World music, global music, international music: many terms have been used to describe music that lies beyond English-language hegemony and the countries whose music dominates the industry. These terms are generally reserved for traditional styles. Therefore, genres such as reggaeton, Afrobeats and K-pop, all forms of contemporary pop music, are not considered under this label.
But global grooves are moving closer to the mainstream within and outside the university. I spoke to some of the people making waves in the Cambridge scene. “We all have hazy yet beautiful memories associated with music” Many of the music styles that global music encompasses have deep roots in vinyl culture.
This history is honoured by Cambridge Dance, featuring avid vinyl collector and DJ, Soroosh Avazkhani. When my friends and I discovered this event, we were blown away. Platforming bossa nova, Afrobeat, disco and more, the night offers something refreshingly different from the pop music that dominates the city – finally, an event to dance the night away.
For Soroosh, a good club night involves “getting into a dark room, just letting the sound engulf you and shutting up and dancing”. Soroosh cites safety as an important part of this letting-go process as well as the pertinence of community. Mapa del Mundo is a CamFM show run by two MMLers, Ishaan and Sonja, who became friends during their year abroad in Buenos Aires.
“Music discovery has always been interesting to me,” Sonja explains, hi.
