Muslim Rock Bands???

The Klezmatics and Japonize Elephants play Jewish sounding rock music. Don't know if you would call that Jewish rock (they don't proselytize/testify like a lot of Christian bands do) but they both obviouly have a lot of Jewish musical influence.

DK

 

Music is just one thing that the moslem world has never copied from the west. You don't get moslem 'serious western music' or jazz either - moslems who play rock and roll, jazz or classical music temd to be rather irreligious. They don't groove, either, unless they are West African, and then deeper cultural influences take over.....

 

Well, there's Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys...

 

I did see a TV news story about a popular rock band in Pakistan. I can't remember their name, but it showed them practicing and it did mention that they were devout Muslims. I assume they wouldn't be the only one around.

 

This is a good question. Christian rock is a unique kind of genre because it expresses religious ideas in a secular style. Do non-Christian religious groups always express their religious ideas in their traditional liturgical style?

Christian rock/pop/metal/etc. make a lot of $ in the US, more than jazz and classical combined. Do other countries like this style as much as we do?

 

There was a while where there were a number of Hare Krishna hardcore bands around like Shelter and 108. They were fairly open with their beliefs although I don't know that they would preach from the stage the way some Christian bands do...

As far as I know, Christian bands seem to do pretty well throughout Europe, South America, and Australia. I haven't heard as much about Christian bands starting or playing in Japan or the rest of Asia, although I'm sure they do.

 

Jewish hip hop: Beastie Boys
i don't think their music is religious base to it though.
because there are a lot of Christians in the US it seems natural that Christian rock has developed as it has AND has become somewhat commercially successful since there IS a market for it here. i think it's only a matter of time before other religiously affilliated rock band become commercially sucessful in the markets that can support them...
blah blah blah...

 

There are loads of devout religious folks from religions of all types in music. There are also loads of traditional folk kind of music around. They just aren't popular outside of the small ethnic goups that they cater to. These groups rarely cross over into rock type music, which I guess was the original question.

There is obviously a much larger market for "vanilla christian" groups, so they sell.

The other part, is that most religions that I have encountered outside of christianity, though, do not encourage proselytizing (sp?). The reason you see "christian rock/pop/etc." and not other types has to do with that cultural tendency of christians reaching out to save the rest of us.

Other religious groups, tend to keep their religious views more private. Such has been my experience.

No disrespect was meant by this response to the many christians on this board. Just speaking from my experience.

 

Thailand is 95% Buddhist.
Japan is mostly Shinto.
China is "officially" atheist but has a huge Cunfusist following.
Indonesia is 88% Muslim.

all these countries have have home-grown rock and pop music (bass, guitar, drums, vocals). i would have to think that amongst the home-grown rock bands that at least some of them are singing the praises of their respective faiths.

 

There's a lot of arab pop, e.g. Rai, which is also quite popular in France and Spain. One of their stars is Cheb Khaled. But their stuff is mostly secular or at least progressive.

http://www.angelfire.com/al/alyafaei/chebkhaled.html

As for christian music in Germany, it's totally ridiculous, and it's nowhere near to the American scene in terms of success, quality and professionalism. Nobody I know listens to it, unless maybe in mass.

 

Asian Dub Foundation perhaps? it's not straightforward rock, though.. and I don't know how religious they are.

someone mentioned the Beastie Boys.. MCA is a buddhist and he does convey some buddhist messages in his lyrics from time to time.

 

The only muslim band I know is an extremely loud metalband from, believe it or not, Israel.
I believe it is partly being sung in Hebrew.

Check out their website: http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/kowalski/901/

(Edit: Oh, wait. I think their Christian after all, but just like screaming 'AAAALLLAAAHHH!!!' every now and then. We live in a postmodern world...)

 

eh...no really rock bands other than ones that start up from kids in mosque. i wasin one with some other brown guys one summer. yeah...more desi thug crews and stuff comiin out of brown town where i'm from sadley.
-shoonk

 

Actually, Confucianism isn't a religion, it's more like an ethical school of thought that people like to follow.

 

Jurassic 5 praise Allah on their sleevenotes.....

 

Fearless Iranians from Hell

 

school of thought...philosopy...faith...religion?



i'm not sure a simpleton like me is ready for such a high-brow topic...

 

It seems to me that it's a little deeper than that...Christian fundamentals, as I understand them, include "spreading the word". Christian Rock has religious undertones, which makes it...Christian.

Other religions that have "penetrated" Western music, such as jewish musicians, have assimilated: for example: have you gotten a "Jewish" message from Geddy Lee, David Lee Roth, or Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)?

 

Yes, but we can also flip it around and say that rock/western music appears to have failed to "penetrate" non-Christian religious traditions.