A familiar refrain greeted me at a subway station on my first day in Chile two weeks ago. Greg Kihn’s "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" blasted from the in-house sound system.
Por que?
I often felt as if I had returned to 1983 during my ten-day trip to Chile. Here’s a representative sampling of English-language hits I heard in public places: Van Halen’s “Jump,” the Police’s “Message In a Bottle,” Kenny Loggins’ “Meet Me Half Way,” Blind Melon’s “No Rain” and the Eagles’ “Hotel California” (three times).
Por que?
I encountered street performer earning tips by recreating the repertoire of Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Por que?
Pitbull seems to be the most popular contemporary artist in Chile. I also heard current pop hits by the likes of Daddy Yankee and Enrique Iglesias. I heard salsa on a bus for a few glorious minutes. I never encountered the music of famous Chilean folk artists like Inti-Illimani and Victor Jara.
Por que?
I knew that metal was big throughout Latin America. Sure enough, I saw plenty of men wearing Pantera, Iron Maiden and Metallica t-shirts. Even so, the first television commercial to air at the conclusion of an important soccer game promoted a concert by the British rock band Blur at a 15,000-seat arena.
Por que?
It’s obviously not my place to tell Chileans that they should be listening to Ana Tijoux or Violeta Parra. Instead, I’ll merely regret missing a performance by Kumbia Queers.
(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)
Welcome back. You probably heard that Ornette died, but at this point your blog probably doesn't need to remind anyone about it. He was more famous than I realized.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve. In 2006, I praised the OC album that changed the way I experience music: http://therestandstheglass.blogspot.com/2006/07/ornette-coleman-feet-music.html
ReplyDeleteIn All Languages totally rules.
ReplyDelete