France

The Chanson Branches Out

French pop music, which became popular in the 1950s, originated from an earlier French style of music called chanson. The beginning chansons that date all the way back to the days of chivalry are more lyric-based. These include love ballads and crusade songs. More modern chansons began to incorporate some instrumentals such as the keyboard and the lute. 

Like many European countries during the Renaissance, France went through a very popular opera period. At the end of the 19th century, something called chanson réaliste became very popular. This type of music is comparable to the realist art movement in America which focused on the poor and working class.

Another late 19th century type of music that was very popular in France was known as art songs. This style of music is more melodic and instrument-based rather than lyric-based. One of the most famous art music composers was Claude Debussy who wrote the popular, "Clair de Lune."

When artists such as Dalida and Sylvie Vartan began combining the classic chanson with modern rock ‘n’ roll music, the French pop music scene was created. French rock music was largely influenced by the rock scene that was becoming huge in America. The French named this style of music Yéyé, and French rock artists began modeling themselves after big American rock stars like Elvis Presley. As Elvis was our king of rock ‘n’ roll, the French had their version of “the king,” and this was rock star, Johnny Hallyday. 

The sixties became a time when the French blues were popular, with Nicoletta being the rising star of the decade. In the seventies, dance music became popular. Just like in America, the disco scene became the norm and artists experimented with psychedelic-sounding compositions.

France in the eighties was practically obsessed with music. This was a time when big rock groups were emerging, forming themselves into idols and experimenting with different forms of music. One of the biggest groups of the eighties was the pop-punk band Téléphone. 

In the last two decades, the original chanson has been spread to various genres of music. In the late nineties, French music came out with house artists and many notable DJs. Artists like Air and Daft Punk started out in Paris and grew so popular that they merged into the American music scene. Hip-hop and lo-fi also broke out during this time with artists such as IAM and the electro-pop singer, Zazie.

Today, some French artists hold true to chanson styles of music, but there are so many different genres in French popular culture that the country has no definitive style of music. Many French artists, such as M83 and Phoenix, are increasingly gaining international success.

Jenifer

French pop singer Jenifer Bartoli got her big break when she won the French television show Star Academy France. Shortly after she won, Jenifer released her hit single, “J’attends L’amour.”

Since her first album titled Jenifer in 2002, the pop star has released four other studio albums. 

She had achieved instant success with Jenifer, as the album reached number two on French and Belgian charts, even though she recorded the entire album in only three weeks.

Her second album, Le Passage wasn’t as successful in sales as the first, but it did earn her the title “Best French Artist” at the MTV Europe music awards.

Her most successful album to date is Lunatique which topped charts in France and contains the hit single “Tourner Ma Page.” The album was also her most versatile, containing ska and reggae sounds. Jenifer also collaborated with other notable artists such as Matthieu Chedid. 

Jenifer’s music is extremely popular in France, but with the exception of the French speaking country Belgium, she has not yet achieved international recognition. All of her albums to date have been solely in French.

Jenifer released her most recent album this year, with the name L’Amour et Moi. The singer is also currently a coach on The Voice. 

India

From Classical to Bollywood 

Everyone is familiar with some sort of classical music--Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi. You either love it or hate it. What many American music lovers are not familiar with is the classical music of India. Classical Indian music is based on ragas, the colors that are used to create a scale of musical sound. Rather than the music being created by a composer, classical Indian musicians develop ragas over time based on certain moods, time of day and seasons.

While we normally think of Western classical music as only instrumental with little or no vocals, Indian classical music uses mostly vocals. Of course, there are many different genres of classical Indian music, each with varying styles. Some forms of classical music are mostly instrumental, but Carnatic music is one of the most highly recognized forms, and its emphasis is on melodic vocals.  

India also has a vastly diverse folk music tradition. Indian folk music takes on many forms due to India’s cultural diversity. The focus of Indian folk is lively instrumentals, and it is usually played at festivals where dancing is almost always involved.  

Lavani is the most popular form of Indian folk music, which is accompanied by many dance performances. The music is upbeat and sung in a quick tempo, while the dances are performed by women in saris. 

Other types of folk music are mainly vocal and carry with them a certain message. Ganasangeet usually has a social message with recurring themes of freedom, community and patriotism. Uttarakhandi music is always about the beauty and simplicity of nature, and it utilizes many different types of instruments.

Popular Indian music today has become increasingly part of a culture called film music. This is the usage of Indian music in Bollywood films. Instead of already composed songs being included in films, as we do in western culture, the music is specifically written and composed to fit with the movie script. 

Another feature of Bollywood film music is that often the actors/actresses themselves are singing the songs, rather than them being played in the background. 

Indian music has become extremely widespread with the introduction of music into popular culture. People all around the world are familiar with Indian music as well as Bollywood films.  

A.R. Rahman

One of the most skilled and well-known filmmakers and musicians in India, A.R. Rahman has earned the nickname “the Mozart of Madras” due to his extensive and impressive body of work. 

Rahman practices many forms of classical and folk Indian music, and he includes these elements in most of his film music. 

Rahman’s musical genre is technically Indian pop, but his music can also be categorized as dance, electronic and film score.

One of his most universally recognized film scores was for 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards.  

Rahman has not only been successful with composing film music, but he also released Vande Mataram in 1997, an album of his own compositions. His success was noted when the album became the biggest-selling Indian album that was not film music. 

The multi-talented artist’s success did not end there, however, as he has performed all over the world with his music and even along with a dancing troupe at a Michael Jackson concert. 

Rahman has collaborated with many artists and even performed his first world tour in 2010 called the A.R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour. 

Mexico

Bamba, Bamba

Traditional Mexican folk music is classified by many different styles and ensembles. Although Mexican music pulls from its indigenous roots, some of the classics have become popular across the globe.

“La Bamba” is one of these classics that was traditionally a folk song, but was then made popular by Ritchie Valens, hitting US charts. 

One of Mexico’s traditional music styles is corrido, a narrative, ballad-like music. Corrido songs are usually based on old legends and tell some kind of story. 

Ranchera is another style, which is characterized by a single performer playing a guitar. A major theme that runs through ranchera pieces of music is the Mexican Revolution. The most popular ranchera musician was José Alfredo Jiménez, who had composed over 1000 songs in his lifetime.

Mariachi is one of the major Mexican folk ensembles, and is considered representative of Mexican music and culture. It includes the most stylistic variety, including ranchera, corrido and many other forms. 

The average mariachi band includes the guitar, the violin and the trumpet, sometimes adding additional instruments. 

Having originated in Mexico, mariachi has moved into US culture and popularized traditional mariachi songs. One of the most well-known of these songs is "La Cucaracha." The song became popular during the revolution, but there is no known lyricist. It has, however, been recorded by many American artists including Gipsy Kings and Louis Armstrong.

Modern Mexican music spans across many different genres, such as Latin alternative, rock, pop and electronic. 

Most Latin alternative music refers to popular artists that play on mainstream American radio. This music steers away from traditional Mexican songwriting and instrumentals. Although there are still hints of Mexican roots, most of the music is overproduced and the lyricism is more risqué. 

Mexican rock music first became popular in the 1950s and it stuck closer to its roots than other forms of modern music. More often than Latin alternative musicians, Mexican rock bands include traditional themes and instruments in their songs. 

The famous Mexican guitarist Carlos Santana became popular around this movement with his band Santana. His music is a combination of original Latin music, new age rock and a little bit of jazz. 

Even some pop music today still includes some of Mexico’s traditional musical elements. Although popular artists are becoming more produced and experimenting with more mainstream instrumentals and themes, Mexican musicians are more known for some of their raw, folksy sounds.

Paulina Rubio

The popular singer known for her rich vocals and sex appeal has been an active Latin musician since the early 1980s. Her debut began as the front woman of the pop band, Timbiriche. 

After about 10 years, Rubio left the band to pursue a solo career in music and released her first solo album, La Chica Dorada, in 1992. The single “Mío” has been understood to be Rubio’s signature song, hitting No. 2 on Mexican charts. 

Her sophomore album, 24 Kilates, gave her the status as one of Mexico’s most successful musicians, as the album reached No. 1 status in Mexico.

The artist’s most successful album ever was Paulina, which gave her three nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2009, the album was named one of the Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Mexico. 

With her 2002 album Border Girl, Rubio took her first steps into American pop culture, as the album was almost entirely in English. This was a defining year for the singer since it gave her overwhelming international recognition.

After her American debut, Rubio went back to recording mostly Spanish albums, but continued performing internationally. Some other acclaimed Latin American superstars she performed with were Enrique Iglesias and Shakira.

Rubio’s most recent album Brava! is what she calls a Spanglish album, mixing the Spanish and English languages. However, only three of the songs are in English, while seven are in Spanish.

In her music, Rubio is the sole singer and that is all she does musically. Along with her voice, traditional Latin sounds and heavy percussion are very evident. In her more recent albums, Rubio has followed suit with many other popular musicians, incorporating more and more electronics.