Greetings
Welcome to the world of jungleespacegirl, home to rebel music, culture and living.
I have to say: I've been buzzing with inspiration. This is because a part of me got lost along my journey, but good news is, it got found!
And it's been a homecoming, as I've always been a follower of music, but got busy with mommying, and only listened to my own cds. UNTIL, about a year or so ago, when I connected with the tropical bass movement that has been flourishing in cyberspace. Suddenly music became so accessible again...hyper-accessible...maybe too accessible? Not enough time to dance, sing, share, and deconstruct the fresh choonz in one day.
Last time I checked, tropical peoples liked to have a nap, show up late to parties....but the music's rising faster than the Amazon during flood season, and I struggle to keep up.
And, so, jungleespacegirl has landed and wants to SLOW things down a bit....in a good way, like a SLOWED down segment in a turntablist's routine. I think we're moving so fast with posting and not enough time with introspecting.
Tropical bass is irresistable because it gives voice to the "voiceless," or to the global 99% to use today's words. Growing up in an immigrant family, I knew that music needed no particular language, if any language at all. But those were very racist times, so I kept that music confined to home...and of course, the car....because South Asian radio was HUGE back in the day!
Besides, I knew Lata Mangeshkar's voice was always with me...I didn't need a Lata tatoo. But today, I can enjoy a solid remix by Daniel Haaksman, bringing together the 1970s sound with the kickin effects of contemporary sounds and energy.
In the 90s, "world music" became big and I enjoyed some of it...but I don't like music just because it comes from somewhere else. I get the heebeejeebees when music is exotified and appreciated as a mysterious unknown people's sound...all this reminds me too much of Rudyard Kipling's poem the "White Man's Burden." Nor do I like fusion for fusion's sake. Most people are beyond that, thankfully.
Having said all this, there's room for criticism in tropical bass music too. It's subversive but the culture surrounding it can repeat some of the orientalizing or stereotyping or exotifying approach towards people, no? This disturbs me because it obscures existing unequal power relations, and gives some a twisted feeling that they are respecting a people, when really, tokenizing and McDonaldizing their culture. When I go out to listen to music and release my work week stress, I don't want this vibe.
On the contrary, I need edge. I need my politics and my sonic fabric to mesh together. It might be something vintage or something fresh, kicked up with distortion and power. Slammin beats and sharp effects....all bigging up the roots, while representing our time. Like Cartagena by caballo and the mothafu kings, released many moons ago. Perfect example. I'm posting this because it was the track that pulled me back into the evolving world of electronic dance music or tropical bass...whatever you want to call it, it friggin rocks my socks.
http://soundcloud.com/caballo/sdp-cartagena-caballo-tmf-radio-remix
I must say, as that junglee girl of immigrant background vibin' to all these great soundz, I am privileged to hear this music on Turtle Island. The tropical 99% is bringing tha noise and so are the original peoples of this land...!
I want to share them both..loud and proud. Like, A Tribe Called Red, whose work is stretching minds and knocking down stereotypes like nobody's business. An entire post will be done just on the many layers of their deeply subversive work. The more I follow, the more my head nods with respect.
Back to the top, I share special tracks, launching this blog with Gypsy by Universal Taal Project. It's been hugely inspiring, helping jungleespacegirl to come to a landing. The vocals are not a woman's but are sick with attitude and confidence...the essence of the junglee girl...
I have to say: I've been buzzing with inspiration. This is because a part of me got lost along my journey, but good news is, it got found!
And it's been a homecoming, as I've always been a follower of music, but got busy with mommying, and only listened to my own cds. UNTIL, about a year or so ago, when I connected with the tropical bass movement that has been flourishing in cyberspace. Suddenly music became so accessible again...hyper-accessible...maybe too accessible? Not enough time to dance, sing, share, and deconstruct the fresh choonz in one day.
Last time I checked, tropical peoples liked to have a nap, show up late to parties....but the music's rising faster than the Amazon during flood season, and I struggle to keep up.
And, so, jungleespacegirl has landed and wants to SLOW things down a bit....in a good way, like a SLOWED down segment in a turntablist's routine. I think we're moving so fast with posting and not enough time with introspecting.
Tropical bass is irresistable because it gives voice to the "voiceless," or to the global 99% to use today's words. Growing up in an immigrant family, I knew that music needed no particular language, if any language at all. But those were very racist times, so I kept that music confined to home...and of course, the car....because South Asian radio was HUGE back in the day!
Besides, I knew Lata Mangeshkar's voice was always with me...I didn't need a Lata tatoo. But today, I can enjoy a solid remix by Daniel Haaksman, bringing together the 1970s sound with the kickin effects of contemporary sounds and energy.
In the 90s, "world music" became big and I enjoyed some of it...but I don't like music just because it comes from somewhere else. I get the heebeejeebees when music is exotified and appreciated as a mysterious unknown people's sound...all this reminds me too much of Rudyard Kipling's poem the "White Man's Burden." Nor do I like fusion for fusion's sake. Most people are beyond that, thankfully.
Having said all this, there's room for criticism in tropical bass music too. It's subversive but the culture surrounding it can repeat some of the orientalizing or stereotyping or exotifying approach towards people, no? This disturbs me because it obscures existing unequal power relations, and gives some a twisted feeling that they are respecting a people, when really, tokenizing and McDonaldizing their culture. When I go out to listen to music and release my work week stress, I don't want this vibe.
On the contrary, I need edge. I need my politics and my sonic fabric to mesh together. It might be something vintage or something fresh, kicked up with distortion and power. Slammin beats and sharp effects....all bigging up the roots, while representing our time. Like Cartagena by caballo and the mothafu kings, released many moons ago. Perfect example. I'm posting this because it was the track that pulled me back into the evolving world of electronic dance music or tropical bass...whatever you want to call it, it friggin rocks my socks.
http://soundcloud.com/caballo/sdp-cartagena-caballo-tmf-radio-remix
I must say, as that junglee girl of immigrant background vibin' to all these great soundz, I am privileged to hear this music on Turtle Island. The tropical 99% is bringing tha noise and so are the original peoples of this land...!
I want to share them both..loud and proud. Like, A Tribe Called Red, whose work is stretching minds and knocking down stereotypes like nobody's business. An entire post will be done just on the many layers of their deeply subversive work. The more I follow, the more my head nods with respect.
Back to the top, I share special tracks, launching this blog with Gypsy by Universal Taal Project. It's been hugely inspiring, helping jungleespacegirl to come to a landing. The vocals are not a woman's but are sick with attitude and confidence...the essence of the junglee girl...
BACK SOON...PEACE and DUB!
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