Comments on: Phil & Kenny Rock Africa

By: Catherine

Catherine — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:47:21 +0000

I’ve never been to Africa, but I did recently live in Luxembourg, and Phil Collins and Kenny Rogers were both very popular there, and Stevie Wonder also. Riding on the bus into the city early in the morning, it was usually a very quiet ride with a few people talking softly. But if one of those three came on the bus radio, then there would be at least one person singing along out loud, and sometimes three or four people. English is the fourth language they learn in Luxembourg (behind Luxembourgish, French, and German), so I always had my doubts that they even understood the words they were singing, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.”

By: sugar2s

sugar2s — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 03:53:53 +0000

Anyone who wants to read the Zilberg article, email cue4job AT yahoo.com and I can get it to you (copyright protected, personal use only, blah blah blah)

By: Pieter

Pieter — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:44:12 +0000

Jonathan Zilberg wrote a great article on country and african music: “Yes, It’s True: Zimbabweans Love Dolly Parton” in the Journal of Popular Culture (1995, Vol 29).

In Tanzania (1993), I kept bumping into Skeeter Davis’ song, “The End of the World”… in passing taxis, in cafes. It’s a great song… much preferred over Jim Reeves Christmas’ songs in tropical heat…

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 11:46:24 +0000

PG isn’t popular in the Caribbean … I think Phil is more sucessful worldwide because his music is more accessible. Plus he’s awesome.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 07:39:48 +0000

Not to forget the combination of Rambo and Bin with a plane above his head. Two extremes on one window of a Dakar-taxi.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:17:54 +0000

Maybe it’s his connection with Peter Gabriel? Is PG popular there? Him I could understand.

By: dacks

dacks — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:38:39 +0000

First – my compliments to your site, it’s on my A+ list of blogs, I’m a “first time caller, long time listener”

I’m surprised Sting didn’t make it into the conversation. Between him and Phil, they are representin’ the MOR AOR of EuroNorthAmerica in every country around the world so it seems. I don’t know what it is about those two – the production values, the easily digested melodies, the maudlin sentimentality – but they really make an unfortunate case for the universality of pap.

I recall too many instances of being in Jamaica and being subjected to 80s era Kenny Rogers – a visit in 1982 was all about “Islands In The Stream”. It just seems so incongruous, but in a weird way it’s just as central to people’s musical vocabulary. Maybe that’s part of the reason why the slick oversynthesized world music of the 80s and 90s came about – the doughy synths, the heavy verb – most of the blame goes to stupid major labels and producers for sure, but part of it may be about an artist wanting to achieve the majesty of “No Jacket Required” and they just bought into the slickness.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 22:50:06 +0000

In another curiousity, Ethiopians really seem to dig Billy Ocean. He’s still on the radio there all the time, you’d think he had just released an album.