Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. cover version (n.) [kuhv-er vur-zhuhn] – in music, a performance done by an artist who is not the original performer
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. cover version (n.) [kuhv-er vur-zhuhn] – in music, a performance done by an artist who is not the original performer
Example: Her
cover version of the popular singer’s song received a lot of hits on the
Internet.
2. fandom (n.) [fan-duhm] – a collective term referring
to fans or dedicated supporters and their activities
Example: The
Beatles have a global fandom.
3. indie (adj.) [in-dee] – a small and
independent group of artists
Example: Indie singers have few, selected fans.
4. alternative (adj.) [awl-tur-nuh-tiv] – following ideas
or methods that are not traditional or not widely followed
Example: She
claims that her alternative diet of only fruits is good for the health.
5. cease (v.) [sees] – to stop
Example:
He did not cease doing his work even
though he was tired.
Article
Read the text below.
India’s youths embrace self-identity through a newfound interest in original Indian music.
Arijit Datta from
Indian rock band Airport thinks back to the low point of original Indian rock
music two decades ago when Western rock was the only kind of rock music that
Indians appreciated. Bands attempting to do something original were booed by
the audience, he says. As a result, they had to resort to doing cover versions of Western music
instead. Uday Benegal lead vocalist of the 1980’s band Indus Creed also remembers
how the Indian audiences’ fandom
for everything Western was such that people only wanted to see Caucasians perform on stage.
However, as
India was entering the 21st century,
Datta and Benegal both witnessed a transformation in India's community of alternative "indie" musicians, thanks to the
changing views of India's youth, who make up two-thirds of the country’s population,
and a rising economy.
The development in the country created more
opportunities for youths to improve their music through the availability of
musical instruments with better quality. India’s rising economy also brought positivity
and encouragement among India's young generation to cease from considering themselves part of the
Third World. Benegal, who struggled to be a musician during his time, says
that the youth now have more opportunities to aggressively pursue alternative
career choices, including making original music.
India’s youth
can now assert their self-identity because they have become aware of their
country’s global influence. They are happy to patronize all kinds of good
music, especially original music written and sung in their own local languages,
Benegal says.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
●
What
types of music do people in your country listen to nowadays?
How would you compare popular music today with popular music 20
years ago?
Discussion B
●
Do you think it’s better for bands to just do
covers of Western music? Why or why not?
●
What do you think are the advantages of
creating original music?