| My Planet |
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| Just before turning 40, I assembled a collection called "My Planet". Music I had heard and purchased in various places, "from that damp edge of the world called Bellingham, Washington USA where I was born to a white sand beach in South Africa on the opposite side of the globe, and everywhere in between". |
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| Photos I've taken in various places around the world, and the good old Atomium right here in Brussels |
| Standing on the Grand'Place (the epicenter of My Planet) in Brussels around Christmas 2005 |
| the other side |
| So what's all the interest in Arabic music all the sudden? I suppose part of it is my increased exposure to the region, especially work in the UAE and Egypt and friends in Lebanon. It can also be the inevitable consequences of the way the world itself is changing. The genie is out of the bottle folks, and even 50 Cent is including Arabic samples in his rap music. Like most music styles it can be an acquired taste. But I find that once your ear becomes trained to a new musical logic, you begin to hear nuance and emotion that can take you somewhere completely new and unexpected. The Arabic language (in all its regional variations) can be equally beautiful and harsh. Although I don't understand the texts, I find that the musical style and tones are capable of conveying emotion like few other styles. |
| A word of warning. The only North American song in this collection is by a resident Spaniard (Xavier Cugat no less). This time around there is much more European content, of a consistently quirky (and dare I say "hip") variety. A truly local inclusion is the group "Vive La Fête", ultra-hipster party animals from Antwerp who sing in French with a typical 80s style. Welcome to the quirkier, edgier side of My Planet. Enjoy your stay. |
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| A sphere from the Atomium serves as the disc decoration |
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| That disc wandered from English Pops to South African Kwaito to Hip-Hop to Arabic to Country to Samba. This is the Sequel disc, with a somewhat more nocturnal feel and an edgier sound. There is some flash and glamour (even Brigitte Bardot!), but this collection includes a bit more rock and punk, and the Arabic influence on my taste in music is clearly increasing. After a tone-setting introduction and the few really commercial tracks on the record (Shakira!), we move on to really interesting stuff. One of the best is track 13, by the band of a Japanese work colleague of mine (lead guitar and vocals). A typically unexpected connection to the music that frames my world. |