated from the traditional songs and rhythms heard in various countries around the world. For
decades, musicians have adapted traditional musical styles to make them more appealing to ordinary
people. Bob Marley made reggae, previously unique to Jamaica, popular around the world in the 1970s
and 1980s, with hits like ‘No Woman, No Cry’. Now, this rhythm can still be heard on beaches across the
globe.
Bhangra, a traditional music originally played to celebrate harvests or weddings in Indian villages, was
brought to the U.K. by Indian immigrants. It became popular in the 1980s as the Indian immigrant
population grew. This lively, energetic, drum-based beat has been mixed with other musical genres such
as jazz and rock. Bhangra influence can now be heard on dance floors in the cities like London and
Singapore, where a high percentage of the population comes from Indian immigrant families.
In the U.S., Rock and Roll has its roots in African-American culture and in traditional musical styles such
as Rhythm and Blues. By the mid-50s many white musicians, such as Elvis Presley, were singing and
playing music that was previously performed only by black artists. Many DJs in the U.S. also began
playing this ‘new’ music, now called Rock and Roll, on the radio stations. A sound that began in small
nightclubs in the U.S. was eventually exported to other parts of the world. Likewise, jazz is a style of
music that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African-American communities in the
Southern United States. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from
19th and 20th century American popular music. The word ‘jazz’ (in early years also spelt ‘jass’) began as
a West Coast slang term and was first used to refer to music in Chicago in about 1915.
Language has helped to popularize music from different countries. The Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada
became famous in her native country, and around the world, by combining Japanese pop styles with lyrics
in English. Other artists, such as the Spaniard Enrique Iglesias, mix English lyrics with their native
languages and have also made a big impact on the world pop scene. Much of the pop music we hear today
is a mixture of styles from various parts of the world. With the ability now to share music using the
Internet, the musical styles we listen to may become even more appealing and diverse tomorrow.