(On why he hates the term 'world music'): It's a way of relegating this 'thing' into the realm of something exotic and therefore cute, weird but safe, because exotica is beautiful but irrelevant.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The term 'world music' pushes diverse sounds into a niche that seems safe but lacks real relevance.
- In plain terms
- Calling something world music makes it seem cute but unimportant.
- What can you take from it?
- Labels can reduce art to exotic novelties.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do categories help or hinder appreciation?
- Who decides what is 'world' music?
Another view
Some terms help listeners discover new music.
More from David Byrne
On the music of Talking Heads, from Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Albums:
Permalink to quote #3 To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware.
Permalink to quote #5 There is a finite number of jokes in the universe.
Permalink to quote #6
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