Angelique Kidjo’s Remain in Light :: OISTAT Mentorship Program :: Music Festival Gender Gaps
MusicMakers News: Week of June 25th, 2018
What does it take to create an amazing cover song? Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo has recreated the entire Talking Heads 1980 album Remain in Light in her own style. Talking Heads’ original Afrobeat-inspired songs motivated Kidjo to reimagine the album as if it had been created in West Africa, furthering her mission to demonstrate the influence of African music on Western music and the world.
The ability to create unique cover songs is a skill many artists develop over time. Changing the groove, tempo, or melody are great ways of making a cover song interesting, but a deeper meaning behind the new version is what differentiates a great cover from a good one. Kidjo’s groove-changing covers bring new light and authenticity to the Talking Heads album through her heritage, creating something beautiful, meaningful, and inspiring.
What are some songs on which you can provide a new perspective? How is your story reflected in the covers you choose?
OISTAT Sound Design Group is offering a free international mentoring opportunity for theatrical sound designers, sound artists and theatrical composers. The mentorship can be tailored to your specific interests, and they will provide feedback on examples of your sound projects.
This program is conducted virtually and targets individuals in areas that lack other opportunities for sound design education. Mentorship parameters will be discussed and agreed upon between Mentor/Mentee. Completion of the program earns a certificate from OISTAT Sound Design Group!
Pitchfork recently released their data tracking gender equality in music festivals by examining the line-ups from 19 different festivals within the last year. Their findings showed that 7 out of 10 acts on festival bills are either men or all-male bands, but thus far, female representation has increased 5% in 2018. Charts illustrating the full gender breakdown can be accessed from the link below.
Closing the gap will take time, but things have been looking promising as many music festivals have joined on the gender balance initiative to include more representation from acts including women and non-binary members. Nearly all of the festival’s compared in the study showed an increase in varied gender representation from last year.
