(c) 2018 Vinny Ribas
Over the years I have been approached by artists living in Europe, Mexico, Russia, the Philippines and Japan who asked if I can help them with their careers in their home counties. Not being familiar with their cultures, local music industries, social networks etc., I have always told them that I didn’t think I was the best fit for them. And to be honest with you, I didn’t and still don’t know who to refer most of them to. It is always frustrating when I see or hear someone with exceptional talent who I can’t help.
But it got me thinking about the fact that, even though their music was in a different language, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. And having been a wedding and corporate musician for 20 years, I had learned and played hundreds of foreign language songs (Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Greek etc.) that had earned their notoriety in America as well as their homelands. Some even became popular here even in their native language (e.g. Sukiyaki’ by Kyu Sakamoto). And, of course, songs sung in English are popular worldwide.
So it got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was one universal music chart or even just a website that illustrated the crossover potential of songs from other countries and in other languages. For example, if you like EDM dance music from artists such as Gwen Stefani, then you may love the infectious song, ‘Amphetamine’ by fast-rising Russian indie artist, Andy Darling.
And if you like rap music, maybe you’ll fall in love with one of these German rappers:
Personally, I love trolling YouTube and Spotify to discover new artists. So I think a universal music chart or referral website would be a great way to help close the gap between us all on planet earth!
