Dear Ms. MEHness,
Unfortunately, I could not find a radio report on bi/multiracial identity in Europe, but this is a good start: Farai Chideya's interview with Lise Funderburg. Although this report mainly deals with "combinations" of black and white, the themes discussed are universal for people identifying as racially plural. Naturally, the exact historical context of racial pluralism would be different in Europe, perhaps drastically; in Spain, for example, the proximity to northern Africa and the long presence of the Moors made racial and cultural pluralism a reality early in its history. Although there was discrimination against people who had Moorish blood, the Spanish part of these people was also recognized, which was rare at the time. (They were still considered inferior.) Germany, on the other hand, was a purist state despite its decidedly "impure" background. It will be interesting to see where racial development goes from here.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Internalization vs. Globalization
Dear Classier Hoeing,
I, too, love Goodbye, Lenin! and agree with your point about the internalization of oppression that occurs among the people of totalitarian governments. I think an interesting question to consider on this subject is how such internalization works in a rapidly globalizing society. In Europe it is more difficult for any country to achieve the kind of isolation needed to sustain a totalitarian government; with the establishment of the EU and the enduring political suspicion of many European governments, an outright dictatorship would be taken down pretty quickly. However, in North Korea, the country with the least personal and political freedom in the world, the people reject offerings of knowledge from the outside world. On NPR recently, there was a story of a man who went to North Korea in order to persuade Kim Jong-Il to have a national rock concert. He showed a woman on the bus a newspaper from South Korea, and she looked at it to be polite but did not read it. This incident is an example of the internalization you speak of, but one must wonder how long it will be until the information bug is caught by those who have forced out the desire to know.
I, too, love Goodbye, Lenin! and agree with your point about the internalization of oppression that occurs among the people of totalitarian governments. I think an interesting question to consider on this subject is how such internalization works in a rapidly globalizing society. In Europe it is more difficult for any country to achieve the kind of isolation needed to sustain a totalitarian government; with the establishment of the EU and the enduring political suspicion of many European governments, an outright dictatorship would be taken down pretty quickly. However, in North Korea, the country with the least personal and political freedom in the world, the people reject offerings of knowledge from the outside world. On NPR recently, there was a story of a man who went to North Korea in order to persuade Kim Jong-Il to have a national rock concert. He showed a woman on the bus a newspaper from South Korea, and she looked at it to be polite but did not read it. This incident is an example of the internalization you speak of, but one must wonder how long it will be until the information bug is caught by those who have forced out the desire to know.
The Synthetic Sound: Trip Hop
After reading the rest of my posts regarding the Bristol music scene, many of you may be wondering what Trip Hop actually is. In 1998, after a slew of musical successes from Massive Attack and Tricky, an article in the New York Times came out announcing the advent of "the Bristol sound." The journalist Guy Garcia says of this sound:
WHEN Massive Attack came on the British dance-music scene in 1991 with its debut album, ''Blue Lines,'' the group's bass-heavy beats and brooding spirit of introspection became the sonic blueprint for trip-hop. A studio-concocted blend of hip-hop, ambient techno and reggae that set the tone for fellow Bristol artists like Portishead and Tricky, trip-hop seemed ideally suited to our globally aware, culturally fragmented times. Spawned by the latest recording technologies, yet resolutely human in its message, it was steeped in the ironic film-noir paranoia of 60's spy movies and apocalyptic angst.As Garcia suggests, Trip Hop is far more than just a specialized sector of "Electronica." Trip Hop is a melting pot of sounds. Later in the article, the reggae singer Horace Andy (who has since collaborated with Alpha as well as Massive Attack) claims that "Trip Hop is the new world music." However, despite the popularity that certain groups enjoyed on Alternative Rock stations in the United States, Trip Hop never really took off. The genre has inspired artists from all over the world, and yet the so-called Bristol Sound seems to be dying. There aren't many groups that are producing quality Trip Hop or revolutionizing the signature sounds that have inspired so many artists. So where does Trip Hop go from here?
Is Yugoslavia Dead? Ponderings by the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2767597.stm
In class, we talked about the diversity of Yugoslavia compared to other regions of Eastern Europe. This article from the BBC asserts that in fact, keeping this diversity was a failed attempt at co-existence. Thus, the war came out of awkward relations between regions and ethnic groups; Yugoslavia, in many ways, is proof that a post-racialized global society is still far enough off to be called a pipe dream.
In class, we talked about the diversity of Yugoslavia compared to other regions of Eastern Europe. This article from the BBC asserts that in fact, keeping this diversity was a failed attempt at co-existence. Thus, the war came out of awkward relations between regions and ethnic groups; Yugoslavia, in many ways, is proof that a post-racialized global society is still far enough off to be called a pipe dream.
The Synthetic Sound: Alpha
Alpha, the self-described "best-kept secret in the universe," is a Trip Hop group formed in Bristol in 1997. The members met in a Trip Hop studio known as the PIJ; the most frequent vocalist for the group (who goes casually by Corin) was engineering another project of her future Alpha collaborator (Andy), and after a few sessions, they began to explore the Alpha sound. For listeners familiar with the Trip Hop genre, the various sounds produced are recognizable--the unusual female vocals are usually reminiscent of Beth Gibbons, and the beats themselves are usually "chill," if not downright dark. Superficially, the Alpha sound is no different from the so-called Trip Hop convention. However, unlike the iconic Portishead, Alpha is easy and avant-garde; instead of having only one singer, Alpha employs a few--most notably Helen White, Wendy Stubbs, and Martin Barnard--and each one has a distinct, decidedly non-commercial voice. The lyrics are poetry, and the grand abstractness of the words contrasts with the strangely familiar feeling of the music. It's orchestral, stirring, disturbing, and yet Alpha remains utterly undiscovered despite representation by Massive Attack's Don't Touch Recordings and collaborations with the likes of Radiohead, Madonna, David Bowie, and Pulp.
A perfect end - Alpha
"A Perfect End," the appropriate final song on Alpha's 2004 release of Stargazing, demonstrates Alpha's avant-garde style perfectly. The vocals are strange, intimate; the background music broad and orchestral. It is almost impossible to visualize this music being produces in a harbor city in southwest England; it is otherworldly. However, the individual voice that Alpha offers up in each song speaks more strongly of its Bristol roots than is immediately apparent. Alpha's sound is borne of the essential emotions of the everyman, the seamen walking across the street from the recording studio; Alpha puts poetry to the everyday feelings of Bristol and the small towns surrounding the city. Thus, Alpha has taken up the mantle of the continued innovators of Trip Hop, drawing inspiration from their contemporaries and their surroundings to expand the emotional impact of the synthetic sound.
People and Politics: Can Germany and Israel Get Along?
This recent Deutsche Welle report on German/Israeli relations is especially pertinent to our in-class discussion of the future of Europe. The fact of the Holocaust has made a relationship between the two parties tentative, at best, and now with the rate at which globalization is progressing, the need to make a secure alliance is important. The postwar realities of the two countries are drastically different; Germany became prosperous, and Israel became mired in further religious conflict. The key to a healthy international relationship between the two countries lies in their willingness to honor the tragedies of the past and move towards a position of "never again war," as Michael Wolffson states. However, is this a goal that can be realistically achieved?
The Synthetic Sound: Bristol, Then and Now
The trading post of Brigstowe (the modern-day Bristol, home of the Trip Hop Movement) was founded between the Avon River and the Frome River during the Anglo-Saxon age. For a few years after its initial establishment, Brigstowe grew as trade relations expanded with Ireland and South Wales. As the town grew, so did the scope if its trade; its ideal location near the sea facilitated international relations and later attracted maritime explorers such as John Cabot. However, the Norman Conquest of 1066 briefly transformed Brigstowe from a midsized trading post to a castle town. (Today, the castle is no longer. There's a park in its place.) After Brigstowe's "castle period," it assumed its identity as Bristol: the second largest city in England and the hub of the Triangle Trade in the 18th century. By the 19th century, however, Bristol's economic success had lessened. Thanks to the modernization efforts of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the infrastructure and harbor of Bristol did not fall to ruin. Now, despite the establishment of a few supposedly notable centers for the fine arts, Bristol is primarily known for its harbors and its size.
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