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In addition to the connection to Fela Kuti in particular, Byrne founded Luaka Bop, still a premier world music label. They have released hundreds of world musi

In addition to the connection to Fela Kuti in particular, Byrne founded Luaka Bop, still a premier world music label. They have released hundreds of world music albums. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luaka_Bop https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luaka_Bop And this historical interview— https://luakabop.com/history/ https://luakabop.com/history/

paganel 8y ago
Yeah, saw that after I had last edited my comment. It kind of feels like cultural appropriation, I've also seen some interviews with Byrne where the interviewers mention this aspect just to immediately refute it afterwards. I have also found some people on the internets mentioning it but admitting that they like Byrne's music nonetheless (the "culturally appropriated" one, I mean) so that I gave it a quick try but it just doesn't tick. It kind of never ticks when you take music out of its social and cultural environment and try to "transport" it somewhere else. Otherwise it seems like Byrne is a more than ok guy, so all the power to him.
- throwaway8879 8y ago
  To be entirely honest, I feel sorry for anybody who can't leave the socio-politics out of music. I mean, for me personally, music transcends all those things. Yes, context is important if you want to understand why a song/piece was written the way it was written. But beyond that, it is a little naive to try to bring cultural appropriation into music. Especially as someone from a country whose traditional music isn't exactly known at all, I would be more than happy to have anybody "culturally appropriate" it.
- theoh 8y ago
  Luaka Bop gives musicians a platform/wider audience, and in the case of someone like Brazilian musician Tom Ze, he toured on the basis of that wider exposure. He didn't need to take that money. One thing that's admirable about David Byrne is how frank he is about racism. In 1997 he said "I am slowly overcoming the racism that was instilled in me by society." Maybe he even tries too hard to redress these things in his work.
- mturmon 8y ago
  Well, to put some of my cards on the table - I have followed Byrne since Remain in Light was issued, and I greatly admire his music and indeed his larger persona and work. I attended a small lecture he gave on his photography, many years ago, and he visited my wife's studio -- he is really quite unassuming in such a 1:1 context (she tells me). I'm not 100% sure what you're saying in your second paragraph. One does get the feeling that part of his promotion of the music of Brazil, Cuba, and elsewhere in his post-Heads career might be Byrne paying the debt forward, and attempting to bring other flavors of music to people's attention.

paganel 8y ago

Yeah, saw that after I had last edited my comment. It kind of feels like cultural appropriation, I've also seen some interviews with Byrne where the interviewers mention this aspect just to immediately refute it afterwards. I have also found some people on the internets mentioning it but admitting that they like Byrne's music nonetheless (the "culturally appropriated" one, I mean) so that I gave it a quick try but it just doesn't tick. It kind of never ticks when you take music out of its social and cultural environment and try to "transport" it somewhere else. Otherwise it seems like Byrne is a more than ok guy, so all the power to him.

throwaway8879 8y ago
To be entirely honest, I feel sorry for anybody who can't leave the socio-politics out of music. I mean, for me personally, music transcends all those things. Yes, context is important if you want to understand why a song/piece was written the way it was written. But beyond that, it is a little naive to try to bring cultural appropriation into music. Especially as someone from a country whose traditional music isn't exactly known at all, I would be more than happy to have anybody "culturally appropriate" it.
theoh 8y ago
Luaka Bop gives musicians a platform/wider audience, and in the case of someone like Brazilian musician Tom Ze, he toured on the basis of that wider exposure. He didn't need to take that money. One thing that's admirable about David Byrne is how frank he is about racism. In 1997 he said "I am slowly overcoming the racism that was instilled in me by society." Maybe he even tries too hard to redress these things in his work.
mturmon 8y ago
Well, to put some of my cards on the table - I have followed Byrne since Remain in Light was issued, and I greatly admire his music and indeed his larger persona and work. I attended a small lecture he gave on his photography, many years ago, and he visited my wife's studio -- he is really quite unassuming in such a 1:1 context (she tells me). I'm not 100% sure what you're saying in your second paragraph. One does get the feeling that part of his promotion of the music of Brazil, Cuba, and elsewhere in his post-Heads career might be Byrne paying the debt forward, and attempting to bring other flavors of music to people's attention.