2 A Tribe Called Red - Look At This
Here is the link for the song I have chosen. It is a little long and can be repetitive so if we could cut it shorter that would be awesome. This group signifies a lot cultural blending and create upbeat music that makes people from all different cultures want to dance and come together. For me this shows a lot of what my life has been like, a blend of cultures working together. Coming from families with very different history’s the music shows the blending of cultures I have experienced my whole life.

3 The Other Guys - Ordinary Man
Here is a link for my music choice. I chose it because it was my father's band in the '80s and my family used to listen to it a lot.

4 Blue Rodeo - 5 Days in May. This song has cultural significance to me as when I was growing up my mom played this album all the time. It is the soundtrack of family dinners for me as it was always playing in the background. Not only did my mom really like Blue Rodeo, she said she thinks it's important to support Canadian artists. Whenever I hear Blue Rodeo and this song in particular I feel like I'm back at my parents house having dinner on a summer night. From d2l see music files

5 Daniel Alomía Robles - El Cóndor Pasa
The peace of music that I have to contribute is called "El Condor Pasa" Which is Spanish for "The Condor Passes" This song is very popular in Peru and Ecuador. It is played in the form of traditional Andean folk music. This song is also important to me, it invokes a sense of freedom and living life in the most natural way. It brings me a lot of fond memories of not only visiting Peru but also of growing up with my father, as he is from Ecuador and whenever he tells me stories of growing up in the Amazon I always think about this song. I feel some cultural connection with it, although I never grew up in that culture. Here is the youtube link.

6 Mariana’s Trench - Masterpiece Theatre III
I chose this because it is one of my all time favourite songs as well as a song that has been with me through many points in my life. The song came out when I was in the 8th grade and it stayed one of my favourite songs from then, and all the way through high school. Marianas Trench was also the band that brought my best friend and I together in grade 8. We were always nice to each other and talked in class but once we found out we both loved Marianas Trench we’ve been glued at the hips. She has been with me through so much together and she has helped me become who I am. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be as brave and I wouldn’t be as opinionated (in a good way) and I also wouldn’t be as ready to stand up for myself and others. I chose this song in particular because I love that is a mash-up of not only songs from the Masterpiece Theatre album but it also has a few songs from their Fix Me album, which is the one I first fell in love with.

7 Shania Twain - Man I Feel Like a Woman!
To start off, I grew up listening to Shania Twain my whole life, and still love her now. Her music isn’t the type that gets old, or boring. Even though it doesn’t play that often on the radio, when it does it’ll get you dancing! This song is important to me because I am a feminist, and I think it captures a feminist view. Shania is saying how she is going against society’s womanly expectations, by saying she wants to make some noise, and really raise her voice, and that she ain't gonna act politically correct. Also she explains how she doesn’t need a man to have a good time. This is meaningful to me because I grew up with a single mom my whole life, and I have learned that you don’t need someone else to be happy.

Another aspect of this song that is important, is that she is showing that she is proud to be a woman, which I think every woman should be. Shania Twain is an iconic figure for our generation, and she's bad ass because she can pull off a full leopard print outfit.

8 The Black Eyed Peas - Pump it

This song is probably one of most influential pieces of culture that affected me during my late childhood and early adolescence. When it came out in 2006, it became an instant hit and was broadcasted on various music channels, especially MTV. Since television at that time was the primary means of enjoying the pop culture for me and my friends, "Pump it" blasted my ears everyday, both at home and outside. All my friends were hooked on it too, so it was a constant soundtrack to all our hangouts and parties. At that time I was somewhere between 11 and 12, and suffice to say that during this age, I first started to show signs of interest in both music and girls. One of girls that I liked was a big fan of Black Eyed Peas, so I was unintentionally drawn to their music too. Since I liked both the song and the girl, this band ignited me and I decided to buy my very first album "The Monkey Business" in which "Pump It" was featured. I think that this purchase shaped my musical taste and directed me to explore the western pop culture even more. After listening the album hundreds of times, I saved some money and bought The Black Eyed Peas discography (which had everything that came out right before their "The E.N.D." album which was a disaster and killed my interest in them). All in all, "Pump it" is a precious piece of nostalgia for me, that happened to shape me as a person.

9 Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

10 Eddie Vedder - Society
I selected this song because it is a critique of the materialist values of North American society.

11 Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
I chose this radiohead song because i think it represents what capitalism has done to western cultures. I think it symbolizes how companies have made life artificial by exploiting people. Just the other day my mum was wondering if we could just get a small fake tree instead of the real thing for christmas. I feel like living in a modern culture like this, we are being seperated more and more from nature and from a wholesome life. I'm not sure what this does to people's psyche but i feel more disconected from the 'real world'. I know it's a little bit depressing (radiohead always is), but capitalism is depressing! Its ruining our culture and i think radiohead did a fine job of exposing that in this song.

12 Dan Mangan - War Blues
I picked this song, Post-War Blues by Dan Mangan, because it represents the cultural angst of politics in Canadian society. He is a Vancouver born artist. This song reminds me of how many days, especially during the school year, when I wake up I go straight to the computer and search the current events, usually news on politics, environment, etc. I become very passionate about whats going, and even though it can be alot to take in somedays, there is something thrilling about being in the know, especially being at the age where I have a lifetime to possibly do something about it.

13 Hillywood Show - Supernatural Parody
I chose this song because while it represents the nerdy culture I am a part of it also makes a parody of the main stream North American Culture I am expected to be a part of.

14 Neil Young - Out On The Weekend
This song has cultural significance to me for two reasons. One, because I interpret it is about a young, coming of age intellect, which I identify with strongly at this point in my life. Secondly, I have always been very proud of Neil Young being a Canadian, and have always viewed him as a very strong cultural symbol.

15 Current Swell - Young and Able

16 Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues
As an African-American singer-songwriter, Robert Johnson is inherently connected to blues music and the conception of rock ‘n roll, which itself has been exported throughout pop cultures and counter-cultures around the world. His influence has been noted by a vast array of musicians. Though he was regarded as a Mississippi Delta bluesman, Johnson’s vocal flexibility and guitar creativity allowed him to experiment in a variety of blues-based approaches. His only recordings were taped between 1936 and 1937; several of these tracks foreshadowed the rock and roll genre that would not be popularized until a decade later. A unique aspect of Robert Johnson’s legacy is his alleged ‘deal with the devil’, in which Johnson is said to have met the devil at a barren crossroads or highway intersection, where he sold his soul in exchange for musical genius. Making pacts with Satan is a mythological theme common among Christian fables. As for Johnson’s song entitled “Cross Road Blues”, some rumours suggest that either the track depicts the legendary deal itself, or the song is Johnson’s plea for God’s forgiveness after having already made the devilish exchange. Nonetheless, Johnson died mysteriously at the age of 27, thus initiating the “27 Club” which would later include Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, and other notable musicians. A hint of self-deprecation will always be associated with Rock and Roll culture.

17 Nas and Damien Marley - Sabali (Patience) by has a strong global cultural significance. Damien Marley, son of Bob Marley, is a very prominent figure in reggae and hip hop music. Known more for than who his father was, Damien is known for singing about culturally poignant and relevant social issues. Nas is also an iconic Hip-Hop artist who has been around for ages. This song reflects on the inequality in the world and distribution of wealth. It also touches on world hunger, the faults of the media and the shortcomings of the Western world. Sabali is a historically significant song that was used in the refrain. It is a beautiful coming together of music and culture, I hope the class enjoys it!

18 Innocent (Innocent Mumba) - Envoy Nshakachule
This song is by Innocent, a famous singer/song writer from Zambia Africa. I was in Zambia in June of last year (2014) and had the pleasure of meeting Innocent, and a few of his friends/co-workers. I bought two of his CD's and I'm still not sick of listening to them. His songs are gospel, worship style music. This is significant to me because of my christian faith. Meeting these guys was so sureal to me. They welcomed me into their home, invited me out for a meal, and allowed me to visit their studio (in one of the music producers home) and even sang a song with me! (Despite my mediocre singing skills). One of the singers also invited me to his sons birthday party at his school, so I could experience what schools are like, and could meet the kids. Coincidentally, they were even singing at a wedding that I attended while in Zambia. They were so down to earth, and they really welcomed me into their culture with open arms, and taught me so much about the Zambian culture and ways of life. I am still in touch with one of the artists and when I return to Zambia I look forward to visiting them again.

19 Jacky Gosee (Ethiopia) - Sela Bey!!
This is a song from Ethiopia. Although I don't understand this particular language, it has a lot of cultural significance to me. Ethiopia and Eritrea share a lot of similarities within the cultures, and so it reminds me of where I come from. Although I live in Canada and there aren't too many opportunities here to practice my culture of origin, by listening to music such as this one, it allows me to identify with my origins.

20 Angelique Kidjo - Malaika
This is a link to the song “Malaika”, which means Angel in Kiswahili, and reminds me of Kenya every time I hear it. The girls at the orphanage I worked at were nicknamed the “Angels of Marimba”

21 Where is the Love - The Black Eyed Peas
I chose this song for my music project because I believe it portrays the way the world is from a political perspective and the perspective of a member of society. In this song various worldwide problems are discussed, which include terrorism, U.S. government hypocrisy, racism, gang crime, pollution, war, intolerance, and violence against the LGBT community. This song is culturally significant to me because it explains how our world is headed down a path of destruction due to racism, discrimination and negative political power. More specifically this song explains how all different cultures from across the world regardless of all the different traditions, value and cultural beliefs all practice the same negative actions such as racism and discrimination, and how it influences younger generations to grow up to be hostile towards others, instead of spreading equality and positivity. Regardless of the fact that this song was released in 2003 and some of these issues have been improved, I believe that our world still practices these actions but in different manners. This song portrays how our culture has become filled and over taken by racism and discrimination, causing various individuals to society to follow these negative actions and forget about their own culture. In a way, I believe that pollution, politics, racism etc. has become a more important value amongst people instead of their traditional cultural beliefs. This song is culturally significant to me because I believe that racism, discrimination and pollution amongst numerous other issues, occur to often within our society and spread to much negativity, disabling different cultures to flourish and creates inequalities which should be eliminated. In addition to this I believe that for humans to continue to evolve in a positive manner, we need to form different perspectives by experiencing different cultures and learn to become equals, instead of evolving through war, political power and constant competition. Also the song is also significant to me because it portrays the hidden truths of our society in a powerful manner by addressing them directly, and what we should do in order to improve, and work towards creating a place that is more positive and equal towards others. Link to Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/blackeyedpeas/whereisthelove.html

22 J.Cole - Love Yourz
Music has a culture of its own derived by people. Within that culture there is a division among different genres of music. Rap and hip-hop is one of them. However, overtime the rap/hip-hop industry has changed, becoming a product of the influences and aesthetic, which have played upon it. Nowadays, the culture representing the rap/hip-hop industry is women, cars and drugs. Once, this notion was realized by J.Cole, a young Fayetteville rapper, he went out looking for change. His approach with rap music was combining it with things other rappers never spoke about… things like happiness and love. He created a masterpiece late 2014, going back to where it all began, his home in North Carolina. The second to last song in the album, “Love Yourz”, also my chosen song for the project is the central lesson he learned and continues to draw from as he goes through life. This sort of music adds to the preexisting culture and I believe is slowly changing the current norms that the culture follows. In my opinion, I think it is also awakening the minds of those who have been dormant in such areas of life. He is a soulful storyteller, and very good at it. Allowing masses to relate and express themselves.

23 Sam Roberts - We're All In This Together
This song represents my belief about us all being in this together. Having all these different labels as to being of a certain religion or flag seem to separate us and categorize us. These things really do not matter when it comes down to it. Grouping ourselves makes it easier to see someone else as less equal or inferior in some way. Treat someone as you want to be treated and assume nothing about someone you don't know. The song also addresses the nature of greed, which is something everyone is capable of. The music video somewhat butchers the song, but in a way to show that the individual instruments and vocals sound much better when they are all working together. Which can easily be an allusion to the songs message.

24 James Taylor - Fire and Rain.
I chose this song because the lyrics reflect realizations I've had recently about life having good and bad, dark and light, and that neither one is ever permanent. Everything is temporary.

25 Stan Rogers - The Mary Ellen Carter
The culturally significant piece of music that I chose to examine is a song by Stan Rogers called the “Mary Ellen Carter”. This Song is about a Nova Scotian fishing vessel that sinks and how the sailors on board react. This song is significant to maritime culture in that it emphasizes the traditions of sailing and fishing that are very prevalent in Nova Scotian history. Stan Rogers had an obsession with Nova Scotian culture and many of his songs describe different areas of the province. He was also highly influenced by the Celtic music traditions that exist there, especially in Cape Breton. These influences helped him develop his own unique style of Celtic folk music. In the song itself, “the Mary Ellen Carter” describes a ship that contains great symbolic significance to maritime tradition. The sinking of the vessel represents how the times are changing in the Maritimes. It describes how the long history of small town fishing, sailing, and modesty is being replaced by the industries of big city life. Stan Rogers laments for the old maritime lifestyle and curses the development of money hungry corporations. This is highlighted in an excerpt from the song:

“And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
and let the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.”

Here, we see Stan Rogers making a plea to all maritimers not to forget their heritage and the traditions of the past. The “Marry Ellen Carter” represents that old way of life and it “rising again” describes how perhaps the old maritime culture will remerge.

26 Barenaked Ladies -
This is song is culturally important to me because it is by a Canadian band that I listened to while growing up. I have a lot of childhood memories listening to their songs with friends and with my parents in the summertime. Me and my best friend did a lip sync performance in front of our elementary school to this song. A lot of the music by barenaked ladies contains cultural references which are so easy for me to relate to. This song makes me really happy, it is one of my favourites.

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