popdeurope takes a look at europe, and from there into the world. 50 years of musical pop culture have produced traditions and functions that are, one the one hand, a global communication platform but, at the same time, offer a local point of reference. This dossier presents portraits of some artists who live in Europe but through their work as musicians elucidate the diverse global influences on European pop music. Furthermore there are essays on the turning point in Algerian popular music, from French Raï to Algerian rap, the structural difficulties and legal barriers for the music industry in Germany and on the influences of Bollywood on Asian pop music in London.
This dossier presents a wide range of topics reflecting the new departures and radical changes taking place in Central Asia now: After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are in the throes of a re-orientation process as complex as it is dynamic, that includes a nationally-specific reinvention of their periods of historical greatness.
Unfortunately, we can offer the texts in this dossier only in German.
Rituale sind ein Schwerpunkt des „Festival of Sacred Music“ 2003. Der Musikwissenschaftler Martin Zenck betrachtet die Rituale in unserer Gesellschaft – als Gemeinschaft stiftende wie trennende Zeremonien im Alltäglichen. Weitere Texte – zum zweiten Schwerpunkt – folgen
The dossier on the “DisORIENTation” series opens up new and unusual perspectives on contemporary Arab art and culture in the Middle East. Here, for the first time, Arab positions on literature, music, theater and art will be the subject of in-depth discussion. Authors reflect on the necessity of writing in a society which is either torn between tradition and modernity or devastated by civil war. Toufic Kerbage writes about musical diversity in the Middle East on the one hand and the danger of losing ancient traditions on the other hand. Censorship, lack of state support and religious fundamentalism: these are the problems examined by the theater-maker Tarek Abou El-Fetouh. Finally, Jack Persekian’s two-part travelogue offers a vivid portrait of the art scene in the Middle East. These essays are taken from the catalogue of the same name, “DisORIENTation. Contemporary Arab Artists from the Middle East,” which contains articles by such figures as Elias Khoury and Abbas Bedyoun, as well as a wealth of illustrations. The publication can be purchased in the museum shop of the House of World Cultures and in bookshops.
When Indian art is spoken of, it is usually classical and traditional forms that are referred. This dossier calls attention to the present, offering glimpses of the latest developments in the visual arts, film, and the dance and theater scene on the Indian subcontinent. The authors, curators of the event series "body.city - New Perspectives from India", consciously focus on megalopolises such as Delhi and Mumbai/Bombay, where the intensity of the transformations and the pressure for change can be felt most strongly.
The Ensemble Modern and stars of classical Indian music present the results of their very first collaboration: compositions rooted in Indian tradition yet using the language of the avantgarde. The project's artistic director is the composer Sandeep Bhagwati.
The dossier offers a glimpse of ideas behind the project as well as some insight into the results of two years of intensive co-operation between Indian musicians and the Ensemble Modern. The following pages include an extensive interview with the artistic director of the project, Sandeep Bhagwati, a portrait of the Ensemble Modern, a travelogue written by Wolfgang Styri (Ensemble Modern) after taking part in a workshop in Bombay/Mumbai with the Indian musicians, a text by the composer and music ethnologist Ashok Ranade about the relationship between tradition and renewal in Indian art music and also portraits of musicians and composers. Samples of music written mainly for 'Rasalîla', together with explanations from the composers, give a foretaste of concerts in the House of World Cultures. A short video gives an impression of the musicians' procedure in working during a joint workshop in Bombay/Mumbai.
