http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/clipart-image-of-diverse-group-9173639
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glny4jSciVI
The link I posted is a Youtube video of the 2010 "We are the World" remake. The original music video was shot in 1985. In 1985 Quincy Jones got a collection of famous artists at the time to get together and perform the piece written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. The 2010 remake was a collection of today's top artists such as Miley Cyrus, Josh Groban, Celine Dion and even Justin Bieber. It was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the song as well as a fundraiser for Haiti, which at the time had just suffered a massive earthquake. The song features artists of all ages and from all types of backgrounds spreading the one message: "we are the world, we are the children". We are all the same and we need to help each other to survive this life.
The article "Multiculturalism" from the Encyclopedia of American Studies explains where the term comes from and goes into detail about how the word has evolved to how we understand it today. The article states, "Multiculturalism promotes the idea that diverse groups should be able to participate fully in the national culture while maintaining important aspects of their community cultures". I think that this quote fits the "We are the World" video perfectly. When you watch the video you see a group of people who came together to make beautiful music (America); however, they aren't focused on blending or just sounding like a chorus, everyone sings their own style to maintain their individuality (community cultures). The point of having Justin Bieber sing is have him sound like Justin Bieber, and the same goes for Josh Groban and Pink and Jennifer Hudson. The song showcases so many different styles of music, it truly is beautiful. From pop to classical to techno. These people are famous for their voices, they came together for a great cause and to show unity but they didn't give up what made them them for the song. I think that is the point of multiculturalism; we can come together and make something absolutely beautiful, but everyone's voice should still be their own, and it needs to be heard. We must not be quiet, we must all sing with our own voice and make the world hear us.
I think it's interesting that everyone chose to write about music in some form. It shows that through all differences, there is one thing that people can connect with. Even with different styles of music, they can come together to make something whole, as shown by "We Are the World" in particular. Just as music brings different people together, our nation brings together people from different cultural backgrounds and creates multiculturalism.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you! What an awesome example of multiculturalism. I remember being a huge fan of the remake when it came out in 2010, but being only 14 years old I never looked at it this way. I think what is also unique about this performance is that they have a male singing in the Haitian language, which draws even more attention to the need for us all to come together no matter where we are from to support a place in need. You know what they say, music is a universal language. What better way to create a sense of unity than with song. The description of the video even says "Every one of the artists who participated, regardless of genre or generation, walked into the room with their hearts and souls completely open to coming together to help the people of Haiti"
ReplyDeleteI love how you took that song and connected it to multiculturalism, through the different voices and genres of the artists because I never really looked at it that way. I honestly think this was an awesome connection because music just speaks to so many souls no matter what language you speak or where you're from. I know I personally listen to songs from all over whether I know what they're saying or not.
ReplyDeleteAs many have said before, I agree with your response. I too did not realize the message that the piece of music was trying to convey until now. bringing all of those artists together to make people aware of struggles in Haiti was one of the best methods, since music is universal. The lyrics mean so much and they help people connect to one another.
ReplyDeleteI love how the picture connects with everything you have said. The idea of multiculturalism and how it connect with the song and intertwines with the picture reall creates a bold picture for everyone to see and experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point. I remember when I first time listened to this song. I didn't realize this song means so much at that time since I was only 13 years old at that time. My only thought was this is awesome because so many artists singing one song together. But now I can understand the meaning of this song, very good example of multiculturalism.
ReplyDeleteI really like this song anyway, so it's nice to be able to listen to a song not only for entertainment value, but a powerful message as well. This song is an excellent example of multiculturalism and it's more than just the fact that it is a group of well-known faces singing together. The fact that the message is put into song makes it easy for everyone to relate to, as music is a prominent part of every culture and something that everyone can understand in some way. Its a beautiful song with a powerful set of voices. Hopefully this message won't be lost as time goes on.
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