Magnificent Music Pt 1

As part of the process of unpacking everything connected to the dance I do, one of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot is the music I use to dance to and also in my classes.

I have a really varied music taste and love music from all over the world, along with electronic music and electronic music that has sampled musicians from over the world.

Where we start to peel back the layers is when you start to wonder where these samples have come from. Were they live recordings? Did the original artist know they were being recorded / give their consent / get credit? Did the sounds come in a “sample pack” and if so did the original artist get paid?

I’m not making music myself but it is something I’m starting to wonder about as I choose music for my classes and performances.

I think I have always been pretty conscientious about checking song lyrics to ensure music is suitable to perform to and that we are matching the mood of the performance to the theme of the song, though I’m sure there have been some mistakes over the years! I must admit I don’t have all the translations for music I use in class - some of it is pretty obscure and I’d rather share my joy of dancing to this awesome music with my students than lock it away! 

But my thoughts about appropriation, othering and exotification over the past couple of years definitely have me questioning my choices further, particularly when it comes to performance. For example I have performed many times to music from the Balkans, or by Balkan-inspired artists. It feels great with my dance style but as I’m finding a lot of the steps and movements I use are rooted in Raqs Sharqi and I know nothing about Romani dances, I think I would want to find a way to educate my audience on what they were seeing if I choose to perform to Balkan music again (and this has to apply to all the artistic choices I make.)

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject! It’s another massive topic with so many layers! Please comment below.

I know I could also improve my presentation when teaching, by giving more information in my classes about some of the original artists we are dancing to and where to find their music.

For example Fanfare Ciocarlia is a band that features regularly on my playlists. Originating from a small village in Romania, they rose to fame in the late 90’s, touring the world, releasing music not only from their Romani roots but incorporating Turkish, Hungarian and Serbian influences as well as covers of English-language artists and featuring on the Borat movie soundtrack. Click here for more info on the band and here to support their music on Bandcamp.

Here you can find screenshots of my class playlists for your own listening pleasure and enjoy falling down an audio rabbit-hole! I hope to continue sharing with you some of my favourite artists.