This activity uses music to set the mood for the session by encouraging curiosity. It can also be used to explore stereotypes and cultural dominance.

Music is a universal language
 

Issues addressed

• Stereotypes and images that we have of music from other countries
• Cultural domination and the influence of "cosmopolitan" mass culture products on our musical tastes

Aims

• To challenge stereotypes and prejudice about music from non-conventional sources
• To raise curiosity about other peoples, cultures, music and languages To stimulate curiosity about music from other cultures and peoples
• To explore the issue of cultural appropriation

Preparation / Materials

• Select a piece of music or song from a minority culture or from another continent.
• If you can, find translations for any words and make copies for the participants.
• Acquire the equipment you will need to play the music, including amplification.

Instructions

1. Choose the appropriate time for this activity, for example at the beginning of the session or after a break.
2. Tell the group you are going to play some music, and that they will have to try to guess where it comes from.
3. If the music has words, ask the group to imagine what they are about.
4. Play the music for about three to four minutes.
5. Tell the participants they may discuss the music with a friend if they wish to, but they should not reveal their guesses.
6. Towards the end of the session, play the music again and invite participants who wish to do so to reveal their guesses.
7. Tell them the answer.
8. If you have the words, give out the copies and play the music again. Invite participants to follow the words as the music plays. They can also sing along if they wish.

Debriefing and evaluation

Quick feedback may be all that is necessary.

• Were you surprised at the origin of the music and the musician(s)? Why? Why not?
• Was it difficult to guess where it came from? Did it remind you of anything?

If you want to dig more deeply, continue by asking:

• Did you enjoy it? Was it familiar or not?
• What thoughts and images came into your head as you listened and tried to identify its origin? Where did the images come from? Are they real or stereotypes? If stereotypes, what sorts of stereotypes?
• What sort of music is most often played on the radio, social media and playlists?
• Is the sort of music we played at the start of the session played on the radio, social media and playlists? Why? Why not?
• Do the songs performed at the Eurovision song contest reflect the diversity of cultures in Europe?
• Do you ever notice the background music played in shops? Why is it being played? Does what is playing vary between shops and vary with the seasons? Would you say that generally it is fairly mainstream music, or is it diverse? Who chooses what is played?
• Creative musicians borrow ideas from each other, especially from other cultures. Can you name any examples of artists who do this either in their songs or videos? Is it ever problematic? When and why?
• What music do you play when you hold a party? Explain your choices.
• How could you expose yourself to a greater variety of music?

Tips for the facilitators

The choice of music is very important for the success of this activity. It works better if you first play part of the composition where there are no words, and later play the entire piece, including words. In this way, the participants do not immediately focus on the language. The music chosen should also contribute to a relaxing atmosphere, regardless of its origin.

Be prepared to give some information about the kind of music you have played, its cultural dimension, how popular it is in its country of origin, and so on.

Depending on how you use this activity, you may want to make the evaluation shorter or longer. You may want to make playing a song or piece of music a regular feature of your meetings. In this case, you can invite participants to contribute with their own choices of music to puzzle one another.

The question, “What music do you play when you hold a party?” is intended as an invitation to consider how diverse their friendship groups are and how people tend to have friends who are like themselves.

The activity works best when the music chosen is not obviously foreign. We often associate classical music or jazz with North America and Europe, while in fact a good part of it is performed by artists from other backgrounds. On the other hand, you might like to challenge the participants to listen to music that doesn’t “fit in a box”, for instance, Flamenco played on an electric guitar, classical music from Cape Verde or a Mongolian heavy metal music group.

‘Knysna Blue’, the title of this activity, is also the title of a record and song of a South African artist, Abdullah Ibrahim. If you are not sure what piece of music to use, we recommend this song (Enja records ENJA-TIP TOE 888 816 2, also available on YouTube).

Music and other forms of cultural expression, such as dance and art, are an excellent way to bring us closer to other cultures, but beware that they can also be carriers of stereotypes and biases.

Suggestions for follow-up

Take action: 

Make listening to music from different cultures a regular (or irregular) feature of your meetings. Invite participants who wish to, to bring in music from other origins to share with the group. However, be careful that this does not turn into a competition about favourite music!

The activity need not be based only on music; it could also be poetry or short stories that inspire people to be curious about other cultures and traditions.

Move on to another activity: Traditional music, dance, art and storytelling are all art forms firmly rooted in their culture of origin. Sometimes we dismiss storytelling and folk tales because we think of them as being for young children. This is not true and you can learn a lot about a culture from them. Have a go. See if you can guess which countries the stories in ‘Tales of the World’ come from. You’ll be in for some surprises!

Background information

Cultural appropriation is the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture. (Definition from the Cambridge dictionary.)

It is said that music is a language that knows no boundaries, not between countries, languages, cultures or generations. The exchange of musical ideas, as with all cultural exchanges, enriches life everywhere. However, the exchanges are not always equal and may be exploitative and racist. A well-known example of this is Elvis Presley, who was marketed by the record companies as the “King of Rock and Roll”, while the black musicians who were the pioneers of the genre were neither recognised, nor did they gain financially. A more recent example is Goran Bregović’s use of work by Šaban Bajramović and other Roma musicians: some claim that Bregović has often passed off his arrangements of Roma Balkan music as if they were all 100% ‘traditional’, whereas it has been said that various individuals have not been given due credit for the use of their music.