.Evolving Music.

It’s all about evolving music. When you remove the shackles of big labels and constraints of mainstream media and give musicians and artists the freedom they deserve, real creativity begins to emerge, unlikely collaborations spring up, and people actually dare to be different. Hell, whole new genres begin to evolve! Take ‘Razz‘ for example. That is, Rock Arabic Jazz. Razz.

I was born into a family of old-school (think Dixieland and Big Band) jazz musicians, bombarded by rock and alternative (yay flannels) in junior high and high school, and then oddly enough spent most of my when-napster-was-free days in college downloading Arabic songs. I was kind of obsessed. But hey, for a white girl, I can sing (ok, hum) along to sooo many of the songs they play in hookah bars.

Hearing elements of Rock, Arabic, and Jazz music woven together with considerable artistry is delicious. Mix the haunting melodies and unique instrumentals of Arabic music, the beat and drive of rock, and the improvisational twists and turns and sweet harmonies of jazz and holy crap! You’ve got quite a match. Whether you dig this guy’s music or not, it’s hard not to appreciate the art.

Aziz Maraka is a shining example of how music in general – and genres specifically – will continue to evolve. As the world becomes increasingly more interconnected and culturally aware (with a few obvious exceptions in our current administration), the tech-savvy, fearless, and innovative pioneers of today’s young(ish) generations will continue to revolutionize the way music is made.

Web 2.0 will forever change the face of music and I, for one, plan to be sitting in the front row to watch it happen.