I was pondering lately the problems that continental Europe seems to have with popular music. They have no difficulties whatsoever with classical music and you would have to be a fool to contend that they did, but it seems that only the Anglo-Saxon countries (alright, and the Celts) can do popular music successfully.
The problem is more complicated than it appears at first glance, because the latin countries (excluding Spain, who in this, as in so many other things, are a wonderfully distinct case apart) can do jazz pretty well. As proof then check out any of the Italian musicians on the Schema label or the Quintette du Hot Club De France, with everybody's favourite Belgian gypsy, Django Reinhardt. However they have a near total inability to produce decent rock and pop records.
On the other hand the germanic peoples seem to excel in rock and pop, especially of the quirky, experimental kind: the whole Krautrock scene, Trio, Kraftwerk, Bjork and the Sugarcubes, not to mention more mainstream acts such as Aha or Abba, but you try and think of a truly great germanic jazz artist...
Maybe it is the blending of Roman and Saxon influences in Britain that allow us to succeed in both areas of popular music, or maybe this is just complete rubbish. Regardless of this, we should be celebrating, listening to and enjoying the range of different musical cultures, not just in Europe but around the world.
Happy listening.
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