Global Music Autobiography

It is now the year 2020 and I have had the pleasure of exploring the wonders of wold music. Over the past decade, I have discovered a passion for the music of other cultures, particularly Asia. I didn't really have any friends or family who are into music from around the world until I met my best friend in 2016. My little sister likes rap with a hint of country and early 2000s, but that's as varied as it's ever got until I discovered J-Pop.

I discovered J-Pop back in 2015 and I have been hooked ever since. As a matter of fact, my favorite J-pop band, Arashi, just came out with a new song in November 2019 and I'm in love! Over time I discovered more and more J-Pop musicians and eventually got into more historical Japanese music. In 2018, I saved up and bought my very own Shamisen and am still currently friends with the seller who is active in playing all over the country and the world. Getting introduced to J-Pop not only has made me many connections around the world but I also am striving to learn a new language and a new instrument.

My music culture interest goes far beyond just Japan though. In 2017, I discovered the joys of the hurdy-gurdy. If you were to ask me what kind of music I think I would like in ten years back in 2010, pop hurdy-gurdy music was not going to be an answer. I know (not personally) a small chunk of pop hurdy-gurdyists, but by far my favorite has been a woman by the name of Patty Gurdy of Germany. Not only does Patty sing folk music with her instrument but she also plays and sings for a metal band called Storm Seeker. If you ever want to have a discussion about hurdy-gurdy please do let me know.

For high school, I had to do research about Finnish schools for a sociology class. Just for fun, I decided to research schools in other parts of Europe as a comparison. I guess youtube picked up on the European vibes quickly because in the summer of 2019 youtube recommended the channel of Jonna Jinton. Jinton is a Swedish artist. She quit school to go and live a life of peace up in the mountains. This woman does everything from ice bathing to stone balancing. But what really caught my eye was a video of her Kulning. This technique was so fascinating to me. While it's not aesthetically pleasing to some, due to its high pitch, the history of its usage is captivating. Then actually watching a video of the cows responding was unbelievable!

By far one of the most unique music groups I have heard is The Hu (pronounced who). This Mongolian throat singing quartet debuted their first song in September 2018 and became an overnight sensation. Not only do they play on the coolest looking instruments ever but their deep timbre gives their songs this rock and roll feel that's aesthetically pleasing and memorable. Not long after their second song, The Hu began doing world tours. I hope to one day go see them in person.

I studied Spanish three out of my four years in high school and am still continuing to learn. Along with the language I have made some friends who have introduced to me many aspects of the culture. My best friend's mom was born and raised in El Salvador (translated The Savior). Not only do I get to practice my oral Spanish with her but I get to practice listening to Spanish with the music she plays. Now I own songs from artists like Natti Natasha, Becky G, and Luis Fonsi.

One artist, I am so thankful for discovering is Angela July. When it comes to harp music in the United States, I believe that most fans of the lovely stringed instrument would conjure up an image of Camille and Kennerly, also known as the Harp Twins. But I see Asia's Got Talent Semi-finalist from Indonesia. During my move from Colorado to South Carolina in 2017, July's angelic voice always made me feel better and the sweet simplicity of some of her Indonesian songs just made life so much better.

Overall, I have noticed I feel different when I hear one culture's music over the other. That's not to say that one countries music is good or bad but if you understand the culture you just get this vibe of what the song represents even if you can't understand most or any of the lyrics. For instance, mainstream American rap musicians enjoy swearing. Swear words are part of what makes up that genre of rap. But if you were to hear a rap song from Japan or China, chances are there might be some malicious words in there but not to an extreme extent as you might hear with an artist like Cardi B or Nicki Minaj. Now that doesn't mean there aren't curse words in Japanese and Chinese rap but it's just less prominent in their mainstream rap. The reason being, Asian countries tend to have a more conservative way of life. So even though I have almost no idea what the songs by Arashi or Angela July are saying, I can have some trust that I won't be listening to anything explicit (if so preferenced). The same cannot be said about Hispanic based music. If I am listening to a Hispanic artist, good chances are it is about love, which is really sweet. (Keep in mind I am listing off typical scenarios based on my own observations. These are not one hundred percent factual.)

It warms my heart to know that many artists around the world are gaining more and more fandom and spreading their cultures such as BTS from South Korea and the Celtic Woman from Ireland. It is important to continue to learn about new cultures through their language, customs, and music.