Undoubtedly, we have come a long way from the popularity of reggae, which ruled the roost in the ‘80s and was epitomised by the late Jamaican reggae legend, Bob Marley. The '90s saw the rise of groups like the Spice Girls and the 21st century has dominantly been a Hip-hop era, with other genres such as Rock, R'n'B, House and Kwaito getting peripheral recognition worldwide.Musicians in the mould of Kanye West, 50cent, Akon, Mariah Carey and Jay-Z are the symbols of music in the 21st Century.But all throughout the passage of time, one thing remains unaltered. The unspoken but highly evocative language called music has always exerted powerful influences on individuals and societies alike. The late Germany composer and pianist, Felix Mendelssohn once remarked that music is more specific about what it expresses than words written about those expressions could ever be.
And that music has the power to express and convey powerful emotions is without question. However, the issue of music's moral and ethical power and how that power affects individuals and societies is one that receives too little attention in modern society.Interestingly, showbiz editor with a southern African publication, Lesley Moyo, 27, brings in a thought-provoking dimension to the subject.He speaks of how rock and roll influenced daily life, fashion, attitudes and language in a way few other social developments have equalled."The rock and roll lifestyle was popularly associated with sex and drugs," Moyo says."Many of rock and roll's early stars as well as their Jazz and Blues counterparts were known as hard-drinking, hard-living characters."
