Music Industry "Racism" - Seriously?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/mobos-founder-calls-on-government-to-help-fight-music-industry-racism-12009092
I'd have thought the music industry is a shining example of the opposite of "racism" - gawd it's already wall to wall BAME! They even have their own award process! The industry has been full of BAME artists since Adam was a lad. What more do they want?

[margarettom]

Why don’t you just accept TTT there isn’t a single thing in this country that someone won’t call racist at some time or another and save your blood pressure.

[mushroom25]

the music industry isn't government owned, or government controlled, nor is it the role of government to interfere in the policies or practices of private companies, except in cases of lawbreaking.

if the industry is disadvantaging some in favour of others, then it's the industry that needs sorting. if they won't comply then i'm sure the current fashion for woke cancel culture can soon see alleged racist music bodies cut off from their sources of income.

[naomi24]

Perhaps banning an organisation founded to celebrate music of black origin specifically would go some way to combatting racism.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - //
Perhaps banning an organisation founded to celebrate music of black origin specifically would go some way to combatting racism. //

I entirely agree.

All popular music is 'music of black origin' - even using the term makes me laugh because it is so far up itself as to be invisible.

I understand that racism is an evil and pernicious force in society, but as Tora points out, music is one area of culture were all ethnic origins have an equal opportinity to shine, and the sheer diversity of modern music underlines the fact that diverse cultures are absolutely embraced and encouraged.

The lady in question suggests that people of colour are some how 'prevented' from obtaining positions of power within the music industry - tell that to Berry Gordy!!

[ToraToraTora]

yes Andy, puzzling, BA

[andy-hughes]

Tora - // yes Andy, puzzling, BA //

Thank you!

[Buenchico]

Just a thought:

How many times have you seen a white lead singer performing with a trio of black backing singers? (I think that your answer might well be "Loads of times!")

Now ask yourself how many times you've seen a black singer performing with a trio of white backing singers. (I suspect that your answer might well be '"Hardly ever").

Could it be that (even if only subconsciously) the music industry still sees white performers as capable of being 'principal artists', whereas many black performers are viewed as only being suitable for supporting roles?

[ToraToraTora]

chris, I could list dozens of BAME performers who are in anything but supporting roles and similarly white session musicians and singers in the background, nothing to see here.

[Mozz71]

I don't know enough about the current music industry to speak with much authority, but it seems to me that there is little racism within it's ranks nowadays, and most genres of music have acts of all races involved and accepted by all. A lot of this I imagine, is down to many labels being founded and owned by BAME owners.

The industry suffered from huge racism in the past, especially in the 50s (and earlier) when many black artists weren't allowed to be seen and identified as ethnic, but that was the society back then, and I'd like to think that times are different now.

[Spicerack]

Barber Shop Quartets are considered a tad old fashioned, nowadays, chris.

[ToraToraTora]

when it comes to music I defer to out in house expert AH.

[Spicerack]

Watched a doc. recently about The Real Thing. I think the band members were in their late 60's, more anon.
Before the band got a say, they had a panel of black music 'experts' in their 20's to explain how tough it was for black performers back in the day. Among the gems; white audiences wouldn't support black artists.
Black people were ripped off by white managers.
White song writers gave all the best songs to White singers/bands.
And on, and on. Oh dear, I thought, how grim.
Then the band got a say. The Beatles were a great help to them in their early days. They loved their white manager who stuck by them through thick and thin. Ditto the white song writing team who penned their biggest hits. Their audience (early ones, I'd guess) was a 'sea of young, white girls' who were enamoured with the good looking singer. And so on.
The point of the story, if there is one, is why are we filling the younger generation's heads with all this negativity and race theory?

[andy-hughes]

Spicerack - // The point of the story, if there is one, is why are we filling the younger generation's heads with all this negativity and race theory? //

I'm not sure that 'we' are - if you use the term 'we' to indicate the vast majority of modern society in Britain.

People like Kanya King are even balanced it has to be said - she has a chip on both shoulders, but her myopic and pointlessly biased view of the world should in no way be seen as a reflection of the world as a whole.

Unfortunately, modern media and social media gives a large platform to just about any individual with a keyboard and a pointless axe to grind, but their pointless attention-seeking self-aggrandizement should not for one moment be seen as an accurate interpretation of the majority of black people.

I think Ms King likes making a noise and looking important, but noise does not equate with impact, and looking important is not the same as being important.