Great Big Sea

When I say "world music", what do you think of? Until last Friday, the first thing that popped into my mind was a musical recreation of activities enacted in the stereotypical African wilderness (drum circles around a blazing fire, dancing men in painted masks, chanting in a language foreign to my ears). But after talking with a teacher and reading an article she gave me, I realized there was more to it. World music is any type of music, indigenous to a certain area or people. Realizing my mistake, I just now remembered that my parents' favorite band, whom I listen to sometimes also, is a world music band.
Made up of three male members, all born in Newfoundland and Labrador, (there was a fourth, but he left in 2003 to spend more time with his family), Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band formed in 1993, who, aside from performing their own original material, perform rock interpretations of Newfoundland folk songs (drawing from the island's English, French, and Irish heritage), especially sea shanties.
My parents have all their CDs, one of their DVDs, and even some of their cassette tapes, so I grew up listening to their music. It's really grown on me. I know almost all their songs. It was very hard to choose an album to review, but I chose "Road Rage" (a live album). Most (but not all) of their songs are upbeat and fast-paced. That's one thing I love about them. If you're ever in the mood for something along those lines, you can always find a song to listen to in their plethora of recordings. Even if you don't want a fast song, this is one of those bands (and albums) that you can most likely find at least one song you'll like. I've decided to use one of my favorites as an example (and even though it's not necessarily fast-paced, it is an example of their re-interpreting of old folk songs from the island): "The Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man)".

Many people say they've never heard any world music. They say it's something foreign to them. And for a long time that was true- world music didn't make it to U. S. mainstream radio for a while. While it still isn't something you hear everyday, there are some genres of world music that you do hear a lot. Reggae music has become very popular in the U. S., and one of the first artists to bring world music to mainstream radio was Bob Marley and the Wailers. Bob Marley was originally from Jamaica, but had many performances and albums released here in the states. His legacy has been amazing- countless albums have been released after his death in 1981. One Bob Marley album, Legend, was released 3 years after his death, in 1984 serves as a greatest hits album, and contains his all best songs. His band, The Wailers, originally contained 5 members, including Bob Marley, and two members later left the band, leaving Bob Marley, Bunny Livingston, and Peter McIntosh, who later recorded solo under the name Peter Tosh, also a popular reggae musician. Bob Marley was a good musician, but his legacy is absolutely amazing. He really was the first to bring Reggae out of Jamaica. He has many great songs. Three Little Birds, has a good message- "Don't worry, about a thing / Cause every little thing gonna be alright." Buffalo Soldier is also one of my favorite songs, about some of the things that have happened throughout history and how to prevent them in the future. 

Anyone who wants to know how amazing World music can be should listen to Bob Marley.