MAJOR MAESTRO: En Vogue

Attention!!!

Are we not all guilty of racial profiling? In the wake of the terrible rise of ISIS, we see the gradual slow but steady ascension of racism. Discrimination is only skin deep, but not all of us are colour blind. The Holocaust was a horror for all of us, not just the Jews which suffocated in the gas chambers. The massacres and genocide in the name of purifying regions and nations has become a contemporary nightmare around the world, particularly in Africa and Asia. That does not in anyway mean that in the elitist areas of the developed Western world, that bigotry is dead. For those of African descent with dark skin have suffered immense discrimination at the hands of those with white skin, especially in the Americas.

The root cause of racism is the mistrust among communities and terror outfits such as LTTE and ISIS have paved the way for certain ethnicities being classified and profiled as terrorists. The ugly truth is that the violent separatism advocated by the Tamil Tigers and the incessant Jihadist butchery of the IS militants have lead the world to stereotype these communities. #SayNoToRacism is a slogan popularized by activists, mainstream and social media these days. However, it is relevant to note how much of it has had an actual effect.

Music has over the years dealt with many issues and non-discrimination is an area which it has touched upon, although there is no significant number. Bob Marley and the Wailers' War takes the crown as the Rastafarian sings bravely about the equal rights for different races. Michael Jackson with his 90s hit Black or White takes second place and the King of Pop is the only one to have two entries on the list. At a close third is Eddy Grant's Gimme Hope Jo'anna which refers to the Apartheid which prevailed in South Africa. There is no typical genre as it varies from pop and rock to reggae and rap. So here are the Top 25 songs about anti-racism and non-discrimination:

Bob Marley and the Wailers – War
Michael Jackson – Black or white
Eddy Grant – Gimme hope Jo’anna
Vanessa Williams – Colours of the wind
Billie Holiday – Strange fruit
Lady Gaga – Born this way
Bob Dylan – Hurricane
Black Eyed Peas – Where is the love?
John Legend & Common – Glory
John Lennon – Imagine
B.o.B. ft. Taylor Swift – Both of us
Sam Cooke – A change is gonna come
Race Against The Machine – Killing in the name
Boyzone – A different beat
Sly and the Family Stone – Everyday people
Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder – Ebony and ivory
En Vogue – Free your mind
Jay-Z – 99 Problems
Michael Jackson – They don’t care about us
Gwen Stefani – Long way to go
Aerosmith – Livin’ on the edge
Cher – Half-breed
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The power of equality
2Pac ft. Pogo – I don’t give a fuck
Scatman John – Scatman’s world

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Attention!!!

A girl group is a music act featuring several hot/sexy/beautiful teenage girls or those in their early twenties who generally harmonize together. Whilst it is clear that looks and talents are not enough to end up in a girl group you need that star quality identity which their domineering managers and publicists can exploit in marketing them. Of course the first wave of girl groups hit the music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s between the decline of early rock and roll and the British Invasion many of whom were influenced by doo-wop style. The next tide came in during the late 90s with the next best thing after The Beatles hitting the pop world by storm, the Spice Girls.

Whilst taking the crown as the best girl group of all time, they are definitely unbeaten in all their records from the best-selling female group of all time to the best-selling single and album by a female group of all time as well. Although short-lived probably due to the inability to handle that much success Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty parted ways in 2000. It appears that girl groups do tend to have a shorter lifespan than boy bands, probably due to girls being unable to stick together for long than guys. Pop is definitely the genre of the girl groups with R&B and Hip-Hop also in the fray. Girl groups have also set the stage for some of their members who went solo and became a global success. The success stories of Melanie B, Beyonce, Diana Ross, Nicole Scherzinger, Hyuna and Cheryl Cole are all examples of how these stars reaped the benefits of their post girl group days. In the recent past there has been another tide of girl groups coming in with groups such as The Saturdays, Little Mix, Neon Jungle and G.R.L. all gaining worldwide recognition and success. So here are the Best 50 Girl Groups of All Time.