tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post7294218271757887254..comments2024-02-23T23:53:54.842+09:00Comments on Gusts Of Popular Feeling: Shin Jung-hyun's 1958 LP 'Hicky Shin'matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-32170091079812653462014-06-24T09:30:25.611+09:002014-06-24T09:30:25.611+09:00"I wonder, though, how much it would mirror a..."I wonder, though, how much it would mirror a similar dynamic, historically, in American culture and society."<br /><br />Apples and oranges. African-Americans are American, so they've been part of the cultural fabric there for a long, long time. And at this point, they're fairly well-intergrated into American society, with an African-American president leading the nation itself. Sure, racism still exists there, especially in some specific regions, but it's certainly not officially condoned or accepted in public the way it is here.<br /><br />Arguably the Samsung model of "fast-following" applies to much of contemporary Korean pop music as well. Like I said, it's a form of cultural appropriation that often goes ignored by the local populace, and many expats as well.<br /><br />Here's some more cultural appropriation for you:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WOGRCy3wBw<br /><br />I'll take the original, without all the cutie-pie nonsense and heavily made-up preening, thank you very much:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVbawRPO7I<br /><br />BTW, "Honky Tonk" may sound recognizable to you because you're probably a fan of David Lynch's "Blue Velvet." If I had to guess, I'd say the title "Twist Arirang" implicitly acknowledges that Shin was "reworking" that song (i.e., "twist" refers not to the dance style, but the "Arirang" saxophone solo inserted midway through this classic rhythm-and-blues number). Is Doggett even listed in the credits?King Baeksuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15106210206814275410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-36410548897882750772014-06-23T23:24:02.970+09:002014-06-23T23:24:02.970+09:00Stanley Putter,
Glad you enjoyed it. Posts will sp...Stanley Putter,<br />Glad you enjoyed it. Posts will sporadic for the next couple weeks, but will hopefully pick up after that.<br /><br />King Baeksu:<br />Nice find regarding Doggett's "Honky Tonk." It's a recognizable lick, but I didn't know exactly where it was from.<br /><br />A lot could be written on the topic you describe, going back to the 80s (breakdancing introduced to Korea via Itaewon clubs) and even the 60s and 70s. I wonder, though, how much it would mirror a similar dynamic, historically, in American culture and society. Where would American popular music going back to early blues and jazz be without the African American contribution? One shudders to imagine...<br /><br />Peter,<br />There's a lot of good music that's not kpop out there today as well, if you dig a little.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-13817644700712000952014-06-23T15:32:10.286+09:002014-06-23T15:32:10.286+09:00I'm a huge hater of K-slop but the stuff that ...I'm a huge hater of K-slop but the stuff that Korean pop artists produced in the 60s, 70s and 80s are pretty good.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09555657742987291509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-39842625160275016292014-06-22T15:23:27.572+09:002014-06-22T15:23:27.572+09:00Edit: Should have written "Twist Arirang"...Edit: Should have written "Twist Arirang" and not "The Twist" in my initial comment, obviously. Opening too many Web pages at once will sometimes twist one's comments, it seems.King Baeksuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15106210206814275410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-724338588803421252014-06-22T14:59:35.497+09:002014-06-22T14:59:35.497+09:00Someone should write an article on Korean pop musi...Someone should write an article on Korean pop music's serial cultural appropriation of African-American music on the one hand, and Korean society's serial marginalization of and discrimination against African-Americans -- and other black peoples -- on the other.<br /><br />Arguably modern Korean pop music would be inconceivable as we know it today without the ever-flowing well of black American music from which to repeatedly draw. It's enough to give anyone a "Hangover" just thinking about it.<br /><br />At the same time, South Korea's profound ambivalence towards modernization and globalization is perfectly reflected in this essential love-hate contradiction. The non-Korean Other fascinates even as it disgusts and repels, doesn't it?<br /><br />Best just to pretend this perverse dynamic doesn't exist, or better yet, dress it up in a hanbok and call it "Arirang," eh?King Baeksuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15106210206814275410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-60334293984588975532014-06-22T14:18:46.952+09:002014-06-22T14:18:46.952+09:00The opening lick on "The Twist" makes it...The opening lick on "The Twist" makes it pretty clear that Shin was a fan, or should I say "diligent student," of Bill Doggett:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAn4eyQpwSI<br /><br />Shin's version is slightly sped up, but Doggett's "Honky Tonk," released in 1956, was obviously the model.King Baeksuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15106210206814275410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-11254859858504052014-06-20T10:03:11.719+09:002014-06-20T10:03:11.719+09:00Nice first post. I've been excited for you to ...Nice first post. I've been excited for you to tackle this one for a while. Looking forward to the next installments!Stanley Putterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16147888802011291815noreply@blogger.com