|
|
|
| |||
Country or region | Well known performers, etc. | ||
NORTH AMERICA | |||
USA | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Simon & Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt. If not, you know Frank Sinatra, Al Joplin, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, and Kate Smith. | ||
ALASKA | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Simon & Garfunkel, and Linda Ronstadt. If not, you know Frank Sinatra, Al Jolson, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, and Kate Smith. | ||
LONG ISLAND, USA | Ashanti, Pat Benatar, Mariah Carey, John Coltrane, Taylor Dayne, Flavor Flav, Debbie Gibson, Billy Joel, LL Cool J, Guy Lombardo, Patti LuPone, Nas, Paul Simon, Dee Snider, John Philip Sousa, John Tesh, and John Williams are from or lived on Long Island. | ||
LOUISIANA, USA |
| ||
TEXAS, USA |
| ||
CANADA | You mostly know American and British music, no matter what age you are. You know of more Canadian music than movies, because of a law you probably don't understand, if you even know about it (i.e., 33% of music played between 6 a.m. and midnight must be Canadian). You know The Guess Who, the Tragically Hip, Great Big Sea, Rita McNeil, Celine Dion, Gilles Vigneault, Gordon Lightfoot, Susan Aglukark, Bryan Adams, Paul Anka, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Leonard Cohen, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, Neil Young, and of course, Stompin' Tom Connors. You think of "east coast" music as Irish-type music. However, most Canadian music is indistinguishable from American or British music, and tends to follow American trends. | ||
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson in all his skin shades, Simon & Garfunkel, 'N Sync and Destiny's Child. | ||
ONTARIO, CANADA | There is no specific Ontario music, and in fact popular, radio-friendly music is pretty much the same as generic American music. Toronto is a popular concert city, and you have probably been to a major concert there. Toronto also has a lively music scene, but you recognize that Vancouver and Halifax are also influential centres of music. The most famous musicians from Ontario are probably Neil Young, the Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, and the Tragically Hip. | ||
QUEBEC, CANADA | When it comes to music, radio stations play all the most popular American bands as well as all the local stars. You know Bryan Adams, Shanya Twain, Ashley McIsaac, Alanis Morissette and other Canadian bands, but you might mistake them for Americans. You know all the classic Québec stars like Céline Dion, René and Nathalie Simard, Ginette Reno, and Jean-Pierre Ferland, although you might think they are quétaines (kitsch) and you listen to the current French-Canadian pop and rock. You also know the most famous stars from France. | ||
LATIN AMERICA | |||
BRAZIL | You know Brazilian pop/rock: Paralamas do Sucesso, Barão Vermelho, Titãs. You idolize all the great Brazilian singers/songwriters: Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Giberto Gil, Djavan, Roberto Carlos. And female singers: Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Elis Regina. Your knowledge of American pop culture is surprisingly deep in some areas and nil in others. For instance, if you're between 25 and 50, you know a lot of American disco stars from the late '70s and progressive/heavy rock groups from the '60s to the early '80s. You don't know American punk or new wave groups, only the British ones (I can't figure out why). You do not know, or already forgot, Chuck Berry and other black rock stars; you do not know any American country, folk or gospel singers. You consider it odd that Americans think of Brazilian music in terms of Bossa Nova. For you, Bossa Nova is something that happened in the 60's and early 70's. | ||
COLOMBIA | You may claim you hate Vallenato music, but unless you are from Cali you remember the lyrics of several Vallenatos. You know who Diomedez Días, Carlos Vives and el Binomio de Oro are. You don't hate salsa, and if you are from Cali (or even if not) you adore it. You know El Grupo Niche, Joe Arroyo, Fruko, La Sonora Matancera and La Fania. You definitively cried for the death of Celia Cruz. How you feel about Tango, Rancheras, Boleros, Balada, Pasillo, Merengue, Pop, or Rock, will vary from region and age, but you have definitively listen all of them. You know Carlos Gardel, José Vicente Fernandez, Wilfrido Vargas, Juan Luis Guerra, Michael Jackson, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra. | ||
MEXICO (URBAN) | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, El Tri, Bob Dylan, Kiss, Elvis, Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees... If under 25, you know Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Eminem, Blink182, Paul van Dyk, Infected Mushroom, Chemical Brothers, Apollo 440, Daft Punk, Banda El Recodo, Los Temerarios, Banda Machos, Banda Pequeños, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Rabanes, the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Westlife, Uff, Boom, Crush, LA Teens (one of which used to go to my school just a grade above me)... If you're a man, you don't like the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync and Westlife, and HATE 100% commercial boy bands such as Uff, Boom, Crush... Sometimes you think of Banda El Recodo, Los Temerarios, Banda Machos and other groups as lower-class music. If you're a woman, however, you LOVE those bands just because their members are cute. | ||
EUROPE | |||
AUSTRIA | You know that pretty much every classical composer was Austrian. If you accept a sufficiently broad definition of "Austria", that is. Rich Japanese people send their pretty daughters in masses to expensive Austrian music colleges where they learn to play the violin. Rich Japanese people generally love classical music, especially Mozart and Strauss. | ||
FINLAND | You know (at least by name) the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Queen, Michael Jackson, ABBA, Björk, Spice Girls, Eppu Normaali, Kauko Röyhkä, Jimi Tenor, Eläkeläiset, Nylon Beat and Värttinä. If not (or maybe even if yes), you know Zarah Leander, Georg and Eugen Malmsten, Olavi Virta, Tapio Rautavaara, Georg Ots, Frank Sinatra, Eino Grön, Irwin [pronounced: ee-RR-vin] Goodman, Elvis, Mireille Mathieu, Edith Piaf, -- maybe even Tino Rossi or Jacques Brel. (But probably not Caterina Valente or Guildo Horn!) | ||
FRANCE | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Queen, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Johnny Halliday, Telephone, Eddy Mitchell, Véronique Sanson, Francis Cabrel. If not (or may be even if yes), you know Guy Béart, Jacques Brel, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Guetary, Edith Piaf, Jean Ferrat, Tino Rossi, Charles Trenet, .... | ||
BRITTANY, FRANCE | You are a Celt. You don't exactly know what a Celt is but it has something to do with playing bagpipe. Welshmen, Scotts and Cornishmen are not English but fellow Celts, even if their pipebands are not as great as yours. The USA has nice pipe bands. A bagpipe is called a biniou. It is a dancing instrument. You are proud of your music festivals, especially the FIL (and you know what it is), and of the fact they draw hundreds of thousands of peoples without getting any aid from Paris. If you are young, or even not so young, you may go to "fest noz", night parties where you indulge in group dancing while listening to bagpipe music. This kind of party, created some thirty years ago, is quite popular (especially among young people). | ||
GERMANY | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Herbert Grönemeyer, Dieter Bohlen and Helge Schneider. If not, you know Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Udo Jürgens, Roy Black, Peter Kraus and Louis Armstrong. | ||
GREECE | You probably know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Madonna and anybody who's currently on MTV (according to your age, of course). You don't really understand classical or jazz music. There are many dance parties and raves all over the country (especially in the summer). For older generations, there is an abundance of paniyiria (that is local fairs) with folk music, folk cuisine and lots of cold beer. | ||
ITALY | Italian pop music is the only one worth a listen here in the EU (apart from the UK, of course). You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, the U2, Madonna, Claudio Baglioni, Laura Pausini, Vasco Rossi, Eros Ramazzotti and Jovanotti. If not, you know at least Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Claudio Villa, Mina, Domenico Modugno, Gianni Morandi and Adriano Celentano. If you're over 50, you know several arias from a few Operas and sing along when you hear them. | ||
NETHERLANDS | You know Andre Hazes, Doe Maar, Volumia, Rene Froger, De Dijk en Golden Earring. If not, you know the Dutch Swing College Band, the Blue Diamonds, the Kilima Hawaiians, and Liesbeth List. | ||
POLAND | You know the Beatles, ABBA, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong. You know Czerwone Gitary, Wilki, Edyta Górniak. You listen to more foreign songs than Polish ones. Nobody listens to Polish folk music, but many people like Irish folk. | ||
SWEDEN | You know "the western canon" of popular music. You may not play ABBA and Roxette much, but you are proud of the successful export sales. If you do not care about being thought sophisticated you may listen to what is called "dance band music", which is a variety of popular music inspired by, I think, German Schlager music, i. e. hit music, and country and western. Not cool but rythmic. | ||
ENGLAND, UK | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Simon & Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt. If not, you know Frank Sinatra, Al Joplin, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, and Kate Smith. | ||
YORKSHIRE, UK | You know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Simon & Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt. If not, you know Frank Sinatra, Al Joplin, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, and Kate Smith. | ||
SCOTLAND, UK | You know some or all of The Corries, Andy Stewart, Lulu, Alex Harvey, RunRig, Simple Minds, Big Country, Dougie MacLean, Wet Wet Wet, Deacon Blue, Del Amitri, Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, and Travis. You probably don't want to admit to knowing where "fandabidozi" originally came from. | ||
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND | |||
AUSTRALIA | You are proud of exports such as Olivia Newton-John, Midnight Oil, ACDC, John Farnham, Dragon, Yothu Yindi, etc. etc. You are slightly less proud of the Minogue sisters, Kevin Gosper, Robert Hughes, Jelena Dokic, Shane Warne, Christopher Skase, and Skippy. | ||
NEW ZEALAND | Depending on your age, you'll be familar with the Howard Morrison Quartet, Billy T. James, Tim and Neil Finn, Crowded House, Purest Form, Fur Patrol, Bic Runga, and Johnny Devlin. Most of the popular music you listen to comes from either the US or Britain. | ||
ASIA | |||
INDIA | You know the classical musicians: Bhimsen Joshi, Zakir Hussain, M. S. Subbulakshmi; the folk musicions: Ila Arun, Shubha Mudgal; and the movie soundtrack music (very popular in India) of Annu Malik, A. R. Rehman. A music game show called Antakshari and its anchor Annu Kapoor are extremely popular. Western pop culture icons are unknown to you unless you are an urban upper middle class youth, in which case you will be familiar with Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin, and the Backstreet Boys. | ||
CHINA | You think of Michael Jackson as the greatest dancer; however, he's kind of crazy for changing his complexion from black to white. | ||
JAPAN |
| ||
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST | |||
NIGERIA | Michael Jackson is a family heirloom passed on from generation to generation. | ||
SOUTH AFRICA | You know Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin, Madonna, the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and the Spice Girls, even though you may not want to. If you're over 30 you also know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Doors, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Abba. You definitely know Juluka, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mango Groove, Brenda Fassie, Just Jinger, and Henry Ate. | ||
ISRAEL | Popular music concerts are a treat, and you go occasionally. | ||
TURKEY | Tarkan is the biggest pop star in the world. Any foreigner you meet will ask you about him. You probably know the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Madonna and anybody who is currently on MTV. For some strange reason, you have never heard of Cocteau Twins, The Smiths, Rinôçérôse, or New Order. | ||
SUBCULTURES | |||
FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT |
|
||
|
|
|
Get your own Free Home Page
