![]() I mean seriously, does anyone think that “Uptown Funk” was inspired by Kenny Rogers? When people hear Bruno Mars, it’s easy to tell that he was influenced by black music. Bruno Mars routinely credits the black musicians who have inspired him.Īnother reason these pearl-clutching cries of cultural appropriation are absurd is that Mars and other non-black musicians are not trying to pass their influences off as their own. Elvis regularly spoke of learning his art from black musicians. One of the reasons this argument is ridiculous is because it’s not true. The left claims that their cries of cultural appropriation are a response to the idea that non-black musicians are not giving the proper credit to the impact that black artists have had on their music. “We just need to share it, that’s all.” Performing Black Music Is Not Cultural Appropriation “Water from the white fountain don’t taste any better than from the black fountain,” he said. He told Presley that music is like water - it’s for everyone. King went on to describe how he told Presley that music is not owned by any one race. “There was not a single drop of racism in that man.” “Let me tell you the definitive truth about Elvis Presley and racism,” King said. King met Presley when both of their careers were starting to take off. Speaking of Elvis, there have been several black musicians who appreciated the fact that Presley was instrumental in bringing black music into the American mainstream. Like Tower of Power, I like soul with a capital “S.” I have no intention of crying like a hound dog over Elvis Presley. Minute by minute, I enjoy the soulful crooning of Michael McDonald. I have absolutely no problem with blue-eyed soul. I mean seriously, how could anyone hate on Paul Simon? Why All The Fuss Over Non-Blacks Singing Black Music?Īs I stated previously, most blacks don’t care about non-black musicians playing black music. Paul Simon was criticized for performing with - and using the musical stylings of - African artists like Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Sting and The Police have been slammed for their jazz, reggae, and R&B influences. Elvis Presley still gets criticized for incorporating black musical stylings into his music. This type of criticism is nothing new, and Bruno Mars isn’t the first non-black artist to be accused of exploiting black music by a small amount of overly sensitive individuals. For the record, Bruno Mars is Jewish, Puerto Rican, and Filipino. “He is not black at all, and he plays up his racial ambiguity to cross genres,” she said. In an asinine rant against Mars, Sensei stated that the singer “100 percent is a cultural appropriator.” She also indicated that Mars uses his mixed-race heritage to exploit black music. SEREN SENSEI SERIESLast week, writer Seren Sensei appeared on an episode of a web series called “The Grapevine.” The episode included a panel of artists and writers who attempted to answer the question “Is Bruno Mars a cultural appropriator?” The Social Justice Left’s Fixation On Cultural Appropriation Unfortunately, the social justice movement’s philosophy of cultural totalitarianism dictates that Americans should be gravely offended. Indeed, many blacks don’t care if a white, Hispanic, or a person of another race borrows from the stylings of black musicians. Unfortunately for them, they are out of touch. Their latest target is singer Bruno Mars, who is famous for hits like “24 Karat Magic,” “Grenade,” and “Just The Way You Are.” Why? Because the singer’s music is influenced by black music - and he’s not black.įor decades, many on the left have whined about non-black musicians who are influenced by black music. The Cultural Appropriation Police have been quite busy lately. We understand pedagogy as not only a method of education, but as a critical space where the processes of teaching and learning, knowledge and action, and self and community are reflexive, interwoven, and oriented toward the liberatory possibilities of a just and democratic world.For an Audio Version of this article click here: Instead, they powerfully draw on experiences of oppression and merge them with creative and historical practices of resilience.įeaturing 2017 at land’s edge fellowship cohort:Īt land’s edge is an autonomous pedagogical platform based in East and South Los Angeles that nurtures the voices of cultural producers who are committed to social transformation. They contend with otherness in a way that rejects the term’s connotations of victimization. At land’s edge: other dialogues is a day-long series of conversations led by artists of various creative disciplines who dig into their rich ancestral cultures, racial and gender subjectivities, and radical politics, in an earnest attempt at engaging with personal and collective histories. ![]()
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