Issue Three : Awards Ceremonies And Catch Up by John Book
There has been a lot of talk recently about awards. Jill Scott is being nominated for a lot of things, Eminem getting blasted for being nominated for his naughty lyrics, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" opening people's guys to the world of wire-fu, it seems everybody is getting awarded and nominated for something. Why does a piece of art, or an artistic form of something, have to be a winner in order for it to be valid? If you can't hear a tree fall it didn't happen? If someone doesn't get recognized, they're not worthy?
ne can argue that there are two sides to this, the mainstream and the underground. It's been brought up so many times it's not even worth bringing up here. But how about those artists who will never be noticed outside of their immediate circle of friends? The term "underground" has become the catch phrase of today, just as "alternative" became marketable. Super, better, bigger, more... "underground". Oh wow, that's the dope shit right? I remember when I did my fanzine in the early 90's, I'd get press releases from groups and they would have the balls to say "oh yeah, we have that alternative sound". What? The whole point was to steer clear from it. So if you hear of a group of MC's who are reppin' the underground, question them and like QuestionMarkAsylum, look away now. Uh huh.
I guess this is all part of the process of being a music fan, a music junkie. Awards seemed cool because your idols are being honored for their fantastic clever lines, their soulful voice, or that Jimmy Page-ish guitar solo. Then as you get older your tastes begin to change, and you start listening to music that the mainstream doesn't force feed you. You realize that awards are self-congratulatory, and benefits no one but the record company execute. The weekend after the award is given out, CD's are plastered with stickers saying "Grammy Winner!" Wow, so if this Cd by dhex doesn't have a sticker, or isn't even in Tower, it must not be worth anything. Okay, time to bust out my JLO necklace.
I'm not saying that awards mean nothing. But there shouldn't be a huge emphasis on who the "winner" is, and how much value an artist has when they win. There are thousands of artists out there who will never get noticed, but they probably rock your world more than anyone you'll ever see on TV. Whether it's two guys in a Hawaiian basement creating some eclectic electronica, or a jazz musician in Philly who opens her basement every Friday to a crowd of 50 just to play and to be heard, they're passionate about their art. They should be awarded for keeping true to their dreams, regardless of the situation.
Since I have a forum, I want to talk briefly about some of the music I've been listening to recently. Lately I have been in a daze with the music of Japanese artist Monday Michiru. I was shopping around on a website when I saw her photo on a record cover. She was beautiful. I bought the EP and was floored. She has a following in the "acid jazz" community but her music features a wide range of styles, from Latin jazz, to funk, to pop, and even some hip hop. But Miss Michiru's forte is Latin jazz, and she's very good at it. With one EP I had to buy another, then another, and more. Had to find a full CD. Found out Japan released a home video compilation, had to hunt that down. Her voice is charming and always shows a lot of emotion, far from the teenyboppers that often dominate Japan's music marketplace.
Her piano work is sharp, often getting into some nice improvisation that would make a lot of pianists blush. She produces or co-produces all of her work, she has an i! ncredible ear for what and what doesn't sound right. Her lyrics are remarkable, sometimes reflecting on her own feelings and other times looking into others to help speak for them.
Monday Michiru is a remarkable artist who is primarily known within Japan and parts of Europe. I read somewhere that they're trying to push her to the U.S. market, but I don't think it would work. How can you categorize a musician who isn't a teen (I believe she is in her mid 30's), who doesn't create pop music, and whose music can be accessed by everybody? Her domain may be Latin jazz or acid jazz, but she's much bigger than that. In an interview she said that the need for categorization is the one reason why she performs her music in Japan, where there is no obsession to be labeled.
She is a musician and wants to create music. She has about ten years of music behind her, and has worked with the likes of DJ Krush and United Future Organization. Now it's time for me to play catch up. If you've never heard of Monday Michiru, you should do so now. If there are words to categorize her, it would be "good music".