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Culture

Connecting cultures through music

An article on receiver magazine by Rudy De Waele in Barcelona.

Music brings diverse groups of people together, transcending differences and crossing cultures, and has done so ever since a prehistoric human first banged two rocks rhythmically together around the campfire, to the surprise and delight of the other members of his tribe. Yet mobile music as we understand it today is still very much in its infancy. The digitalisation of music, and the industry around it, combined with the rise of the internet and the power of the latest portable multimedia computers (Nokia no longer calls them phones), is set to radically change how people consume and discover music, and more specifically the way we share and relate to each other … with music as the connector.

Although the idea of using our mobile phones to share and discover music is not quite ready for mass-market acceptance just yet, the use of mobile phones as a viral tool to spread "the message" is already an essential part of today's young urban cultures. We have seen examples of this being used to political ends in many countries, and the "macrobotellón" phenomenon in Spain (where young people use texting to organise mass open-air drinking sessions) or the rise of Flash Mobs have shown how it can be used simply for socialising as well. These happenings cannot be foreseen, and most importantly the authorities cannot control them – rather, they are communicated to target youth groups using secret messages over channels such as SMS and internet mailing lists, and they remain resolutely underground.

Read the article in receiver mag.

Also: m-trends.org - about mobile media lifestyle and MuLiMob project

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