A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the upcoming Mercury prize, asking whether or not the winner should be solely chosen by the critics.
Well last week the judges decided and, as is their wont, they undermined the bookies in favour of hip-hop artist Speech Debelle.
Now, not having any particular favourites amongst this year’s nominees, I wasn’t particularly inspired to blog about the announcement last week. But circumstances change, and the backlash that followed the announcement took me by surprise. And one particular comment, hidden deep within the letter pages of The London Paper has particularly stuck with me as the writer asked how Speech Debelle could possibly have won such a prestigious award, having only sold 3000 copies.
Now I’m sure you, like me, know some incredibly talented bands and musicians who haven’t been lucky enough to have mainstream success. Either their music is kinda niche or they just haven’t been in the right place at the right time in order to reach the masses. But just because their potential hasn’t been wholly fullfilled, does this mean that they are any less talented or worthy of industry recognition.
With much of society based on the premise that bigger means stronger and more successful, it’s easy to see how this misconception has been allowed to grow. But with only a fraction of the musicians out there , signed to major labels (and therefore in a position to top the charts), surely moments like Speech Debelle’s win, should be embraced. They show that talent is still the driving force behind the industry, and those who are less well-known are still able to be appreciated for who they are.
I leave you then with an artist who told me he didn’t want to be involved with the music industry. I first found out about Tony when he supported Ruarri Joseph in Truro. And it blew me away that this quiet, lanky guy with only his guitar managed to silence a busy, bustling bar on a Friday night and get everyone staring at him. Truly astounding.
But what about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks
Post by Mary Stokes - Meet Me
Located in the UK, music has been part of my life for a long time. I'm a classically trained violinist but have a wide range musical knowledge.
