Rrrrrround-up!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

URGENT ORGAFUN NEED: Can someone be Portugal in the Europop 2008 fun we're orgafying on Freaky Trigger? The original volunteer has vanished. You'll need to supply one Portugese MP3 per month for the next 3 months, unfortunately starting tomorrow.

THEM: http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch/them/ - has anyone seen this programme? Or indeed "Sound" which is on the same T4-biting schedule on Saturday mornings?

CHINA http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2264056,00.html - Petridis looks for indie in China.

HURBAN - is there really such a genre as "Hurban", O American readers? What does it sound like?

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes it's hispanic urban, but "spanish language" and "reggaeton" are separate categories on this questionnaire. I guess "latin hip-hop" wd cover it then and the spanish language stuff is pop.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

yeah I'd guess there's a whole load of spanish-language non-urban stuff in the US - presumably the market Shakira emerged from, dunno much about it though. would guess ENRIQUE has a lot of traction here, also J-Lo would presumably have used it as a stepping stone, and it'd be the reason Xtina did those albums in Spanish. The CHILDREN OF ESTEFAN basically.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

From this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Grammy_Award_for_Song_of_the_Year

it would appear that Alejandro Sanz is the biggest star of the spanish language non-urban scene, although he's spanish, not american

[koganbot]

Not understanding your questionnaire if "Hurban" and "reggaeton" are separate categories, since they're not quite comparable: Hurban is a radio format while reggaeton is a musical genre that is the main ingredient on Hurban radio, which also plays softer Latin pop and Spanish-language remixes of English-language hip-hop and r&b hits, and some straightup r&b and hip-hop, and English-language hits by Hispanic artists. There was a reggaeton station in Denver a couple of years ago but it didn't capture a large audience and eventually shifted format to r&b oldies. Was where I first heard Daddy Yankee. I don't know how many "Hurban" stations are left, or if the meaning of the term has evolved. According to Wikipedia, the Hurban station in Houston shifted back to all Spanish-language.

"Hurban" as a musical style might refer to someone like Baby Bash, who's softer and more romantic than a lot of hip-hop guys, or Frankie J, r&b balladeer with a romantic Hispanic tinge, or Natalie. They were all part of the 2005 hurban thing. I don't know who would be the 2008 equivalents.

[koganbot]

There was a reggaeton station in Denver

I meant a hurban station that played reggaeton. But I don't recall the word "hurban" being any part of its self-promotion. "Hurban" was more a term of art among biz types, may have been a Clear Channel coinage.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes this was my hunch, that it's a biz jargon word, but I didn;t know if it had broken out to become a recognisable umbrella word among the audience, or whether it had just stayed in the questionnaire by mistake.

Not applicable to UK audiences anyway, so for my editing purposes it doesn't matter either way!