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This article raises the possibility of studying authorial Latin American and Brazilian popular music of the late twentieth century as a great unity, due to the existence of networks, collaborations, circuits, and common influences. By authorial popular music we mean music in which the artist is aware of and has control over the material in which he works, to the point of straining the very musical genre in which he operates. It is not about a single author but a multiple one, arising from the intermedial character of this music, formed by lyrics, music, vocality, and recording, to which are added video clip, cover art and associated discourses. This intermedia dialogues with the historical moment in which it unfolds, questioning the listener from its multiple materiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musical compositions require genre-specific sophisticated performance techniques. This paper focuses primarily on the features of Chinese pop and traditional music, based on the music genre's influence on the vocal music. To achieve this goal, the analysis methods and the Shapiro-Wilk test were used. The study involved 218 music major students from the Beijing International Art School, Shanghai Normal University, and Guangzhou College of Music. The audience and respondents gave less preference to pop music (47% and 39%) compared to the traditional music (53% and 61%). The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that, when it comes to pop music, the strongest preference was attributed to music geographical spread (0.867), and in the case of traditional music the strongest preference was for higher education (0.927). The paper established the specific features of different genres of music. The most common elements pertaining to pop music include: the option to apply a variety of music elements and singing techniques; rhythm stability; a simple form of vocal performance; extreme sound techniques; preserving the emotionality of the singing; a combination of Western and Chinese elements. Traditional music is characterized by a harmony of music elements and voice timbres, maintenance of the high-pitched voice, natural sound, throat singing, performance quality, preservation of Chinese traditional music elements. Traditional music instruction was the best thing for improving intonation (0.815), maintenance of sound quality (0.806), and development of vocal range (0.718). Pop music is known for a combination of various music elements (0.901), conveyance of the performance style (0.312). The paper's practical implications boil down to determining the characteristic features of pop and traditional music, as well as elements describing vocal music. Further studies might involve a comparative analysis between Chinese pop music, traditional music, and Western pop and traditional music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the conditions of multiculturalism, Chinese vocal art has formed its own unique theoretical system based on the characteristics of vocalization, articulation, diction, and breathing. The aims of the study are to identify singing features in Chinese popular and traditional music, as well as to determine the ways in which musical genres influence vocals. Two teachers of modern vocal, two teachers of traditional vocal, 30 students of the Vocal Arts Department of Beijing University, art historians from the Central Conservatory of Music and Lishui University took part in the study. According to the study purpose, it was found that in traditional Chinese vocal arts, the main technique is falsetto (58%), mixed techniques (21.2%), vibrato (13.2%), overtone singing (6.1%), and glissando (1.5%) are also used. In popular singing the key technique is splitting (33.6%), also used: subtone (20.2%), vibrato (17.7%), drive (12.1%), glissando (11.1%), vocal fry register (9.2%), falsetto (3.3%), overtone singing (2%). As a result of the correlation analysis the dependence of popular singing techniques on traditional singing was determined. The coefficient of determination was 33.5%. It was also determined that when performing pop music, vibrato is controlled; noises and growling tones are used in rock music; uncontrolled vibrato, falsetto, and mixed techniques are used in opera; nasal sounds and minimal vibrato are in folk/country music; clear diction, articulation, slides, and scatting in blues/jazz; rhythmic and nasal sounds in hip-hop. The experiment results can be used in pedagogy for teaching vocals in China and abroad, as part of cultural activities related to the organization of events such as festivals, concerts, tourist programs, theatrical performances, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a larger ongoing study that explores visions of "unity" and "belonging" among present-day Malaysians that are shaped by their engagements with popular music genres of the country's indigenous ethnic communities. Through a critical theory-informed qualitative analysis of Malaysians' views on the popular Iban song, "Biar Bekikis Bulu Betis", the study described in this article examines the visions of unity and belonging that they conceived through various engagements with the song. The findings show that these visions were co-created in and through a dynamic interaction between the song and the audience. The former evoked a sense of solidarity and cohesion, and the latter conceived their visions of unity and belonging based on those feelings. However, the findings reveal that these visions did not coalesce with the "grand" or "official" narratives of unification and inclusion, given the audience's strong sense of togetherness and attachment to their state of origin and community rather than to the country and the nation. Such findings are important as they provide insights into the potential role that popular music of Malaysia's indigenous ethnic communities can play in the complex and never-ending process of achieving a national sense of unity, belonging and identity in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By examining mahragānāt, a genre of music common among the lowincome working class in Cairo, and upper-class pop music, this article studies the expression of love and grief across socio-economic classes in Egypt. It challenges the mainstream argument that men, especially those belonging to lower socioeconomic classes, are expected to perform 'like men' and suppress their emotions and affection. These mahragānāt exhibit extreme affection and grief as men threat of inflicting self-harm or committing suicide if they lose their female lovers. This genre's popularity on social media resonates with increasing suicide rates among lower socio-economic classes due to failed love affairs. By focusing on expressions of love in Egyptian music, this article suggests a dialectic relation between love, class and the understanding of masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bakalas were a youth culture that showed up in some Spanish cities, Madrid among them. After disappearing, this culture has been recreated by neobakalas. This article, based on ethnography and in-depth interviews, explores how neobakalas from Madrid have transformed the bakala culture into a music scene that ritualizes some of the features of the bakalas, especially its songs, giving birth to a music genre. Furthermore, the case of bakalas and neobakalas will allow us to question the way Bennet (2012, 2013) has approached music scenes formed by adults. This work therefore interrogates the applicability of the concepts of ageing cultures (Bennet y Hodkinson 2012; Bennet, 2013) and cultural memory for the neobakala scene. The case of neobakalas will also allow us to problematize how St John (1999, 2011, 2014) analyses the ritual practices of the music scenes related to electronic music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research sought to examine how consuming music on streaming platforms, such as Spotify, and other digital media acts as a form of interpersonal communication. This survey research, which is based on a sample (n = 401) recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) human intelligence marketplace, revealed that once consumption rates surpass casual listening (more than 2 hours per day), popular music offers remarkably comparable communicative value for listeners. Results clarified that regardless of music genre preferences, relatively frequent listeners consistently call upon music for parasocial interaction, to inform their identity, and as a means of sharing with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary popular music, covering or adapting previous songs signals a tribute or reworking of popular hits, which implies acknowledgement of the original musicians. This connection can be interpreted as a form of musical impact among artists. A network graph with more than 106k artists and 855k cover versions extracted from the web site SecondHandSongs was created. The objective is to explore the shape of this network, identify the most relevant artists according to different impact measurements and to visualize connections between music genres. This analysis is done from a longitudinal perspective with the aim of understanding how cover versions can inform us about the history of the contemporary popular music. Results show that the number of covers by artist is skewed distributed, diminishing gradually since the 1950s. Different network metrics have allowed to identify the most covered (weighted indegree), the most influential (PageRank) and the most crossover artists (weighted betweenness centrality). The network graph also shows that genre affinity is the main criterion for covering songs between artists, language being the second. Remakes from other genres reflect that Jazz and Pop/Rock are the most influential because they emerge stronger and form the core of their respective sub-networks. Cover songs describe two cycles. In a first phase from 1900s to 1950s, dominated by Jazz and Vocal artists, the covers are more frequent and associated with the notion of reworking (e.g. jazz standards); in a second stage, since the 1950s, when the Pop/Rock emerges, cover songs are less common and seen as tribute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Villa-Lobos, in his first steps as a composer tried in different genres, as popular music, as well classic styles like opera, sacred and chamber music; since 1914, he knew and studied the Cours de Composition Musicale (1909) de Vincent d'Indy. This paper analyses his symphonies and string quartets composed and premiered between 1915 and 1919. During this time, one can see the "Frenchness" growing in Villa-Lobos's style, as an acceptance strategy in the Rio de Janeiro musical environment. I intend to rediscuss a Paulo Guérios's thesis, according to whom Villa-Lobos became a Brazilian musician only after his arrival at Paris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a review of the various meanings and shapes of blues as a genre in Sweden c. 1920–1960, drawing primarily on presentations in newspapers and jazz magazines, and recordings. Blues has been construed as an African American music, rising from specific social conditions; as an American music, a source for and subgenre of jazz; and as a part of music in the international modern society in general. In 1923 blues was introduced as a new dance, and many new tunes were promoted as blues; medium tempo, chromaticism and altered chords seem to be the distinguishing traits. From the mid-thirties, blues was discussed as a predecessor to jazz as well as a jazz genre format (‘12-bar blues’). The rising interest in blues is followed through audience reactions in press, recordings, and jazz criticism. Jazz critics tended to promote country blues and Bessie Smith as authentic forms, while Josh White’s performances during his annual tours in the fifties were praised for his consummate artistry. The trad jazz boom, boogie woogie piano, skiffle and rock’n’roll all used the 12-bar format. In parallel, blues was also an occasional pop song denomination signalling melancholy. Identifying as a blues singer was not an option; this would change during the sixties. Four fields of tension are identified: blues as a specific expression for African American experience vs. blues as a genre suited for Western modernity in general; blues as a subgenre to jazz vs. blues as an autonomous sphere; blues considered as genuine folk music vs. blues as popular music; and blues as a genre of mainly historical significance vs. blues as having contemporary relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The universe of Brazilian popular music is full of passionate elements, but the genre that used the passion as style was the samba-canção (in English, literally "samba-song"). In this paper, based on semiotic notions, we analyse the passions in the discourse of this musical genre, trying to understand how the passionate sense effects in its composition are elaborated. In this regard, guided by A. J. Greimas renowed essay De la colère, we made an excerpt consisted by the songs As rosas não falam (1976), Volta (1978), Quern há de dizer (1972), Atiraste uma pedra (1958), Vingança (1972) e Castigo "(191%). When observing passional courses, they serve as strategy to perform a reading of that musical genre. In brief, we work with the passions, which determine the passional course of revenge, inserted in the cholera course, in order to reveal the treatment provided to them in samba-canção 's compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Raymond Knapp's Making Light: Haydn, Musical Camp, and the Long Shadow of German Idealism bridges the work of Haydn and New World vernacular music's against the backdrop of German Idealism's durable influence. Topics include Knapp engages musical scores and abstract theoretical frameworks, the monograph offers a rich complement to the edited volume Music & Camp, and Making Light's unique aims and investigative depth require appreciation on their own terms.

Over the last decade, interest has grown in incorporating students’ musical identities and preferences at different curricular levels, which mainly belong to the genre of popular music. With the aim of deepening the educational possibilities and difficulties presented by the use of this type of music at school, a systematic review has been carried out in which 161 works have been analyzed. Among the conclusions, the rejection of popular music stands out as it is considered aesthetically inferior and unsuitable for the school environment. However, it can bring improvements in attention, motivation, participation and collaborative work, as well as the development of a critical thinking capable of ethically analyzing contemporary musical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the coverage of pop music in two magazines for older children and young adults during the transition from late socialism to post-socialism in Czechoslovakia or what has been called the "anti-decade" of 1985-1995. By revisiting Pionýr, a magazine for adolescents aged 12 to 15 and Mladý svět, a magazine for young adults aged 15 to 30, I uncover the gradual transformation of Czechoslovak pop music from a genre for Mladý svět's broad young audience to one aimed specifically at teenagers after 1989. These teens were the target readers of Pionýr and its post-socialist successors, Filip and Filip pro-náctileté (Filip for Teenagers). Pop music was connected with social capital and incorporated into the lifestyles of Mladý svět's readers. However, it gradually disappeared from the pages of the magazine and became increasingly visible in Pionýr and its post-socialist counterparts. This study argues that this connection of pop music with teen lifestyles and values had profound social impacts between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kroncong is the urban popular music of Indonesia, which some scholars suggest was brought by Portuguese in the early sixteenth century. Kroncong becomes popular across the archipelago as accompaniment in its musical genre, theatre and film. Although popular music has long been an integral part of Indonesian cultural domain, genres such as kroncong have been overlooked by music scholars. This article aims to introduce kroncong orchestration that could be performed in an updated style for incorporating repertoire from any other genres into idiomatic kroncong, that will be adopted by the millennial generation. Therefore, the reinvention of kroncong will not only be a significant contribution to scholarship on Indonesian popular music, but it will also contribute to a wider understanding of the complexities of indigenous ethnicity, political power, social class, and gender. The orchestration that will retain its rhythm pattern and vocal ornamentation, while reinforcing the strings and winds as melodic carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Th is paper describes an on-going project, the collaborative Th ematic History of Music in Portugal and Brazil; it details its context, rationale, concept, structure and the process that led to its public presentation and preliminary development at CESEM/FCSH, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Th e importance of Africa in the understanding of some facets not only of modern popular music, but also of 16th- 18th century genres in Portugal and Brazil is particularly stressed; examples of both polyphonic and instrumental music are given to illustrate this early infl uence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the arrival of hip hop in Tanzania in the 1980s, a diverse and vibrant range of musical genres has developed in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. Incorporating rapping, these new musical genres and their associated practices have produced new imaginative spaces, social practices, and identities. In this paper, I argue that rappers have appropriated signs and symbols from the transnational image of hip hop to cast themselves as 'thugs' or 'gangsters', simultaneously imbuing these symbols with distinctly Tanzanian political conceptions of hard work (kazi ya jasho), justice (haki) and self-reliance (kujitegemea). This article examines how the persona of the rapper acts as a nexus for transnational and local moral and ethical conceptions such as self-reliance, strength, and struggle. Exploring the complicated, ambiguous, and contradictory nature of cultural production in contemporary Tanzania, I argue that rappers use the practice of rapping to negotiate both the socialist past and neo-liberal present. Drawing on the work of De Certeau and Graeber, I argue that rappers use these circulating signs, symbols, and concepts both tactically and strategically to generate value, shape social reality and inscribe themselves into the social and political fabric of everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past century, sociocultural and technological developments have fostered the emergence of what Peterson and Kern (1996) call "omnivorous" music listeners, who listen to music from a variety of different genres. As well, non-hierarchical forms of categorization, such as tagging, have appeared in recent years. Despite such trends, genre remains the primary basis for categorizing music in systems with content, metadata, or both. Furthermore, techniques employed within many recommender systems, intended to aid listeners with finding music for recreational listening, indirectly continue to reflect genre-based categorization and taste. This paper provides an overview of the contexts in which such trends have emerged. It also considers prospects for incorporating actively nuanced dimensions of similarity into recommender systems, which could enable users to engage in cross-genre music discovery more easily than current systems allow. To provide further grounding for such possibilities, I am currently conducting a study to determine how "avid recreational music listeners" conceptualize musical similarity. This paper discusses the study's methodology, which consists of semi-structured interviews and music-seeking exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boys don't cry. God is a woman. I can't talk right now, I'm doing hot girl shit. Popular music has a long history of defining gender for its listeners. Our introduction to NANO Special Issue 16, "This Is What Makes Us Girls," offers a reading of contemporary singer Lana Del Rey as a participant in pop music's obsessive theorization of gender, race, and other intersecting genres of embodied identity. We propose that Del Rey's body of work provokes shared questions about how other artists (and their fans) use the tropes, sounds, and platforms of pop stardom to theorize raced, gendered, and national identity. On the road to introducing this issue's top-billed performers--Melissa Weber, Ebony L. Perro, Patrick Clement James, William Mosley, and David Wills--we map some of Del Rey's innovations and provocations without putting forth a unifying theory of gender or genre within the realm of pop music--a perhaps impossible task. Instead, we hope to encourage readers to ask what the genre of pop music--and the genres within pop music--teach us about race, femininity, and masculinity in our current moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the conference of the Latin-American branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, held at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 1-5, 2010. The conference, titled "¿Popular, pop, populachera? El dilema de las músicas populares en América Latina," focusing on the difficulties in identifying genres within popular music in Latin America.

The study of popular music often loses something in translation. The musical categories used by scholars and musicians in different locations vary widely in meaning, complicating both analysis and disciplinary divisions. Genre classifications also create blind spots which leave styles falling between the cracks out of the picture, impoverishing analysis and even denying musicians certain benefits. This paper examines the use of terms such as folklórico, tradicional, popular and típico by both lay people and scholars in Latin America, then turns to Dominican merengue típico as a case study showing how musical categories are often intensely local. I argue that – because it relies more on notions of place than on the ideas of time, class, race or production that inform other categorisations – the concept of típico is useful in examining transnational ‘roots’ musics which bridge nations, classes and modes of production. In addition, using musicians' and listeners' own categories can help us to question the canons of musical scholarship, musical nationalism and music marketing, thus creating new possibilities for both scholars and musicians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2004, reggaeton exploded upon the U.S. popular music market with its danceable rhythms and catchy hooks. It quickly cultivated a significant pan-Latino audience in the United States composed of youth from a variety of Latino backgrounds - Puerto Rican, Mexican, Colombian, Dominican, Venezuelan, and more. But this is the not the first time that popular music has fostered a sense of pan-Latino pride in the States. In this article, I trace some of the ways in which reggaeton shares commonalities with salsa's construction of, and engagement with, a pan-Latino U.S. audience in the 1970s. Drawing on an analysis of music, lyrics, and music videos, I argue that both salsa and reggaeton have been specifically designed to reach the widest possible Latino demographic in two significant ways. First, both genres are influenced and composed of a diverse array of musical styles, allowing people from different Latino backgrounds to relate to, and enjoy, the hybrid musical elements. Secondly, both genres feature lyrics that reference issues faced by different Latino communities and explicitly call for the development of pan-Latino unity. This article touches on the relevant ways in which reggaeton has succeeded in fostering a sense of pan-Latino pride by providing a socio-musical community that Latino youth participate in together, highlighting the similarities, rather than the tensions, between different Latino groups in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]