I'm currently collaborating on video content with famous South African artist Mary Sibande who is visiting and putting up two shows next week here at the University of Michigan.

We were having dinner, and she mentioned that she knew only two songs by Prince (and she listens to current pop music, perhaps more on the hip hop end of things).

Those songs were: 1. Diamonds & Pearls and 2. Purple Rain

She had no idea what 1999, Kiss, Cream, When Doves Cry was.

So I asked her what song she knew of Madonna... and she said "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Then I asked about Michael Jackson, and she mentioned some song with his three nephews that I had never even heard of. And she even found the youtube version of it (with a montage video) to prove it was real.

I was so dumbfounded that her pop perception was so different then my American one. Of course she is one artyist with potentially eccentric taste (although her playlist in the studio included the recent Kanye West and Jay-Z albums).

Well, I'm thinking of making her a little MP3 collection to see if she likes it (of Prince shit).

The funny thing is she listens to Miriam Makeba.

I think I should put in "Colonized Mind" because of that.

[Edited 9/19/13 9:27am]

For those that don't know the Miriam Makeba connection listen to "Quit it" by her.

ufoclub said:

I'm currently collaborating on video content with famous South African artist Mary Sibande who is visiting and putting up two shows next week here at the University of Michigan.

We were having dinner, and she mentioned that she knew only two songs by Prince (and she listens to current pop music, perhaps more on the hip hop end of things).

Those songs were: 1. Diamonds & Pearls and 2. Purple Rain

She had no idea what 1999, Kiss, Cream, When Doves Cry was.

So I asked her what song she knew of Madonna... and she said "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Then I asked about Michael Jackson, and she mentioned some song with his three nephews that I had never even heard of. And she even found the youtube version of it (with a montage video) to prove it was real.

I was so dumbfounded that her pop perception was so different then my American one. Of course she is one artyist with potentially eccentric taste (although her playlist in the studio included the recent Kanye West and Jay-Z albums).

Well, I'm thinking of making her a little MP3 collection to see if she likes it (of Prince shit).

The funny thing is she listens to Miriam Makeba.

I think I should put in "Colonized Mind" because of that.

[Edited 9/19/13 9:27am]

Well, Miriam Makeba, was born in South Africa, so not surprising your friend is familiar with her music.

[Edited 9/19/13 10:47am]

I think this is a good reminder that things look different from other parts of the world. Our perspective is not the only perspective.

I work with alot of Africans at my job and trust me they know who Prince is One lady I spoke to said it was weird that MJ went to Africa, but Prince never has-I had no words-cuz she had a point

paulludvig said:

I think this is a good reminder that things look different from other parts of the world. Our perspective is not the only perspective.

Our perspectives?

Not all orgers are Americans

dJJ said:

paulludvig said:

I think this is a good reminder that things look different from other parts of the world. Our perspective is not the only perspective.

Our perspectives?

Not all orgers are Americans

What do you mean with that!!!!!

I live in Botswana at the moment. Most my friends are expats who would be completely bemused by my fascination with Prince. It came up over dinner out a few weeks back, my wife was saying how many shows and aftershows we went to during the London residency of 2007. You would have thought we had just confessed to molesting orphans from some of the reactions. It later emerged that a couple of these people were also fans to a degree - one girl (another Brit) had been a big fan in the late 80s and had once been given a bunch of roses coloured peach & black by a boyfriend.

The table was a mix of brits, germans, americans, irish and locals. It was the local guys who claimed to actually like Prince - they were youngish well travelled and open minded. The rest I think were just shocked that we would attend so many concerts by the same artist and have however many gb of one persons material.

Genrally Prince isn't well know down here. The globalisation of TV means we get the old videos on VH1, but beyond that there isn't much. I might have heard a song on the radio once or twice since I have been here, but I find it hard to listen the local radio as it generally plays syrupy r'n'b. I did hear what I think was a live version of Chaka Khan singing Don't talk to Strangers' the other night...

I think the culture is generally too macho. Prince is too fem and wierd for most people here and a hint of adrogony or a 'gayness' can be seen as a bit of an afront to traditional values.

Back in the mid nineties I was dating a South African woman, and at the time, Nelson Mandela had asked her father to be the South Afican ambassador in the U.S. I actually stayed at the South African embassy in D.C. for a bit while the regime was changing over and I was inbetween apartments.

Exciting time to say the least.

Anywho... She loved Prince. That was around the time of the 'Come' album.

~G

ufoclub said:

I'm currently collaborating on video content with famous South African artist Mary Sibande who is visiting and putting up two shows next week here at the University of Michigan.

We were having dinner, and she mentioned that she knew only two songs by Prince (and she listens to current pop music, perhaps more on the hip hop end of things).

Those songs were: 1. Diamonds & Pearls and 2. Purple Rain

She had no idea what 1999, Kiss, Cream, When Doves Cry was.

So I asked her what song she knew of Madonna... and she said "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Then I asked about Michael Jackson, and she mentioned some song with his three nephews that I had never even heard of. And she even found the youtube version of it (with a montage video) to prove it was real.

I was so dumbfounded that her pop perception was so different then my American one. Of course she is one artyist with potentially eccentric taste (although her playlist in the studio included the recent Kanye West and Jay-Z albums).

Well, I'm thinking of making her a little MP3 collection to see if she likes it (of Prince shit).

The funny thing is she listens to Miriam Makeba.

I think I should put in "Colonized Mind" because of that.

[Edited 9/19/13 9:27am]

3T (Michael's nephews, Tito's kids) were HUGE here in the UK, and in other parts of Europe. Like, fucking MASSIVE. I remember reading that in the mid-90's, they outsold every other act in Europe other than the Spice Girls. I attended their tour here, which was sold out. They sold 6-7 million copies of their album and a ton of singles. The song you are referencering is "Why" and it was a massive hit. Surprised you saw a a montage rather than the official video:

3T were never terribly popular in the US, though. I believe over there the album didn't even crack the top 100. So it just goes to show that yeah, perception is very different.

It's hard for us to believe that someone might know "Diamonds and Pearls" but not "Kiss" or "1999" or even "When Doves Cry". But back in the day, music wasn't as homogenous as it is now and different songs were more or less well known in different countries. And depending on what age you are, that makes a difference too.

[Edited 9/20/13 11:38am]