Blog 3/4

“Channel’s of Rage” focused on depicting how the political situation can have an impact on only the music and arts, but people’s lives. It was stated “rap will have the power to bring about a much needed peace and coexistence in the Middle East.”  When I first came across this quote I was very curious how this was possible.   In my mind, at least in America, rap has the ability to reflect on a situation (such as a political situation), however I don’t see it as being a means for change.  I was also curious if there were any American films that used music to discuss the impact of the political situation in the United Sates.  As I continued to read this article I came across another quote “The real difference between rappers-differences that were not created by violence or society, but reinforced by them.  Perhaps the struggle between 2 deeply divided people is the best way to encapsulate the conflict after all.” I thought that this perspective was very interesting- if the difference between the 2 rappers was not created by the political situation- what was it created by?  Or was it just saying that each individual is different and that the political situation strengthens these differences? 

            I thought the article “ How an Obese Comedian and His Band of misfits revived Israeli Rap” was extremely interesting.  The second half of the article was particularly fascinating because if focused on the path to become a “rocker” in Israel.  Unlike in America, there seems to be one specific path to become an Israeli musician.  It was stated that “to become a rock star you must first serve in one of the army’s official bands and sing some rousing patriotic anthem, then record a tender album thick with poetic love lyrics to soften your militaristic image, then skip a bit to the left and position yourself as a brooding rocker.” This really clashes with American culture because it appears that every musician in America has a unique story of how they caught a break to become famous.  Shows like “American Idol” try and help musicians become known and ultimately sell records, however it is debatable if this path has proved to be successful.  I also think that it is interesting that “Israeli rockers were a homogenous group- Ashkenazi, well education, and hailing from Kibbutzim or Tel Aviv.”  To me, part of what makes music interesting is that every musician has a distinct background.  However this does not appear to be the case in Israel because “practitioners were always a step removed from their roots as singing soldiers.”  The last part of this article discussed Mizrahi Music.  It stated that these musicians were uncultured, used makeshift studies, and were not viewed in the same was as Ashkenazi singers.  I wonder if this is how it will always be in Israel or if the political situation or some other force will create change.