Inventory of urban music scenes from around the world

May 12, 2007 12:36 AM

I need help identifying unique, urban music scenes from around the world for a radio program I'm hosting.

I'd like to discover music scenes coming from inner cities and mean streets. This may be music resulting from difficult living conditions by members on the fringe of society that are either poor, disenfranchised, or simply rebellious.

Some urban music scenes I've already identified include, Jazz from Chicago and New York; Grime / Dubstep from London; Favela Funk from Rio; Punk from New York and London; Sound System / Dub from Kingston; House from Chicago; Gabber from Leiden and Rotterdam; Techno from Detroit; and, of course, Hip-hop from New York / The Bronx.

Help me paint a global portrait of street music. What other distinct music scenes are there that come from urban settings? From the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia?

posted by concourse to society & culture (24 comments total)

Can't help you with specifics, but two radio shows you might want to check out are Darek Mazzone's "Wo'Pop" on KEXP Seattle and the English-language French hip-hop podcast at yolala.org.
posted by mdonley at 12:49 AM on May 12, 2007

You might find Australia a tough assignment, because it is kinda lacking in "mean streets", and the inner-cities are, generally, where the wealthy live. The "urban music" is generally highly derivative, currently of US hip-hop, but as I've suggested above, Australian derivatives of hip-hop are very much suburban, not inner-city.
posted by Jimbob at 1:40 AM on May 12, 2007

Kwaito.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 2:06 AM on May 12, 2007

mariachis of mexico city
posted by Hat Maui at 2:44 AM on May 12, 2007

In Eastern Europe: Romanian Manele, Balkan Turbo Folk, Bulgarian Chalga.

In the Middle East: Israeli Musiqa Mizrahit, Algerian Raï, Moroccan/Berber Rif, Turkish Arabesk, Egyptian Shaabi.

In Greece: Rembetika .

In Italy: Canto di malavita.

In Mexico: Narcocorrido

Like the genres you mentioned, many of these have blended with pop music as they became increasingly accepted, but started out as very exciting musics. I'd be happy to contribute some examples to your show if you're interested.
posted by ciocarlia at 3:58 AM on May 12, 2007

You didn't say South America, but in Brazil, you have Baile Funk.
posted by whatzit at 5:14 AM on May 12, 2007

Zydeco in New Orleans/Louisiana.

You didn't say South America, but in Brazil, you have Baile Funk.

He says it in the question itself.
posted by Falconetti at 5:27 AM on May 12, 2007

It's not going to help your quest to be more global, but go-go from D.C. would fit your bill.
posted by craichead at 6:53 AM on May 12, 2007

In Brazil, the post-mangue bit scene of Recife, Pernambuco is fascinating. Here are some of the bands:


Chico Science e a Nação Zumbi
DJ Dolores
Mestre Ambrósio
Mombojó
Cordel do Fogo Encantado
posted by umbú at 7:02 AM on May 12, 2007

I have know idea what happened, but the links are messed up. Here they are old-fashion style:

www.nacaozumbi.com
www.djdolores.com
www2.uol.com.br/mestreambrosio/
www.mombojo.com.br
cordeldofogoencantado.uol.com.br
posted by umbú at 7:07 AM on May 12, 2007

man, I hate being that person that gives the answer that was in the more inside, which I read, but it was so good it had to be mentioned twice??

To make good, have you considered tango? Though known worldwide now, its history is in the poorest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.
posted by whatzit at 7:07 AM on May 12, 2007

Noise from Providence, RI (which has about the same socio-economic profile as punk).

Also, the "mean streets techno" is kinda a misnomer, in that if you look at folks like the Belleville Three, they're, well, from Belleville.

The other thing I'd note is that most music has an origin in a "mean street." The usual cycle is that it starts on the outside, then moves toward the mainstream, and (especially in America), it often starts poor and moves toward the rich.
I mean, electric blues comes from the slaughterhouses of Chicago. Jump blues comes from ghettos in Nashville and Memphis, as does rock 'n' roll. Soul came from the ghetto; funk came from the ghetto; reggae came from the ghetto of Kingston (reggae and ska are some things you should hit on— you can talk about the rudeboys). Dancehall came from the ghetto. About the only music that you'll find that didn't originate in an urban poor setting is classical and the folk forms of whatever country, which tend to come from the rural poor.
posted by klangklangston at 7:30 AM on May 12, 2007

reggaeton, hyphy, crunk
posted by macadamiaranch at 7:51 AM on May 12, 2007

I'd be happy to contribute some examples to your show if you're interested.

Definitely, ciocarlia. Please email me (see profile).
posted by concourse at 8:21 AM on May 12, 2007

I'm no world music expert, but don't forget DC Go-Go, Baltimore Club Music, and Bay Area Hyphy hip-hop.
posted by YoungAmerican at 9:31 AM on May 12, 2007

Urban Morocco has a very interesting spin on rock/rap/hip-hop...mixed with French, Spanish, and Amazigh influence, too.

H-Kayne, Hoba Hoba Spirit, Ahmed Soultan and Bigg al Khaser (Bigg only raps in darija, very cool), etc...

Music from the Rif is very good, but it's not really considered "urban."
posted by Liosliath at 10:51 AM on May 12, 2007

Baltimore, Maryland
posted by basicchannel at 12:11 PM on May 12, 2007

How big does something have to be, and how much music does it have to produce, in order to be a scene? This is a neat idea with a lot of possibility, and, depending on your definition of 'genre,' could easily go on forever.

Teen-pop and Orlando.
Screw music and Houston.
Brass bands and New Orleans.
Girl-punk and Olympia.
The Laurel Canyon sound and Los Angeles.
G-funk and Los Angeles.
Ghettotech and Detroit.
Horrorcore and Detroit.
Emo-rap and Minneapolis.
Hardcore and (insert name of an American city)
Afrobeat and Lagos.
Congotronics-style stuff and Lagos.
Miami bass.
Philly soul.
posted by box at 2:18 PM on May 12, 2007

Here in Caracas you can't walk fifteen minutes without exactly this kind of salsa driving past you, or without hearing it coming out of somewhere. And if you go to Colombia by land from here, little by little salsa starts fading and giving way to vallenato.

As for Mexico, I disagree with the person who said mariachis are the sound of Mexico city. You'd have go to specific places to listen to it, so I'd vote more for either this sort of street musician or this type of corridos. Perhaps even cumbia. Boy, when I lived in Iztapalapa you couldn't find a bus without having those cumbias blasting at full volume.

In Guatemala you are always running into marimba like this. And, surprisingly enough if you go the Caribbean coast in Guatelama you'll run into the Garifunas and you'll wish you could stay there forever.

Thx for the question. I don't know if this is exactly what you wanted, but it was fun putting it together. If you ever want more specific info about any of those places don't hesitate to drop me an email, I'll be pleased to help you.
posted by micayetoca at 2:37 PM on May 12, 2007

South African Township Jazz.
posted by Dr.Pill at 3:10 PM on May 12, 2007

Reggaeton de Puerto Rico. You may have heard of Daddy Yankee. But try Calle 13.
posted by paulinsanjuan at 9:22 PM on May 12, 2007

Baltimore House!!!
posted by phrontist at 9:35 PM on May 12, 2007

Konono No. 1. A Congolese group that urbanized traditional Bazombo trance music with thumb pianos by incorporating makeshift percussion and hand-made microphones made from old car parts. The resultant distortions then become an indispensable part of the music. Fascinating stuff.
posted by speicus at 2:39 AM on May 13, 2007

Detroit: ghettotech/booty/techno bass, and maybe high-tech funk/high-tech soul.
posted by tomo at 12:20 PM on June 7, 2007