The Place of Culture in Music
There is a celebration of different cultures within music and it's time fur us to explore it.

Music is one of the most influential parts of society no matter where you go. As much as music is for entertainment, it also means much more. Few things can bring people from different backgrounds together. There are even fewer things that can still be used to create an identity. So music unites, yet it also sets apart.

Being such a huge part of our society, it’s inevitable that music is heavily linked to the culture of the day. Culture refers to the accepted ideals and practices of a given community. Music is an expression that finds its origin in human thought and experience. In our dynamic world, both culture and music are ever-evolving and they each play a massive part in the evolution of the other. That relationship is what I’m here to talk about.

How are music and culture related? Can there be one without the other? What is your responsibility as an artist? Do you have a role to play in shaping the culture of your community, maybe even the world? In this article, I’ll attempt to answer these questions.

How are music and culture related?

A sign of the times

If you want to understand the state of a community, listen to their music. It’s one of the most accurate indicators of what’s happening at that time. If it’s a time of moral decay, you’ll hear many songs about all sorts of “pleasures” and an equal number of songs decrying the “loss of values”. If it’s a time of government oppression, you’ll first hear the protests and activism in the music before you see people in the streets.

In the 70s, at the height of military rule in Nigeria, you could hear the dissatisfaction of the people in the music. Loudest among all the voices was Fela. As talented as he was, his message is what made him successful. It reflected the times, and people could relate to it, so it thrived. The trend is the same anywhere you go.

Music is an accurate way to tell the state of a community.

Celebration

The Jews celebrate Passover. Christians love Christmas. Countries all over the world enjoy Independence Day. In every community you visit, there are festivals and celebrations that are fundamental parts of their story and evolution. Passover, for example, celebrates the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt which marked the beginning of the Jewish nation and Judaism as a religion.

On Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus upon whom every Christian teaching is founded. Independence Day celebrates the very creation of a country. In each case, the celebration is an important part of the community, and the music played during these celebrations also forms a huge part of the story.

Mode of expression

Music is an important avenue where people can express themselves. Artists use their lyrics to express themselves creatively, but that’s only part of it. The people also have feelings and emotions they’d love to express. Unfortunately, having a burden isn’t the only requirement for being a successful musician. You need to cultivate the skill and the platform.

So not everyone can be an artist, but through the artists, the people’s feelings are expressed. In a way, the artist has become the voice of the people. This is why people will listen to music that they connect to. Through that music, they’re able to find a voice. Read this excerpt from Burna Boy’s song, Ye.

“But my people dem go say

I no want kpai, I no want die

I no want kpeme, I want enjoy

I want chop life, I want buy motor

I want build house, I still want turn up”

If you’re not Nigerian, you probably won’t understand exactly what he’s saying, but here’s the gist of it. Burna Boy is stuck between enjoying himself and being responsible and planning for the future. Is there a single young person who hasn’t gone through that struggle? I certainly am!

Music gives the people a voice.

Forms people

Culture refers to the accepted ideals and practices of a given community. You were born into a community and have been deeply affected by the culture. John Legend doesn’t make Gospel music, but it’s no secret he started in church choir. The effect continues to this day. NF tries as much as he can to right the wrongs of his parents, but that traumatic childhood shaped the man he grew to become.

By extension, culture will affect the kind of music an artist makes. Whether for or against, your music will always give a hint of your roots. The culture you grew up in will affect your values and convictions, whether you like it or not. Using the same example as before, NF is so against substance abuse because he suffered the effects.

So our culture forms us, and by extension, our music. At the same time, music forms our culture. The music we grew up listening to will have a massive impact on what we believe and how we behave. So as much as culture forms music, music forms culture too.

This is the most important relationship between music and culture.

What is the artist’s role?

With so much said, you should understand how important you are to society as an artist. You must remain authentic to yourself, but you must also be aware of the effects of your music. As much as culture affects who you are, you also have a huge part in deciding how culture evolves for future generations. You can’t decide what kind of world you’re born into, but you can decide what kind of world you’ll leave behind.

You owe to your community because whether you choose to or not, you will make an impact. Fela has been dead for decades, but his impact lives on. He fought against government oppression. Eminem may or may not be the rapper he once was, that’s debatable, but his impact is undeniable. A genre once seen to be only for African-American artists can now boast incredible diversity.

That’s the power you have as an artist. How will you use it?