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spanish music singers
The World Music Route
I was watching a French TV show Saturday evening last week right after Halloween on formerly called A2 and Liane Foly, well known female singer, was explaining how hard it is for French singers and artists to breakthrough in the world as the Francophone. The Francophone population really gathers four major countries, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Quebec. Sometimes talent and luck help for some French singers such as for les Nubians originally for Northern Africa. The two females singers originally from Algeria have seen their music being distributed in the United States. Many songs were in English though. Their album was an outsider but sold more than half a million copies. As for internationally known artist Manu Chao he sold three million albums of the Clandestino CD. In France, his masterpiece Clandestino is one of the best-selling albums of all time, says “Telegraph.co.uk” on September 13, 2007, Peter Culshaw contemplates the worldwide appeal of Manu Chao.
Some may say there is a recipe others just say it is luck. I believe that we have to speak the language of the crowds when possible and also defend its own roots and culture. Sometimes it is good to go with your mother tongue or another language sometimes it is good to go for several languages as Manu Chao did and still does. People know his background and a mixed European backgrounds. His music is also has a message. One thing is sure he understood the audience. His followed his own route and voice to success. From Rio to Paris, from Latin America to Africa people listen to his music as they would have listened to Bob Marley.
World Music is similar to globalization it is the future where we all merge. The music belongs to the world it is another marketing category hard to classify. It is neither Latin nor Reggae but exist for it possesses a genuine style that cannot be defined.
For artists to reach masses no matter the language and cultural diversity is a real challenge. Language is a boundary often feared by Labels and marketing specialists. I recently spoke with a former VP at a Latin record label. As a marketing specialist he said Billboards needs more than 51% of the album in Spanish language or it does not sell in that Latin style (and this is the rule) meaning the audience has to recognize itself in that style. Moreover have you seen Shakira producing an album mixing 50% English and Spanish and… Usually this mix is well orchestrated or well chosen.
Nowadays with the internet artist have a chance to express themselves using this fantastic network to convey their music all around the planet finding their audience everywhere. It is more than ever time to take a stand. Live your music and play it out loud. It took me a long time to go this route and I am following it as we speak. It is difficult to search from within in order to find your true style. I still believe that there are two kinds of music. The one we keep for ourselves and the one we share with other people as it is more commercial.
I am waiting to see the day when people will welcome language diversity. It seems that English has won this battle. Maybe it is a good thing to communicate in one language. Hopefully the world music audience opens a new horizon.
About the Author
Reporter at Famous French Musician French Pop Songs
