World music is sometimes also called ethnic pop music (Ethno pop). World music in a broad sense can refer to all ethnic music in the world. But the world music we are going to introduce here mainly refers to a new music form that has been based on American pop music since the end of World War II and also incorporates elements of national music from all over the world.

Since the end of World War II, American pop music has occupied the entire world. Blues, jazz, rock music, sole music and other forms have flooded every corner of the world, bringing a huge impact on the pop music scene in various countries. In fact, all these "American" forms are actually genetic transfers of African ancestry, rhythms spread to North America during the slave trade. When these rhythms were slightly processed and returned to their hometown in new forms, they influenced the culture that had nurtured them and gave birth to an exciting hybrid variety - world music. World music in the 1980s had a great impact on the development of Western pop music. What’s interesting is that this influence is a cyclical relationship: African black culture, as the source of popular music, has developed rapidly. This is obvious. However, when this American form of popular music returns to Africa, it Prompted the birth of world music. In the 1980s, when the influence of world music gradually expanded, musicians from all over the world (especially in Asia and Africa) fully embodied a more avant-garde contemporary consciousness through various advanced means, thus returning to promote the development of popular music. Therefore, we can clearly see that world music does not exist in isolation. It is a mixture of popular music, ethnic music and even traditional music.

1. Reggae Music

1. Overview

Reggae music (Reggae, also translated as "reggae music" in Hong Kong and Taiwan), in the mid-1960s Originating in Jamaica, it has a medium speed and is characterized by its emphasis on the backbeat.

Reggae music evolved from Rocksteady music, and Rocksteady music is a continuation of Ska music. The roots of these three types of music are Caribbean African musical traditions, sacred revivalism, and American rhythm and blues.

In the mid-1950s, after American rhythm and blues was introduced to Jamaica through radio stations in Miami, New Orleans, Memphis and other places, some local musicians combined it with the Jamaican folk music Mento. The fusion gradually formed ska music. The speed of ska music is faster, and the rhythm emphasizes the emphasis of backbeat. In addition to using traditional Manto music instruments (such as acoustic guitar, various Latin American percussion instruments), the band also adds brass, electric guitar, and electric bass. Musical instruments such as bass and keyboard, and highlight the gorgeous colors of brass. Ska music was popular between 1960 and 1965, and gradually evolved into Rocksteady music by the mid-1960s. Compared with ska music, rocksteady music has a significantly slower speed, and its rhythm and texture are more delicate and rich; its band completely adopts a rhythm and blues combination, using the guitar as a rhythm instrument and using syncopation techniques to play loose music. The rhythmic sound pattern is smooth and rhythmic; the melody of the bass part is also more independent, forming a counterpoint to the gorgeous lead vocal part. At the end of the 1960s, Rocksteady music developed into the more international reggae music. In fact, it is difficult to draw a clear line between Rocksteady music and reggae music, except that reggae music is more delicate than Rocksteady music, uses more electroacoustic instruments and is more international and commercial. Just transform.

The performance content of reggae music is closely related to the Rastafari religion (Rastafari) believed by the local poor people. This sect worships the former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I as a god and the savior of black people. The sect is named after he was called Prince Tafari before he ascended the throne. Reggae music often expresses the political thoughts of Rastafari and expresses the psychology of the oppressed masses in Jamaica, who dream of one day being rescued and returning to their African homeland, their paradise on earth.

The representative figure of reggae music is Bob Marley, who made reggae music widely spread and became a popular music form with global influence.

2. Bob Marley (Bob Marley, 1945-1981)

Bob Marley, born in Jamaica in 1945, was the son of a white British Navy officer and a black maid. The son grew up in a slum. As a teenager, in addition to his belief in Rastafari, Bob Marley was also influenced by the "black power" theory of the United States in the 1960s. In terms of music, Bob Marley was equally fond of black rock music, "white" jazz in the style of Nat King Cole (1915-1965), and Sol music. Of course, ska music was an important foundation for his later music development.

In 1965, Bob Marley formed the band "The Wailers". The lyrics of their early works were relatively "childish", reflecting their "childhood spent in the slums of Jamaica and the Life as an Unemployed Teenager". Soon, Marley turned to simple, more politically radical Jamaican street language, such as the lyrics of "Getup, Stand up": "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up" , never give up the fight". "I Shot the Sheriff" tells the story of a black man who was unfairly persecuted. Both songs are from the album "Burning". The theme of "Burning" is "fire related to revolution". Another album, Uprising, later became a rallying cry for rioters in Jamaica, London and South Africa. Therefore, the "Oxford Companion to Popular Music" wrote: "Before (Reggae) was commercialized, it was a kind of rebellious music." In 1972, the Wailers signed with London's Island Records and began to build their international reputation. In 1977, Bob Marley toured the United States and Europe and received a warm welcome. His hair style (popular among Caribbean people, combing their hair into rope-like pigtails) was imitated by many reggae fans, and his music influenced many white and black singers and bands in Europe and the United States. Bob Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.

In addition to Bob Marley, famous reggae musicians and bands include Peter Tosh, the band "Black Uhuru", and "Aswand" (Aswad) band, "Third World" band, etc. 3. Other reggae bands

In the late 1970s, when reggae music found a broad market in Europe and the United States, many musicians began to follow suit. Among them, the British band "UB40" and the band "Police" are the most famous.

"UB40" was founded in 1977. The band has a large lineup and has 8 members. They are from Birmingham, England. UB40 is the code name of the British relief and welfare organization. Since most of the members were unemployed when the band was formed, they needed to fill out UB40's social welfare forms, so they took this as the name of the band. In 1983, the band reached its peak, and their song "Red Red Wine" topped the charts. In this classic work, people fully experienced the relaxed rhythm and melody of "Reggae Music" Fresh and smooth unique beauty, to this day, the "UB40" band still enjoys it.

"The Police" was founded in 1977. The three members of the band are vocalist and bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summer and drummer Stewart copeland. They organically blended reggae music with pop music to make it more popular.

Sting is the core figure of the band. His original name is Gordon Matthew Sumner (born in 1951). The band's most famous masterpiece is "Every Breath you Take" (1983, for example). 43) was composed while Sting was on vacation in Jamaica. In 1984, the band disbanded and Sting began his solo career, which has been brilliant all the way. In the album "Brand new day" released in 1999, various styles are integrated into one, and the perfect combination of jazz, world music and pop music more fully reflects Sting's musical talent.

2. Latin Music

The so-called Latin music in this section refers to the area from the Rio Grande River at the junction of the United States and Mexico to the southernmost Cape Horn. Latin American popular music.

Latin America is a multi-ethnic group, so Latin music is a diversified hybrid music formed by the fusion of many kinds of music. Whether it is white music in Europe, black music in Africa, Indian music in the Americas, or even Asian music in the East, they have all made different contributions to Latin music. After a long period of precipitation, on the basis of European culture as the main body, they also absorbed a large number of various elements of Indian culture and African black culture, and gradually formed a colorful, energetic and dynamic Latin culture. Well, among many countries in Latin America, Latin music, led by Brazil and Cuba, is at the forefront of world pop music. 1. The origin and development of Latin music

(1) Indian culture

Indians are the masters of the American continent, and their traditional national culture is an important part of modern Latin music . The musical culture of Indians is difficult to generalize based on different regional conditions, but it can be roughly summarized as the following points:

First of all, it is closely related to life and combined with religion, labor, and dance. Therefore, the melodies they possess are simple yet full of unique expressions. This characteristic is especially reflected in some local folk songs, where the pentatonic scale without semitones creates a unique style and interest. In addition, in the traditional music of Indians, there is no harmony in the European sense. Thirdly, in terms of musical instruments, the absence of string instruments is a major feature of Indian musical instruments. Although string instruments such as guitars, violins, and harps are often used in Indian music today, these were later brought by Europeans.

(2) European (Iberian) Culture

The Spanish and Portuguese music of the Iberian Peninsula in Europe, on the one hand, has the same general characteristics as Western European music; On the one hand, it is unique due to the influence of the music of various ethnic groups left behind. Whether it is scale, melody or rhythm, harmony, singing and vocalization, it exhibits factors that are not found in other parts of Europe in many aspects. Especially its rhythm, there is a lot of three-beat music, but it is not as monotonous as the waltz, but more delicate and dynamic. In addition, complex and lively rhythms such as the alternation of 3/4 and 6/8 are also liked by the Spanish and Portuguese. This Iberian rhythm has been passed down unchanged in Latin America, and then merged with it. Indian rhythms, especially when combined with African black rhythms, produce a richer and more subtle rhythmic feeling.

In terms of musical instruments, the guitar, known as the "Spanish national instrument", is popular in all countries in Latin America. In terms of singing, because the lyrics are in Spanish or Portuguese, you can feel the obvious difference from the English songs.

(3) Black African Culture

Latin America, during the slavery system from the early 16th century to the second half of the 19th century, absorbed a large number of African blacks and their music. The traditional music culture brought by black Africans, as seen in American blues, spirituals, jazz, and sol music, also shows strong subjectivity in Latin music.

In the music of black Africans, there is some that is combined with religion, and there is also a simple and secular side.

No matter which aspect, its melody, rhythm and singing method all show remarkable characteristics. In terms of melody, the melody is unique with natural portamento and ornamentation, and the scales are even more colorful (due to the use of portamento during singing, there are many changes in the notes). In terms of timbre, black people have a very unique voice quality, and the emotions they express often leave a deep impression on people. In terms of singing methods, solo singing, chorus singing, and unison singing usually alternate with each other, and are characterized by a call-and-response form.

The biggest feature of black African music is their innate good and rich sense of rhythm. They use various percussion instruments to produce complex and rich rhythms and beats. The rhythms of these African branches of African American music are generally based on two beats, but they are not as simple and rigid as marches. It is usually a mixed rhythm with two, three, or even more than three rhythm patterns overlapping at the same time, and syncopation is constantly added to produce a vibrant rhythm.

To sum up, Latin music is mainly composed of the above three cultures. The combination of these three cultures, if we look at it from the perspective of melody and rhythm: in terms of melody, the Indians provide the basic pentatonic scale pattern, the influence of European music is reflected in the expansion of scales and the addition of chords, and the blacks add more Changes and modifications; in terms of beat and rhythm, the Indians insist on short sentences and long rests, and use monotonous drumming as accompaniment. The rhythm of the Europeans is mainly Spain’s typical double beat of 3/4 and 6/8. The Afro-African influence is mainly the addition of syncopation within the almost constant 2/4 beat.

From the above we can see that the development of Latin music can be roughly divided into four stages: ① pure Indian tunes and pentatonic scale; ② the "hybridization" of Indian music, producing similar European-sized music The Indo-European hybrid variety of the tune; ③ "Mix and remix" is to use African black ornaments and modified ornaments to further develop it; ④ "Three times of mixing" is to incorporate modern musical instruments and production on the above basis. , making it more international.

In 1979, the Best Latin Recording Award appeared at the Grammy Awards, and later there were various Latin Music Awards. Since then, Latin music has spread all over the world, making it truly enter the international stage.

2. Latin Rhythm

From the origin of Latin music, we can clearly see that Latin music is a kind of popular music centered on rhythm. Its rhythm is not just a simple law of strength and weakness, but as the soul of music, it rises to a dominant position. Therefore, in the process of understanding Latin music, the first thing you need to understand is its rhythm. The following focuses on several representative Latin rhythms and styles.

(1) Samba

Samba originated from Brazil. It is a dance based on the American rhythms of black people and a large amount of European melodies. musical form. It is characterized by a 2/4 beat with short rolling notes. Traditional samba can be divided into two types: rural samba and urban samba. Rural samba is more syncopated than urban samba. Urban samba has less rhythm changes, but is fast and dexterous. Samba, which is popular in modern Europe and America, was formed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil around 1920.

(2) Rumba (Ruhmba)

Rumba, originated in Africa, appeared in Cuba in the early 19th century, and developed and became popular in the early 20th century. In the early 1930s, rumba was introduced to the United States and European countries, and it also incorporated jazz elements, making it very popular. The basic rhythm pattern of rumba is: ×× ×× ×× ××. After being introduced to Europe and the United States, 0 ×× ×× 0 × 0×, and uses Latin American percussion instruments such as maracas, rattles, and congas to enhance the rhythm. The traditional rumba has a moderate speed, about 40 to 50 beats per minute, usually in 4/4 time. Later, fast 2/4 time rumba also appeared.

(3) Mambo

Mambo is a combination of rumba and jazz swing. It was formed around 1940 and became popular around the world in the 1940s and 1950s. Bands that play mambo music tend to be larger.

The band includes brass, saxophone, piano, bass and other commonly used instruments in rock bands, as well as Latin American percussion instruments such as maracas, rattles and congas. The composition of music is often based on fixed bass and chord sequences.

(4) Salsa

Salsa is a dance music that combines Cuban black music, American jazz and South American folk music. It originated in the United States in the 1940s. After evolution and development from the 1950s to the 1960s, it reached its peak of popularity in the mid-1970s. Salsa rhythm instruments are still dominated by Latin American percussion instruments, such as maracas, rattles, congas, bongos, etc. The basic rhythm pattern is similar to mambo and chacha, but a two-bar rhythm pattern in salsa is unique: 4/4 beat, × × ×× | 0 ×× 0 0 |. Traditional salsa music often consists of a mambo passage composed of a fixed motive that is repeated over and over again.

(5) Cha Cha

Following Latin dance music such as Rumba and Mambo, Cha Cha became popular in European and American countries in the mid-to-late 1950s. Cha Cha, the folk music from Cuba called Charangas. The basic rhythm pattern is × × ×× × |, and Latin American percussion instruments such as maracas and rattles are used to strengthen the last three accents during performance.

(6) Tango

Tango originated from the Habanera dance in Cuba and is widely spread as a representative of Argentine music. It is characterized by a swaying rhythm in 2/4 time, usually composed of two paragraphs, the first paragraph is in a minor mode, and the second paragraph is in a major mode. Tango is also a singing form accompanied by guitar. Generally, the tango band is composed of violin, accordion, piano, double bass and other instruments, and the button accordion is an indispensable instrument in the tango band. Its basic rhythm pattern is: ××××× | / |.

The six styles introduced above, plus bossa nova introduced in jazz, as representatives of Latin music, have caused a Latin craze around the world, but in addition to these seven popular In addition to the sexual category, there are also the following styles of Latin music that are also highly individual, such as Bolero, Guaracha, Habanera, Son, Guajira ), Tanzania (Danzon), etc. These styles all come from Cuba, plus the previous Mambo and Rumba, so Cuba is known as the "treasure house of Latin rhythms". Several Latin-style band patterns are provided below for reference (Example 44).

3. Santana

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a musician who made a huge contribution to the spread and development of Latin music. He was Carlos Santana ( Carlos Santana).

Santana was born in Mexico in 1947. As an excellent guitar player, he established a bridge between Latin music and pop music (especially rock music). He absorbed the best of blues and rock music while rebelling against them with his own unique expressions and Latin-flavored guitar solos.

In 1966, with Santana as the core, they established their band in San Francisco, USA, named "Santana Blues Band". In 1967, they began to develop a Latin music style and soon changed the name of the band to "Santana". In 1969, they appeared at the Woodstock Rock Festival, where they revealed their new Latin rock sound and attracted a large audience. In the early 1970s, the "Santana" band created new rhythms and melodies of Latin music and integrated them into rock music. Tomatoes and Latin American percussion instruments formed the core of this sound, accompanied by more complex rhythms provided by the drummer , making their music more popular.

In the next 25 years, 17 musicians left or entered, but Santana was the eternal advocate, guiding the development direction of the band. During those years, Santana continued to find new elements and influences that would make their style outside the confines of Latin music.

In the early 1970s, they became interested in jazz and infiltrated it into the band's work. In 1973, Santana collaborated with the famous jazz saxophonist John Coltrane to record the album "Love Devotion Surrender". Since then, Santana has continued to combine rock, jazz and Latin music, making the band's style more colorful.

Whether recording and playing with the band or as a guitar player, Santana is always pursuing his musical interests and personality, and his idealistic style has never given up. In the late 1970s, he temporarily returned to more primitive rock-style music. In the 1980s, he regained interest in jazz. In the late 1980s, he was keen on blues styles like John Lee Hooker. But no matter what, Santana's music has never left the roots of Latin music, and his musical evolution has continued to expand his musical vision and taste.

Latin music, with its unique rhythmic dynamics and long-standing cultural background, has attracted much attention from the world's music scene, and Latin musicians are emerging in endlessly. Stars such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Enrique Iglesias who have appeared in the pop music scene in recent years are all representatives of the new generation of Latin music with unique personalities. .

3. New Era Music

1. Overview

In the 1980s, when popular music presented a complex and diverse situation: various jazz genres returned The stage; various styles of rock music are rich and colorful; Sol music has broken through all lines of defense and continued to spread. At this time, a kind of quiet and gentle emotional music appeared - New Age (also translated as "New Age") music.

New era music often adopts the "minimalist" approach of serious music, repeating the same tune. Sometimes it is also combined with various sounds such as nature sounds. The early New Age music featured electronic instruments and high-tech recording methods. Later, various ethnic instruments with strange timbres were continuously added, and it incorporated elements of ethnic music from all over the world (especially Asia and Africa). From a morphological point of view, this kind of music does not deliberately emphasize a certain point in the music (such as the melody line and rhythm), but pays more attention to the overall effect of the music (such as the change of timbre and the layout of the texture). Although new age music sometimes adopts some rock and roll techniques, it is actually opposed to rock music, especially heavy metal, punk and stronger mainstream rock. It is an "antidote" to the noisy, screaming, and strong-beat rock music, and it is also a reflection of people's desire to seek relief from the tension under the pressure of life. After the 1990s, the category of new era music was generalized by many record companies. All kinds of relatively simple electronic light music were given this title. Some music with similar styles like Irish singer Enya was also included in this category. . In addition, the "Billboard" in the United States has also established a new era music ranking list to promote the development of this music.

2. "Enigma"

"Enigma" (also translated as "Enigma"), an American holy song expressed through the rhythm of Western pop music Song. Here, you can feel the distant and mysterious African tribes, and the sacred and solemn religious echoes. Many people have only heard the mysterious voice, but few understand the story behind "Ingma". So, what form does it take?

"Ingma" is not only a simple combination of music categories, it has become a representative of music, a conceptual and highly personalized world music. Its "soul" is Michael Cretu, an extremely talented musician and producer. Critu was born on May 18, 1957 in Bucharest, Romania. In 1965, he entered a local music primary school, majoring in piano. In 1975, Kritu and his family immigrated to Hamburg, the former West Germany, and was admitted to the Frankfurt Conservatory of Music.

In 1979, he joined PolyGram Records and began his music creation and production. In 1985, he signed a contract with the German record company "Virgin" and began to cooperate with some famous singers. The most successful one was helping Sandra (a famous German female singer) produce a very successful album. In February 1988, Crito married Sandra and they moved to Ibiza, where in 1989 he began producing his own music in his home studio.

Another protagonist of "Ingmar" is Cretu's wife Sandra. She performed all the female vocals on the "Ingmar" record. Sandra's full name is Sandra Lauer, born on May 18, 1962. She released a solo album at the age of 12, and formed a singing group called "Arabesque" at the age of 16, which was very popular in Japan at the time. In 1985, Sandra began to collaborate with Kritu and successfully established herself in the music industry.

Kritu broke away from the conventional European pop music and began to work on the production of his favorite music. He perfectly combines two completely different sounds - the Peruvian pancho and the monastic hymn melody, coupled with the free and easy and lazy disco rhythm to make it unique. In October 1990, "Ingmar"'s first single "Sadeness, Part 1" was first released, and this song became their most famous hit single. The album "2000 BC" (MCMXC.a.D) that was released immediately became the best-selling album in German history, selling 12 million copies in one day, and topped the album charts in 41 countries. When pop music was advancing steadily in the 1990s, "Ingma" did not follow the standard rules of success. Instead, it used flutes and medieval chants paired with modern instruments such as electric guitars and brass to convey the needs of modern people. Breath and emotion. The classic songs in this album such as "Mea Culpa", "Principles of Lust", and "The Rivers of Belief" are all outstanding. In 1991, "2000 BC" released a "limited edition" that added four tracks, but they were all remixed and extended based on the songs on the original album. The cover design of the limited edition album is almost the same as the original, but with a grayish green background instead of the original black. Overall, "2000 BC" is a masterpiece in the history of pop music in the 1990s.

In 1993, "Ingmar" released its second album "The Cross of Changes". Due to the success of the first album, the second album has received 1.4 million pre-orders before it was officially released. This album not only has the spirit of the last album, but it's an evolution. Its cover design is very unique: it is a black circle and a robot with human characteristics walking in front, and the drawn lines look blurry. "The Changing Ten Frame" has 9 songs, and the beginning of each song is similar to the previous album, except that obviously different male voices appear in various backgrounds. However, this album did not surpass the performance of the previous album. Two hit songs were born from The Changing Cross: "The eyes of truth" and "Return to innocence". In particular, "Eye of Truth" involves more symphonic elements, and it is obviously inclined to the song structure of Lapp hymns with modern rhythms. As a chorus, this song makes people feel very comfortable, one of the reasons is that "Ingmar" has extended its tentacles of interest to the ancient Nordic music culture. In 1994, "The Cross of Transformation" also released a "special version", which added 3 songs, each with a remixed part.

Since it was not released in the United States, it is difficult to find the "Special Edition" record in some record stores around the world.

On November 25, 1996, "Virgin" Records released it for the first time in "Ingmar"'s third album "Le Roiest mort, vive Le Roi!" (Le Roiest mort, vive Le Roi!) was released simultaneously worldwide. Not only does the new album have a different atmosphere than before, but the sound of the drums has become better. Peaceful, with more ethnic minority voices appearing, it was praised by critics as the most unified album of "Ingma" so far. This album conveys many natural and philosophical concepts, and the theme of this concept is "Why." "(Why). "Beyond the invisible" in the album is a classic single, paving the way for an unstoppable force and powerful melody through Kritu's voice.

In 1999, "Ingmar" released its fourth album "The screen behind the mirror" (The screen behind the mirror). Since the audience was accustomed to the personalized characteristics of the first three albums, in contrast, the style of this album was In terms of personality, it is a bit bland. In 2000, "Ingma" set its sights on the mysterious Eastern culture and released its fifth album "The Power Limited". In today's rapid development of pop music, Many people have mixed reviews of this album, but no matter what the critics' attitudes are, the voice of "Ingmar" as a representative of world music has been permanently recorded in the history of pop music.

3. Other New Era Music

As mentioned above, the category of New Era music has been gradually generalized since the 1990s to include any music with a certain national character produced through modern recording technology. All are included in this category, such as the music of Irish female singer Enya, Indian church music, and Chinese Tibetan music ("Ajie Drum" produced by He Xuntian), etc. Therefore, the new era is also included. The concept of music becomes less and less important, and the contemporary nature and originality of music become the core of this music. The following focuses on three more representative musicians.

Enya creates an Irish new age music through folk melodies, synthesized effects and classical backgrounds

Enya, formerly known as Eithne ni Bhraonain, was born on March 17, 1961. Born in a musical family in Guido, County Donegal, Ireland, both parents were engaged in music, but the biggest influence on Enya was the band "Clannad" formed by her brothers and sisters in 1976. In 2002, Enya joined the band as a keyboard player and composed a large number of TV series soundtracks. In 1982, Enya left the "family" because she was tired of the band's popular style. From then on, she began to devote herself to her favorite music creation. In 1986, he released the original soundtrack album for the BBC TV series "The Celts" and signed a contract with WEA Records.

In 1988, Enya published her second album "Watermark", which achieved excellent results. In 1991, Enya released "Shepherd Moons", which ranked 17th on the U.S. album sales chart and remained on the list for four consecutive years. The album's global sales exceeded 10 million copies. At the end of 1992, WEA Records re-released "The Celtics". In 1995, Enya released the album "Memory of trees", which she spent four years recording. The style of this album is not much different from her previous works, but it adds Some musical elements full of pleasant emotions. The album ranked No. 9 on the U.S. chart and sold more than 2 million copies that year.

Kitaro

Kitaro's style is a combination of high-tech synthesizer electronic music and his meditation.

In the 1960s, the famous Japanese musician was inspired by rhythm and blues and taught himself electric guitar in high school.

In the early 1970s, Kitaro formed "The Far East Family Band" and published two avant-garde rock albums. In 1972, he built his first electronic synthesizer and began experimenting with it to simulate various natural sounds. His debut album was released in 1978 and achieved immediate success. Two years later, he produced a soundtrack series for the television series Silk Road. Since then, his music has attracted international attention