Because Dylan draws from songs from the past, he has been accused of plagiarism. But this view has been colored by a distorted understanding of the creative process.
Category: Music
Mercury Prize 2022: What Rapper Little Simz’ Win Says About the UK Independent Music Scene
In a strong field of diverse artists, the north London rapper stood out with her exuberant, personal-political, genre-busting album.
Who Invented Music? The Search for Stone Flutes, Clay Whistles and the Dawn of Song
For thousands of years, music has been an essential part of the human experience.
What Is Cultural Appropriation and Why Is It So Harmful? The Die Antwoord Story
Controversial South African band Die Antwoord illustrates the power relations that make cultural appropriation and blackface so damaging.
Nigeria: How Some Afrobeats Tributes to Fela Kuti Come Across as Opportunistic, Empty
The post-2020 class of Nigeria’s Afrobeats stars has reached for Fela’s source in ways that barely recognise the stature of the late icon.
More Than a Piece of Furniture: It Is Sometimes as if These Old Pianos Have Souls
It tugs at the heartstrings to see an instrument that has weathered over a century of faithful service get carted to the tip, or “piano heaven” as insiders say.
Kanye May Not Like Books, but Hip-Hop Fosters a Love of Literature
A hip-hop artist and scholar says that while rap stresses the oral tradition, the music is also rife with references to a rich range of literature that spans the globe.
Uganda’s Most Popular Musician Is Being Banned Because He Criticised the Govt
Uganda’s most popular recording artist of the past decade, Bobi Wine, has endured censorship and the suppression of his music after running an opposition campaign against Uganda’s current president.
Of Playlists and Songs That Feel Like Home
The power songs hold over me comes from the people I think of when listening to them.
40 Years of CDs : From Listening Pleasure To Useless Trash?
The once revolutionary technology of the compact disc is considered 'old school' today.