2006.08.10 – BRITISH POP MUSIC 1.

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Banghra

Bhangra originated as a dance from the farms in the Punjab region of India. Historically the dance was performed to traditional Indian music to celebrate a harvest, or a big village event, like a wedding. But for the past couple of decades Bhangra has also been a music sensation in the UK where it is a fusion of traditional Indian music and modern music styles.

BritPop

Britpop is a form of Alternative Rock with a definite "British" sensibility and attitude. The music these artists make is quite diverse: groups such as Blur and Radiohead are more experimental, sometimes bordering on art-rock, while others, such as Oasis and Black Grape, deliver a hard-rocking wall of sound. In any form, Britpop has maintained a unique slant on rock and roll from the late ’80s forward.

Garage

Garage music originated in the USA in the 1970s. The name ‘garage’ came about because it was all about young bands playing their own kind of music in their garages.

Glam Rock (aka Glitter Rock)

Glam rock was a peculiarly British phenomenon, a style of rock music popularised in the 1970s, which approached music with a get dressed up and be freaky attitude, distinguished by the wild costumes and otherworldly stage acts of the performers rather than any particular aspect of their music.

Grunge

Grunge is also popularly referred to as the Seattle Sound and the most famous Grunge group is probably Nirvana the tragic American band of the 1980s. Although it became hugely popular in the UK with its fusion of punk, thrash metal and alternative rock, its popularity was short-lived. When Kurt Cobain (of Nirvana) committed suicide in April of 1994, grunge music effectively began its decline. Interestingly, Cobain had often been photographed wearing t-shirts stating that "Grunge is Dead".

Hip Hop

Hip Hop originated in New York in the late 1970s. The MCing, DJing youth culture of hip hop encompasses not just the music, but fashion, break-dancing (b-boying) and grafitti art. MCing otherwise known as rapping is the vocal expression of lyrics in sync to the rhythm beneath it.

Indie

Indie isn’t so much a sound as a concept. Taken from the word independent it began as a revolt against MOR (middle of the road) pop, manufactured bands and the major record labels. The idea is to set up your own recording and distribution label free of long term contracts.

GLOSSARY FOR THIS UNIT

Source: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/britishmusic.htm

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