Opus 80|A Musical Opus from the 1980s

I think, I was in my thirties, when I started listening to music that wasn’t part of the North American pop music scene.  I believe they call it world music.  At least that’s the commonly used genre title used by most music writers and critics.  I don’t know, if it took me that look to get bored with Western music, or I just discovered it through some other path.  It could have been reggae, that pulled me away from the mainstream stuff most of my peers were listening to.  I know I go some strange looks and comments, when I started listening to this stuff. But, only you know what kind of music you really like.

This was of course, long before the internet, so it wasn’t as easy to just find good world music anywhere.  Now with the internet, you can get samples of all sorts of music to try before you buy.  Maybe a little ancient greek music ( αρχαία ελληνική μουσική ) would be something you enjoyed.  I think, what I liked most about world music, was the variety of different rhythms they employed.  I was brought up as a drummer, in a family of drummers (four boys and dad).  Most music you hear on radio stations these days is pretty cookie cutter stuff.  My the time I got to a certain age, I was ready from something new.

Not only rhythm, but acoustical and flamenco guitar was something that seem more prevalent  in world music like traditional greek music ( παραδοσιακή ελληνική μουσική ) for example.  I think what’s important to take away from here, is to take time to explore things a little.  Like your mom always said when you were a kid, “How do you know you don’t like it, if you never tried it?”.  Sorry Mom, I still don’t like steamed carrots.  But seriously, it never hurts to listen to music from all over the world.  African, Jamaican, Russian, Greek, French, Spanish, or whatever other country may tickle your fancy.

Sure, I know I write a lot about the great bands from the eighties here, but that doesn’t mean I’m a Luddite when it comes to other worldly stuff.  I like variety as much as the next guy.  And you probably do to, even if you’d never admit.  The beauty of getting hooked on Greek or other world music, is that no one else ever needs to know.  You can just squirrel it all away on your iPod under lock and key.  When your plugged into the headphones with the music cranked it’ll be our little secret.