There is a lot prejudices against pop artists. I was tweeting something and all of a sudden I saw that because I follow and I admire pop artists, pop singers, people says “oh, this singers are not good because they are so popular”.
So I would like to know your opinion about popularity and quality. This is very important because I hate prejudices and at the same time, I think that people are loosing a lot of love and joy that pop artists can share with us. This is my opinion, off course you can have a different opinion.
Thank you,
Paulo
DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR ENGLISH. BUT IF YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, POST IN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE (PORTUGUES, ESPANOL, FRANÇAIS, ETC.).
I like Luis Miguel, Yuridia and Edith Marquez,these three singers can sing whatever they want.
There are two things I love Luis Miguel music and Paulo Coelho books.
I have been on Luis Miguel’s concert he is very nice with his fans, and so do Paulo, sometimes the comments on newspaper, magazines or tv are only their perceptions no the reality.
“El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz”
We have to respect their private life and enjoy their art.
i guess some people are just envy of those people who were able to fulfill their dreams. people use to criticize, finding fault on the rich and the famous because they have nothing good to do. those people who are prejudice just look at the things that they wanted to see… they see the faults of others but they can’t see their own imperfections. some people hate pop stars because for them they look cheap (well i do have the same perception to those other pop stars who are just bunch of pretenders but it’s not always applicable to all) and they are fake (well we can’t blame other people if they have this kind of perception to pop stars because some pop stars only care about creating an image and selling CDs that are not worth for keeps) but little do they know, they envy those pop stars because despite of their perception, those pop stars were able to reach something in their life. other people who can’t reach their own dreams do nothing but pull other people down. they are miserable for not reaching what God intended them to be, so they wanted to share they misery with other people which is sick and pathetic. i know a lot of people who are like this (prejudice)… they only project hatred to others (in general, not only to pop stars) well in fact they hate their self for being stagnant. what is wrong with being a pop star and being famous? does that make them less of a person? of course not… i’m happy for them because they were able to do something worth while in their lifetime unlike those people who are just fond of criticizing yet they have not accomplished anything in their entire lifetime, which is sad and odd.
i like those artists, not only the pop stars who have reached their goal… some of them are young and successful and for me that is amazing… but then again this is not applicable to all
i also understand the side of those people who criticize (but this is not applicable to the prejudice i guess)
it’s just sad because some of the pop stars are not considered as an artist because people can’t find truth in them. whenever they sing, there is no soul in their song or in their music and it’s very obvious that they are just there to sing but not convey a message. it’s sad that most of the pop stars are just used for money making but their album is not for keeps. i guess every listener knows if the music being played has a song or if the song was only done for the sake of money making. i really feel bad about this because i’m a sworn music lover and some people destroy the main essence of creating music just because of their personal agenda. and because the wanted to have more money, they build an image of the pop star that seems perfect and too beautiful to be true because they think that if they don’t create a star that has a perfect image, people will not accept them or the crowd will not love them and they will not the records. some of the stars are being forced to project a life that is never theirs… they project perfection that is just a false illusion and it’s really sad because the more the star is hidden in the shell of make belief, they feel less fulfilled. at first they will feel happy because all the material compensation are there and they are very tempting… who doesn’t want to be rich and famous??? but later on they realize that they wanted to find their true self which is far from what they are projecting to the audience thus, destroy their image and the audience perceive them as getting wild or getting wasted and they are wasting up their career… the audience don’t really see the need of the pop star of finding him/her true self because they were already fixated in the image that was shown to them previously… this makes the rich and the famous realize that it’s not about being rich and famous, but it about being who you are. it’s not about image building but building your character as a person.
nevertheless, i admire those pop stars who are there were they are because they wanted to be there…. because they worked hard to be there. through their craft they show their soul and they share the soul of their craft to those who are open to receive the message the song would love to convey. i admire those artists who excelled in their craft… the song writers, the producers, the singers, the performers who do their thing out of love, out of passion and not just by merely doing things for the material compensation that they will get later on. i admire all those people whose craft or whose product has a heart and soul because today, you can barely see people doing what they truly love and being passionate to their work. a lot of people would claim that they are passionate and they love what they do and the truth is their just creating a false illusion to prevent their selves from having a bruised ego.
criticizing… it’s good because it can build
prejudice… ??? well… keep it to yourself, or better, throw it so you won’t have it. remember… “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”… if insecurities cover your heart, then most likely you will project this…
Well… I’m not a great admirer of pop singers… because, even who, beside them, can really sing very good, generally send his/her look before his voice… and this is the thing I really don’t like! but I think there’s another reason, a deeper one: they’re people who’ve achieved their goal… and this could cause some envy. Why them and not me, whetever my goals are? ..I think that’s the real point! Or maybe, one of that…
Dear Mr.Coelho.. I’m from Indonesia, and I’m a big fan of yours,..and Michael Jackson..
In this context, I wanna share how I feel about Michael Jackson.. I know some people just don’t like him and made a lot of prejudice because his plastic surgery, his cases at the justice court, his likely of elementary things and all the ‘un-popular’ things about him.. I’m not saying he’s perfect as an angel, but as far as I know, he was just a lonely person with a lot of energy to share love, quite a altruistic kind of love..Knowing him as a person who never felt a normal childhood made me understand why he had a quite ‘different-attitude’ among other normal or popular persons..
In your context, prejudice came because we don’t know the person pretty well, prejudice aroused because we see only part of a life, and prejudice happens because we don’t have clear boundaries between opinions and facts.. Try to seek much more facts rather than just gather more opinion from others.. :)
i definitely agree… that’s because his childhood was stolen from him. at a very young age, he was forced to be excellent in his craft… to be the best young artist there could ever be. he was forced to work instead of him playing. he was forced to project a perfect life that was never his. it was like a taboo if the stars or artists talk about what is lacking in their life or what is wrong in his life. he didn’t have enough privacy and i feel sad for him. he has all the material things that he could possibly have but it’s as if he doesn’t have the right to embrace who he truly is… the only reason why he ended up like that is because he was deprived of the things that are far much important for him… can we blame him for being like that or turning out to be like that… it’s yes or no… there is no perfect explanation to that but the best thing that we can do is at least accept him for who he truly is
*** i’m not MJ fanatic but i don’t hate him either***
I think some of us that like music or whatever stuff that is not particulary popular may in some small way take something “satisfying” from this very fact alone (even if unconcious to doing so). Like the old saying “it was cool to everyone else liked it! or till everybody else started doing it”. Maybe people who love a certain sort of largely unknown or far less popular music, may feel it defines them. Maybe it sets them apart from the rest of a world not doing so well or not being so cool in their eyes. I suppose the fact remains that lots of pop music is of poor quality. Yet pop to me is really just music that is popular spanning all genres. A lot of people think if they like some cool alternative rock band that it is not pop music, but it may well be blatant pop in reality cause near half the world are listening to it thinking they are “in the know”. Bottom line is that good music is good music, and nothing can take that away, despite whether it’s very popular or not. While a lot is crap (we should be more realistic and intelligent), we all must learn to listen with an open mind yes. And if you really like something, and it is not actually that good quality music somehow (even though you can’t detect this), it is probably good for you/your brain in some way if you are liking it during a time. Maybe you are enjoying the good in it or are hearing things others can’t. At the same time, people can be stuck on musical platforms that are not serving them well. For me, I have learnt that certain music has great power and promise in our lives. More than a lot of people comprehend. Music is to me education, yet it must be with artists who are into teaching and love through music. So much music truly is “music of the devil”. I am not sure I believe in the devil as such…. but my….. just so much is on a platform so much lower than what we deserve as human beings (and that is where the people who listen to it remain until they are helped. It may not be bad, but not good enough. So help all you can if you think you might be more musically advanced than them. Check out this blogs if you are interested in my particular taste….www.dp44.blogdspot.com…. and there are many many others. Downloading albums via blogs typically requires WinRar (freely available software for extracting .zip files….which is usually how people upload albums, zipped up to reduce space). If you use a Mac, get the Mac equivalent to WinRar, whatever it is. Win rare taskes only minutes to be installed on your pc (get it off any reputatable free software download site) and start enjoying peoples sharing blogs on the music they/you like! Then you can buy the albums you truly love, and have direction in your collecting. After all, remember the big Virgin/HMVs with listening booths, ior the iold record store where you played lp’s for a week on end before laying down your money. Downloading is not bad, it is GREAT, once you are responsible about it. Enjoy. Thanks Paulo. Was reading of yourself tonight, and ended up here. I would look forward to discovering more about your life in the future hopefully. Cheers
Señor Paulo Coelho:
Me siento tan alagada como al fan saber que un gran escritor y persona como usted ninguna crítica ni excluya la musica de nuestros amados alemanes QUE SON TOKIO HOTEL por la Manera de Ser, vestirce, etc, si no que por su admirable voz sean musica y Reconocidos y no criticados injustamente por lo demas mencionado, son 4 niños que empezaron solos con su musica y el duro pasar de los días mas que se Hicieron Grandes y La Mega personalidad del vocalista es tanta la admiracion que uno Debe Tener Porque no le importa el diran que los demas, solo con sentirce bien el ES SUFICIENTE, pues la mayoria de seres humanos, alguna vez incluyendome a mi, nos cuesta mucho sacarnos de la cabeza el que dira “aquel”, él es una muestra a seguir, Amo a esos 4 jovenes que crecieron SOLOS, SE Hicieron grandes con su sudor y humildemente Demuestran agradecimiento a todos los que los apoyaron, Mil Gracias por sus palabras y por no hacernos sentir solos en esto, que luchamos dia a dia Porque nuestra banda favorita no excluida del mar, Apartada y discriminada por su apariencia .. Lo queremos un abrazo a la distancia.
¿Si no eh leido una novela? .. El alquimista Dios!! me hizo viajar hasta Egipto y esta frase “Cuando una persona Desea realmente algo, todo el Universo conspira para que Realice su deseo”.
Lima – Perú
Wow, Paulo – first I must tell You that Your books are really popular in Poland and You’ve got lots of fans :)
It’s great You said something positive about Tokio Hotel. I love this band and their music and You’re right – People always have negative opinions about this boys and I don’t know why. First, they don’t listen their music – it’s the most important thing if we talk about bands, isn’t it? People look at them and think “Omg, stupid gays” or something like that.. It’s their image – something what have all stars. They are original, I think. I don’t know how to describe them – Tokio Hotel is amazing group. I’m really glad, Paulo, that You think they’re good.
Best Wishes,
Beata.
hola Paulo! me llamo Arlis y soy una gran admiradora tuya me encanta como escribes xD y estoy de acuerdo con tu opinion acerc de lo que hablaste y te queria decir que soy super fan de la banda alemana Tokio Hotel son fabulosos xD te los recomiendoo (:
cuidate mucho, saludos
Tokio Hotel <3
Tacna – Perú
atte. arlis kaulitz *
hola! paulo! antes de dar mi opinion acerca de lo has hablado quiero decirte que te admiro mucho tus libros son increibles (=
bueno.. opino igual que tu no me parece bien que las personas odien a una banda solo por que son populares, yo pienso que si te gusta una bandaa la debes valorar y querer por mas que sea popular, a mi me gusta la banda alemana tokio hotel! pienso que es genial (=
cuidate mucho!
un besoo!
i’m from tacna – peru
can we really be free of prejudice? I feel like we’ve become too politically correct to even be able to express certain views that people may not like, even if they are not negative and hurtful. I find that alot of people very easily pass judgements on me because I despise hiphop. Yes, it is popular, but am I supposed to like it coz it has nice beats and disregard the mostly sexist nature of lots of those songs? To me it is simple, my prejudice against hiphop comes from my prejudice against sexism in all its forms. Popular isn’t always good, but it’s true that some pop culture is positive…and afterall, Bach’s work was one day pop!
Eu tenho que assumir que no ínicio eu tinha um certo preconceito com as bandas atuais, ate mesmo tokio hotel, achava que era mais uma banda qualquer… a questao é que determinadas épocas dá-se mais valor a determinados estilos de musicais, e as vezes as pessoas não conseguem gostar destes estilos, principalmente quando tantas bandas fazem sons tão parecidos… e é mais dificil ainda assumir que voce gosta de uma banda, depois de julga-la tanto (fazer o que,quem mandou julgar? hahaha)… hoje em dia th é uma das minhas bandas favoritas
abraço
I am a lover of pop music, but I believe good music is good music in the end. The problem I have with most popular artists today is they lack depth, both in their music and character. Although I enjoy many people on the radio, very few have motivated me to open my wallet and pay to see them live in concert. For me, it is about the voice and ability to communicate the emotion of a song. Some of my favorites live are Elton John, Tracy Chapman, Marc Anthony, and more recently David Archuleta. Interestingly, I feel David faces prejudices because he is only 18. He is quite often dismissed by older music lovers as just another teenage singer. I will admit that his pop album, released last year, does not show his full potential. His Christmas CD, on the other hand, is another matter altogether. He sings these songs with such reverence and conviction. It is truly beautiful. Of course, all of what I’ve written is just my humble opinion. Thank you for the forum, Paulo!
Honestamente Tokio Hotel é muito bom, sendo eles conhecidos ou não. Ultimamente esta tendo entre os jovens um preconceito com bandas que julgam ser da moda, acham que são produzidas e que não prestam. Mas no caso de Tokio Hotel, falam e nem conhecem nada sobre eles.
Obviamente que hoje “qualquer um” canta, mas não é só porque é conhecido que vai ser ruim não é? Quer dizer que Beatles era ruim? Queen? ACDC? Michael Jackson? Madonna? Hm… acho que deu pra ter uma base. Sou totalmente contra a esse preconceito. Conheço muitas bandas BOAS e desconhecidas, mas também bandas OTIMAS e conhecidas.
Beijo e neon
I have to say it’s all about respect. I don’t follow one particular genre of music. If I like a song and I see who the artist is then I support it. A recent example would be a young 18 year old artist by the name of David Archuleta. He considers himself a pop artist however, from what I’ve heard – he has done Spanish ballads to Christmas music. Now only is he talented, but I respect him for his morals and values. This is unique and rare in the world of entertainment. Check him out on u-tube.
I have always love artists who could communicate profound truths to a mass audience. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Picasso. They weren’t manufactured, they revealed elements of ourselves that we had yet to see.
Madonna, Cher, john Grisham. There is an element of self conscious manufacturing that people… I don’t think that it tastes nourishing or of long term value. Michael Jackson, Elvis, isn’t there art popularity?
I agree, Mr. Paulo, I’m a fan of Tokio Hotel bother me much as you yourself said closed-minded society, I’m glad you alla given their opinion.
eh I have seen one of his novels”Veronika Decides to Die”I love! is fascinating.
Señor Coelho:
Mucha gente vive en una sociedad estancada. Siente en la novedad, lo extraordinario y lo anormal una “amenaza”. La gente se engaña a sí mismo convenciéndose de que tiene mentalidad abierta y aceptan todas las novedades que trae la vida, pero no es así. Se sigue viendo con mala a cara a la gente de color, se ruborizan al ver un beso entre personas del mismo sexo, no conciben la idea de hombres con rasgos adróganos.
Pensamos que cada uno de nosotros es el mejor en todo, viste mejor que nadie, y todo aquello que sale de nuestros esquemas “tradicionales” es odiado y repudiado.
Me da mucha pena saber que la sociedad en la que vivo tiene la moralidad basada en la en las apariencias ¿Qué parte de la apariencia de Tokio Hotel nos hace verlos como una amenaza?, ¿Será el maquillaje del cantante, las rastas del guitarrista o el look del batería y el bajista? Ellos pueden presumir de ser sí mismos, mientras que otros se muestran reacios ha ser “libres” por temor al “¿Qué dirán”?
El consuelo que me queda de todo esto es que la música es universal, no entiende de sexo, raza o nacionalidad y en ella los prejuicios no tienen lugar.
Paulo, I’m with you on prejudices. Can’t stand preconceptions and try hard to get rid of them myself. I’m a pop music kinda of person but listen to rock occasionally, though I resent their snobbery towards other genres.
For me it’s all in the voice and how an artist manages to pull at my heart strings while others can’t. I absolutely love Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Mercury, George Michael, and more recently David Archuleta. Are these cool by today’s standards? No way. And I couldn’t care less. I like some Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kanye West and Neyo, too. All talented and charismatic.
Just a comment on the phrase “I hate prejudice.”
Something to ponder . . . if I am prejudiced AGAINST prejudice – how am I different from the person whom I’m judging? (because my judgment is ‘right’?)
“Againstness” isn’t the answer. Alternative phrases might be “I am FOR acceptance.” “I encourage openmindedness.”
something to think about
Hey, Paulo, concordo com você! Eu, com apenas 16 anos, estou farta de tanto preconceito. Honestamente, eu não acho que o fato de uma banda ser popular, faça ela ser pior do que outras. Na verdade, acho que as pessoas deveriam ser menos críticas ao apreciar a música, sendo o estilo musical rock, pop, enfim… As pessoas falam mal, colocam rótulos nos cantores e bandas, e a maioria delas, que fazem isso, ou não conhece a banda ou fica presa as antigas. Sempre mencionando nome de bandas dos anos 80, 70, 60, como se as atuais não fossem tão boas quanto as antigas ou até mesmo melhores. E sobre qualidade.. Realmente, tem algumas bandas atuais que estão uma verdadeira vergonha, na minha opinião, em termos de conteúdo nas letras. Mas antigamente também tinham bandas assim, então acho que tudo é uma grande besteira! As pessoas estão indo sempre umas nas opiniões das outras, sem a sua formada e etc. Bom, não sei bem se falei coisa com coisa, mas dei minha opinião sobre o que acho que tá acontecendo com a relação da música e as pessoas. E achei muito interessante que tu gostastes de Tokio Hotel! São realmente muito bons! Obrigada por ler. Luanna xxx
Leí tu posteo en twitter y se que esto empezo por algo que publicaste de tokio hotel.
A mi la banda me encanta, ya sea por su estilo o por su musica, pero muchos amigos o gente conocida, critica a la banda o simplemente la odia, por su estilo o su apariencia, debido a que la banda usa una especia de onda gotica – emo, o porque el cantante parece una mujer.
la verdad son diferentes puntos de vista de cada persona o diferentes maneras de odiar
un abrazo paulo.
Me encantó Tokio Hotel. Nunca los habia escuchado. Espero verlos en Zurich en Marzo
Hi Paulo! This is a very interesting subject. I personally like Tokio Hotel an as a fan I’m telling u is not easy! Is right what u say…ppl think that if you like a famous band…is a waste of time because u r just fallin’ “trends” and classify u…”oh, if u like TH the you’re emo or something” and thats not true…although I respect any person but it doesn’t mean you’re goin’ “with the flow” if u like one artist or another…Specially by being fan of TH…some ppl always says bad things about them or make fun or get mad at me because I like them…but I really think they are true talented artist…it’s true…their look is different (so cool by the way)…but the main thing is that they’re a really MATURE, ORIGINAL, TALENTED, THEY SPEAK THEIR MINDS AND MOTIVATES U TO FIGHT FOR UR GOLDS AND BE WHO U R…!!! I just love them!! and by the way…I hope u can see them live! Plzz enjoy their concert…you’re so lucky!!…I think I’ll never go to one of their concerts since I live in central america and I don’t think they will come here anytime soon =( Again, thanx for this interestin’ subject
lov
katy
Wow, I’m admired. I really am!! You made a question that I make every day when someone says that they don’t like Tokio Hotel – I think is so stupid how people react to a band just because they’re famous, popular, and whatever. Most of the times, they don’t even listen to their music – they made their opinion because of their styles! And that’s so immature, I can’t and won’t understand that, ever.
I like Tokio Hotel – and I’m not ashamed of it. They’ve the most amazing songs ever, they aren’t the best, they don’t have the best sound in earth, but they’re unique, they’ve so many songs who inspired us, who make us think about life… I don’t know how people think they’re artificial! really… just because Bill uses more make up than me!? Oh please, that doesn’t make any sense.
Nowadays, popular music is the synonymy of bad music. Why?! I wish I knew. Artists to be known need publicity, and when they’ve it, people always says that they’re bad, they sucks etc. What makes me laugh because most of the times, they like them before! Or even after, but they don’t say it. It seems more cool saying bad things about the band that everyone knows. Gosh… – And, when the artist start to be known they’ve more fame, money, and more fans, but no one says they like them!!!! In exception, Metallica, Muse, and stuff like that because they’re HARDCORE . Tokio Hotel just has too many “fangirls” – they say, ah! and Bill looks like a girl, who makes me think, maybe they like Bill style but when they get to know He’s a boy they feel bad. yeah…
Mister Paulo, I saw you talking about Tokio Hotel, and I just wanted to say that there are so many people who love them. People imagine that they are artifficial,but in my eyes it’s not true. They are just four boys who reached their dream with a HARD work. Whatver people say, I disagree with all the hate towards them. Being POPular makes other people envious.
(these are not my words but I saw a truth in them) :
If a real band, that plays and write (or co-write) their own songs become famous before being 20 years they are labeled immediately as teen-band-that-sucks-and-is-just-a-one-hit-wonder and everyone hates them especially if at least one of them is good looking, for some unknown reason if no member of the band is good looking the band is not labeled as teen band and people would probably point at them as ‘genius’.
I agree so much, Paolo. Prejudice is what it is – a lot of people won’t even give pop a chance because they are so terrified of that tiny three-letter word and of appearing uncool. Refusing to appreciate something simply because a lot people like it is not really thinking for oneself, so much as it is wanting to appear a certain way. It’s shallow.
Of course, not liking certain things that are very popular doesn’t make one a shallow or phony – but using popularity as the sole basis for disliking something pretty much does.
Some people want to feel special themselves, and they put down a special person and choose another genre because they think that it makes them diffrent. I am a fan of most very popular pop artists. I might like their music but I might dislike the person. And usually I might like them at SOME stage in their carriers. I don’t fancy Britney Spears for example, but I like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce. I can’t give any explanation why – I just find these two more “natural” and I guess that I can dance better to their music. I love Madonna but I only really begun liking her a few years ago when she started with Yoga. Her music improved. I liked Michael Jackson (can’t get over him), but I am not a fan of Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones or the Beatles, even if I like some songs. There is a generation problem as well as what speaks and what does not speak to the listener. Personally I also listen to the lyrics, and if I find them interesting, I like a song more.
I don’t feel any prejudice against pop artists. They make my world more colourful. But I know that there is a danger that many of them loose grasp of who they are when they are in the spotlight much of the time. (And they are often afraid of loosing the spotlight.) They are expected to entertain both on and off the studio/stage/set, and there are always someone ready to critizise them no matter what they do. So to me, being a pop star must be very demanding.
Come to think about it – not all artists are colourful like Slash, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson… One of my favourite artist was Eva Cassidy. Not flashy or strong colours – but what an artist when it came to singing! :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzzDIiH4yHg
Edelweiss.
Have a nice week.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Well, to be honest, I think it’s a little stupid to just hate something because it’s popular. Whatever! If you like the sound of pop music, or any other kind of music, it just doesn’t matter whether it’s popular or not. Listening to a kind of music which is not popular doesn’t make you better. People shouldn’t have prejudices against some kind of music. If they got popular, it’s most of the time because their music was good, so I don’t see why the fact that now they’re popular should change their music. People are often like “I used to like that band when it was not famous, but now I don’t anymore, because everybody knows them” and so what? Should it change something in the way you liked their music? Uhm no really, I don’t understand.
I always believed that what you love, what you enjoy, is subjective, and being so, neither wrong nor right. I’m reminded actually of a clip from a popular teen drama, Dawnsons’s Creek. Joey, the character played by the now famous wife of Tom Cruise Katie Holmes, was visiting for a day at a College and attended a literature class, and the Teachers Assistant put her on the spot and asked her what her favourite book was. She replied with “Little Women”. He then critized her choice because it was a weak unoriginal novel that had little literary substance, and then judged her for choosing such a novel, without even asking her reason why. Later on in the episode she tells the Teacher’s Assistant why that book was her favourite. Her mother died of cancer a few years earlier, and when she was a child her mother would read that book to her, in fact, she was named after one of the characters in that book. It was pretty humbling for the TA.
I tend to like mainstream shows, books, and music. People judge me for it. I understand that a lot of the things I enjoy don’t have much substance, or are unoriginal, but thats not why i like or dislike something.
Someone who rejects something for its popularity and judges you on your “poor” taste, is no better in my opinion than someone who watches/listens/buys something based on it being popular. In the end they both missed a vital point. Its not about the quality of substance of something, its the ability of that thing to make you happy.
Buy something because its something that fits your needs and makes you happy. Listen to music that inspires you and lifts your spirit. watch movies and tv shows that take you to that place of enjoyment sometimes unachieved in reality. You’re reasons for doing something should always reflect on how much something brings you happiness.
So Paulo, if listening to pop music makes you happy, no matter how much critics tell you you’re wrong to do so, don’t listen to them, for they are missing out on a part of living that is so important. But then again, I think you already know this, and know this well.
I’ve heard some musicians, singers, on the radio, I remember Tracy Chapman, listening to her the first time, going right out and getting her music. Then I watched as she became popular, the same with Anita Baker, there was something that called to me and obviously to so many others. Maybe it has to do with Jungs collective consciousness? To tap into that and use it for good in the world, wouldn’t that be amazing. How do you make healing the planet popular, how do you go back to the 60’s and 70’s and make peace popular? Maybe we should study popular artists more and learn from them?
Yes, agree with your points Nicolette!!!! And enjoyed Tracy Chapman’s music also.
The music, teaches, and shapes, improves, and becomes part of me. Feeling the connection with others, to something greater, Love.
Thank you so much, Love, Jane : )
Pop is simply short for popular ie. what the majority are choosing to listen to.. or are they? How much do media play what is popular versus how much they impose upon the population what should be pop(ular)? (If their advertisers are sony or virgin then do they give preference to these artists? I don’t know). If something is played often enough then the tune sticks in my brain whether I want it to or not!! (I sometimes go to sleep with the annoying tune replaying in my now programmed brain!). To know something is to like it .. generally we do not like the unknown (some fear it)..does this mean that unknown music is not as good as pop? I don’t think so – in fact I admire those who keep making their music even though it will never be popularised. Keep on doing what you love & the love of doing will outweigh the adulation of the crowds (isn’t that what all pop stars say anyway?)
I believe that the artist that compromises his Art for material gain, he betrays his soul.. after all , the real Artists don’t do it for money..they only seek their soul to be heard/read/ and so on. they do it for the joy it brings.. not for the money….
Timeshare Resales
A true artists thrives to be heard, because there is no art without its audience. The relationship between the artist, his work, and his audience is vital. As a writer, I feel like what i put down on paper is worthless unless I can share it with the world. Thats because art is expression, its us trying to say something, we’re trying to have a conversation with the world in a sense, and without the feedback, the whole thing has absolutely no meaning. Sometimes people call artist sell outs cause they thrive to be popular instead of make music they enjoy doing. Pop artist lives are very difficult, and trust me, there are more negative sides to popularity than good ones. People are under the impression that they “sell out”, but artists know that if they don’t make more money that the year before, sell more records, than their record labels won’t take them seriously or allow them to continue doing what they love. I think artist dont sell out for money, they sell out so they can continue doing what they love. Share their passions with the most amount of people possible.
Good, nuanced point of view. Congrats!
Namaste Timeshares Resales,
All artists create for the money because the money is how we live. As long as we live in a society where we must make a living in order to survive, people will compromise with their art.
Namaste Catarina,
People create art all the time which is ignored by the public. I should know… I have a ton of art I’ve never shown to the world, although I would like to if I could find a market. Art without a market is still art, merely unappreciated.
Love to you
Namaste,
I’ve always tended toward the pop, but I love all sorts of music. Mozart rocks as much as Mick Jagger to me. I grew up in the age of the Beatles back when they were more popular than Jesus… which was an honest evaluation of the time. Everyone I knew grumbled going to Sunday Mass, but watching John Paul George and Ringo was way cool. I never saw a difference in their messages either. Love Love Love.
I look at music as a matter of taste and values. I find Aerosmith, before Steve Perry became a father insulting as a woman. After he had a daughter, his lyrics…and his music… became more introspective and respectful. I found a lot of heavy metal insulting as a woman, so I either never listened to them, or, when I was working at Tower Records, I grrrred all the way through their music. :-)
Artists are a reflection of society. A pop artist is one who is embraced by a great many people. There are people who don’t like a certain style of music/dance/literature/movies/paintings or sculpture and become irritated because that artist is making so much money, or because they are exposed to them against their will. We see garbage daily on the scandal sheets trying to destroy Brad Pitt, who is doing wonderful work in New Orleans right now… Goddess Bless Him… and his beloved, Angelina Jolie. They are pop artists of the film variety and feeling the effects of jealousy, IMO.
Before he was elected, they tried to demean President Obama by equating him with popularity, as if that’s a bad thing. Because people in Europe, the Middle East and Africa embraced him, America should reject him, we were told. This is how ingrained prejudice against popularity is in American culture. I don’t understand it. I never have.
When I was a kid, I loved the Monkees. Pure pop for my generation! I was insulted repeatedly when I admitted this preference, yet I took pride in the fact that they became popular. I was part of a larger audience. I’d never felt part of anything in my life before then. Whatever anyone ever says, the Monkees are special to me and I will forever smile when I hear the opening bars to any of their songs. That’s what pop music is all about. It could be why I married a musician. :-)
Love to you
Elaine I like your “approach” with writing! you have a real knack
Thank you !
Love
:)
Namaste Marie-Christine,
You’re always so kind. Thank you. I do love your picture.
Love to you
thank you Elaine.
Love to you too
Here is more, if you liked the first one…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5KF4dKq-6I&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Even country music can be good. Listen and enjoy!!!
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDRn9HBbyaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNTUWLcAAW0&feature=related
Mozart is …still popular!
For the … gardeners !!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
…….Seeding roses, and..orange trees <3
yo amo la musica pop es mi estilo favorito aunque tambien me gustan otros estilos. yo creo que la musica no es buena o mala por el ritmo(pop, rock, clasico, etc) o por si es muy popular como lo son muchos artistas pop, si es cierto que muchos artistas son comerciales (aunque eso pasa en muchos generos) en realidad hacen comercio con ellos y eso no signifoca que ellos no amen la musica ni que no la sientan; por otro lado creo que hay gustos para todo el mundo y mas alla de eso no se puede juzgar a todos los artistas pop, porque los estan jusgando, estan diciendo que son malos cuando muchos de ellos sienten y aman la musica igual que alguien de otro estilo, creo que la mala musica o mejor dico la musica “fabricada” es aquella que esta hecho con ese sentido comercial, que esta hecha para que pegue, para ser exitosa y no hecha desde el corazon, y que ya sea con sus letras con su ritmo con sus arreglos con la moda que se use que todo eso venga desde el corazon desde la pasion y el amor que se siente a la musica reflejando las personas que son en verdad,su propia personalidad y que nos muestren su talento y que nos hagan pasar buenos momentos, que no pierdan el foco y que recuerden sus valores porque mas alla de su musica que es lo que nos encanta, en cada artista viene una persona que con sus costumbres y valores nos enseña, nos alienta, nos da animo, nos aconceja, son nuestros amigos, son soñadores que nos animan a soñar; un artista de erdad es aquel que llega a su publico por quien es y que mas alla de el exito y la dimencion que pueda llegar a tener, todo lo que crea lo realiza desde su corazon
Art is like wine, you like what you like. Its all comes down to opinion and last I heard, opinion is not fact.
I think this is an interesting question. There is a tendency for learned people to look down on popular music claiming that it has no real significance and that the music is too basic and not challenging. To me, this seems unfair. Music is meant to move your heart. What moves my heart on any given moment changes. I certainly appreciate and recognize people who know their instruments well but I don’t think that means simpler music should be ignored. In the end, I think we all have our purpose in this life and those who are meant to sing and perform will sing and perform whether it’s to a large crowd or a small crowd. No one should have to feel embarassed or explain why a particular artist moves them. That’s the joy and beauty of art! An artist who is popular has obviously brought joy to many people. You may like or dislike them, but I would hope you would listen to them before you make that decision!
Popular music is after all due to worldwide positive response to primarily the music/song, then the artist. I find that music does not allow you to not have an emotional response. And whatever the response, it is without doubt genuine. The strength and power of music/a song goes beyond the words, the artist’s delivery of the notes – even they are affected by the structure and mood of the not too visible world. People who look down on popular music, I don’t know, probably have never tried to sing to themselves or an audience.
Here’s a personal experience: I’ve just adopted a tabby kitten who is now about 9 weeks old. He’s growing and learning so he’s excited about every thing, has a lot of energy. When my other cat finds him too overwhelming and my immediate solution is to separate him (lock him away in a room), I cuddle him and sing to him. I make up my own words or sing a popular music, use random tunes, and hum and surprisingly he calms down, stares at me, then falls asleep in less than 2 minutes.
Another example is of my persian cat. He’s about 4 years old. When he’s in distress or meowing non-stop, I pick him up and dance to an upbeat popular song by Britney or Beyonce or Pussycat Dolls etc. – as long as it makes you really move your body – he feels better. I know this because he would purr really loudly.
So popular music I find has real significance – the same as any other music.
Some times some people want to feel them so special and diferent (better) than other people, that means that they have to had diferent preferences.
An artist is always an artist, with 2 or whit 200000000 folowers.
Thank you for let us participate in all this, good bye.
I agree about the prejudice. I don’t necessarily listen to very much pop music, but I do recognize what is often so ‘catchy’ about it. I don’t believe that popularity should decrease quality, and I do not believe that the number of people that listen to certain music determines its quality. Unfortunately factors that seem irrelevant to the music often effect the music. The artists are often coming from a different place personally and therefore artistically as their popularity rises. I think one thing that happens from time to time is that all of the unimportant factors seem to effect the true music as sometimes artists get caught up in what is fed to them as reality: fame, ego, etc.
Any artist that can touch people’s soul through their art are quality artists, but is the wider the audience the better quality their work is? A lot has to do with marketing and the commercial and distribution aspect and amount of funds available to launch a song, a book…
What I hate is when people don’t even know the subject and says it’s bad!
This reminds me once several years ago I told my ex-boyfriend my favorite author is Paulo Coelho, he says he is brazilian too, be hasn’t read any of your books because he heard you are very bad! I told him if he has never read a single book from you how can he know your book is good or bad! Needless to say my opinion on him took a downside… For me, whoever with the power to sell millions of books or songs and change people’s lives positively cannot be bad!! Of course there are some who want to be different from other just to prove they are smarter and different from others.
I like pop music and think that many of the songs that are put down as not arty enough are really the poetry of our time, depicting the basic most noble purposes for which mankind strives.
Before I left Pau, two persons sang the praises of my voice. And it really motivated me for a while… Though I know I’d better find in me the way to go along with. I’m too afraid about concerts I think, but I’m ready now to pass over it.
Then I arrived In my new town, and my friend here asked me to play guitar and sing, because indeed, in the past, I was not making music anymore, but scripts. I played “redemption song” from Bob Marley. I was tired by the travel and a bit ill so my voice was not at his top, and also, I’m not so regular with.
He then told me I have a soft voice totally formed for piano bar, where people could here me, while they are doing other things: like eating or so. I was so upset. Then He told me about his sister in law that has a ” really beautiful jazzy voice”, and it really twisted the knife into the wound. It really disappointed me. Not about that friend, because I know people around me don’t say all this deliberatly. These are maybe Freudian slip.
I will write new songs and search for musicians here, but all this shows my fragility about my self-confidence with. And also, I should not here for compliments neither belittles but work with all my pleasure. Since, it broke my heart in two.
Have all a lovely afternoon.
I forgot to put my link for you could hear me a bit. ;) http://www.myspace.com/acome
Enjoy!
Beautiful dear friend Catherine Martinex. Wonderful voice and your photo and eyes are amazing.Thank you.
Never be discouraged of … critics!!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Thank you dear Thelma,
And I hope you won’t be upset about me, for what I wrote to you about Greek people. I Love Greece. I have been there once, in Athena, and also in the Cyclads. I really liked the people over there, and also the foooooood. The sea, the weather. Mmmmmmmmm.
It’s maybe the place I’d love to spend the last days of my life.
It was not against you, but I learnt about and so, it is like when you know something as a possible truth and you don’t say it. I don’t consider it is a good thing.
It reminds me when Paulo wrote his “thanks” to President Bush. I remember a woman called Hummingbird was very angry about Paulo, though she used to love him. That’s the same thing. All the people of the earth are great, but there are people in each country that succeeded in lying to us. It’s not your fault, neither mine. And I don’t force you to believe me. That’s what inside of me, from my studies. I hope you’ll understand and that you won’t bear me a grudge for this.
Now I admit I’m a bit sad for the tone I may use…
With love.
Catherine.
Just had a listen and LOVED your music!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your story and music Catherine. I have grown up around musicians, the arts … and do understand hurt feelings, because another is being critical. Although each has his own taste and is also important, your gift, is precious to your heart.
And a beautiful gift you have. I hope that you will keep right on singing (please do not worry about critics)!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A&feature=related
Perhaps you will find this interview of interest (there are 2 parts) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPuY320gOrA
Thanks again Catherine, Love and Best of Luck, Jane : )
Dear Jane,
I watched the first link you gave to me, and I can’t stop crying. Well, it’s so true. I Thank you so much. Yes, we can shine. :)
Much love to you both. Thank you.
The problem is that noone in my family believed in me. On the contrary, they always put me down. I consolated myself telling me they all wanted to be in my place. And they could. Because they all are gifted for arts, but they never could live with the harsh life It touched me so. Thank you dear friends.
I’m smiling/crying because I can feel I need to hear what you wrote both of you.
Paulo wrote “who supports you”, and I guess noone around me supported me but some friends on the web. It’s not the same to have people around you in real that supports you. Still, I’m very touched.
For you Ninni, Paulo, Thelma, Jane, Vero, Adam, Ludovic and Noah: I thank you with all my heart.
Angels are with you.
<3
Catherine.
I have actually thought about this a lot, frequently while being a little bit embarrassed that I really enjoy pop artists. I am also fan of British literature. I adore Shakespeare, Chaucer, Alexander Pope, Oscar Wilde and the whole lot of them! These are all acceptable people to like and yet, somehow, they were very popular in their own time as well. I don’t know why it has become a trend to dislike what everybody else likes, and to dislike anything that isn’t dark and full of deep, important meaning. I just like things that bring joy into my world so that I can spread that joy into the world around me. I cannot see anything wrong with that! :)
Well, there are so many new artists coming up. Talking about singers and musicians, there are many people who try and get to be famous through music but there love interest is not music. Rather, it is becoming an actor or just be famous for any reason they can be. Though, I truly appreciate many pop singers and love them for their music. Because, what ever we see and hear through popular stars, is not always fake. Even if it is, all that allows us to go in a different direction. Give our thought a different direction. They help us experience different emotions and feelings we are blessed to feel, but for some reason or the other, we don’t really give them that much importance. We feel it, but never , really, are able to express them. It not just the sentimental part, but also, the party mood, for celebration, to enjoy our life.
We can not really image life without music. And, if it is not popular, not many will be able to enjoy it. Also, popularity is acceptable if, the audience like his or her work, quality always matters, and not something an artist wishes for.
I think an artist can in any way express himself in .. Art and as you said once, dearest Paulo Coelho, an artist needs .. an audience!
I remember my father saying about a painting: this is … a commercial one. Meaning that the artist was not expressing himself only, but his main objective was … material gain. The same applies to every kind of art. But artists have to … buy bread and live!! They cannot live on the .. clouds and in their dreams.. ;-] Then we have the word ‘inspiration’ = in + spirit and the MUSES. In Ancient Greece the Muses were Goddesses protecting the Arts. My ancestors have placed Arts in the hands of Gods. Art is the manifestation of the artist’s inner world in the material world. It is perceived and appreciated by the senses but simultaneously by the psychic world. Taste and culture is something abstract, that cannot be measured. Critics are the … so -called experts to ‘judge’ a piece of art. On the other hand the people, the society are the real … judges. They like or dislike, they accept or reject. It becomes … popular and successful. Taste is different, but it can be ‘manipulated’ by the system and ‘refined’ by cultivating our inner world.
I like all kinds of music. The right music at the right time!
What I have noticed is that when I listen to pop music the center that is vibrating with it is in my .. chest. When I listen to classical music I feel it in my … right part of my … brain!!! I wish I could have a Kirlian photo camera and ’see’ the .. difference!! Speaking about Kirlian I have heard that when a person is meditating and praying his Aura becomes white.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
I have noticed the same thing!!! when I listen to pop music it resonates from the chest.. classical music is more like resonating to the head! (but I don’t know which part! hehe)
I believe that the artist that compromises his Art for material gain, he betrays his soul.. after all , the real Artists don’t do it for money..they only seek their soul to be heard/read/ and so on. they do it for the joy it brings.. not for the money…
Love and Graditude
Swannie
I think you had a very thoughtful reply to the question. While I agree with you that everyone needs money to eat and that someone shouldn’t have it held against them for doing commercial work, I do think that if someone allows that to be the main focus of his/her work, he/she will lose the drive that makes his/her work truly beautiful. When people are being honest and true to the talent they are born with, it can’t be ignored. I may not care for or understand a particular piece of art or music, I feel you can tell if the person is following their heart or as Paulo would say, their Personal Legend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse
MUSE.
Some Greek mysthology!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Here in my new town there are six Muses on the roof of the Mayor House, and I told some days ago: “I wish you inspired me”.
An old man coming from Burgundy till the eighties, told me yesterday, that before neighbour’s complaints, musicians were used to play on the place before the House. But now it’s over. I’m really upset that we can’t make a town a feast, instead of living in autere lives, like it became in France since many years.
Though Bayonne is known for his big festival, pop or street musicians are more and more rare. I’m wondering if it is because they don’t dare or if it is because it’s more and more forbidden. Now the sky is too rainy for I try this luck. But I’d like so much to have guts to do.
Muse is a pop-rock band I adore!
INVICIBLE
Follow through
Make your dreams come true
Don’t give up the fight
You will be alright
‘Cause there’s no one like you in the universe
Don’t be afraid
What your mind conceives
You should make a stand
Stand up for what you believe
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we’re invincible
During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let’s use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we’re invincible
Do it on your own
It makes no difference to me
What you leave behind
What you choose to be
And whatever they say
Your souls unbreakable
During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let’s use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we’re invincible
Together we’re invincible
During the struggle
They will pull us down
Please, please
Let’s use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we’re invincible
Together we’re invincible
They must have read Paulo… :D
i agree that pop artists are trying to spread joy all over the world. it’s fun.
but, on quality, i think i have to be careful about it. i think some are superficial. (i am talking about all modern and current artists here) what i mean by superficial is that she is unable to bring raw materials, something that really matters for her, to the surface because she is stuck with the surface that she has already made before. (to be perfectly honest, i am the one who are having a bit of trouble going beyond ’superficial’. it is just hard to get out…)
anyway, so i do not think it is a good idea to say bad thing just because she or he is popular.
thanks for reading.
love
I just remembered that loving and listening popular artists, music, would be right if one is not forcing others to do the same. I had a bad experience, while travelling home from a sea side resort, far from my city. I took the fastest modern train, imagining I will have comfort. Sure ticket was expensive, But quality deserves a price, I told to myself. What a wrong idea, after a while, in I realised that a certain folk music( popular here to some, from peasent origins) was to be heard over and over again, loudly. I asked the personal of train if they cant stop it, or at least to change the band…The told me it was only the conductor that could do that, and they cant disturb him during the work.Each hour the put same music from the beginning, and I was travelling a few hours…Near my destination I felt really tired, with strong head ache.
My coleague in faculty had a simillar experience, but he had with him a real band, and he said was as living in a Kusturica movie( he dont love such).
Hi Alexandra,
I have to laugh because most of us have been to a similar situation. What comes to my mind was an Easter a few years ago when we decided to go camping in the desert, which we have done several times, and had the place all to ourselves. Not this time. The area we found filled up with happy campers, and a bunch of kids in a huge red truck, who fired up loud rap on the stereo. Gone was the sound of the summing spring desert, and any wish for a quiet few days. Some campers with children tried to reason with them, but nope, they were in the mood for PARTYING…
Love & admiration,
Heart
“I’m not dead. and I’m not for sale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIQf_3Cw6Q4
(See you Sunday!)
Artists that can’t make their own music doesn’t really stay in the industry for very long. Consumers are not stupid. People generally know which pop stars has music in their hearts and those who has not.
If a star is popular, there’s a reason for it. Sometimes, it’s just not their artistry.
I think pop singer will not be popular if they are not good right? but it depends to her/his followers how they depend the good quality of his/her idol.For example Michael Jackson is a good singer to his fans, because his song has a lot of meaning to everybody and maybe his personality attracts his fans.
And because he was inovative for his time, talented and unique.
…does it has to do with being ‘a la mode’?
I feel that ‘The winner stands alone’ is a book that is often misunderstood, or you like it or not, …I love it and the message in this book is profound…good music shares the heart being ‘a la mode or not’…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-pS3Cfl7s
With love
Hildegarde
xxx
and art in itself is a rebellion …there is no room for predjudices, neither from the artist nor the consumer
in my opinion prejudices are the worst crime in our time
I don’t think so about “prejudices”. I think prejudices are one of the most important things in everybodies life. If they would not be there to save us time, you would never have a chance to take any of the challanges life gives us every day.
But – prejudices that stay unquestioned and unchallanged… they are close to crime – yes.
We should just always know they are PRE-judices and not take them for “judices”
bernd
PS: If art is a rebellion – can it ever be popular?
do you know what the word predjudice means? to judge something without knowing it… what part of this is constructive and useful to you? you don’t save time by listening to predjudices but you are loosing your whole life by doing so.. sorry to say that but you should think before you write such nonsense Bernd..
and about art :art -yes it only may become popular because it is a rebellion, a movement towards freedom–what else could move the masses? lies and status quo?
looking for an answer
art is categorized as art at the moment it brings truth to the observer (consumer) of it…it has a divine touch that connects people and makes them believe into it and even shapes their personalities..the ‘quality’ of art isn’t measurable with its popularity because it depends how it is accessible to a wider audience, and then it may become popular (among certain circles -more or less). The important part is the message that art brings to us and it is always a story of love and the sadness of life but at the same time a story of its beauty in all aspects
I think the problem is the label pop. Pop meaning popular. What is popular all depends on what circle you are a part of. I don’t think Pop music is popular music exactly. It’s popular to some but not to others. I question why the lable in the first place?
A popular artist is something special – but only if the definition of artist is not just “a top seller” in the arts market.
A popular artist might be that top seller, but not because the art is directed by sales, but because the art has found publicity.
The anoying thing is a pop-art market, that only or mainly offers products designed after proven best-selling concepts. Still the results might be of very high quality (as money is invested for there is a good chance for good sales) – but after some generations of reusing best-selling ideas even this cannot help to make the product a piece of inspiring art.
Still – every artist has to find a way to make a living…
Some will decide to work for the market and bring in as much as possible from their soul, others may decide not to do so, but have a completely differnt job for the money and hope to have enough time for their art…
Both is – unfortunately – just naturally in our times.
I would be happy to be a pop-artist.
But I am angry with producers of “best-sellers” that do not even match my ideas of (“physical”) quality.
I am angry with a fast business orientated arts market that slowly degrades the expected level of quality (e.g. music on cds has to get louder and more dynamically compressed to impress in the first few seconds. But this destroys not only over all sonic quality, but also feeling and soul that is transported within dynamics. Also the loss of dynamic range does not support a natural flow of energy, tension and concentration of the listener… oh.. I guess I should stop here, or I’ll end up writing books)
I am angry with arts-market media like cds: They set a level of perfection that is to be matched in live performance. So young musicians are trained to make no mistakes – forgetting about one thing – taking the risk of opening soul and heart and inviting the listener to “the inside”.
The result is a circus act of perfection, but every single note I hear just hurts me (I like see circus – but not when I would like to hear music).
Strange enough – this circus seems to always have the better chance to get popular (is this because people tend to be more generous to the ones who say “stay out and admire me”?).
So now I am doing the wrong thing. I turned away from music’s arts market – missing even pop aritist which may be really great. Still this hurts less.
When I like to listen to something inspiring, I take a walk (anywhere) and close my eyes…
… or better – I ask my wife to play – she always touches my soul :-)
I am talking a lot about music here… I guess because you can not close your ears like you can close your eyes. So this matters more to me than any art transported in a visual form…
bernd
Hi Paulo
I love Hindi film music.I don’t know a thing about pop or Western music.Actors and cricketers are more famous in India. actors smoke in movies. but many children and copy . Pop singers or actors or anyone for that matter shold have social responsibility.
as for popularity,
A friend of mine told me she read the alchemist but didn’t like it becase it was “mystical”. I told her she was TOTALLY DUMB.It’s never really possible to please everyone:)
To talk about this topic is as same as talking about rock music and prejudice about this kind of music.We would read the same opinion why this music is better or worse,see that there are people who would spit on it and,again,those who would say bad things about some other kind of music in order to defend rock/pop,people would try to justify lyrics,then those who would make an attempt to make the world realize that it is OK to love different music because it doesn’t define our personality and so on,so on…Well,point is that people are full of anger,hate and so, for some of them no matter what subject you choose,they would still strongly defend their opinion ,claiming it to be the only right one…but I say that it is better to live in the world full of diversity,if you don’t like someone or something such as pop/rock then just don’t listen to it,don’t waste time on fighting people,use it to do the things you like…The world would be boring if we would love the same things,then Paulo,you wouldn’t have these discussions because people wouldn’t have anything new to say but “I AGREE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HERE….”..lets use these differences and learn more….
Young, I would listen to music a lot and sign a lot. I would be touched by lyrics, the beat and buy the music, learn it, dance to it … that was my first therapy …
Today, I am not a listening of music that much … in my car most of the time and then I close it just to be with me. I am more of a reader, of a thinker, and in that also I chose in line with what is within me, to understand, to grow, to help me define my unicity.
One thing though … I love the work of Michael Jackson, and at the moment, that is what is nourishing me, his lyrics, his beat. Went to see his documentary This is it. I loved to see him work … when all that was technical around him talked technical, the only answer he gave was “When I will feel it”, “I do not feel it” … everything that came from him was in relation to his intuition … that talked to me, brought me to be sensible to that part of myself.
Now, if one judges my listening to his music, or the signer, well, I am not here to debate. The other might think he was ugly, bizarre, not in total sanity … me, I think he was unique, I loved how he was not afraid to show his difference, I can go over that and recognize that his work is in my book great. If he is so popular, if I refer to me, it must be because he touched others as he touched me. There is that uncouncious influence that passes … maybe to only sensible persons to be captured. Well, something passes from him to me and that nourishes me. Quality? When an artist can touch many, and become popular, well, there must be something that passes of quality … That quality of helping me touch parts of me (intuition, listening to the soul, giving joy to others, passing messages of responsibility as habitants of the Earth), well, that is of high quality for me … the quality I recognized is that, and all that is technical I do not give a damn … For me, it nourishes me at a time in my life, it makes me smile, dance, have courage, solidify me in my own mission, etc … And at last, when I am not appealed by a music, an artist, well, I just an not and do not have to destroy that person’s work. I am capable of recognizing that that person believes in his dream, that that persons acts and not just talks. I respect the other’s works. And if I believe that a creation well does not go in the sense of love, nourishment, etc …, I do not want to embark in creating bad vibes. I tell I am not touched by the message, the music, and let a greater than me be judge.
With affection, Jojo.
Dear Paulo: you’re right. I also hate prejudice, but it is important to respect our opinions. I like some artists “pop star” has the sensitivity to absorb their message. I like those who spend a good energy.
With love – Sergio Coelho
Querido Paulo,
É uma pena que as pessoas que conseguem ser populares serem rotuladas ou rebaixadas a alguma coisa. Acho puro preconceito. O que é bom tem que ser muito tocado, lido, imitado, divulgado. Acho que o que está escondido aí é que alguns intelectuais ou formadores de opinião não aceitam que um artista, escritor , ou qualquer pessoa ou trabalho que atinja muitas pessoas ao mesmo tempo, possa ter qualidade, eles estão desmerecendo não só os artistas mas as pessoas que gostam e acompanham o trabalho do artista.
Fica parecendo que quem acompanha algum artista pop não tem gosto, não entende nada ou não tem cultura o suficiente.
Viva o pop !!
Hola a mime da lo mismo el nombre con el que se denomine cualquier arte, música, autor, título película…debo ser un desastre…solo me interesa lo que me transmite, lo que recibo, lo que siento, los efectos de su esencia en mi. Me sucede con todo. Cuando pinto o escribo no estoy pensando que lo hago para nadie, ni siquiera pienso en algo concreto, me expreso dejo fluir mis sentimientos. Y que los demás lo reciban como gusten, y expresen lo que les llega….grato o menos grato. Cada uno de nosotros ocupamos un espacio y viendo lo mismo, lo vemos de distinta forma y pienso que todas son respetables y que todas las miradas están en lo cierto e incluso en lo incierto…..
Todo lo que se haga con amor estoy segura que no se recibe de otro modo mas que desde el amor.
Besitos y amor
je
Besitos
Hola a mi da lo mismo el nombre con el que se denomine cualquier arte, música, autor, título película…debo ser un desastre…solo me interesa lo que me transmite, lo que recibo, lo que siento, los efectos de su esencia en mi. Me sucede con todo. Cuando pinto o escribo no estoy pensando que lo hago para nadie, ni siquiera pienso en algo concreto, me expreso dejo fluir mis sentimientos. Y que los demás lo reciban como gusten, y expresen lo que les llega….grato o menos grato. Cada uno de nosotros ocupamos un espacio y viendo lo mismo, lo vemos de distinta forma y pienso que todas son respetables y que todas las miradas están en lo cierto e incluso en lo incierto…..
Todo lo que se haga con amor estoy segura que no se recibe de otro modo mas que desde el amor.
Besitos y amor
je
Besitos
This is a topic that I feel passionate about, thank you Paulo!!
Music is how god speaks to my soul. Perhaps this is so for many people? Songs finds me, we find each other.
It seems to me that pop singers also have a talent or gift to inspire many individuals at the same time; collective positive, loving energy.
The arts needs freedom of expression and I don’t want it to die!!
Music is a living teacher and also, soothes my soul. Live and let learn : )
Much Love to All, Jane : ) xo
I think that a great thing today is artists like the Jonas Brothers. They are very popular with teenagers in the US and all over the world – their music is fun and they are good role models for kids growing up. They own their own band and do a good job of marketing themselves. I would have preference for clean cut bands rather than over the top vulgarity. Pop music has lasted now for 3 or 4 decades and shows no sign of slowing down – the unfortunate thing as the ones who get left behind – the people who fall ill and the ones who end up in prison!
P.S>> I do not sit at home with CD’s of the Jonas Brothers!
“Sell Out”
[verse]
well, I know you can’t work in fast food all your life
but don’t sign that paper tonight, she said,
but it’s too late.
And I don’t remember what I read,
don’t remember what they said,
I guess it doesn’t matter,
I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.
[chorus]
you’re gonna go to the record store
you’re gonna give ‘em all your money
radio plays what they want you to hear
they tell me it’s cool but I just don’t believe it…
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out, with me tonight
record company’s gonna give me lots of money
and everything’s gonna be (all right).
[verse]
no more flippin’ burgers puttin’ on my silly hat
you know I don’t want that no more,
And I didn’t ask when we’d get paid, I quit my day job anyway,
I guess it doesn’t matter, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore
[chorus]
You’re gonna go to the record store,
you’re gonna give ‘em all your money,
radio plays what they want you to hear,
they tell me it’s cool, I just don’t believe it
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out
with me tonight, the records company’s only give me
lots of money and everything’s gonna be.
[bridge]
I don’t think it’ll be so bad
I know it won’t be so bad
cause the man said “that’s the way it is”
and the man said “it don’t get better than this” no no no noo
[chorus]
so I signed on to the record company,
they say they’re gonna give me lot’s of money,
if I play what they want you to hear
they tell me it’s cool, and I sure believe it…
sell out, with me oh yea, sell out, with me tonight
the record companies gonna give me lots of money and
everything’s gonna be (all right).
Pull My strings dead kennedies
I’m tired of self respect
I can’t afford a car
I wanna be a prefab superstar
I wanna be a tool
Don’t need no soul
Wanna make big money
Playing rock and roll
I’ll make my music boring
I’ll play my music slow
I ain’t no artist, I’m a business man
No ideas of my own
I won’t offend
Or rock the boat
Just sex and drugs
And rock and roll
Drool, drool, drool, drool, drool, drool
My Payola!
Drool, drool, drool, drool, drool, drool
My Payola!
You’ll pay ten bucks to see me
On a fifteen foot high stage
Fatass bouncers kick the shit
Out of kids who try to dance
If my friends say
I’ve lost my guts
I’ll laugh and say
That’s rock and roll
But there’s just one problem
[Chorus]
Is my cock big enough
Is my brain small enough
For you to make me a star
Give me a toot, I’ll sell you my soul
Pull my strings and I’ll go far
And when I’m rich
And meet Bob Hope
We’ll shoot some golf
And shoot some dope
Is my cock big enough?
Is my brain small enough?
[Repeat chorus, etc. etc.]
Some songs hating popstars, who made those singing it popstars. Ironic no? Thomas V.
Hi Paulo,
Interesting talk this is. Obviously popularity isn’t the same as it used to be. When The Beatles became famous, it was mostly because people screamed for them, needed them,…
Now it’s just waiting curiously what the record companies give us next. Of every genre they have, tactical, and chewable enough, their bands, and it seems that “underground” and “alternative” music was never as big as now, cause radio and video stations broadcast what they’re paid for. Even now “alternative” is a commercial genre too, the public is aware of the musical business, so people who care much about music often dig further, to bands or dj’s who stand above these things, and make music with their hearts and write their own stuff.
I doubt Tokio Hotel writes their own music. (but i don’t get the hate against this youth band either)
So, i guess the less bands have to do with record labels, the more it comes from their own.
Music from the heart is still what’s it about i’d say.
If i can recommand a band? It would be NIN (nine inch nails). It’s amaznig how beautiful this singer, Trent Reznor, swum through the genres, and albums, to find himself. And he found himself this year… and stopped with this band. Cause this band was about how difficult society is, and now he’s honoust with himself and moves on to another project. That’s brave isn’t it?
His fanbase is huge, yet it still is ‘underground’. No doubt about if he writes his own music! You should listen to “The Fragile”, “Still”, or instrumental album “Ghosts I-IV”
You will give a sign at Twitter when you give your own opinion about this?
x
Thomas
we all have different worlds inside us(thousands)and we express them in many different ways– we mirror each others dreams and aspirations too..and with an understanding of this soulfulness in everyone’s hope in realizing a dream,it’s magical.
and let us remember,pop artists were once children too who dreamt to find their place under the sun just like anyone else in this world.
live and let love. XXXX
Beautifully said. Thank you, SEA.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Thank you also Thelma..May your days be filled with all kinds of happy surprises!
warm smiles from Cebu, Phils.
all of us,
no exceptions,
were babies one day
I posted a video message but people did not reply, maybe they dont have the patiente to listen.
I try to write my ideas. As you talk about popular artists, I have to add that that term can have so many connotations, and depends much from country to country. In my country there is a particular type of songs, popular among certain part of population, called”manele”, and they imitate (in my opinion with no success ) arabic songs. I cant hear them…I heard in radio that after a study, they came to the idea that people who were loving that type of song, were implying only basic instincts, same as animals, not much intellicence. Ok, if someone feel hurt, I repeat they not my words.
But maybe some true lies between the lines. I think people accept easier the simple things, easy to understand than the complicate and subtle rafinate art. And we agreed while we had the news with the famous violinist singing in the subway station, nobody payed attention.
I love pop artistis, and I love classic music too.
I can say everybody is free to love the music make them feel alive, as well everybody should dress the way the like. Its a matter of taste, “de gustibus”, and no one can accuse somebody for preffering a hot dog to an elaborate restaurant dish.
Much love
Alexandra
Thanks Alexandra-
I like both “hot dogs” and the “elaborate restaurant dish”!
Love :)
I saw your video dear Alexandra and listened to your message (although somewhat quiet) and I agree that the web is full of darkness & light… real people, avatars & pseudonyms… but don’t forget, we all have our changeable masks… but if you read the comments carefully, the person behind the text is unmistakeable… Love, Paul
Thank you both, and now I feel ashame I draw the attention to myself…Yes, a bit we are complex. And is better that way.
Thanks a lot for reply
Love
Alexandra
Sabe Paulo,
Hoje, por alguma razão que desconheço, chegou às minhas mãos um conto do Kafka chamado O Silêncio das Sereias. Lá pelas tantas ele diz assim:
“As sereias entretanto têm uma arma ainda mais terrível que o canto: o seu silêncio. Apesar de não ter acontecido isso, é imaginável que alguém tenha escapado ao seu canto; mas do silêncio certamente não”.
Quando li isso, imediatamente me lembrei do silêncio que ficou quando morreu Michael Jackson. Você não acha que o silêncio dele ensinou mais sobre preconceito contra o que é popular do que todas as canções que ele compôs?
Beijos brasileiros,
Fernanda
Que interessante, Fernanda,
Tem razão, a morte dele foi muito estranha mesmo,
acho que a mais estranha que eu já vi,
a sensação que deu foi que, ao morrer, ele voltou
a viver na música mundial e no carinho das pessoas,
impressionante,
um beijo pra você também
i am studying songwriting in berklee at the moment. what we do is to analyse all the popular hit songs any by understanding what is happening in these songs, what these pop artists did to create these wonderful songs is an ocean of creative things which the listener does not recognise when he hears a song. musicians call that tools, not rules. so to me a pop song does not have to be less “artistic” that an alternative song or jazz song or classic song. the creative process is the same. what is more important i think is that the artist can maintain his authenticity for his work and not be deluted and dragged away by the industry.
Hi Alex,
For awhile I did the same thing, analyze the text of some hard rock lyric, together with young kids who love this type of music. For instance looking at a song called ‘Jesus Christ has found herself’ I found brilliant lyric and poetic expressions, but a song text full of blasphemous lines, anti parents messages, anti female messages, pro drug message, pro hate message. We talked about what these kind of words can do to a listener… I believe words create us, and when we surround us with positive words, we create happier human beings.
Love & admiration,
Heart
Certain people plant hell on earth, they plant the wrong idea that paradise is anywhere else except here and whenever further down the road but just not now.
Certain people also try and make others believe that the best of life is fancy or complicated and burdensome.
Paradise is popular, it is the childhood songs we bring in our souls, the fantastic simple feelings such as drinking cold soda or beer, kissing, hugging, loving, watching a good movie, using the bathroom, scratching what’s itching, driving fast, dreaming, saying jokes, doing nothing at all, playing games, working, saying hi, saying bye, talking to God, talking to anyone, sharing experiences, getting to see flying saucers in the sky, fighting for the light of God, living personal miracles and so on
I love your post, even if you not straight to the idea. Who are the “certain people”?
Don’t even care about them, just take that – I love you, ok?!
I agree with what you are saying. Just be.
you rock Rod!… Nice music we all like to hear!:)
Thanks
I rock,
You rock
We rock
just like
The Flintstones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
True Den Rod, this beautiful planet, our earthly home, is paradise… it’s a shame that many do not see it as such… I like your comments
Have fun, friend!!
DR
There was Pop… The Beatles etc
and there was flop
;o)
Great… your forum is back this week ;o)
I had a few days off, so was watching daytime television..
and on the history channel was a series on infamous assinations. One this programme, the story of John Lennon was being retold and leading up to his final assination. There were the several theories of why a pop singer should be killed. An interviewed friend/journalist recalls his impressions of shock and astonishment at that time .. why would any one want to kill a pop singer!? Politicians maybe.. you can understand.. but a singer who sings songs.
Well… with foresight it could be said that anyone person has the ability to have great powers of persuasion.. political or otherwise; and it does not matter the medium. Lennon was a writer, poet.. and wrote songs…
but his message was obviously too hot to handle for some.. and so he lost his life.
Considering his era, it was of great change in the western world… the 50s generation were becoming liberated into the 60s and 70s.. loci of power were changing in starkly different, new ways.
Often diversity is discouraged… uniformity upheld at all costs. Music is one force that has challenged this greatly over the past decades….
music brings people together.
but at the same time that it engages dialogue and connection, this seems to set people apart as they suddenly seek to carve identity within these spaces…
and so, music becomes a means for social agency.
as for pop.. well Jackson, king of pop, really did bring something unique to music… a global appeal.. more so i wonder than the Beatles [?]…
but again, great reaction in popularity. I never bothered too much with MJ until I heard ‘Want you back’ and ‘earth song’.. and then i connected and my heart opened, ears started listening. He started ‘Saying’ something that I wanted.. needed to hear. Then his pop was not just POPular music.. it rocked!! ;o) And then I became more open to more music.. as i realised it was about what i wanted, not what i was supposed to like…
and i heard the gypsy kings.. [not so known in my generation here].. then i left the world of pop and didn’t look back.
but pop is all about popular culture… what is of the times, trendy, fashionable, cutting edge etc etc.
it’s bound to cause controversy because that is part of its intention.. to bring about change through the masses.
I wouldn’t say that modern music has gained any credibility in the ways that classical music has owned for centuries. But again, perhaps popular music is about transformation of a different tempo… and is never supposed to replicate having a legacy such as these of the classics.
Alot of pop is nonsense… sexed up and glamourised… aiming for a quick buck or five mins of fame… so there are degrees of good quality within pop for sure ;o)
I think that even in their hey day, classical composers were treated much the same… sometimes in, popular, then rejected and depopularised by the audience…
What does make good music??
having been ill i have looked into sound therapy and what sounds heal. in fact, just yesterday i brought out of my storage a healing musical instrument and have it beside my bed now. There are certain keys and notes that harmonise better than others… punk being that other in my opinion ;o) and certain keys have been proven to cheer the spirit more than other keys…
Lastly, for me, personally… any song or melody that is, well.. melodic gets a head start in the game….
but soulful is another component for credibility: it has to have integrity and maturity.
I’m not sure if i have really answered the question of popularity and quality. If i compare people with their music tastes.. well the same goes for popularity in each case…
popularity is often based on superficial factors, over-riding those more fundamental…. sometimes popularity seems like escapism. quality it is not, always.
but then that’s why we have the charts… because it does mean something … to be number one ;o)
Toda la música como producto final, depende de gustos, rock, pop, merengue, hip hop.. etc.
Pero si prestamos mas atención, hay música (incluyendo cualquier genero) echa por verdaderos poetas,artistas con el alma en la mano y hay música echa con el único propósito de saturar la mente y llenar el bolsillo a las grandes productoras, e interpretada por marionetas.
Esta mas que claro que las marionetas se reconocen a simple vista, algunas bandas de la actualidad incluyendo Tokio hotel, están llenas de tópicos y son una renovación de lo que en su tiempo fueron los BackStreetBoys o ‘N Sync, pero dado a la moda que hay hoy en día ya no son grupos de chicos si no bandas rock pop o emo y cosas así.
me gusta el rock pero también el buen pop el echo por verdaderos músicos.
I often encounter the same sort of attitude in reference to literature. Somehow, people (particularly members of “the academy”) tend to think it has to be obscure, radically alternative, extremely risky or otherwise addressed to some marginalized audience in order to be worthy of the label “literature.” Otherwise, it is simply “trash” – formulaic “junk” composed for the lethargic minds of the masses.
But who is to say, when the dust settles, which author’s work will stand the test of time? And even if it doesn’t, is it so bad to be “popular” – to be read by thousands or hundreds of thousands, millions perhaps, rather than by a few hundred literature professors sitting in their tall towers?
Well, all so complicated and relative, as we had a course about the Sociology of Literature, as you mentioned same problem in Literature. There we really saw how many factors can contribute to success and popularity, from an editor, who refuse to publish, to money, that a writer lack for editing a book, and so on and so forth. And I remember same with Paulo Coelho, who with his book was with not much success, and after a time he reached the top . I am bit angry with some of my former professors in faculty, for they were so against Paulo, and I think with no real reason. It was a real act of bravery my thesis based on Paulos work and life, near one of our most known writers. I took the risk. And I am glad I did that, no other topic would worth that much.
Love you Paulo for your work
Love you all
Alexandra
there’s still the matter of good taste, popular or not, there is people who have good taste and people with bad taste and both are catered for well.
in clasical music there is Schuhmann opposed to Schubert, Chopin opposed to Tchaikovsky, the waltzing Strauss against the proper one.
Some pop songs stay, others are one day flies, some meaningful, others silly beyond measures.
somehow i still feel bad for preferring Robbie Williams above Irina Goebadoelina but oh well, such is life, we’re simple souls and whatever catches on sticks to us. Good upbringing or not….sigh
i wish i could be as clearcut as some of my friends and live according to the rules, whats right and whats wrong, whats good and whats bad and all the time i just want to hum away and melt on Adeles sweet voice
So how is it that you determine what is good taste and what is bad taste?
hello Rosa,
i don’t determine what good taste is, it’s just the rules to it: it is a combination of vision, excellence, invention…. that kind of stuff. Bad taste in general is more of the same, cheap sentiment, repetition…..
Is very sad to see this ., people judging others just to make their ego feel less hurt,, more then a half of people that judge others is simple a case of jelousy,, this people would love to be there were this artist are, but for been so close in to their egoistic feelings insted of finding the love and passion that exist in every artist , they can only find hate,, this is when this people are just mirror them self , they can talk very bad about popular artist only cause this is how they are really feeling for themselves ,, insted of focusing so much on them when one feels like this is time to turn to oneselve and start understanding why they feel that way,, see what s wrong and try to solve it ,, we are all part of this great universe when we know ourselves we are connected , to be a singer s a great thing but there is so many ways of been an artist , just find what is that you are in love with and do it,, recognition for what u do is the least important thing , when we are in that creativity mood we are in perfect comunion, we are one, all egoistic feelings are banish and what s left s only love and happiness .. So for those out there the ones the feel so crappy and love to judge ,, simple turn to yourselves and find the artist on you…
I had a teacher once say, “Pop music and culture exist for the simple fact that they are “popular” amoung the masses. It has nothing to do with the value, or whether it is deemed good or bad.” I believe there is truth in that statement. There are people, artists, ideas that I enjoy/look up to but doesn’t necessarily mean they are “good”. I find that there are equally the same amounts of people, artists and ideas that deemed popular but I think they are aweful.
I believe that universal idea here must be appreciation. I may not enjoy someone who is immensely popular but I can appreciate the platform that they wish to express themselves and hope they can only think the same of me and my favorites.
Don’t forget that Mozart was very popular, and masses loved his works
the gardener next to my house used to listen to Mozart…
and the plants loved it…
Hi MC… are you my neighbour…? (between east & west) ;-) x Paul
we are all neighbours Paul ..depending on which way you look at it south and north east and west can become west and east ,north and south. the sun always rises somewhere…Enjoy it!:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZaZLoOOp8
HI Paulo !
good to see your presense here more often.
there is no direct corelation between talent and popularity, yet one cannot be popular without some talent at least.
what is the significance of a discussion about prejudices against pop singers. i beleive the prejudice has more to do with teh maverick lifestyles, drug abuse, sometimes indecent behaviour in public ete etc. and to that extent i feel the prejudices are justified. But then one can generalise, yet one has to start with some frame of rerence when forming ‘opinions’ about others and that frame of refrence is general !! those who can enter relationships without prejudices are eveolved human beings, once u churn kilograms of milk u get ounces of butter, similarly if we treat the whole humanity as being say 10 KG then those eveolved being would weigh combined about ……
love
aditya
love
aditya
“The Pop of today the .. classical of tomorrow”.
The steps to the Ladder.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Mozart is symbol of an intelligent mind, at least that I heard in radio…hmm. I always loved Mozart( I do love the choco with his name too…). And I was sorry he lived in poverty and died poisoned. Very wierd the story of his death, as he was charged to compose his famous Reqviem, by a mysterious person, just before his death…Some said was an bad omen.
(this is a bit off the topic, sorry)
my friend told me that a long long time ago a lyric of a hymn was remade every year with the most popular song/melody of that year. have you ever heard of it? is this true? so now my friend is sometimes doing a remake of hymn with his favorite melodies from his collection. i think he is a bit crazy but sounds fun. and if i would do the same thing, i would like to use someone like kanye and lady gaga:)
love
Yes Mozart was popular during his time, as was Haydn, P.E. Bach and Gluck. Couldn’t we consider him popular by the masses today as well? Look at Beethoven’s 5th Symphony….popular but not considered a “Pop artist”, but all the same recognizable, recorded time and time again even now but still wildly embraced and considered “good” (well, amazing)right?
Damian Hurst – a ‘popular’ artist !
i sort of like Damien Hirst ;) he doens’t make me feel warm and comfy, he’s precise and into my face and his directness is frightening – but still – i sort of like him. Who else but Damien can show us that aspect of our lives so directly? i sometimes wonder if he likes his own work, or is it something he has to do because noone else can?
Hola paulo!!! un saludo especial…
Creo que los artistas hoy en día lo tienen un poco dificil ( los que empiezan su carrera ) porque creo que existe un sistema o patrón ya creado en el que nacemos y seguimos nuestra vida. Nacemos con la idea de que hay que seguir los que otros hacen para triunfar y como es un sistema, si otros no siguen a un cantante es que simplemente es malo. No creo que sea así. Personalmente admiro a Bono ( U2 ) dese hace mucho tiempo, pero creo que el mismo sistema lo ha cambiado a el y ahora es que se da cuenta de las cosas buena que quiere hacer, este cantante se dio cuenta de lo superficial de la vida cuando estuvo en uganda en un campamento de refugiados, y es cuando pienso, y si no hubiera tenido la oportunidad ni el tiempo, ni dinero para ir…su vida hubiera cambiado, se daria cuenta de que existen personas en el mundo que lo pasan mal. Por eso pienso que estos artistas ya naceran con un patron hecho. Recuerdo a madonna protegiendo la tierra y despues se descubre que todo su dinero en bolsa estaba invertido en compañias que dañaban la misma. Simplemente creo que la sociedad necesita a alguien que le guie o simplemente nacemos ya con esa idea. Vivo en un pueblo al norte de españa en donde la gente es un poco cerrada y a veces he llegado a oir cuando haces algo diferente que eres un poco raro…porque ? y despues resulta que hacen o repiten lo que yo hago. saludos amigo.
Hola Paulo!
Es la primera vez que escribo aqui, estoy bastante cotento de saber que puedo escribirte, y porder interactuar contigo.
Bien, pienso que Tokio Hotel es un estandarte de la musica comercial y enlatada a lo que nos tienen acostumbrados esta nueva era de la musica. Creo que todas las canciones de Tokio Hotel, o de cualquier grupo de cantantes neonatos, son bastante enlatados, con estrofas repitiendose sin ton ni son y con letras que no transmiten lo mas minimo. Tanto Tokio Hotel, como todos los productos de Disney Channel, y otros grupos de pop-rock son seguidos en su mayoría por adolescentes de no mas de 17 años, las cuales no se fijan tanto en la calidad de las canciones cuanto en la belleza estetica de los cantantes.
Esa fijacion de las adolescentes es lo que nos conlleva a que actuen tal y como ellos actuan en sus canciones, videos musicales o presentaciones de CD’s, porque si este chico, que es tan famoso y es tan guapo se hace un tatuaje, yo por que no puedo hacerlo?. Ellas, las que se mueven por esos grupos son las que compran sus CD’s, revistas, merchandaising y demas cosas, qu genera dinero a las productoras, que al fin y al cabo es lo que ellos desean, no lo buena o mala que sea la musica que esten haciendo.
mis padres decian la misma cosa de The Beatles…
my parents said the same thing about the Beatles.
Music was my first love… Those words sang by Robert Miles says what is important for me. Music, in all kind of Styles like Pop, Rock, Rock’n'Roll, New Age, Celtic, Metal, Gothic, World Music, Classic, Middleage and whatever. There are so many styles I don’t know and I’m a Webradiomoderator of in Internet Radiostation.
I like some artist very much. But I don’t say in public I hate this kind of music or that artist because of something…
I mean everybody has got his own taste of music and other things that we have got in our lifes. We should try to accept everyones taste. :)
Greetings from Switzerland
Petra
geee- i really loath that song…..
Предубеждение рождает гордыню,популярность-питает,качество-отвлекает.
I think that preferring one or the other genre in music depends how interested you are in it or how deeply you want to feel the music or how much depth(or what kind) you are searching in it. As much as I know a lot of pop artists(not all) don’t write their own songs. They are just “packages” for these products that some other people behind them try to sell. Those kind of packages and music that goes along with it aren’t really appealing. I myself have always liked more the musicians who put more work in their art. I think it shows in the music they make. Hard work gives their music quality and depth. I have always loved harder music(metal, rock) or more underground(dnb, idm, dark electronical music), because it seems more genuine. If I would compare books and music through the eyes of a person who likes to read: then cheap love novels without deeper meaning would be regular produced pop(ular) music and more meaningful, philosophical, psychological novels would be quality music from most genres there are. In the end there are pearls in every genre of music. I think the image of the pop music has been ruined by the shadows of the money towers people make doing it and the greedy people that are getting involved in making the music for that money.
PS! Hope I didn’t make too many mistakes, English is not my first language. Greetings from Estonia!
“Bea ütleb, et lugemise kunst on tasapisi välja suremas, et see on väga isiklik kombetalitus, et raamat on peegel ja me võime sealt leida vaid seda, mis on meis juba olemas, et lugemisse paneme me kogu oma mõistuse ja südame ning see oskus muutub iga päevaga üha haruldasemaks. (lk 514)”
Üks eestlane tsiteerib Tuule varju (Zafon) sisu. Leiame vaid seda, mida meie süda ja mõistus on valmis vastu võtma. Muu jääb hoomamatuks, puutumatuks, muu jääb varju.
Tolerantsus. Kas see, kui mõni hea laulja teeb mõnest vanast loost väga hea kaveri (coveri) (või kui ta esitab kellegi teise muusikat enese nägemuse kaudu) tähendab, et see on jama, kuna see pole tema enda muusika?
Rohkem tööd = rohkem ISE enda muusika produtseerimist? Või rohkem enda hääle/instrimendi kallal töötamist? Või hoopis suhtlemist publikuga? …
Parimat,
Liina
Liina,
How do you feel about your performance on November 2?
Hoping all went well for you :-)
Lainee
Elaine, I have never been so sincere and as free on the stage as I was… although I was a little nervous, but usually while performing alone, I would forget or mix the lyrics.
But this time it did not happen. I just hope that the elderly people who did not know english got the message from my bodylanguage. I talked about the song a bit, but can’t bring a songs meaning (all of it) to them in few sentences…
I wasn’t 100% free, but close…
I didn’t end up doing the exercises You suggested, because the room was familiar to me – but after I said (and realised in my mind) that I will dedicate this song to my grandfather, the concentration came – peace entered.
I cannot explain it, because as much words I will put here will not give the feelings that I felt, without having to write all the history of my life, and my relationship with my grandfather. But I can say, the fact of being able to sing for him meant more at that moment than being able to “do this”.
Thank You for Your suggestions and advice. Made me realize what was the answer…
Be well, Lainee.
bem,os tokyo hotel apenas são populares porque cantam temas que as adolescentes gostam, como corações partidos, e amar perdidamente alguém..e vestem-se como os adolescentes do mundo se vestem agora. é uma questão de moda…mas a música que eles fazem não é boa, de todo.
por alguma razao apenas raparigas no inicio da adolescencia os seguem, querem ter um ídolo a seguir e eles cantam o que elas querem ouvir!
mas o pop não é mau..posso não gostar de pop e no entanto sei perfeitamente que o michael jackson era um génio, e era bem popular…
Oi Paulo!
Prefiro escrever em português. Na minha opinião, não é que as pessoas odeiam os artistas pop, mas talvez projetem neles seus próprios amores ou ódios exacerbados. Penso em vc. como um exemplo bacana disso. Outro dia em um churrasco o assunto era Paulo Coelho e fiquei feliz em poder defender o escritor que se tornou referência mundial nesse tema de autoconhecimento. Alguns amigos até concordaram que os que te criticam sentem obviamente uma baita inveja de vc. E de muitos outros como vc. Lembro o que falou sobre isso: Eles nos amam em segredo e querem entender o porquê tantos também amam… Tipo assim: Como eu queria ser você!
Quem não queria ser um artista pop???
Abs, Amor e Respeito,
Daniele
For me it is Bill’s Voice. I can’t listend to him when he sings. This is the biggest Reason, why I don’t really like the band or the music. The second reason is the behaviour. They started very young, but never talk like it’s normal for the age. They made to many overstatements about her life especially their love-live…this are only my reasons^^
who’s Bill?
the singer^^
ok :)
I like pop music…
All art is subjective whether it is paint, prose or music and all artists are unique in their own way. We all have different tastes and likes and dislikes, and we each have something to learn from one another.
To not listen to someone’s music or study someone’s art or read someone’s book and make a negative judgement upon them just because of who you think they are (or where they are coming from) is wrong. People can make hasty opinions just for the sake of making an opinion and some disagree or dislike just for the sake of being different or ‘unique’.
I believe when we ’season’ ourselves with a little bit of everything (from pop to underground art) it makes us much more layered and makes our life experience fuller.
So, wherever it comes from and whomever is presenting it…if you love it…LOVE IT and if you don’t, don’t judge, for if you do, you are taking something away from your fellow human being who may gain enjoyment from it!
Peace!
@CheriePop
“if you love it…LOVE IT and if you don’t, don’t judge, for if you do, you are taking something away from your fellow human being who may gain enjoyment from it!”
It works both ways. I’ve seen people who love a particular artist/style of music judge a person because they don’t like it. There shouldn’t be any judgment. Period. Just go with the flow and like what you like. And be willing to broaden your horizons.
thats the thing about it, you can just drift on and on, lovely!
greeting sir!
I think this is not always the case…but it often seems so…
to qoute:
“But for the present age, which prefers the sign to the thing signified, the copy to the original, representation to reality, appearance to essence . . . truth is considered profane, and only illusion is sacred. Sacredness is in fact held to be enhanced in proportion as truth decreases and illusion increases, so that the highest degree of illusion comes to be the highest degree of sacredness.”
—Feuerbach
My problem with the Tokio Hotel guys is the music.
it isn’t important to me if they look like artificial or not in case of the songs being good songs. I don’t have any prejudice with the them music, including i had listened tokio hotel songs to see if i would like, but i didn’t like.
I understood what you wanted to say about prejudice, and i agree. we cannot say that we hate a pop group or any music style without listening it or knew it before. but sincerely the tokio hotel music don’t do my style.
Durval
Ps. sorry about the english.
I love music(all kinds),as it ALL has validity,as an expression of soul!
I think the only thing important is,whether it appeals to you or not.Is Bob Dylan worth more than Tokio Hotel,because he deals with political stuff and is understood as an “artist”? Where does Pop start and art begin? Is Madonna a popsinger or an artist? Judging from her shows she is definitely the latter,because she wants to get a message through every time.But is a message necessary to separate art from pop? Is music not something that should make you feel happy and want to shake your ass till you drop and that`s about it?I like music in general,what ever the tune or the singer is,if it catches me by sound or lyrics,it´s mine from then on.There a singers whom I really admire,for me it is first of all Chris Rea.I have EVERY single CD that he threw on the market and there is not one song that doesn´t strike a chord in my soul…
I think the question of qualitiy or art is ridiculous,because for me music is meant to be joy-and joy cannot be measured by any means…
There´s a world
far away from the one we see
there´s a dream
I will never let go
One thing is certainly true
this moments for me and for you
So while there`s a chance and you´re here
Ohh,let`s dance!
Chris Rea
like a rolling stone, a complete unknown – who doesn’t feel like that at times.
Madonna is just so adorable it doesn’t even matter what she does
Chris Rea…. the name rings a bell, – but who was he again????
maybe this will help your memory…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abZlWqVeLzg
i have never ever heard this song before….where have i been when???
Madonna is perhaps the worst case of popularised music being over-rated….
but maybe if someone else was singing her songs i would not mind…
hmmm. ;o)
Namaste Catherine,
I adore Madonna… especially the strong independent persona she projects. She’s honest in her work as well. I’m not a big disco fan… I tended toward punk in the late 70s… but she rocks. She caught my eye by projecting a strong Feminine presence and challenging establishments which needed to be rattled IMO. I also like her voice… versatile. She’s also a smart business woman, which I always admire.
Love to you
Chris Rea… LOVE his music!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pKeiRFg7lc
So you’ll be drivin home for christmas…? ;-) Stop by for Glühwein… Love, Paul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=AbcmMaq68_Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X0FjlybCqs&feature=related
…”been around a long time.. like some of us:)>)>)
never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight …
never seen you shine so bright x
Lovely song Catherine… Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh ;) x Paul
http://www.myvideo.at/watch/4896613/Chris_De_Burgh_The_Lady_In_Red
:-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22z6JWR6Wc
Chris Rea rocks!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22z6JWR6Wc
Being popular is not bad. What is bad is to selling who you are NOT. Unless you decide to become this new person.
There are plenty of artists who just ignore themselves and live in an endless sadness, being who they don’t want to be. This is bad. Sooo bad.
Best,
Manu.
PS: I am a singer myself, and I don’t want people to think I am a bad artists in case I go popular. I am just being who I am. Is there something evil about it?
wow wow that was great ! What a beautiful picture as well!
I like all type of music .
No, there is nothing evil about wanting to be who you are. Keep it up!
:)You rock!
it’s weird. so many people say they hate tokio hotel. but how can they be this successful? they’ve been in the top ten charts all over the world (germany, france, russia,asia, america…). so there’s got to be a a great deal of people who listen to their music and BUY their music. and i guess you can’t be forced to BUY music? can you?
I think this is just a question of taste. I like both – some pop musicians and an underground. But if the pop artists are very popular indeed, it’s thanks to their work and big efforts. They should make a compromise with producers for gain popularity and sales, but it does not mean that they don’t put soul in their work. They are worthy respect.
oh man… what a crap… sorry i start this way but it’s always about the same… pop is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, poor quality…
but what is the good quality? everything depends on our taste/ liking. people are different, so we love / like/ listen to different music. so may say classic music (Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Vivaldi etc.)are not good. others will say rock, metal, r’n'b, soul, reagge, latin, rap, hiphop and all other kinds of music are not good because they are not keen on it.
i heard once “THERE IS NO POINT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT TASTES” and i completely agree with that.
if song or artist is popular doesn’t mean it’s wrong / bad or whateva. Artists get many different awards in several categories. they usually get them when they are popular – popular for the whole world, for the part of it or they are local (one nation / region) stars.
MICHAEL JACKSON sang POP. was his work weak/had bad quality?? all depends on one’s opinion. Discussion is open but still we have to remember not to hurt other people’s feelings. especially those who adore/love the artist we talk about.
don’t judge if you don’t want to be judged…
Some say critisism is always welcome but they claim it should have good basics… not “just because”.
besides there’s a dictum in my country (Poland) which says “the real artist is not afraid of factual / constructive knock (critique)”.
greetings
J.
“Discussion is open but still we have to remember not to hurt other people’s feelings. especially those who adore/love the artist we talk about.”
I think you should have left it at “not to hurt other people’s feelings”. Period. In a proper discussion, neither side should be hurt or made to feel that their opinion is wrong. Just because you “adore/love” a particular artist doesn’t mean that you should be treated any different than the person who doesn’t feel the same way. We all love who and what we love and that’s what matters most.
And on that note…… I hope everyone has a great day and finds enjoyment in everything they do. :-)
great point
Don’t interfere with another person’s personal legend,– be it celebrity or common man. It is their life — let them live it. That is unless the person is being harmed. Right? Other than that, let it go. You don’t have to listen to the song or style. Move on and not let the negative screw with the positives in your body and spirit which equals your soul.
Peace, happiness, love and warm light,
Lainee
But why Paulo !
are we made up of, are our opinions made up of such unreal stuff that it can tolerate a strong dose of opposing point of view. i personally find it unaesthetic to be using abusive language ( ceratinly no fights ), but i understand when someone spits on Buddha’s face, buddha too understands, for he smiles.
have we become siisy’s that we can not tolerate someone bing hurtful. we should stand where hurt is a thing of the past, this happnes when compassion downs.
least i have hurt u or someone else, just realx, these are my opinions and i am no authority on anything !!
love u all great souls !
aditya
Hola Paulo…
Siempre me ha parecido muy interesante este tema, porque a veces las personas rechazan ya no digamos la música pop sino que consideran comercial solo por el hecho de que venden mucho o la tocan mucho en la radio o hacen grandes conciertos y dicen que prefieren escuchar cosas alternativas, sin darse cuenta como ud dice que se estan perdiendo muchas veces de buena calidad, talento y que la finalidad de todo esto es simplemente entretener.
Entonces igualmente pienso que no puedes rechazar algo por el simple hecho de ser popular o hasta comercial, finalmente el punto es entretener y salir un poco de la rutina.
Mis gustos en música son muy, muy variados y tendría que decir que lo único que no me gusta es el heavy metal pero no por prejuicios ni porque tenga una idea preformada de sus artistas sino que en mi apreciación suena muy fuerte y no me entretiene, esa sería la razón.
Pero por ejemplo de todos los demás artistas que mencionabas la mayoría me gusta mucho incluyendo artistas como Dulce Maria y Anahi quienes algún día les llamaron artistas de plástico cuando estaban en RBD, pero que están demostrando que pueden entretener a un público y con calidad…
I think pop music is like fast food for several reasons. 1) most people actually listen to it and many hate to admit they do, just like eating at a fast food place…no one really admits they eat there but the places are always full so you do the math.
2) Pop music is like fast food because it does the trick fast. Pop music gets you dancing and or singing if you like the rhythm and lyrics, and fast food takes away the hunger quickly.
3) Both only last a short time (I mean a short time referring to the individual pop songs…usually dont last very long…and fast food fills you for just aobut enough time to tide you over to the next meal)
4) Both can be suprisingly good.
well, it depends on what you define as “pop music”. i think when people say they don’t like pop music, it’s not really prejudice, but merely preference. some prefer jazz, some like rock, some dig r&b and hip hop. there are a million other types of music that people like or don’t like. i think it’s ok.
Perhaps popular is fleeting, and quality enduring . Popular is a manifestation of the desires in people, your brilliant work THE WINNER STANDS ALONE captures that. Quality is what you keep locked up, popularity is what you display.
As pessoas na GRANDE maioria da vezes fala/julgam sem saber..ignorancia sabe.logico nem tds sao bons mas se tu n gosta blz, deixa em paz quem gosta ate pq a opiniao de tais pessoas n ira mudar a dos fas.
I truly think that people, sometimes, refuse to listen to pop music just because it is “popular music”, eventhough a song can be really good and fun! We shoudn’t overthink when it comes to music, afterall a good song remains a good one, be it pop or anything else. When we worry about choosing a radio station, we are killing the true purpose and meaning of music. Music is meant to relax us and free us in ways that we have failed to grasp. We can’t control it if we liked a certain sound. Also, we tire ourselves searching for “original”, “never-before heard” artists because we want to be unique. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but when we end up shoving pop music and disgracing it, then we end up labelling ourselves in return. And there is nothing original about that. About how popularity could deteriorate the quality of work(music), i think that any person, being placed under the spotlight like that, where the world is watching his every move and making him some kind of God, he is bound to feel pressured to remain at a certain level, in order not to dissapoint the public, because he thinks he owes them that much. Now, whether he chooses to stick to his original sound, and do his work with a heart, or to become a “money machine”, from fear of losing the attention or just plain greed, we shoulddn’t let the music pay for that. Several pop artists are a walking propaganda, but they make refreshingly original music! Our ears and guts should only decide what music we want to listen to. Be it, pop or any other. We have diverse tastes? yes. But music was the only topic which we agreed on,we all love it, we never went through details when it came to music, it just brought us together. It should remain like that; we have no other hope of love and peace these days other than it.
I find that when I like a particular artist they are usually not popular. It seems when/if they become popular my interest wanes. I’m the same way with books. I very rarely read any of the Top Ten best sellers. I’m not mainstream anything, I guess. I like what I like and care very little whether others agree!
I tell people I’m glad my 16 year old girl likes the Jonas Brothers, likes to listen to what we call pop artists, not hard core rap artists that denigrate women, that she listens to songs of love, not songs of hate. Music is such a powerful force, I believe the music you listen to in your formative years shapes you, defines you. I was a big Motown fan, still am. I used to read her the lyrics to Imagine when she was a baby, there’s a beautiful childrens book with the lyrics. She tells me she has that song on her IPOD and listens to it all the time now. Celine Dion was another of our favorite singers when she was little, her song about giving wings to fly, I’m everything I am because you loved me. In fact the Sunday crossword was Geno Vanelli, I Just Want to Stop! Either my hearing was better, which it was, but pop music you can understand the lyrics without having to pay a lot of attention, that seems to be another big difference.
Hola Paulo y tod@s aqui!!!
Para mi un artista completo y bueno ya sea pop, rock, salsa o cualquier otro tipo de musica es aquel que sabe ofrecer a su publico calidad en la musica que hace, respeto y humildad en cuanto a lo personal. Creo que hacer prejuicios sobre alguien sea famoso o no esta mal pero da pena ver como muchos artistas hoy dia no son ni agradecidos con la gente que los llevo a donde estan ni tampoco respetan a su publico pues hacen miles de escandalos para llamar la atencion…algo nada valido para mi. Cuando decido elegir a alguien como mi artista favorito veo en el o ella la calidad de su musica pero tambien veo su forma de conducirse…creo que aunque son humanos capaces de cometer errores tambien deben poner el ejemplo…. yo no seguira a una persona que la note arrogante y que viva haciendo escandalos para sonar….eso lo veo muy mal de muchos artistas por eso es que creo que entre artistas populares y artistas de calidad hay una gran diferencia.
existen muchos cantantes pop muy populares pero a base de escandalos y cosas negativas, mientras que existen que aun siendo famosos mantienen la calidad musical y el respeto a un publico que los sigue, que compra sus discos, que hace esfuerzo por ir a sus conciertos y a esos es que yo particularmente sigo. La fama me parece un arma de doble filo porque aunque todos queremos gozar del reconocimiento es dificil lidiar con la adulacion de todos y mantener los pies sobre la tierra, por eso mis respetos y felicitaciones para quienes si se han sabido mantener a base de un trabajo entregado con el corazon.
un buen artista debe ser un buen ejemplo al igual que cualquier ser humano pero creo que el poder que se les ha otorgado de ser personas publicas y estar ante el ojo del mundo es para tocar a traves de sus canciones, libros, pinturas, etc…. Ser artista es un don que no es otorgado a tod@s por tanto creo que debe ser bien valorado por quienes gozan de el.
aun asi y en desacuerdo con muchos artista de hoy dia que solo buscan fama alcanzada mala manera y que aun no entienden la responsabilidad que tienen en sus manos….yo creo en artistas que usan su musica para alegrarnos y hacernos llorar, para tocarnos y permitirnos describir esos sentimientos que a veces no podemos definir…Creo en aquellos que usan su musica para dar a los menos afortunados y que saben devolver a su publico un poquito de lo que le han dado…creo en aquellos que cada dia buscan superar su trabajo y ofrecer calidad antetodo.
Felicidades a los artistas que nos hacen sonreir y nos entregan el alma en cada cancion!!!
Paulo tu eres un ser especial tambien…Gracias por tus libros y pensamientos!!
blessings!
Í have had the privilege of providing aircraft for artists on worldwide tours, and having consequently traveled with many of these worlds top music artists (pop/jazz/classic) I can promise you, it’s no honeypot. These people work damned hard for their money and there are no guarantees in their business… except that they do age faster…;)
The popularity of music often says nothing for the quality… but only quality survives the struggle to the very top
Thank God for Music, it is the medium which catalyzes emotion… Love, Paul
Yes, thank God for Music, it takes me to another place… and of course dancing as well and to it, is Divine…
Thank you for remembering the effort we do not see, behind the stage.
When I studied art, my friends’ favorite movies are always the independent, cinematic pieces. And although some of them are good, some are really bored me to death (sorry!).
Now as I paved my way to be a published author, I also realized that most of my fellow writers always mentioned the serious or classical authors. Sometimes it made me rethink of the authors I love most (which mostly falls into the pop definition). Am I not good enough to be a writer? Well actually I don’t know yet, only time will tell, but the reason certainly won’t come from this.
Everyone is free to choose what they like or dislike, and sometimes the reason of dislike is jealousy. So if you’re a pop artist, I’d say just go for it!
Olá Paulo, bom dia!
Eu acho que muitos dos artistas Pop geralmente começam com obras muito boas, justamente pelo fato de serem desconhecidos e muitas vezes infelizmente se vendem ao sistema e as tendencias de mercado, o que prejudica sua arte. Claro que isso não é uma regra e existem muitos artistas pop que continuam criando coisas boas, porém acredito que muitos deles acabam se vendendo por conta de sua popularidade e comprometendo, consequentemente, a sua arte.
Abrações grandes!
Pop artists as with any other kind of artist are just doing what they do and hopefully they are doing it without any outside influence or pressures to make money. True artists can accurately reflect themselves in a way that no other person could. If an artist is criticised because they are popular its important that we realise that what has happened is that some individuatl, criticiser has failed to be inspired as intended…so move on…but find something to be inspired about.
It seems that in this case prejudices tend to spring up when we put labels like “popular” on them. Don’t take it too seriously. Its not meant to divert your thinking…be inspired (rinse and repeat).
Any kind of artist who truly inspires and makes a difference in someones life no matter how small should take that on board and continue to do his best work…
To inspire is a great gift!! Well done everyone!!!
Dearest Paulo,
I love this song by Marc Anthony-introduced to me by a friend some years ago.I don’t know if Marc is a Pop singer?? and how popular he is or was when I first heard him(much before he and JLo tied the knot)but I go by the ear. And I like what I heard then and still do.
Have been meaning to listen to this song on Youtube for some time now. Glad I could do that today.So thank you for this week’s Forum.
For you and dear Warriors of Light:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VcHpYYO06o&feature=related
Love,
sheela.
Sheelu-la ly thank you for the music, it’s nice .I had never heard of Marc Anthony… apart from the other one ..Know what I mean? HEE HA!
pop music…. a sign of the time.
You are so funny! Keep on smiling.
:)
I like what I like, and a lot of it I don’t like!
I don’t like music to be so much of an industry, it seems that people are churned out like advertising products, and for me a lot of the music lacks character or soul. They have the same pearly white smiles, the hair extensions, perfect figures and look, and I find it really boring.
But being popular has nothing to do with that, that is what business dictates.
I think that when the Beatles and sixties happened and even in the seventies and early eighties there was much more creativity, but that was before it became so commercial and quite frankly to personally boring.
Amy Whitehouse has character, I think for me she was the best thing for pop music in a long time.
Glad that you are continuing this question of the week, bravo.
Sorry Amy Winehouse ….
This is a really interesting topic as I know people say to me how can you like Abba or Billy Joel when you play classical music – or they say how can you like Boyzone they are not even a real band, they dont play any instruments. But for me I have the widest range of taste in music because of both melody and the lyrics and the associations these bring. Some times I like to rock it out other times prefer to just lie down and listen and dream…..I think people who just like and approve of one genre of music are missing out on a lot of wonder. I would on the other hand think there is for me some music that is meaningless and seems just like noise I think they call it rave or something..You hear it in these enormous dance places..but i find it is just noise and you cant really dance to it….Popular music is usually popular because a lot of people listen and enjoy….this doesnt necessarily equate that it is brilliant or wonderful music….but if people are enjoying it then it is touching someone…..So many different tastes…. love to you Paulo xxx
Yes, there is a lot of prejudice against pop artists, but I do not think they lack talent..On the contrary , some are very very talented and gifted..
I think that the reason why there is this prejudice is that many people try to imitate those talented artists and so we have many ‘imitations’ of the same thing, repeating again again, only emphasizing this way the other artist that ‘inspired’ them, and so the former artists end up to become more and more popular..
In the end, it is the people who make one artist popular, those are the strict ‘critics’ of his art, so if they are on top, they probably give a lot of Love to what they are doing and to people..
love and graditude
Annie
Agree sis. I cannot stand remakes of pop music. The original version is the best.
Love & admiration,
Heart
Hello,
This is what I think. I never know why I like a certain song or piece of music. Music is a magical thing.
One day, I was at a concert of the trumpet player Jerry Gonzalez in Clamores, that is a club in Madrid. I was doing some research in Madrid for a newspaper in Holland I worked for and enjoyed the opporunity to see Jerry and another wonderful artist perform live.
The concert started about 22.00 I think, and I stayed untill 02.00 because the next day I was supposed to interview some people and I needed to sleep that night.
The feelng of Jerry’s music was so strong, I could not leave. It caught my attention, I could hardly snap out of it.
I have had one experience like that before in my life. That was when I was at the Reina Sofia museum, also in Madrid (where I have been studying for 1 year in the 90’s). They exposed a painting of Picasso, it is called La dame en azul. I felt the eyes of the woman in the portrait so strong, I could not stop looking at her. It was also difficult to leave.
In the videoclip there is a fragment of Jerry Gonzalez playing, to give you an impression of his music. The best is though to hear him perform live.
Take it away Jerry!!!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6d0q8_jerry-gonzales-latin-jazz-stories_music
thank you so much for that
As I was listening this reminded me of the 1950’s era precisely.
I related that to watching the “Festival of Cannes” latest movies
on TV – as the film was rolling down showing pictures of La Croisette and listening to Francois Chalais’s voice.As mentioned onto dailymotion the blending of all music – one of our connection -
“Jerry Gonzalez ’s music is a music from exile, from the uprooting, Africa (the drums) Spain (flamenco) roots and Andalusian Arabic for the guitar, Latin America (Salsa) the USA (jazz).
Jerry is a child from the Bronx, from the Latino “Barrio “: of New York,living in Madrid.
It is also a music of encounters and escapism of the common cage; the black and white, hispanic and anglo-saxon, gypsy of the qadje.
It is a music rich of all these encounters, violent and sweet, tensed and dispassionate, it is a red music.”
Shivers!
“Take it away Jerry indeed.”
Thanks for the story, Marie Christine.
I by the way have to admit that I never thought of mr. Gonzalez as an idol, or popualr person, or something like that. I just felt hypnotized by his music. It is what he puts into it, although I don’t no what that is.
In the same show, he also started to drum on his bongos, and it had the same effect on me: I could not stop listening.
Thank you Lucrecia.
I had never heard of Jerry Gonzalez either, it is a discovery.. A good one.
The painting is called Mujer en azul instead of (dame en azul), see the link below:
http://www.spanisharts.com/history/del_impres_s.XX/arte_sXX/imagenes/picasso_mujerazul.html
i can not really say that i don’t like a person who i do not know… music, art, poem, books etc are creative matarial and as an individuell, its up to you if you like the that matarial or not… but just because you don’t like the matarial doesn’t mean that the person behind that is bad. It is like, as if your own sister paint something that you you have a dislike and because of that yyou started start to reject her as a family member…
and as a wiseman said, ” it is not the person who makes him/ her self famous, its the people”
I come from a very musical and artistic family, my father was a composer and concert pianist who also taught music and my mother is an artist. Pop music was not allowed in our house until I became a teenager and started introducing it, much to my Dad’s disapproval.
I became used to anyone – whether musician or artist – who was very popular being put down by my family regardless of the quality of their work. It was almost as if by becoming popular they had somehow ’sold out’. For years I let it effect my own creativity because I felt that anyting I might produce would be subject to the same scathing and snobbish criticism. It’s hard to take when it comes from your own family.
There was an underlying belief that ‘real’ art belonged to those who knew how to ‘do it properly’ raher than being an expression of soul and spirit. Fortunately these days I don’t care what they think because I now know what an impoverished place to be it is. So now I paint and write regardless and I like popular. The whole point about art is that it is great way to share.
Rebecca
We can’t really measure quality in quantity (=numbers, popularity in numbers). Not all good musicians will rise the big hights, in populartity. But it is neither all musicians thrives. A thrive can be to sing, to pass on their passion and share their attitude towards life, give something good (feelings) to people, with their music. If one didn’t forget about this way, wether a musician is wellknown, popular or not, becomes a secondary issue (the thrive to be popular), if it is an issue, at all.
If a musician was from a small country and doesn’t go or at least wish to go “international”, it’s quite hard to recieve popularity from all over the world. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be popular in their own country or nearby countries.
A musician can be good in their music, but also in personality (role-model, example). If we are here talking about the musical goodness, I believe the term ‘good’ is questionable. Same thing what we talked about clothing – it’s very personal. To a person, music becomes good when they find something from it. Something g o o d.
Quality – of technical skills.
Quality – of connecting with a persons soul, emotions.
Quality – of making Yourself understood through music.
…
I’ve heard from some people that if a person is popular, then it is only because they have been lucky to be advertised the right way, have a great team behind them, possibilities etc. Really? Can a musician really only become popular from good ‘advertising’. I don’t think so… there has to be something else aswell… something in their music.
A musician doesn’t become good just by being popular aswell. Good is a very individual termin. Pop artists are also only one side/group of musicians. Maybe if a person believes that “oh, this singers are not good because they are so popular” is because they do not like pop music? Or because they may believe that this popularity is due to clever advertisement, and clever possibilities to be heard (internet, shows in different countries, national TV interviews). Which is actually partly true, because if You do not share Yourself, how should people be able to listen to Your music?
All best,
Liina
Music is a matter of the heart. There is noe good or bad. You love it or not. The problem is adults are not different from kids in school. If you want to belong to a social group you have to hear the “right” music. If you want to be regarded as “intellectual” you cannot say I like Ricky Martin. I don’t give up fighting against those prejustices in my classroom. I go now and hear my “Aha” CDs!
hi Paulo
popular vs underground, well if it is really popular that means it sells very well which means a lot of people like it. who are we to tell people if they are wright or wrong about any of their tastes?
it, s a personal thing that its totally individual, whether you like something cult and obscure or super pop.
there is an air of rightgeousness among the cult and independent people. as if their stuff is the only good stuff, and anything that becomes popular, even if it was cult before.. looses it’s purity.
many great artists were attacked by their popularity and envy from their peers, like salvador dali, wharhol, pollock even frida khalo and modigliani after their movies came out and even if they have died long ago.. .. since now it´s popular their work has no merit.. rubbish! but these artists where not afraid of the popularity arena and the bulls of criticism…
there is good and bad cult movies as in popular… but if people used the expression “i dont relate to such and such..” instead of likes and dislikes, goods and bads, i think that would be more reasonable and personal.
because good and bad is in the eye of the beholder..
it’s only a personal judgement.
i think what’s bothers me a little is when people like cult or pop music just because everyone else does.. for me thats sheep flock lazy thinking
and for me it kills individuality and authenticity.
[kaltura-widget wid="e0e9x7f46o" size="comments" /]
Hmmm interesting. About popular music I can say that some of popmusic I like, but for some reason much of the artists and songs I can’t stand.
But the Nr.1 what I heared was about you Paulo. Some time ago I haved a discussion about you and your books, and one of my friends sayed that you are to “pop” for a “serious” author. And from that time I started to think about what means popular to me and to others and thank you for this discussion. Very helpfull to answer some questions.
.. Paulo, when I think what should I answer for your today question and when I have to answer for you
I think about only one beautiful person.
He have a heart of gold. We love the King of Pop – wonderful and incredible – Michael Jackson.
Too much to say, love explain all. That big man often repeat “it’s all for love” and we will never forget him.
For us Michael Jackson still alive and He will be live forever in our hearts. Big, big respect for Him.
L.O.V.E.
As said our brazilian playwright, “All unanimity is dumb”… well I never agreed with that quote, I would agree more easily with “All prejudice is dumb”.
To me, pop art can be so good as “cult” art, in all genres. the measure of a good art is quality, all depends of the quality. There are alot of cult art that for, me is just trash. as in pop art. The prejudice of being pop comes from envy most of the time. People just can’t stand to see others being sucessfull and famous. Quality has in both sides: in pop art as in cult art. And a lack of quality too. This Prejudice occurs also with The archetypical of “dumb blonde”, while viewed as attractive and popular, has been portrayed as lacking in both common street-sense and academic intelligence, often to a comedic level. So, it’s just a matter of prejudice from pseudo-intellectuality of insecure people whom judge even before listening, reading or seeing any kind of popular art, because they are “cool” and they need to show what they are to be accepted in a certain “selected group” and so on. In summary: ignore them!
Yo no tengo problema con la popularidad, el problema es que impongan al artista y la moda con los intereses superiores o necesidades globales, me encantan muchisimas personalidades que son populares mas no todas las personalidades populares son mis favoritas, y claro que hay muchisima calidad desconosida porque no es rentable o no va con lo que esta de moda, pero taraaaaaan, existe el internet y uno tiene la libertad de buscar y escoger lo que le gusta a uno.
Un abrazo, Cristina
When I was a film studies student I was faced with a similar kind of prejudice about films. To the film student, a film isn’t worth watching unless it is a cinematic masterpiece. I use to hate watching films with other students because we would pick over the bones of a film instead of just enjoying it. I realised that I love watching big budget trash and great cinema with equal measure. (someone is going to slaughter me for using the word ‘trash’ here)
It is not good just to watch the popular stuff and ignore the really great low budget films around but it is also really silly to ignore something because it’s popular. I guess also it is silly to equate ‘popular’ with poor quality – I would hate to have missed out on reading ‘The Alchemist’ just because so many other people had read it before me.
An interesting question/conflict popular vs. the other. My thoughts are that when seeking out art, whether it be musical, visual, or literary, so much depends upon what one wants to find. To seek the unique and unusual, perhaps deeply thought provoking or subversive, (one might say challenging) it clearly requires a trip off the beaten path into what might be characterized as “cult” or “indie” forms. On the other hand, it seems that if one wants something pleasant, fun, enjoyable, and perhaps somewhat predictable, more often than not, that will be the more popular and well-known sources of expression.
My experience has often been that challenging art is not mass produced…lyrics about politics (Ani DiFranco), musicians who experiment with sounds and rhythms and instruments that are less typical and often breaking with current trends (Sting), artists who use mediums and/or subjects some find disturbing (Body Worlds), or writers who take on unique ethical dilemmas and/or protagonists (Paulo Coehlo, anyone? LOL) truly stand apart from the output of art that one finds typically. That’s not to say that the unique subversive artist doesn’t acquire a following…they do…thankfully there are enough people who want a challenge and appreciate the experience for what it is.
That being said, there is a pleasure to be found in more popular forms as well. Pop art and “challenging” art do not need to be mutually exclusive. That’s like saying one should meditate all day and never laugh…there has to be room in life for both…some art is work; some play. Some art is an epiphany; some an expected treat. Some art makes you think deeply; some makes you feel warm and fuzzy and you forget about it five minutes later…I guess what I think is most important is whether or not the experience, profound or silly, brought the audience some extra measure of awareness of life…art that doesn’t achieve that may be missing its mark…but popular or unique, if one is touched in some way, does it matter if the person nextdoor saw it/heard it/read it already?
As some posters have mentioned, it does seem that artists who move from obscure to mainstream sometimes change to fit their new and expanded audience…and that could be perceived in both a negative or positive light. (I agree that the idea of Bob Dylan singing a Christmas album is somehow bizarre on many levels) I guess what I would hope for the artist in question is that he or she never sell out the soul of their creative work for the exchange of profits. The art should change and grow and mature with the artist, not with the contract for the record deal, the gallery, or the publisher. If an artist has talent and muse and creates something genuine out of those gifts it should not be compromised just so that it appeals to the masses…if that’s the sacrifice, then the artist has to make the call and decide if it’s worth it. Maybe that depends on what the art means to the artist to begin with….
Thanks, Paulo, for an interesting topic to think on…
The following letter was sent to me — as you think about this week’s blog, perhaps you can help me answer this teacher’s letter.
I have a dilemma, and being a veteran teacher of theatre, I thought perhaps you could help me with this problem. There are eighteen very talented students in my exclusive, theatre performance class (Advanced Theatre) – Five of the students already have received handsome scholarships at major arts schools and universities across the U.S.
I have worked hard to develop a program where students can have the opportunity to succeed and move on in the arts. However, the way things are going this year, (and we are only a quarter of the way through,) I don’t know whether I want to continue. The student’s attitudes about each other are changing for the worst. I cannot believe how “dog eat dog” they have become — Especially the five with scholarships. They must have not learned the lessons I have tried to teach them through the years.
When these five extremely talented senior students were freshman, they were close – as we would say in America “tight.” They wanted to accomplish so much together – become triple threats in major musicals; become classical actors by doing full out Shakespeare; become a comedy troupe by doing comedia del’arte; become playwrights by writing short plays, long plays, and musicals. They were “gung ho” all of the way until this year. What is interesting is that they have done all of these things above except complete the musical – it is close to being finished.
This last summer, two of the five have turned against one of the five. The child that has been “put out of the group” is such a natural on stage. He dances like no other, he molds and takes on any acting part to perfection, (a director’s dream,) he sings, (has perfect pitch,) and plays quite a few instruments, and he writes music and musical scores for local plays. (He wants to score music for movies) The people of our area and the Universities in our area have been knocking at his door for over two years now. This kid is going far and will be known in the world of celebrities – without a doubt. I think the two who are turning against this boy are doing so because of jealousy and fear. Now the other two are every bit as talented in their own ways. One excels in singing, acting, directing, and writing / editing / producing movies – the other excels in singing, dancing, writing plays, and scenic lighting design. These two will have many opportunities to become celebrities too – just like the student they have turned away.
I have tried so hard to make sure that these five were chosen equally for “lead” parts in the plays that we have performed over the last three years. Last spring the three mentioned above were given bit parts and a junior actor was placed in the lead. The three showed their true acting spirits and didn’t miss a rehearsal for our play. They told me that they quite enjoyed being walk-ons for a change. They were there to aide this junior actor and help him in any way. I was pleased with this support and told them so. They all agreed that this was a good experience for them because that is how it is in the real world.
My dilemma — the two are now trying to turn the rest of school against this very talented boy because of his celebrity in our city – yes people come to plays and musical events to see and hear him — yes, he has the main role in the play we are rehearsing now, and he is excelling in the part as he always does. As a teacher and as a director, this boy is a dream. He is always pleasant and is so willing to do anything to change his performance/music for the benefit of the play. His enthusiasm is wonderful – adults love him. Why does he have to suffer friendships, new acquaintances, basic life – because of his celebrity and his talent?
Help me to help him, the other two of the group, and basically save our theatre program. Anything you could suggest would help. THANKS
Hi elaine !
that talented young boy will have to learn to live with others feeling jealous of him, specially those who were on ’same platfom’ in formative years. only or rtaher best way for him would be to see things as they are i.e. the two are turning gaint him out of jealously, he will have to be firm against them, without being impolite, if he looses his cool he looses it all. looking by how that chap has been decribed, he is smart enough to know this himself. as for those two – nothing better than a straight talk in a compassionate atmosphere, ending with that famous story about akbar and birbal ( these fables have a way of being present in most human cultures, setting and charecrets may be diffrent but the theme remains same ). legend has it that once the great king Akbar ( in India there have benn many many kings but only two are called as Akbar the Great and other was Asoka the great ) asked his courtiers to draw a line on the wall, a stright line about 1 foot long, everyone drew. then he asked them to shorten this line without touching it. now everyone was perplexed except …. his wise counseller birbal, he let them sweat for a while, went to teh wall and made another line slightly bigger than the prvious one. without touching it he has shortened the old line. that is teh only path, and sooner those two pay heed to this, the better for them and everyone concerned.
celberity status comes a t a price tag, while it is not that difficult to pay the bills associated with celebrity status enough money pours in, the emotional price is something ……… remember Michel Jackson.
love
aditya
a few words about the tpoic -
I don’t know about this prejudice, although the pop artists do seem to behave diffrently from the crowed like diffrent clothes, diffrent lifestyle etc, but is tehir any prejudice, i don’t know.
Aditya,
Thank you for your thoughts and the truthful fable. I will pass it on to this teacher. Having seen this very talented boy on stage, I can see why she is so upset at how jealousy and fear can cause a prejudice. She has always been able to develop students who have an understanding about the workings of show business or we could say fame. I have been envious of her and her program at times. We all (celebrities included) have our moments. We are all beings on this planet. After my experience with death and the other side, I see that it really doesn’t matter about a person’s standing in society; it’s about their progression in accepting and loving ALL on this planet.Right?
Thanks again for the advice. My friend will be very appreciative.
Love and warm light,
Lainee
Right lainee !1
how can u be wrong, one who has seen both sides of the coin. come to think of it for all the marvels of science we cannot see both sides of teh coin simultaneously,, we can use mediums like photographs, mirrors etec etec, but that ain’t same as seeing. those who are destined for pouplarity and greatness will have to quickly come to terms with effects of jealously and they will also have to feel sympathtic towards those who don’t make it, or else they are in for a surprise surprise ….
wink wink to your freind and specially to that very talented young actress, earlier when i replied i somehow missed that it was a she. now that i know wink wink…
love
aditya
Love to you Aditya and Chieko!!! :-)
Lainee,
i agree with aditya on ‘that talented young boy will have to learn to live with others feeling jealous of him’. i know nobody would deserve this kind of thing but unfortunately it happens…but anyway, i admire these talented people (pop artist also) because they are courageous. oh, but i do not really like those people who like comparing artists. for example, when kissin (a gifted pianist) was young, he was often referred as young horovitz or young richter. i found those discussions empty. i think every artist is unique.
and for the two boys, at some point, it is good to have an open talk with them. when she has a chance to talk with them, it might be a bit helpful if she could let them think about what it is that they really want in their lives.
my favorite painter said in an interview (you can find it on youtube. type in ‘agnes martin interview’. it is only ten min. interview and i think it is good for everyone.)
and whenever i feel confused about my paintings, i remember her words because they seem to put me back on the original point. she said something like this in this interview.
‘…there are so many people don’t know what they want…in this world, that’s the only thing you want to know…exactly want you want…’.(sorry i could not figure out some words)
i think it is true. and i think it is true for everyone.
i also agree with you saying ‘progression in accepting and loving all…’.
well, i hope these students will come back as they used to be.
love
chieko
Thanks Aditya and Chieko,
Again, I will pass on your advice to this admired teacher. I did pass the fable and the other advice from Aditya. She thanks you. New information on this dilemma– there is a mother involved in all of it. (I guess you could say stage mother :-( It started when she told one of the two boys that she wouldn’t come to see him in any more plays unless he had a decent part worth her time to sit in the audience. This supposedly sparked the rest of the toppling of the theatre department.
i feel so bad for my friend. This is ripping her apart. Aditya and Chieko, your advice will help. I am just wondering how much a mother’s/father’s prejudice plays in the pop star craze — on both sides of the coin. Look at Brittany Spears, lindsey Lohan, Michael Jackson, Ashley Simpson, etc. Their parents were most interesting with the developmental issues of their children. Also do not forget the parents/guardians of the common children who worship pop artists. We parents have been given the charge to help our children become responsible beings on this world. As selfish way to look at it is that the kids now will take care of us later. Common, let’s not slack in our duties as parents. Our future is at stake.
Something to ponder,
Lainee
ya lainee !
these ‘uneducated’ parents !!!!??? anyway better not pass judgements against anyone ! but feels sad to hear a sad saga begin because of ‘greed/ambition/….’ of someone who herself is not a direct player ! but then such is life, and no one ever promised us that life would be fair !
love
aditya
Lainee,
it really seems to be complicating…
also it reminded me of something, which was not directly related to your comment… i heard some mothers who realized they were doing something to their own kids that they did not like when they were small. is it human nature? i hope not because i do not want to be satisfied with something less…i mean it would be sad…
well, i just hope those talents are going to flourish…
love
chieko
Yeey Paulo… You’re here!! :D
I believe artist become popular for many different reasons, the talent has to be there, but besides that, it’s perhaps being in the right place at the right time, connections, looks, personality, mostly marketing, but ultimately the people must like the artist.
I don’t think it good to compare talent. Everyone is different and has their own style. I think the people who say that because they are popular they are not good, they are probably thinking that they got to the top the easy way, through connections rather than hard work. Even still, the artist most probably had the love for it and was following their dream.
Not every pop artist is trained extensively like say an opera singer, but each artist brings something to the people, and as long as we enjoy it, that’s what’s important.
xxoo
Hi Paulo, it is a pleasure to see you again, I thought this week we shouldn’t see you in web.
Basically i don’t know what to think about some artists, because it happens like actors, you can fall in love with a character and not in the person with his faults and virtues who interpret him.
Many singers don’t compose their songs, but they have the gift of perform this song and make them vibrate in the world.
I interpret that is best to be musical taste, i can like a song or not (ex: I do not like Britney Spears, but I must admit that I liked one of her song) but it is true that some people would give them ashamed to admit it, for as is the artist in person or what he does, or simply out of envy.
Also, I guess not all artists have the same audience, some are for teens, others for a very specific people,etc ,etc, the issue is to accept it and if you do not like, just say that to you : there are many colors for many tastes.
“Prejudice Is Ignorace”
Of cource we can’t only call Michael Jackson: Pop Star. If you have red the book: Dancing The Dream, you know what I’m talking about.
Bad times is in everybodies life. If we understand the sentece above, we know there’s no time for prejudice.
paulo, please anwer me.
dear S.A.
sorry, i am not Paulo…but
i agree on ‘prejudice is ignorance’.
i have to admit that i sometimes say bad things about some artists but now i realized that i did it because i did not get it. so i have something to reflect on…
thanks for sharing your idea.
love
chieko
When I was younger I often did not like the same artists as other, because they were popular! But this last year I have changed this point of view. Of course, this does not mean that I now like everything! There are still some music I just don’t like to listen too. But I when I hear a song that I before said I did not like, I ask myself, is it the song I don’t like or is it simply because everyone else like it or don’t like it? And in many cases I have realized it the second reason. This has really opened my music-taste, and I have found a lot “new” favorite music and artists :) I have also asked myself this question in other parts of my life, and discovered a lot new food, clothes, etc. and even friends! =)
I believe it can be dangerous to always follow other peoples thoughts and point of views. One would miss many great stuff doing this. Listen, taste, and make your own decision! Thats my advice.
Yes, for some with cultural capital, who define themselves to higher quality ‘fine culture’, you can see a derogatory view on popular, contemporary culture. Isn’t this just snobbish and stiff?
Pop music we see on the hitting the top-twenty-lists, certainly have the quality of giving joy to many peoples lives, which gives anybody into it, some great musical experiences.
There is one thing I have to question though…Why do all popular singers have to release their own Christmas albums? I admire Bob Dylan’s music… but Christmas Carols by Bob Dylan. No way! It sounds horrible!
Hi heart anyone who feels superior to others, the superiority compex as some call it are actually suffering from inferiority complex, the truly superior find no point in pointless comparisons, specifics may be needed at time say if a lod is to be lifted, one needs a person with strong body, a piano is to be play4ed, somewith with nimbele fingers. but teh comaprison is situation specific and not a judgement on teh whole person or race !! my views !!
love
aditya
PS : How unintelleigent is to pass judgements on others, when we can never really know others fully, forget about others, when trying to know oneself fully itself is such a wol effort, once u know thyself u know all.
Grande Paulo,
acho que o popular é visto como o mais óbvio, mas nem por isso menos sábio. A arte de vender e escrever tem o preço da popularidade que o torna sábio por um lado e óbvio por outro.
A qualidade entra no quesito subjetivo e de responsabilidade pessoal, conheces o valor de seu trabalho, seus números só crescem.
A insegurança da trilha é comum a todos, nem por isso paramos, diminuímos o passo e ajustamos o ritmo.
A popularidade e a qualidade são valores independentes.
Ser popular te oferece a possibilidade de ajuda ou de manipulação, influência ou hipinose e chegamos na roda Ying e Yang….
Cara, sou seu fã e gostaria de pedir que falasse um pouco dessa entrada da era de aquarius – fim de era de peixes e os valores espirituais acoplados a tal eventos.
Siga com a voz ativa!
Se tiver curiosidade em outras loucuras segue um blog que comparto com amigos da epoca de movimento estudantil do fim dos anos 90
http://www.multiuniversus.com.
Forte abraço.
P.Bala – RJ/Barcelona
blog interessante. Mas meus pais sempre diziam que os Beatles eram uma droga, o que podia ser para eles, mas nao para mim
Talent is not bound by popularity. Some very talented people are basically unheard of while others are on the tip of every tongue. The flip side of the coin is also true. Some people become popular more for their appearance than their talent. Talent is also in the eye of the beholder. Picasso had talent but not everyone enjoys his creations. The Rolling Stones (Mick, Keith, et al) have talent but not everyone enjoys their music. The same can be said about Stevie Wonder and Stephen King (personally I cannot get into anything by Stephen King although I enjoyed the movie Shawshank Redemption). Rachael Yamagata is talented although she is not that well known. And I never heard of Herta Muller before she was awarded the Nobel Prize. talent and popularity do go hand in hand but they are separate at the same time. I also understand that the strains of popularity can hamper creativity and destroy lives. When I was younger, I used to believe that certain entertainers did not have talent but over time my errors have been corrected. Talent has staying power. Talent really is in the eye of the beholder. I think that I will watch an Akira Kurosawa film tonight.
Enhorabuena Paulo por decidirte a seguir haciendo tus videos que son tan interesantes y nos propones debates y temas a compartir. Esto hace un centro de reunión.
Admiro a las personas que llegan a ser famosos y populares y se sienten agradecidos con el mundo que les apoya y hacen cosas por los menos favorecidos aprovechando su situación, sean cantantes, actores, escritores etc.
Admiro a las personas sean de la clase que sean sin pensar que unos son más importantes que otros.
En el mundo de los gustos no hay nada escrito y la popularidad la da tener un montón de seguidores pero se dice que a las masas se les conduce más fácilmente que al individuo y existen muchos estudios de Marketing que hacen que una canción tenga éxito pues eligen acordes y notas parecidas a las que ya han tenido éxito.
Yo elijo mi música dentro de lo que me están ofreciendo, se que hay muchos buenos músicos por ahí que no son conocidos y son muy buenos.
Cada persona tiene su tiempo y a lo mejor si ahora no son apreciados luego puede llegar un tiempo en el cual no haya mucha calidad de música y entonces como dice el refrán “En un mundo de ciegos el Tuerto es el Rey”.
Un beso Paulo, me gustó verte no nos faltes a la cita.
in my opinion it serves noone to hate anything not even
these bad things like prejudices. anger, frustration,
hate..are projected unto likes and dislikes to feel a
bit released..but in truth of course love and joy is
lost in experience this way. thank life, there are better
ways. but i think somehow you already know this,
although that could be another prejudice.
trust & patience and a bit tiredness, doris
Pienso que tendríamos que definir primero qué es lo que admiramos en un artista, si es su obra o su vida privada.
Su obra, su trabajo, su desempeño como artista lo podemos conocer, percibir, evaluar, analizar y decidir si nos gusta o no.
Su vida privada, nos es absolutamente desconocida, a menos que estuviéramos entre el círculo de sus más cercanos, entiéndase familia o amigos íntimos.
Por lo tanto, personalmente admiro mucho el trabajo de muchos artistas que muchas veces han sido señalados por los medios de comunciación como drogadictos, locos, homosexuales, etc., sin que yo esté de acuerdo con su forma de vida.
Hay muchos artistas que su trabajo fuera del espectáculo es conocido porque son filantropos, ecologos, servidores sociales, etc., pero su talento artistíco no me gusta, no puedo admirarlos como artistas, sólo como miembros responsables de una sociedad.
Yo, a Paulo Coelho, lo admiro mucho como escritor, porque escribe cosas que me llegan al alma, también como persona que ha sufrido persecución y no ha claudicado, sino al contrario ha seguido adelante, pero no puedo admirarlo más allá de eso, porque no convivo con él :) (ya quisiera yo, je je)
Un abrazo desde Guatemala!
The problem with celebrity people is that all the admiration that they attract toward themselves causes envy and jealousy, or maybe they just don’t like them. I agree with you on this, people loose so much of the love that they can give to us and that happens because they are too busy on envying than seeing what they should be looking at. It is such a pity. I really feel bad when I hear people around talking about a certain artist and making comments on his personal life for example. Even if those facts were true, so what?
They are people like us and have a life, make mistakes. Why should we care about that instead of looking at the good that they try to give us.
Unfortunately it happens that peoples eyes are blinded by the light of their desires. Attending the top, like those artists have.
Why should those artist taking care of their background all the time, being afraid of being judged and that their work is gonna get lost because of their mistake’s fault.
Popularity doesn’t make an artist less good. If he/she is popular it is because a lot of people likes them. You better say you don’t like them, it is more honest.
I feel upset too when I hear such commentaries and I feel the desire to shut them up and tell them what I think on this, but it is needed more to stop prejudices.
As a jazz drummer, I would have to say if a pop act brings joy to the masses then let it. You will always have those who will seek and find the alternatives. It is quite possible to walk around with to-day’s technologies etc. and not have that type of music impinge too much on you if you do not wish it do. Anyway, it is no bad thing to have a pop sensibility.
Shane.
Paulo,
After reading the Valkaries I am even more suspicious of what’s out there. I take your book is a narrative of what you’ve experience as a human being. I cannot isolate my children from the rest of the world but I do have to teach them to think for themselves and have faith in God and not follow like sheep.
On the other hand I love certain pop bands like U2, I feel their existence has added meaning to life. Bono is a very positive individual and has utilized his fame to do very good deeds.
You are right, we should not judge based on the fact that they are popular; on the other hand there have been instances where groups become popular and they think the world owes to them and these are the people I cannot have respect for. They forget too quickly who put them in the pedestal where they are at.
Dear all!
I hate prejudices! But we can’avoid them at some points of our lifes. Music, like any other art, is optional: you like something or you don’t like something. That what you don’t like, respect. But, also, there is quality: how to recognize one,… It’s hard to talk about quality because we all hve our own vision of quality. So i will stop now :)I like good music that lifts me up or conforts me or… makes me feel it.
If someone is popular, it doesn’t have to mean it’s something quality, but it, also, doesn’t have to mean it’s somethig bat.
So everything is optional…
love,
Ivana
When we face this question (and it happens frequently), I think we have to concentrate in the work of art and forget the artist for a while.
Popularity isn’t a matter of quality, it’s not even a matter of art, it’s about behavior, and sometimes money.
Nevertheless quality can be mixed with popularity, because an artist makes art, and quality is a matter of personnal judgement.
Prejudice will always be a stupid thing.
By the way people always feel smarter when they don’t think like others, even if they end up thinking stupidly.
Hi… Think of the joy we get from music and songs. We all have our favourite songs that relate to some part of our lives. Having a favourite popstar is part of everyone’s teenage years.. (i can remember that far back!). Maybe the prejudices come from jealously.. It’s not possible to like all the pop artists but that doesn’t mean we wish them any harm. Also I think newspapers use stories about them for sensationalism to sell their papers. Live and let live…. Now on t.v. every week we have “THE X FACTOR”, where artists compete to become a popstar. It’s a gruelling competition. Sometimes the judges are very critical of these young singers. I don’t think I could cope with it if I was a 17/18 year old. Keep rocking….. and rolling…. bye..
I think when all is said and done, its impossible not to fit in somewhere. Even people who decide to avoid mainstream music and culture have made a choice that carries with it a certain style, way of behaving etc.
Freedom in this instance is to be able to enjoy whatever comes your way if it is there to be enjoyed.
Some of my friends don’t listen to much pop music because they say it all sounds the same. Good pop musicians never sound the same twice though, and they endure.
Your books are very popular Paulo. Do these same people think they should stop reading you because your message is reaching millions now? Popularity is just another sign of like souls joining together I think. These things that connect us all, music, film, literature, art, are things I cherish.
I agree with Thomas, it’s a process of maturing. There does seem to be a human tendency to break away from those around us, an attempt to define ourselves as unique and individual, followed by a return and acceptance of our sameness.
With love, Daniel
Hello Mr. Coelho,
I believe that popularity to a large extent suffocates talent. A person would start playing or singing for the joy that music brings, for the ability to give an expression of his feelings or beliefs, for himself only. I think that dreaming to perform in front of a crowd is not a wish for fame, but a wish for recognition, for understanding. Maybe it’s a need to know that there are others being able to speak the same specific and gentle language of art, just as the artist himself does.
If the dream to play in front of people is fulfilled and you are to be acknowledged as interesting and talented, although the happiness it certainly brings in the beginning, eventually it bends you, it changes you. Or so I believe, I couldn’t know for sure because I have not experienced such a situation myself. Anyway, the reason for this change that probably occurs is, I think, the very fans themselves. Once you’ve gone out in the public space you clash with things such as reputation, rivalry and stress. You have to keep an image that will be fancied by you admirers in order not to bring them down because they were the very ones who understood your art and, of course, the ones who pay for your productions. You have to be good enough to keep their interest on you but not on any of the thousands of other artists out there, to work harder and harder in order to outrun yourself. All this and many other factors such as the lack of personal life, the busy schedule etc. cause stress.
You’ve probably noticed how the first songs of an artist are oftentimes much better than the latest ones, how older tunes have lived through years, while modern ones are forgotten for a month or two. In today’s days competition and stress are tremendous. Not many people are able to keep being productive and producing qualitative material in such conditions.
You are right, the danger is in trying to create an image of him/herself. But besides that, popular singers as as good as cult ones
Indeed, they are for if they are popular there is a reason for the to be – if they weren’t good they wouldn’t gain popularity at the first place.
Maybe I didn’t express my opinion very well. What I meant was not that they lose their talent or that they aren’t as good as the ones before them, but that in today’s situation it’s much harder to preserve yourself, or your muse if you’d prefer to call it that way.
I believe that an artist(whether a musician, painter, writer etc.) has a large emotional capacity, a very gentle and sensitive heart. He tends to be very romantic. But we live in a quite material world and finances are and urgent element of it. And having in mind the fact that public see not just you art, but you yourself, you have to, regardless of whether you want to or not, keep an image that will admired by them. That is if you want for your products to keep selling and it’s very likely you do, because as I mentioned you’d probably like to preserve the attention and appreciation that makes you satisfied with yourself. Not to mention that you are probably going to be pressed by your manager, producers and of course the media.
For a person not to get demotivated when having to come with this, he has to have a strong heart and a brilliant talent. It’s hard to balance in such a uncertain atmosphere. And as a result that might breed a drop in your performance.
Of course my opinion is not absolute nor do I think there are no exceptions, it’s just my incomplete point of view since I haven’t been through it and I can just assume what popularity is like for an artist.
Who are your favorite pop artists, Mr. Coelho? Do you see an artist just for his music or you take in mind his reputation and image in front of the world? And if you do, have you ever considered that this might not be what he exactly is but what he tries to present himself as?
So true Kristina. A friend of mine is a talented singer and composer, but she rarely plays. She suffers severe asthma and quite often when she has gigs booked her health fails and so her vocation literally suffocates her. We once had a conversation about the fact she does not get as much enjoyment from her singina as she used to, and we talked about buskers letting loose and just enjoying their music. I asked if she would get out her guitar and busk at a local market just for fun and she said she couldn’t because she was a professional artist and its not the done thing, and she commented that I didn’t understand because I’m not an “artist”. And here’s me thinking being an artist is being free, following your dreams and letting the child inside you shine out through your eyes. Hopefully she will find the spark.
Daniel, I think it takes a very strong personality and courage for a person that has proven himself to leave behind the need for acknowledgment and go back to playing for himself only. In the end we are social beings and we need to interact with others and everyone wants to be liked. Maybe you can say they probably grow addictive to it or that we need others to tell us how good we are, so that we’d know there’s a point of what we’re doing. Being able to let go of that need is not a easy thing to do because maybe in an aspect it’s like choosing loneliness, like diving into yourself.
While my summer vacation in a city by the see, I met a person who was standing at the middle of the street with his guitar and playing. People would pass him by but he went on playing. I went to him and asked him why he was there, was he from that town and doesn’t he feel bad seeing how people don’t seem to pay him any attention. It turned out he was from a city in the other part of the country but he’s came to the seaside just to take a risk, to see how it is to travel playing. Back home he had a settled life, he taught people to play the guitar. And yet he was there in the middle of the street playing, not caring about what others would think and if they’d even notice his presence. He told me that he canceled some gigs in a bar just that he could come, sit on the street and play because it brought him joy. The smile didn’t go away from his face the whole time and his eyes were happy.
I think that what made him smile was the fact he couldn’t disappoint anyone, he could play awfully and yet come back to the same place the next day. He didn’t try to impress anyone so he couldn’t possibly be hurt by being disliked. Maybe that is some kind of freedom, to be able to stand in front of all these people and not care how they find you. I admire that person for his courage. I also think he had another great talent but music – the ability to use what scares others(the performance in front of an audience) as an inspiration, not as some kind of test. He didn’t fear to fail because he’d start over tomorrow.
There’s also the fact that these people, after all, did not know him. While if you’re popular you have to stand against a crowd of people who know you and have some kind of expectation for you, you must try not to fail and you can’t afford yourself to make an awful performance because you might lose their affection and it would be hard to get it back. To have worked towards becoming popular, it means that their opinion most likely matters to you a lot, so… Some kind of a vicious circle forms.
I recently watched Star Wars 3 and I was impressed by something Yoda said to Anekin – “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side”. In other words being afraid of losing something you cherish troubles your heart and peace :))
Wise words Kristina, thank-you!
With love, Daniel
You are welcome Daniel :)
Ah you’re back!;)
Well I agree with you.The thing is that we are letting us influenced by media,and by reading paparazzi magazines(oh I hate them!),gossips and all.We forget about the person who is behind so often.It’s not because one is popular that it is not good.Yes I have heard that too.Some people would look for underground artists instead of popular ones almost cause it’s fashion to do so.I think talented people are everywhere.Some are popular,some are not,some sings in the streets(they are so many so talented out there).If someone has something to say and is being himself/herself then we should listen what she/he has to say.Even though we might not agree.Not just think about her/his name but dig behind it.
For example,Placebo is popular but they are damn good!:)
Love
Candie
Faz tempo que o homem nao é livre. tem coisas que somos impedidos de gostar para pertencer a um determinado grupo social. por isso alguem diz nao gostar de “pops” : para o grupo desejado por ele ser pop foi convencionado como sendo cafona. C’est interdit !
Esta semana escrevi no meu facebook que eu adoro o Fabio Junior. E confesso que tive que quebrar muitos paradigmas e enfrentar um monte de medos para fazer isso. Sim, senhores, por mais que não seja convencional da minha entourage, eu posso sim gostar do cantor pop Fabio Junior. Cada um que descubra o porquê. Me sinto um pouco mais livre.
Sugestão de leitura : Bourdieu, Pierre – “La Distinction”.
Popular art vs the underground? That’s a hard one. Personally I think that it takes a certain degree of maturity to base your judgement of an act not upon the majority’s judgement. I swore to be underground and I always have supported the underground drum & bass scene, hip hop, metal, punk… But I grew up and now I basically don’t care anymore, if I dig it I dig it. Still the thing I set out to look for in music was subversivity (elvis shaking his hips too sensually, Jerry Lee Lewis burning a piano, Beatles records being burned, the sex pistols being arrested for singing god save the queen on a boat on her birthday, Jimmy Hendrickx playing the star spangled banner, country joe having thousands spell fuck) and I had more than my share. But if one of those artists early on makes it big and goes from deep existentialistic musings too hey hoo throw your hands in the air I don’t feel betrayed, and I never did. I love it when antiheroes make it big. Still for younger people looking for an image and a group to relate to it’s kind of a letdown when suddenly even people you don’t like suddenly start pumping the record. I saw it happen with Therapy? and the offspring and many more and I used to feel “betrayed”, but ten+ years later I don’t anymore. I now know that the underground is in your heart and that it means not caring about any limitation upon your taste. I now know that it’s truly underground to be indifferent to the public’s judgement and that a true fan always wants his heroes to do well.I base my reputation upon how I treat people now and not on what obscure band they might happen to know, it’s part of the process of maturing.
I agree with you all, everyone in this case ‘pop’ artists began from somewhere, and that somewhere was a small place where they were unheard of. Then they become ‘pop’ular. As long as they don’t sell out or sell their souls for the wrong cause (promoting drugs etc)…and not let popularity diminish the quality of their work and the message in their music.